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November 22, 2004
Basketball Brawl
I was mad about the Pistons/Pacers/Fans brawl when I saw it replayed. I agree that the Pacers players acted inappropriately, but I have great sympathy for their situation. Fans should never assault players. When they do and are caught I think a permanent ban from all sporting events should be an appropriate punishment. Some people are talking about taking away the fans season tickets for the season in addition to criminal charges, but that is not nearly enough of a deterrent Once a fan assaults a player, throws something onto the court/field, or steps onto the court/field uninvited, they should never be allowed to attend another NBA, NFL, MLS, MLB, NHL, NCAA, NASCAR game, etc. and if caught at one they should be arrested for trespassing and sent to jail. If the leagues want to stop stuff like this from happening again, that is only solution I see working short of putting a giant net around the field of play. In this case the fan who threw the cup of ice and the fan who rushed onto the court should both also spend time in jail (one for battery the other for trespassing and possibly for assault depending on what he said). So should the ones who threw beer and a chair at players. Stopping the sale of alcohol might help as well, but that is not going to happen. Also, the next time Indiana plays in Detroit, I would be OK if no fans were allowed to attend.
I agree that Artest and Jackson (who went into the stands and attacked fans) should be punished, although I think Artest being suspended for all of this season is a bit much. I think O Neal (who punched the fan who came onto the court) should not be punished. If a fan comes onto a court and starts yelling at a player like that fan did, it is rational for the player to assume he is being attacked because of past events (see the Monica Seles stabbing incident and the assault on the Royals coach in Chicago) and he should be allowed to defend himself. My main problem with the overall punishment was that it was a Pistons player and Pistons fans who started the whole thing, but it is the Pacers who are bearing most of the brunt of the punishment with the suspensions. They overreacted, but they reacted not initiated. Considering that these two teams faced each other in the conference finals last year, this the punishments from this incident could be a net benefit to the Pistons in their chances of winning another championship, which is not the sort of reinforcement these incidents need.
Some related links: Juan Non Volokh thinks commissioner Stern is a coward with fans and blames the fans for the incident. Lennox is really %*&$# mad about it. Here is a summary of the penalties to players. Because of the suspensions Indiana only had six players for their last game. My revious post on fan incivility is here.
UPdate: The Kerry Spot has a long post on the social/political implications of the brawl. Also, is there any chance that people could be prosecuted for incitement to riot in this case? The first cup thrower for instance.
Posted by Pete at November 22, 2004 12:54 PM
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