Huge Brawl Between Players and Spectators in Pacers-Pistons Game

Did you hear Jim Grey talking about it on ESPN, he started to get emotional as he recalled the evenings events. There were kids crying, scared to death. And did you see the fans cheering as things were thrown. Disgraceful!

 

I am a solid Pistons fan. I'm from Detroit.

I missed the last part of the game. Because I have to work 3rd shift job.

After I finished work. I check out Detroit News Newspaper for Pistons vs. Pacers. I surprised, it says, there was a huge brawl between fans and Pacers.

Then I got home, and watch ESPN on T.V. Unbelieveable!! Oh what a DISGRACE!!! If suppose I am in fan's shoe. I will not throw pop at the player. It is unacceptable. Oh what a disguist looking at them within 45.8 seconds. I am so ASHAMED for Pistons FANS!!! Also, I am disappoint with Pacers players threw punches at the fans, it makes look horrible, and it could be very blooshed.

I think, all fans who invloved with Pacers players, should banned from attend Pistons Games for lifetime!!! Also, a fan who threw a chair toward O' Neal should send to JAIL and banned from attend Pistons Game for LIFETIME!!

Pacers players would get fines and probably suspended, for threw punches at the fans. That is unacceptable for Pacers players! Also unacceptable for fans too.

I consider Ben Wallace should get fines and suspended game for started the fight. Ben is my favorite player. I am disaappoint with Ben Wallace.

I am so disappoint and embrassed to see Pistons fans doing horrible WORST than "Bad Boys 89"!

I hope Pacers players and fans will forgive each other and be peaceful next time.

Pacers will not play at The Palace till next March. I hope Palace have to send more securities and Polices there for the protection. Also, I hope the fans would have a good cooperative with the game with good sportsmanship.

Also, I notice Ron Arest have been troubles in the past. I hope he should doing better and right next time.

Oh what a DISGRACE!!!! I pray for Pistons fans, Pistons players and Pacer players, that they would be doing fine, and forgive each other, try to forget what happen last night.

In Christ
Rev. 22:20 -Amen!

 

Detroit should be banned by the NBA.
That is the city, not the team.
If the team wants back in the NBA they
would have to move elsewhere.

 

Ed,

I disagree.

These are fans. Fans who invloved in that, should be banned from attend Pistons games for lifetime.

Lions, Tigers, Red Wings, UM Wolverines fans are wonderful.

I think basketball sports is more violence because of raps, drugs, racism.

I am sure NBA policy is going to be change LOT and more stricter.

I rather all NBA Games - selling alochals, beers must be banned for good.

Interesting, white fans threw foods, drinks at black players, sound to me, it looks like racism.

But, actually, it is sports fans. Because of angry, emotionals, tempers. Many fans ouut of everywhere having bad attitude.

I guess, more fans worshipping sports than God as idols. Sad.

I heard stories from Europe soccer games. Many fans got in fought with players. So, there is no difference between from last night's fight.

Also, several years ago. Thousands of fans were out of the control, got panic, and squeezed thousands of fans' face against the fence. Many fans were panic, not able to breathing in the air while struck or trap against the fence. Terrible.

Not just for white people against black at basketball game last night.

Also, I have seen so many fans are fighting against soccer(football in Europe's word)players in the same color(race).

That is what 'FANS' is about.

We are all crooked!

In Christ
Rev. 22:20 -Amen!


Sad.

 

How many things suddenly come into play with an incident like this? Mob violence is the essence of it. Emotions run very high in sports, and some drunk fan can set the match by throwing a cup of beer on the player already consumed with anger. Then the real frey starts, and there are cowardly punches from behind, more throwing objects-- most of them not too 'dangers'-- onto players who have almost no chance of striking back. And getting involved in the fight can be a very rewarding experience in the end, with the stupid American system of lucridity for lawyers and 'punchees', even if they only chose to get close to it all for that very reason.

There will be suspensions and fines, but these prove to be seldom preventative, and the players may spend that time making back the $$ of their fines negotiating book, music or other deals.

Since sports are largely a substitute for our lust for violence, hate, and mob action, there should be no surprise when it turns into mob action indeed.

 

I went to a brawl one time and
a gal-darn HOCKEY game broke out

 

A little perspective folks ... This was not the Detroit fans. This was one or two idiots that threw a cup of beer at an idiot. There is no question that it was a shame and disgrace. But this was one or two people out of more than 20,000. There were some throwing beer on the players going up the ramp to the locker room. AGain, it was stupid and a disgrace, but it was not the city of Detroit, nor the fans of Detroit. It was a few idiots.

If nothing else, you know they are idiots for wasting $10 beers on the Pacers. If I was dumb enough to pay $10 for a beer, I certainly wouldn't be dumping it on the Pacers.

Artest took a fairly hard foul and Ben pushed him. Wallace's suspension is a joke. That was a part of the game. Fine him, and throw him out of the game. That stuff happens all the time. As Bill Lambier (a thug and idiot in his own right) said last night, that is part of the game on the court (unfortunately). But it should stay on the court. Wallace did not, at least that I saw, participate in the brawl in any way. Artest should be suspended for the rest of the season without pay. He has a history. He was wrong to be laying on the scorer's table. He was absolutely wrong to go into the stands. Jackson should be suspended for 20 or so games for going into the stands. I think the rest of the players in the stands were actually trying to break it up.

It was a shame, but it was a couple of people, not the city of Detroit.

 

From the video, it looks like the first guy threw a beer at Artest laying on the table. Artest got up and went after him, got the wrong guy, then some fans got involved trying to break it up, it looked like, although a few were swinging. There were two fans that came out on the court that Artest and Oneal took unprovoked swings at. There were maybe a dozen or so lining the ramp it looked like.

But that is maybe a couple of dozen out of more than 20,000 at that particular game.

I think Artest's suspension will be the longest, Wallace's probably the shortest.

 

Wallace went after Artest for the foul and then when it was all calming down he threw his towel at Artest.

But it was the Detroit fans who degenerated into hooligans--they even threw beer and cokes on the players when they were headed into the locker room.

I hope that Detroit doesn't come here this year.

 

Not true. I clearly saw a fan come onto the court and challenge Artest and Artest met his challenge. I don't know why O'Neal took a swing at the guy, but I am not aware of any bad history on O'Neal. If he had been planted firmly when he took that punch, that idiot fan might be pushing up daisies now. </font>[/QUOTE]When I said "unprovoked," I meant that the fans did not swing at them first. They were walking onto the court talking or yelling at the players. They did not provoke them through physical force. No case can be made that either Artest or ONeal were defending themselves. O'neal had some issues last year I believe with his temper.

We live in the midst of a generation who measures the manliness and toughness by their unwillingness to control their emotions. It is a sad day. As I am often reminded, Like a city that is broken into and without walls Is a man who has no control over his spirit (Prov 25:28).

People must learn to control their spirit rather than responding in this foolish anger.

There is an interesting irony here. A player making millions of dollars this year goes after some factory worker or something making less this year than Artest makes in a game likely because this guy threw a $7 beer at him. I would be laughing at the idiot who just wasted $7 and a plastic souvenir cup. Instead, Artest is risking his whole season because he is stupid.

 

Here is my take:

The players who went in the stands and started throwing punches at fans should be fired, arrested, and sued. I am with Rusty Humphries on this. Suspensions mean nothing to these idiot thugs. Fire them, arrest them, and sue them for every penny they have. Then, they MIGHT get the picture. It would certainly make other players who mostly care about only money think twice about trying that again.

The fans who threw beer at the players and threw chairs should be banned for life from the games and arrested and sued for damages. This is no time to be understanding or merciful. I say we make a strong example out of them before this really gets out of hand.

Joseph Botwinick