Wow, I thought I'd seen it all. . . . .

So what's new and different this time around?

Oh ok, I did a Google on ron artest and saw he played for the Indiana Pacers. I then had to Google Indiana, turns out it's a state up by the great lakes by Illinois. Turns out the Illinois were a populous and powerful nation that occupied a large section of the Mississippi River valley. They became important allies of French fur traders and colonists who came to live among them, and now they play a key role in basetball. what a crazy world we live in.

see him last night at the pistons game? or RIOT! ?

With all of the things I have going on in my life, I have been considering dropping a sport from my programming. It was going to be one of the big three. I would never leave baseball, so it has to be football or basketball. This event just about pushed me to make a decision. I get sick of watching overpaid, underacheiving, self-centered, thugs play this game. Basketball holds no excitement for me any more. I love the Kings, but even they are becoming a bore.

kings fan? that explains it. YEah drop basketball from your programming 🙂

I enjoy sports ... but the NBA lost me a long time ago ... they've gone from playing real basketball to being a showcase for the playground game ... IMO, what you should drop is the NBA, not basketball although I will confess to having no idea whether your schedule will permit that ...

The Olympics showed it all for me. When we can't even hold our own against European countries who only have one or two NBA players and we're fielding a team of our best. Get Real!! It's all about showmanship and nothing about substance.

Speaking of showmanship, what would one call what was seen on TV last night? The fans were out of line but had Artest let security handle the situation, there never would have been a riot.

I'm sick and tired of seeing overpaid, spoiled little cry baby, prima donas get away with everything from shooting an innocent chauffeur to viciously attacking fans in the stands.

Professional Basketball... I can live without it.

Cheers,

grond

"I would never leave baseball."
"Basketball holds no excitement for me any more."

But baseball does??? It's almost as bad as GOLF!!!

If I was the guy Artest went up into the stands to punch... i'd be talking to a lawyer right about now.

It was clear from the video that the guy wanted no part of a fight. From what I gather from the talks about it, someone threw beer on him and he went to exact revenge, but it wasn't the guy he punched, and the guy was trying to explain that to him...

You can bet there will be lots of lawsuits as a result of the idiotic display by the "men" of the NBA. Street thugs like Artest should be banned from sports! I hope they suspend his sorry ass for at least the rest of this season! Hope he gets sued into the poor house and then spends a few years in the Big House!

Charlie

Obviously I don't follow pro-basketball, but this little hullabaloo seems like a prayer meeting compared to pro-hockey.

Cigarrick: Yes baseball holds my excitement. I think its the greatest sport in the world. EVery pitch is exciting, the fundamentals are still important, and yet, on a sunny afternoon, I can turn the radio on, put it out on the porch, and sort of half pay attention while I smoke a few cigars and read a good book.

Cigarprimate,

You're wrong. I am a big hockey fan and when the fighting occurs it is always within the confines of the rink. Except for a penalty box situation a few years ago, there has never been a fan altercation that I know of and in that case, the fan came over the glass into the penalty box.

Night before last, Ron Artest was lying on the scorer's table after an on the courst altercation when he was hit with a plastic bottle full of soda. He immediately went three to four rows up into the stands to exact his revenge (self defense according to Artest). The problem was that he exacted his revenge against the wrong guy. In the meantime, his actions were pivotal in starting the fans on their road to the riot.

The fan is at fault for throwing the plastic bottle. He should have been escorted from the stands and arrested for simple assault. Everything would have calmed down and the situation would never have happened. People don't realize that Ron Artest is in the middle of promoting his new "wrap album". He requeste a whole month off from the Pacers to promote it. I'm not sure this situation didn't play into his plans. He gets suspended for 30 games for physical violence that will serve to further his gangster image. He should be banned for life.

Cheers,

grond

Grond,

Maybe if the NBA placed hermetic walls of plexiglass around the court like they do in hockey, there'd be less player fan interaction. I know those barriers are to keep flying pucks from hitting fans, but they also serve another, perhaps unintended purpose. I have often seen enraged hockey fans, during tense exhanges, pounding on that plexiglass.

i, for one, would rather pound on a little sumpn' else........

Stern and the NBA gives out big time suspensions without pay. It's about time. Now Artest can devote all his time to his "promising" hip hop/rap, or what ever you call that crap, career. I really don't care anyway since I'm just waiting for baseball to start. Let me see, only about 3 1/2 months until Spring Training!

Cigarrick-

Not a baseball fan or fan of golf but you like football and basketball??? Baseball and Golf are two sports that require strategy and skill, football and basketball, the tallest, fastest, strongest goons win. Try golf and challenge your brain one time.

Burky

For a bunch of uneducated millionaires it just seems like they could show some restrain. They will pay now!

Burky

As lukin and Thurson pointed out I am also a big time baseball fan! I was raised following Amature Baseball with my father who scouted for the Astros, and I used to go to college games with him, and minor league games in the area we lived. Played and loved the game, and I respect MLB and all the tradition that goes with it (feel same about Pro Golf)! Now as far as NBA goes, who cares, bunch of guys who would be the worlds tallest garbage collectors, street thugs, rap artist, criminals, if not for the NBA and providing instant millions to these "people"! Ron Artest is a criminal, and he should be dealt with as such.....a few weeks ago, he was talking about "integrity" and did not know what it meant! He said "I don't know no word that is integrity, and what it means, I will have to ask someone"! He probably never found out what it meant, nor will he ever have it! I hope he never plays in the NBA again, but I really don't care because I do not follow that sport, that thrives on being outlaws, rap/hip hop or whatever the crap is called artists, and thugs who make millions! Whatever happened to the Larry Byrds and Magic Johnsons of the past? Now we have rapist, rappers, outlaws and thugs on the hardwood!

Bring on MLB. When do pitchers and cathers report to spring training?

Charlie