Re: Artest gone for year, other suspensions absurdly long
Slick,
If I run up to you and throw a cup of water and ice in your face and you punch me (or otherwise incapacitate me), we both get arrested, and after questioning I go to jail and you go free.
Also, while O'Neal was a little out of line with the running hammer punch, the clips are dangerously misleading, what they don't show is that right before that clip starts that fan is seen in a fight with a Pacers offical and a player (Artest I belive). Yeah O'Neal didn't need to take a running punch at him, but he was defending his team and friends (which I believe the law allows for in the case that a mob is baring down on you).
That said, I was all for the suspensions listed at the start of this thread as a comprromise between the crazy "burn him at the stake" posts and the equally crazy "let them all go free" posts (of which I am in favor).
The actual suspensions just reenforce that there is no line for the fans to cross, they are free to do whatever they please, and if history is any indication, their punishments will be fairly light.
Cody
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