And the Next Scene of Violence is...Detroit.

Well there goes Yes. down the toilet.

Oh man...that penalty shocked the hell out of me. But I love the NBA for being harsh instead of the wrist-slapping NFL. The NBA is my favorite league, but I think these suspensions will set a CLEAR example.

I think it's justified...but here goes crappy ESPN telling us how players should be protected.

Jermaine O'Neal got a good suspension for 25 games. He cold-cocked a guy who wasn't even looking instead of trying to restrain him. Worst off, the fan was already knocked down by Ron Artest.

But ron Artest deserves this, he has had a problem losing his temper in the past. I'm tired of guys like him getting off. Thankfully he's not paid much relatively to other players, so this will be a SERIOUS financial hit...unlike the hit J'Oneal got. He signed a pretty good contract for over 100 mil, so this won't seriously hurt him financially.

Artest has some chemical imbalance in the brain. He doesn't take his medication for it because 'it affects his performance'.

http://msn.foxsports.com/story/3190072

Talk about adding insult to injury.

I think the NBA should have done a different kind of penalty to Artest. Taking him out for the rest of the year isn't going to solve his problem. They should have just suspended him until he can prove he can maintain control of his actions. Things like conselling and anger management. Obviously he would still be out for the rest of the year but he needs to get some help and I don't think that just a suspension is the answer.

I also don't like how this whole thing has been played off. I think the NBA needs to come out and make just as drastic remarks to the fans like "If you get caught doing this sort of thing then you will be banned for life." They also need to stop alcohal sales at some point during the game because all that beer isn't helping matters.

The problem with the NBA is that it has that "thug" image, that hip-hop image. They're not getting Will Smiths and LL Cool Js, they're getting people like 50 Cent. It appeals to the ghettos because of how the NBA promotes itself. Every NBA commercial you'll see hip-hop music playing in the background and seeing NBA players celebrate over-control-like.

In the NFL, you see the highlights. Same thing with the MLB. The NBA markets itself to where it is strongest, to the urban homes that watches them. The suburb areas don't have that great of interest in the NBA, that's why no one pays attention to the regular season until a few weeks after the all-star break(namely, after March Madness). The MLB, well...no one pays attention to it until all the winter sports are over like NHL and NBA. The MLB has it all to itself during the summer time.

The NFL seems to demolish competition everywhere. You can put it on during the summer and people still watch.

I don't like 50 cent and I live in the suburbs...must be a fluke :D

I try to watch the NBA but its not like they play on the weekends at a certain time like the NFL. ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox are not going to pre-empt their programming to bring you the 43rd game of the season. I don't have cable so I am ed for the most part when it comes to watching NBA basketball...at least till the play offs start to roll around.

No way to MLB. After the NBA finals its all about Golf!

I would argue about how they market themselves but I can't really come up with much other than to say the NFL markets itself to alcohalics who can't get it up :D

*posts late*

In an ideal world, Artest would've beaten the out of the bastard that threw the beer in the first place, and then would've been banned from the league for life.

EDIT: oh, and those fans that hurled drinks/food/chairs at the Pacers while they were being hurried off the court...well, they just need to die.