Artest gone for year, other suspensions absurdly long

[Clarkmeister]

It's been done in international Soccer several times and I'm quite sure that those teams are in the business of making money also.

[Clarkmeister]

[ QUOTE ]
The guy O'Neal punched never touched Artest. He ran in and covered what was presumably his friend after Artest hit the guy.

[/ QUOTE ]

http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/...videos=1929559

First, his friend jumped forward and pumped his arm in a threatening motion. Artest quite natrually under the circumstances thew a punch at his friend after that, not before. Then he personally ran at Artest and threw a kidney shot.

[AngryCola]

[ QUOTE ]
It's been done in international Soccer several times and I'm quite sure that those teams are in the business of making money also.

[/ QUOTE ]

This isn't Europe. This is the United States. Big business has a lot more leverage and gets away with a lot more in this country. They don't feel the need to bow to anyone, unless they have to.

There is no precedent for the action you seek in the United States. If the major sports have their way, there will never be one. Besides, football (soccer) games in Europe (etc) have a LOT more fans who are a lot more out of control. People die at football games around the world because of riots and fights. I don't think that has happened in the NBA. [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]

[hoyaboy1]

Ok, I no longer respect your opinion at all. You call the guy falling over his friend, bumping into Artest, and slightly grabbing him for balance a kidney shot? Suuuuuuuuuuuuuuure . . .

[Clarkmeister]

"That's just the way it is."

Wonderful solution.

"People die at football games around the world because of riots and fights. I don't think that has happened in the NBA."

Not yet.

[AngryCola]

Let me say just one more thing to you, Clark, before I head to bed for the night.

I think the fans behavior was completely unacceptable. The fact of the matter is that it is much harder to punish a group of fans as a whole. I wish they could find a way to find every single person that threw crap at the players and ban them for the year.

The logistics of that would be very difficult. You have to understand that. Plus, let's not fool ourselves, it's not like the Piston's fans were the first spectators to ever cause a lot of problems. That doesn't get them off the hook, but what about all the crap that happens with baseball fans, etc.?

This is a problem facing professional sports as a whole, and it's a hard one to deal with. Singling out the NBA and the Pistons is easy enough, but no other organization would be dealing with this in any significantly better way. All professional sports are at a loss with how to deal with this issue.

See ya, Clark. [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]

[AngryCola]

[ QUOTE ]
"That's just the way it is."

Wonderful solution.

[/ QUOTE ]

Usually, when somebody uses quotation marks, it's because they are quoting something.

I never said that.

Also, I'm not here to solve anything, and it's a bit arrogant of you to think that somehow you or I can. [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]

[Boris]

[ QUOTE ]
Also I'm certain that there are many who gladly trade places with NBA players and collect the salaries that these guys make and deal with these problems. Put me on that list as one.

[/ QUOTE ]

There's just one problem. You can't play basketball worth crap and no one is going to spend $300 for a front row seat to watch you flounder on the court.

[Richard Tanner]

Please be serious, unless artest pulls a knife one the guy and then proceeded to bet on the outcome of the game, he doesn't deserve a lifetime ban. That's just being crazy. No one in any other sport is subject to those kinds of penelties. A lifetime ban is just overboard for the sake of going over board.

Cody

[Richard Tanner]

Sticky this post to the very top, please. THis is a perfect description about the events. My only regreat is that I wasn't able to articulate it first. Thank you

Cody