Anyone feel sorry for Artest?

I apologize if I 'step on anyone's toes' but I have to rant a bit.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rant.gif

I saw the news of the brawl during the game where Artest jumps into the crowd, ultimately hitting a few people.

I have no simpathy for his judgement of suspension. He had no right to attack a fan, even a fan so stupid as to throw the cup at him. I have a general pet peeve of sports, and this incident didn't help that image I have of it. Professional sports players are, without a doubt, the luckiest people on the planet. Think about it, . . they get paid millions of damn dollars to PLAY A GAME. They're not saving lives, or improving society by bouncing a ball or throwing it through a round hoop [or throwing a pig skin ball, catching it and running with it past a line, or hitting a little ball and running around bases].

"But they're only paid that because of the fans". Well, that's another of my pet peeves, . . . . . .for another day.

I've never understood the idolization of men who can play a ball game well. Never the less, they ARE, and are paid well. As I see it, about 90% more than they're worth!

As far as Artest goes, I hope his appeals go unanswered and he STAYS suspended. Maybe at one time basketball was a decent sport. Now, it's just a lot of tatoo'd thugs and I detest the idolization of people like him. THEN, I see him on the TODAY show, and he says that through all the 'temper tantrums [my words] he did, he NEVER HURT ANYONE!!!. Yeah? Tell that to the older guy he ran completely over trying to get to the idiot fan!!! . . . . .AAAAARRRGHGHGHGHGHHGHG. . .*pant pant pant*. . .Whew. . . . . /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/sick2.gif

Not even a little bit! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif
I do feel sorry for the Federal treasury that won't get 28% of the over 5 million he was to be paid this year. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Not to mention the fans he hit did not throw the cup. I think it is great I have no sympathy for that idiot.

ditto.

i am aware that it "started" with Wallace--but Wallace kept it on the court.
at that moment, it was only between 2 players. yes, Wallace struck Artest in anger--which was bad...and he was going to be punished for it, even without the brawl.

those other players were merely hit with plastic cups, and a little liquid! (and please dont equate being hit with a plastic cup to punching someone repeatedly in the face.)
yet they rush into the crowd and start pummeling people--most of which were much smaller/weaker than them!

cowards!

Artest should have thrown punches at Wallace, who was much more capable of self defense than most in the crowd.

yes, some in the crowd behaved badly, but given another 30 seconds (without the players attacking people!), security would have cleared the idiots out.

what i saw was a bunch of overpaid, immature, coddled sissy-cowards without an ounce of honor or self control.

i hope those players that attacked the fans are banned from the NBA for life, and are sued in both criminal and civil court.

Bob

I felt sorry for him after getting hit with the beer. After he bounded up into the stands I no longer felt sorry for him.

He should have turned to the fans, and proudly extended his middle finger for a moment before walking off to the showers.

but hindsight is always 20/20 /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

He would have been fined for that too probably, but not sued or suspended.

No, he should be charged with assault which would violate his probation and he could go push poo insted of ball.

A few fans in the stands may have just won the lottery at the expense of some NBA cowards.
All they need to do now, is collect thier winnings in court.

I don't feel sorry for him at all. The fan that threw the beer should have been ejected out of the arena and Artest should have ignored it. If Artest ran into the stands and started beating somebody down here at a New Orleans game he probably would have been shot by one of the fans!

I hope that they charge him with Assualt/Battery (whichever is the proper charge there). His career in the NBA should be OVER period, not just for this season.

Completely agree with you Orion. In my opinion, professional sports has tested the boundries of morals and ethics on every level. It seems to me, the whole industry need a huge overhaul.

James, your first two sentences said it best.

apparently some professional athletes don't get paid enough to *act* professional, or is it they get paid too much to not act professional?

will the term *professional athlete* become an oxymoron?
Will boxers start jumping out of the ring when someone throws something at them and start slamdunking basketballs?

Who knows what mayhem is in store when millions are at stake?

[ QUOTE ]
pedalinbob said:
ditto.

what i saw was a bunch of overpaid, immature, coddled sissy-cowards without an ounce of honor or self control.
Bob

[/ QUOTE ]

That sums it up...

I'm glad that I'm not the only one here. Getting paid to do what really isn't that difficult, that is play basketball, and then end up doing what they did just floors me and *see George Costanza here* . . JUST MAKES ME SO MAD!!!! Same goes for football, baseball, hockey, . .

Now, the one sport that I do respect is golf. You HAVE to perform, and perform well in order to earn money. If you don't perform, you don't get in the top spots, . . . you don't get much if any money. Far different than getting paid BIG bucks regardless if you even go out on the court/field. Idiotic!

Where's the outrage over how much models get paid? After all, they just walk around and make a bunch of non-strenuous poses. Or how about the 'no talent' teen music stars? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon6.gif

What you guys are failing to realize is that this money isn't magical. It isn't conjured into existence. It comes from the plenty of people who DO idolize them. Rather than blame people for seeing a market and trying to make money to better their lives, blame the people who allow them to exist: the consumers.

Mark

Minjin, that was another point for another day, and the other sports related pet peeve. I DO blame people who idolize sports players so freakin much that they end up with these multimillion dollar contracts to just play a stupid insignificant game. Bettering their life is a good thing, but these guys. . . . NONE of them. . . deserve more than $100,000 a year. No way, . . no how!!. . and THAT figure is being generous.

And yes, models get paid too much, as do most of the music 'talent' [which is yet another pet peeve].

How much do we pay professional athletes?

How much do we pay school teachers?

Which one plays the more important role in our future as a society? I know the facts, I just can't figure out why.

yeah. i do feel bad for him. i disagree with everyone, apparently.

Artest's suspension is excessive. Artest didn't throw the first punch, a fan did. Artest didn't connect the stands and the court, a fan did. he simply pushed the first guy down, pinned him, and demanded to know if he threw the beer. another fan started the punching. other fans started grabbing Artest and pulling him around by his jersey and throwing more junk @ him and then @ other Pacers players. the fans were screaming racially offensive insults the entire game. Artest was trying to tune everything out, and was doing so, and everything was calmed down. in fact, Stephen Jackson was the first player to throw a punch. i've watched the Iso replays on ESPN a hundred times. the bottom line is the fans continued to one-up the players and caused the situation to progressively worsen.

i don't care if he's paid millions. it doesn't stop you from being a man and a human being. i wont buy the "You get paid to let fans throw crap @ you." argument, by any means. if someone throws crap @ me in my place of business, i sure as hell wouldn't stand there waiting for fans to throw more crap.

and the security guards sure as hell weren't doing anything any time soon. they were busy watching their free game. they should be looking in the stands, not @ the court.

Vern Maxwell went into the stands and pummeled a fan several years ago. he got a 10-game suspension.

and now, the fans aren't being punished @ all. there isn't even an attempt being made to find a way to penalize them. a few will be charged with misdemeanor. likely, even the fan who threw the metal/leather chair.

do you know Ron Artest's name was even taken off the All-Star ballot? yet, Tariq Abdul-Wahad's name is still availabe for votes, and he's injured and out for the season? and was injured and out for last season too. but Ron's name gets removed.

it's all too much.

PS - the NBA is also not "just a lot of tatoo'd thugs" who are not worthy of idolization. i'm not sure what makes you think that.

As soon as he touched a person who came to watch the game, thats exactly where he screwed up.

Then one of the fans punches him because of what he is doing, which is an act of defense, either himself or the other guys Artest was violating.

Then while he is in the wrong, he proceeds to hit back, pulling his derriere further into the morass.

Personally, I feel he should be banned from sports forever, and any money he makes under his current contract should go to the fans he abused.

As soon as Artest reacted, he let the fans off the hook. Before that he might have had a slim case.

As far as the overpaid tatoo'd thug, the label fits quite well, and is an outstanding observation.

Law is very clear on one point. the moment the fan who hadn't done anything was touched by Artest, Artest committed a crime, assault, if he did any more than touch him, it is probably battery as well. As a Professional athlete it may even turn out to be assault with a deadly weapon. Either way, totally unacceptable behavior.

Police officers who do such things often end up permanently unemployed. no excuses, the NBA was correct to throw the book at him. We have a court system, and we are supposed to a nation that lives by the rule of law. The appropriate action was to leave the matter to local security and the local constabulary to press charges, and then for the players to file civil suit.

To many excuses have been more for very poor judgement by professional athletes, who are then let off the hook. I for one am glad the NBA has decided that there is NO circumstance where a player should enter the stands no matter what the provcation. The big man is one who is big enough to know when to walk away. The Professionals are supposed to act like grown ups, not school yard bullies.

Hopefully the fans will sue him into proverty for his actions.

It was HIS responsibility to act grown up, no if, ands, or buts.