Detroit. Hockeytown USA.
I just watched the end of the Pacers/Pistons game in Detroit and it was scary. Not scary in the traditional sense of the NBA; poor shooting, no passing, and no sense of how to finish a 3 on 2 fast break. No, it was scary the way a dark alley is scary. The way a redneck bar after midnight on a payday weekend is scary.
Seems that the mercurial Ron Artest laid a foul on Ben Wallace. It was a hard foul and unecessary but it wasn*t “flagrant” according to the refs. In fact, it was a push from behind that didn*t even knock Mr. Wallace over. His response was to give Artest a shove to the face. Technical on Big Ben and an ejection.
After that there was a lot of thuggish yapping on both sides as these multi-millionaires tried to prove to each other that they still knew how to throw down in dark alleys. Except for Artest who removed himself from everything by laying on the scorers table. An odd way to offer no resistance but I sort of liked it. It told everyone there that he was out of the fray and still let them know that he held them in contempt. Touche.
So a home fan with too much beer in him and no sense whatsoever apparently became enraged by Artest*s display of disrespect towards the hallowed Palace at Auburn Hills (perhaps the fact the the Pistons were going to lose the game handily also factored in). Said fan decided it would be an appropriate response to throw a FULL BEER BOTTLE at the 6*7″ 247 lb professional athlete with the history of temper and violence issues. Ron saw the guy who threw it and promptly went after him. He shouldn*t have but frankly, if you throw a bottle at me and you are a foot shorter, 50 pounds lighter and still talking shit, I am going to come get you too.
After that it got ugly. Fans swinging punches at players FROM BEHIND. Now that is scary. Not much security to be seen anywhere for a few minutes. Players trying to kill fans, fans trying to kill players, other players trying to break the whole thing up. One genius decided to run on the court and start yet another fight in front of Detroit*s bench.
Finally as the Pacers are leaving the floor, the fans are pelting them with so much beer, soda, poprcorn and lord knows what else that it looked like a full blown riot.
Scary. Disgusting. Ridiculous. The NBA has long been sliding towards a league of youg, overpaid, hyper-priveledged arrogant kids who think that because they have hops and handle that they own the world. Well tonight we saw the fruition of that slide.
Its nice to know that NHL fans won*t have to miss out on all the action this year. Head for the hardwood fellas. Or, as the old saying goes “I went to a trash talking slam dunk wrestling match and a basketball game broke out.”
