Hoopshype.com had received several hundred e-mails from fans commenting on the Pacers-Pistons brawl. Heres a couple: <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">I was at the game and I am a season-ticket holder. My seat is on the first row behind the media table, very close to where it all got out of control... And after being home for a couple of hours and watching the ESPN analysts' comments/response, I am actually VERY disappointed! Jim Gray, Tim Legler and everyone there kept making reference to how Ron was "removing himself from the altercation, and preventing an escalation" by laying on the scorer's table... My apologies, but that is total BS! I don't know if that is how it was perceived from the camera angles, but I was there. And no, I am not excusing the fans that were throwing stuff, but what Ron was doing was plain and simple ? TAUNTING. He committed an uncalled- or hard foul with 45 seconds left and the game in the bag. The incident got a bit out of hand with the players, and once Ron "stirred the pot" ? sort of speak ? his actions where as if saying: "Oh, my. Look at what I did. Let them fight it out while I admire my work." If during regular game-play, players get technical fouls for taunting ? as Memo did vs. Prince last week ? how can Ron's actions not be viewed as taunting? In addition, I have no problem with players attempting to remove Ron from the stands, but what Stephen Jackson did was inexcusable. He just arrived and started swinging! Same goes for Jermaine! I understand the argument of self-defense when there is the perception of bodily harm. But, when you run into the fans like that, you are not doing anything to downgrade the situation. Ron was not injured, he got wet. So what? He had about 6-8 feet between himself and the fans, what kind of bodily harm threat was there? As for the fans that were punched on the floor in front of the Pacers bench, they were fans that had floor seats. The man did not attack Ron, he heckled. No physical attack, no threat. The guy was all but 5-foot-6. Ron should have just walked away. Anthony Johnson hitting the man while he was on the floor, that was uncalled for. And then Jermaine, sucker-punching him while he is being helped up by security? Criminal! Now, in terms of what the repercussions will be for fans... All I know is that I will probably lose all my season-ticket holder privileges for something I personally had nothing to do with. I've been hearing the ESPN crew saying that the first few rows should be pushed back, that there needs to be more distance between fans and players, that contact with players should be eliminated. I think that is a bunch of BS! As loyal fans, we pay a fortune to get as close to the action as possible. 99.9 percent of the time, there are positive experiences. As a basketball fan, there is no equivalent to sitting courtside. There will always be hecklers ? in every arena, in every sport. As a matter of fact, I was threatened by a Nets fan in New Jersey during Game 3 of the Pistons-Nets series in the last playoffs, for what he referred as "cheering too loudly for the Pistons" after I made the trip to support my favorite team! But as an overpaid professional athlete, they should just walk away!</div> <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">? Rocio Acosta Detroit, Michigan Anyone who saw it breaking open at the time knows that Artest at first was a model of restraint, but that once he was gone anything could have happened. Artest went up like dry tinder. In that tangle of people, it seemed quite possible Artest or Jackson could be killed. If one of those punks had come armed, that was a likely outcome. When Artest got back down from the stands, one of the announcers made a chilling comment about the look on his face. The cameramen didn't follow that up well enough to show us much. But Artest was a Stanley Kubrick character by that point ? glowering up from under half-closed eyelids, looking like he'd just come back from a faraway place. When the security people hustled him up the ramp, he still had that look on his face. That look was as scary as wondering if he'd taken a knife up there. The guy is going to need help. Part of what makes him a relentless player is part of what made him go up into the crowd looking for blood.</div> <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The whole thing was appalling. More appalling was the ESPN crew with Stephen A. Smith, Greg Anthony and company. Not a single one placed any blame on the players for what happened. I'm guessing we'll see some sort of security changes for NBA games soon. Think anyone is going to watch that Christmas day matchup now?</div> Full Article
THese articles are just a bunch of BS that Pistons have to say, of courswe they're going to say it, the Pacers are a better team r ight now and they don't want the Pacers to take their dvision, so the Pistons fans are stirring up BS. I am not a fan of either of these teams, but I have to say the fans of Detroit are SCREWED UP MENTALLY(the ones who were involved). There is no crime against self defense. For all we know that bottle throwncould of gave him a major headache or something lol. These idiotic fans just want a wallet full of NBA money. I'm happy Ron, Stephen, and Jermaine beat the crap out of these fans. They got what was coming to them and I would give Ben Wallce, Stephen JAckson, and Ron Artest, Jermanie O NEal a 3 game suspension. Just so other players dont do it.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Looks like Detroit fans miss their hockey. ? Sam Zia Los Angeles, California</div> <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">I think that Ron Artest did the right thing he was suppose to defend himself. There is a lot tension that NBA players build up in them through their career. There are a lot of racist chants that fans say. And no one should of threw that beer on him. ? Antonyo Burks Cleveland, Ohio</div> ..............................
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">I don't know if that is how it was perceived from the camera angles, but I was there. And no, I am not excusing the fans that were throwing stuff, but what Ron was doing was plain and simple ? TAUNTING.</div> That's how I percieved it myself...Artest was taunting Wallace when he laid down....apparently I'm the only one on JBB who saw it that way as well.
