"Stern Punishment"
by Nathan Froe

Marquis Parker Debates Nathan Froe on the Artest Brawl-

Nathan Froe:

Imagine you’re at your desk, doing work. You become engaged in a heated argument with a co-worker. A customer decides to get involved and throws a drink that hits you directly in the face. You’re already pushed to the limit emotionally by the initial fracas. Do you retaliate or simply walk away?

It's pretty easy to sit at home and critique what happened and call Indiana Pacer Ron Artest everything in the book. Many say he overreacted about someone throwing a half cup of beer on him. However, we need to look at the context of the whole situation. Ben Wallace, of the Detroit Pistons, lost his cool after being fouled by Ron Artest. Wallace took offense to the light shove and put his hands around Artest's neck, tossing Artest backwards. Artest backed off. Wallace was still trying to get to Artest seconds later. Wallace threw a towel that hit Artest as he was down on the scorer's table. Again, Artest backed off.

Once Artest got hit with that drink from a spectator, however, he lost it. It was commendable for him to initially remain as calm as he did. My heart goes out to him because he was provoked beyond and above what most people could tolerate. We are talking about a player with a reputation (a rep that the media is certainly holding against him) for being hot-headed. Yet Artest showed clear restraint until some jerk decided to cross the line and completely disrespect him. I found it hard to believe- as a lot of talking heads are- that most people would have simply walked away. It's hard to imagine in a tough and physical game between two great rivals, that peoples’ emotions are as even-keeled as many expect them to be. That's pretty unrealistic given the situation.

Teammates Stephen Jackson and Jermaine O'Neal have also been called out for their involvement. However, when looking at the split second decisions they were forced to make, its easy to understand the reasoning behind the actions they took. Jackson was coming to the defense of a teammate in Artest. A spectator threw his drink on Artest- who was being held by others in the stands- so Jackson nailed the fan.

Indiana Pacers forward Ron Artest is grabbed by fans after he went into the seats during a a brawl with the Detroit Pistons with just 45.9 seconds left in the game Friday, Nov. 19, 2004, in Auburn Hills, Mich. The game was called by the officials. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

It seems as some fans take the price of admission as an excuse to treat athletes like caged animals. O'Neal never even left the floor. His punches were all in the heat of the moment defending himself and others from a situation that spiraled out of control. O’Neal was getting doused with everything imaginable… even having a metal folding chair tossed his way. I found it ironic that so many people said the players should have stayed above the foray. This is ridiculous. Even Indiana Pacer Coach Rick Carlisle commented on the chaos.

“I felt like I was fighting for my life out there”- Rick Carlisle, Indiana Pacer Coach

I'm not in anyway condoning all of Artest's actions nor some of the actions of others. But I certainly understand why. Many NBA players- including superstars Shaquille O'Neal and Vince Carter- said that they would have done the same thing if in a similar scenario. This may come as news to some, but professional athletes are not zoo animals or exhibitions at a museum. They are prone to the wide range of human emotions like everyone else. Players face verbal abuse on a constant basis and are paid handsomely to ignore it. But simply put, fans cross the line when they throw objects and physically hit players. That's considered assault anywhere in the country.

I do believe Artest should be punished for going into the stands. But the fact that he was clearly provoked should have been reflected in the punishment. NBA commissioner, David Stern, has faced the media onslaught and possibly feels like he needs to "restore" the credibility of the league. Stern has laid down exceedingly hard suspensions all around. This included three of the five toughest punishments in NBA history. Artest is suspended for the remainder of the year, Jackson received a 30 game suspension, O'Neal 20 games, Wallace was issued 6 games, and Pacers backup Anthony Johnson was disciplined for 5 games. Pacer Reggie Miller, Detriot's Derrick Coleman, Elden Campbell, and Chauncey Billups all received one game each. This is a shame when considering all the factors involved.

In an effort to appease, the NBA decided to make an example and set a new precedent. This was not the right call. Vernon Maxwell of the Houston Rockets went into the stands and attacked a fan in 1995 after the fan said something rude. Maxwell received a 10 game suspension and he wasn't even physically provoked as the Indiana Pacers were in Detroit. What separates the Maxwell incident is the terrible actions by the people in the stands.

This brings us to the real culprits in this melee….from the guy that threw the initial drink, to the big chump that nailed Pacer Fred Jones with a couple of cheap shots to the back of the head. What about the fans that charged the court with their fists up? Those cowards who ran on the court deserved whatever they encountered. The players- showered with food, drinks, and random chairs- could barely get into the locker room. The fans’ behavior was reprehensible and comparable to the type of behavior we'd expect from soccer hooligans in Liverpool or Colombia.

Consideration also needs to be given to the absolute lack of security. The on court altercation took place for several minutes prior to it escalating to the stands. It would have been nice to see a couple of well placed officers within the immediate eye sight of the players and fans. However, there was absolutely no police buffer between the poorly behaving fans and the riled-up players on the court. The lack of security only beckoned for something like this to happen. Tom Wilson, CEO of the Pistons, made the outrageous statement that the scorer's table (which Artest was laying down on when he was hit with the drink) was supposed to serve as a buffer between fans and players. This is a statement from a man that sounds like he's desperately trying to deflect blame for the way the Pistons organization failed in its security measures.

Stern, in his initial public statement, said "we must re-examine the adequacy of our current security procedures in Detroit and our other 28 arenas". Unfortunately for the players involved, it's a case of too little, too late. Expect the NBA Players Union to stand up for the guys they represent and fight Stern tooth and nail to get these suspensions mediated into a more fair and balanced punishment.

Nathan A. Froe is a freelance sports writer who has written for www.hoopsworld.com. He can be reached at nathanfroe@hotmail.com

Marquis Parker Debates Nathan Froe on The Brawl

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