Revisiting the brawl

[Miller4ever]

I don't like rehashing it, but this was a great article that provides a lot of insight.

http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/761 ... ice-palace

[Indy2thaWindy]

When was this?

[Moooose]

http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2012/02/29/hang-time-podcast-episode-71-with-jonathan-abrams-and-drew-packham/

Glad it is posted already. Heard this one on Sekou Smith's podcast too. Link above. I think it is the same guy from Grantland.

[Boneman2]

This is the most honest account I have heard, except for the night it happened when all of the experts agreed that the Pacers were defending themselves. By the next morning Stern turned it into something it was not. It correctly puts the emphasis on BigBen's inciteful actions. Once he threw something at Ronnie people actually felt the atmosphere change, it became more hostile.

It just reinforces that Stern is a low-life ba#@*rd. This is a case of the most lopsided penalties ever handed out by any commissioner from any sport, in the history of US sports. This was a community killer, so much so that the fans still haven't returned.

[Starkiller]

^ The way you put it, there really should be an E:60 special done on it. One of the most unforgettable nights in sports history.

[basketballwacko2]

When was this?

You have to be kidding? Darkest day in Pacer histpry!

[basketballwacko2]

It comes down to Artest is an Idiot! I can agree with him being mad about the beer but why run up there and pick some random guy half your size to beat up? That is what took this to the stupid level it went to. Jax and JO were just trying to keep a team mate from being mobbed. But maybe "World Peace" needed to be mobbed. If he had got the guy that threw the beer I'd be ok with his actions but he attacked a person who had nothing to do with it.

[uruguayan_pacer]

I have to say it.
I can't believe "fans" abandoned the team for this. The Pacers are over any player and if you don't support the franchise in the bad ones, better don't be in the good ones.

I hated Jackson because of his plays but right now I'm loving him for try to "help" his teammate as well as Jermaine, Tinsley...

[Boneman2]

^^^Actually Ron ran directly toward the convicted felon, but the wuss acted like he didn't do it until Ron turned his back and then he sucker punched him. Let's not act like Ron was intimidated and seeked the smallest guy in the crowd, the felon kind of pointed at the Harry Potter looking dude. Ron offered to fight BigBen on PayPerView afterwards that should confirm he is not a punk. The felon deserved to get his a*# kicked, so did Ben Wallace's fat cowardly brother, and so did the two fat brothers that were standing in front of our bench. According to this article, these guys were asked to leave well before the fight. Regardless, it was funny seeing them flop around, the one was lucky JO slipped.

This fight was nothing compared to a UFC match in terms of violence, so I could care less. Imagine if the felon had thrown a cup at Rucker Park, we'd be talking about 2nd degree murder. He was lucky.

[Boneman2]

I have to say it.
I can't believe "fans" abandoned the team for this. The Pacers are over any player and if you don't support the franchise in the bad ones, better don't be in the good ones.

I hated Jackson because of his plays but right now I'm loving him for try to "help" his teammate as well as Jermaine, Tinsley...

Totally agree. Good post.

[mizzoupacers]

Thank God that Artest, Jackson and Tinsley are long gone. And I don't miss Jermaine too much either.

Still pissed at David Stern and the way he handled the brawl. Four words: Vernon Maxwell, ten games. (Look up Mad Max's history.) The Pacers got the sledgehammer where no one had got it before. Cost the franchise a legitimate shot at a championship and millions of dollars in lost revenues over the years. Seems a bit much for one fight that involved TWO teams and the OTHER team's fans.

[basketballwacko2]

I have to say it.
I can't believe "fans" abandoned the team for this. The Pacers are over any player and if you don't support the franchise in the bad ones, better don't be in the good ones.

I hated Jackson because of his plays but right now I'm loving him for try to "help" his teammate as well as Jermaine, Tinsley...

After the brawl the Pacers got the image of a bunch of goons. It wasn't just the brawl it was Jax shooting up the parking lot at Club Rio and him, JT and Marquis Daniels beating up some (Please Use More Appropriate Word) named fingas that night, then Tinsley beating the crap out of a Manager at the 8 Seconds Saloon over a coat that wasn't even his, and JT racing around town with a bunch of freaks shooting at him and his possey! Then there was Shawne Williams! Every time we turned around one guy or another was going gangsta on someone!

Artest was and is a disgrace a total idiot who never deserved the gifts he was given in life, he was a great talent in basketball and he threw it away. Look at him now "Metta World Peace" WTF is wrong with that guy!!

I never gave up on the Pacers dispite the vile image the team got, but I like our team now soooo much better. And look at us now 10 games over 500 and 3rd best record in the East.

[Miller4ever]

Before the brawl happened there was so much talk about how Ron Artest was getting more sane.

[Boneman2]

Stern's judgment basically means as fans we are allowed to possibly provoke any championship contender (ie.Heat, Thunder) into defending themselves while we throw drinks, batteries, or coins at them.

Do you remember the Pacers exist from Auburn hills? It was way more fierce than any gauntlet any football player has ever faced. They literally ran the gauntlet for their lives. The whole team was getting popcorn, chairs, drinks, and all kinds of stuff thrown at them. I'm telling you the initial reactions from every talking head, except Bill Walton, justified the Pacers actions. They conceded players from both teams would get fined and suspended, while adding Detroit's organization should get punished by not allowing no home playoff games.

If Stern would have punished correctly, than instead of getting treated like a hero, that felon would feel more like that Cubs fan that blew the series, an outcast. Send a message. Oh you want Lebron to start getting beverages tossed at him.

I've been sucker punched once in my life, and I still haven't forgotten that. In terms of being a fan, this feels worse than a simple punch to the face.

[th87]

You guys were totally screwed over on the suspension. When a fan violates that barrier between him and the players, it is totally understandable that the player would want to defend himself. It was the Piston fans that made it escalate to that level, so how could Stern place all blame on Artest, etc.?

10-15 games would've been fair.

[Miller4ever]

I recall (don't think this has been confirmed) that Tim Duncan said later that he would've done the same thing.

[Val Holliday]

Stern's judgment basically means as fans we are allowed to possibly provoke any championship contender (ie.Heat, Thunder) into defending themselves while we throw drinks, batteries, or coins at them.

Do you remember the Pacers exist from Auburn hills? It was way more fierce than any gauntlet any football player has ever faced. They literally ran the gauntlet for their lives. The whole team was getting popcorn, chairs, drinks, and all kinds of stuff thrown at them. I'm telling you the initial reactions from every talking head, except Bill Walton, justified the Pacers actions. They conceded players from both teams would get fined and suspended, while adding Detroit's organization should get punished by not allowing no home playoff games.

If Stern would have punished correctly, than instead of getting treated like a hero, that felon would feel more like that Cubs fan that blew the series, an outcast. Send a message. Oh you want Lebron to start getting beverages tossed at him.

I've been sucker punched once in my life, and I still haven't forgotten that. In terms of being a fan, this feels worse than a simple punch to the face.

Yeah I remember this and it's completely accurate. Reactions throughout the night were primarily focused on Ben Wallace, the Pistons organization and (especially) the Detroit fans. I remember at one point on the NBA specific show after Sportscenter one of their anchors claimed something like "Wallace has got to be suspended, Jackson & Artest as well, but for fans that threw objects and ran onto the court, you got what you deserved" Then you wake up the next day and our season is in shambles.

[th87]

The Pacers unfortunately paid for Stern's paranoia about the NBA's image. He's obsessed with what the old man demographic thinks of the players.

[Gremz]

It's irrelevant, but what's done is done. Were we screwed on the suspensions? Probably.

Realistically though, did they deserve it? Yeah.

I'm as annoyed as any other Pacers fan that we didn't win a championship with that team, but I don't dwell on it either.

Those fans that gave up on the team follow that season, well, I kind of feel sorry for them.

You're gonna get chances, we just didn't take ours first time around. I'm certainly glad the character of player that we look for these days is the polar opposite to the majority that were involved in the brawl though.

[Gremz]

I recall (don't think this has been confirmed) that Tim Duncan said later that he would've done the same thing.

Popovich wouldn't allow nutcases to play though.