Plenty of blame to go around after basketbrawl

ESPN cancelled their boxing show Friday Night Fights, but it made a return last week in one of the ugliest incidents ever seen on this side of the Atlantic. For those living under a rock, a riot broke out at the Indiana Pacers-Detroit Pistons game in suburban Detroit on Nov. 19.

NBA commissioner David Stern went into disaster control mode after the story was the headline of the weekend, suspending Ron Artest for the whole season and eight others on both teams for their role in the debacle.

Artest's suspension seems fair; not only did he run into the crowd, breaking a cardinal rule of the NBA while showing no sense of self-control or maturity, but he actually attacked the wrong fan. Sure, the fan that threw the beer at Artest should be dealt with severely to the fullest extent of the law, but the NBA took care of who they could have and did so justly.

Stern had to set a precedent with the suspension; nothing like this had ever happened before, and as a result, Artest needed a punishment that reflected that. The NBA had to show that this was not something they would condone and they handled it well.

The only suspension I have a problem with is that of Stephen Jackson, who had no business entering the stands at the Palace of Auburn Hills in suburban Detroit. Even if Artest's excuse for running into section 119 was weak, at least he had one. Jackson went in there to throw haymakers, and cold-cocked one fan. He got just 30 games, despite the fact that what he did once in the crowd was as heinous as what Artest did.

Word is that Ron Artest isn't a bad guy; he just doesn't "get it." He made the rounds today on all the major networks, but seemed more concerned with promoting his girl group's album than talk about what happened last Friday. Essentially, he is a very strong man with emotional issues and, apparently, no sense of reasoning at all. I hope he gets some help while he's away this year.

I feel that it's now on Auburn Hills police to set an example, as well. Any fan that was involved in escalating the melee should not get any money at all in court. But you have got to believe that all those who were hurt and did nothing, will be lining their pockets, and rightfully so.

But the fault for this riot doesn't just fall on the Pacers who ran in the stands, or the horrible fans who started and escalated this fight. The cops should deal them all with very harshly. But one has to wonder, where was the security?

Pistons CEO Tom Wilson and owner Bill Davidson insist there was adequate security at the Palace, but I only saw about two guards in the fracas that involved about 50 people. They even let another melee break out where the Pacers left the court to go to the locker room. There was no control, and security has to bear a load of the blame for that.

So do the officials. Between the 94 feet of parquet where they play, the only people who can call out the cops are the three referees. They didn't do that; not after the scrum on-court, or even while the fight was ongoing. There was such little security that two fans were able to get onto the court to try and fight the Pacers. The players had to take matters into their own hands; Artest and Jermaine O'Neal decked the fans.

Suspensions are good; jail for all those involved is better, for both fans and players. But the NBA has a lot of work to do to convince skeptical fans that the league isn't full of prima donna thugs and big, muscular men with no emotional control. They did that to an extent with their brutal suspensions.

The Pistons organization should be worried too. These are their fans; how do they market to the other 29 teams that they are "with it,” and that spectators aren't going to make opposing players fear for their safety. There were no problems in last night's great game against Charlotte, but civilized behavior needs to be a pattern so the Pistons can earn the public's trust back.

Friday at the Palace was one of the ugliest days in the history of the league that won't be forgotten for a while. After all, the videotape was only played about 250 bajillion times on every network this past weekend.

Fistcuffs are a horrible way to market the league, that, for 20 years at least, was regarded as the most fan friendly, for it allowed unprecedented closeness to the field (or court) of play. But after Friday, all involved need to take a long look at what went so horribly wrong and make sure it never happens again.