Maddenation
Athletes Brawling
I read with disgust the story of NBA players (Pacers and Pistons) brawling at a game last night in Detroit, then attacking fans because someone had thrown a beer on Ron Artest. It all started when Artest, who forgot that sportsmanship means not lashing out when you’re beaten by your man, fouled Ben Wallace, who forgot that fouling is part of the game and is duly penalized by the rules in place. Wallace “pushed Artest in the face.” Their teammates, who forgot that they are paid ridiculous salaries to put a ball through a hoop, not to take swings at other men (that’s boxing), stormed the court and started their little hockey brawl thing. Meanwhile, Artest went to lie down on the scorer’s table, admiring the pandemonium he had created, when a drunken idiot, who forgot that if he has enough money to sit that close to the court he really ought to have half a brain, dumped his beer on Artest. So Artest jumped up, suddenly healed, and started punching fans, forgetting that it was only one beer and, most likely, it was not collectively thrown on him. Some other Pacer joined the fracas, then fans were on the court getting punched in the face and throwing things and cursing, and it’s all on tape.
So, you ask, what happens in Uruguay when two soccer teams brawl and not a single fan is involved in the incident? The players get arrested and thrown in jail (and an SI commentator laments the “black eye” on international soccer). No joke. Suspended? Yeah, you’re suspended, because you’re in jail? Fine? In addition to the league fine, how about lawyer fees? All from a brawl that lasted about a minute. I’ve seen baseball brawls that made this one look like a P.E.-class square dance (Karina and I were at the game; either that or we saw it live on TV; but I think we were there; how’s that for faulty memory?). I think they did the right thing in Uruguay (and not a single fan was involved, I repeat). Here in the US, the NBA will suspend and fine the brawling players, they’ll eat lobster instead of caviar for a week to pay the fine, some fans will try to sue (for the mental anguish they suffered, no doubt), but I prophesy, here in your presence, that not a single player will go to jail.
Patrick • News/Observations • 11/20/04 • 5 comments
Comments
Dad • 11/20/04 • 5:03 PM:This just in: the NBA has issued “indefinite suspensions” to several of the players (I think 4) pending the investigation. Will players (or fans) go to jail? I don’t know, but I think some suits will result. Also, there will be lots of finger pointing at players, fans, officials, owners, etc. I don’t want to get too sweeping in my judgments, but this type of thing has been going on and escalating in seriousness for some time. It’s a symptom of our societal breakdown. When I was growing up, we were taught that there were some things you just didn’t do; not because you’d get caught or punished, but because it wan’t right. Of course, some of us still misbehaved, but the stigma attached to bad behavior kept most of us in check. As I’ve said before, nowadays, we seem to be moving toward a society where legality has replaced morality, and even legality is defined as not getting caught. (And O.J. and Kobe will tell you that getting convicted is the real definition.)
Society can’t work that way. You can’t make enough laws or hire enough policemen or provide enough oversight to catch everything. And this relaxed attitude about wrongdoing trickles down from obscenities in the oval office to obscenities on TV to obscenities in Abu Ghraib. And sports, as a microcosm of society, gets more nasty and unsportsmanlike. And fans, who have the ready excuse of drunkenness, begin to think that their ticket of admission allows them to heckle and harass and hurl at the players with impunity. And players charging the stands to exact revenge is only to be expected, right?
Meanwhile, we can’t count the votes in our elections without suspicion (and perhaps the reality) of fraud, and cheating on tests has become the norm in our schools, and CEOs rape and pillage the corporations they head, and the most powerful nation on earth can’t keep its forces at home.
As Yeats has said:
David • 11/21/04 • 6:49 PM:Some good points Dad, or shall we call you “sunshine”. Man, lighten up some. I’m not saying that society is peachy, and I agree that this incident, and sports in general, is a microcosm of society. But it’s not that bad.
Sounds like Uruguay has the right idea. But at least we can say that our sporting events are a heck of a lot better than most other countries. Try a soccer game in any other country (except I guess Uruguay). Pat, I’m not sure if you were trying to defend international soccer? It’s nuts. But maybe not Uruguay. (The game I saw down there was great, by the way).
Just like in real life, people in sports, athletes and fans alike, get competitive (what’s that?) and stupid. Just ask Dan. This in itself is not a big deal to me. What is a big deal is the trend in American sports - not just professional, but college (see Lou’s last game at South Carolina) and down to pee-wee. It seems to stem from our gigantic feelings of entitlement.
Also, I’m pretty sure that Ben Wallace wasn’t Ron Artest’s man at the time of the foul. He was helping out. So that makes it totally fine to crack him one.
Patrick • 11/21/04 • 7:53 PM:Dave, it took me a long time to understand your last paragraph. Do you mean that since Artest wasn’t even supposed to be defending Ben Wallace, that it was okay for Ben Wallace to crack Artest after the ridiculous foul? I think that’s what you mean. As for me, it’s always okay for Ben Wallace to crack Artest one because Ben Wallace looks like Buckwheat, whereas Artest just looks like a punk whiny idiot.
David • 11/21/04 • 10:36 PM:You had said that Artest was beaten by his man - I was only pointing out that it wasn’t his guy. That’s all. And it wasn’t a ridiculous foul, it was hard, but not ridiculous. Well, maybe it was if you consider the fact that the game was basically over. Buckwheat Wallace is better than Cornrow Wallace.
Patrick • 11/22/04 • 1:36 AM:Amen, brother. I’m surprised the Pistons can lose with Buckwheat Wallace on the court. Cornrow Wallace I can see getting beat.
I read now that the NBA has suspended Artest for the whole season, and a lot of his teammates will be out for long stretches too. (The Pacers had to play their most recent game with only 6 players; they lost 86-83 to Orlando. The article calls the loss “a decision.” Huh? This is not boxing. There are not judging determining the winner. It’s who puts the ball through that hoop thing more times. That’s not a decision. People!). I guess Artest will now get that time off he was hoping for so he can promote his rap album.
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