Well, some of us have wondered where Artest would lead us. Some said championship. Others said he'd poison team chemistry and set us back. Did anyone think he'd lead the team down a road where some of its best players are literally staring at criminal records and lawsuits?
I know I didn't. A fight with teammates... maybe refusing to go in to a game or even showing up sometime.... Those wouldn't have surprised me.
This is different. Very different. I said shortly after the incident that I couldn't hold it against Artest but then reality slowly started seeping back in. I do see the mitigating circumstances here. OTOH, I see the aggrivating circumstances as well.
When Artest wanted to wear that #91 this year that should've told us all we needed to know about where his head was at and how much he cared about his perception throughout the NBA.
"That's just Ron.... It's just a number... No big deal... Ron is no Rodman..."
Yet here we are... Staring at a penalty worse than anything The Worm brought to any of his teams. Was there any doubt when that cup hit Artest what was going to happen next? As much as we'd like to say it is human nature the fact is Artest is the LAST player in the NBA that could get away with challenging a fan like that. He should know that. His history is what it is. But then we're talking about the player who just had to wear #91 this season.
I guess at this point we'd all been better off if Artest had just paid Big Ben back rather than laying on the table.
This isn't Artest's first incident. Just the biggest public incident he's been attached to. A doozy. Whether you can mitigate the blame or not Ron has been a lightning rod. If you hang around a lightning rod eventually you're going to get struck. We did. The fans... the team... management... even the NBA all were struck in the end. With that in mind it is no wonder why Stern saw fit to suspend Artest for the season. It is just a wonder why he didn't make it a lifetime ban.
I am disappointed that more blame hasn't been attached to Ben Wallace for igniting the spark that began all this as well as Detroit in general who's lax security allowed this to escalate even more. They are (so far) coming out as winners in all this. Even a fine won't punish the fans or team properly. How much would you pay to have one of your closest competitors negated or weakened for a season? This helps Detroit to achiece and maintain homecourt for the playoffs.
The balance is out of whack. Wallace did start this. He was the instigator. Even as things spiraled out of control it wasn't Artest who instigated anything until his threshold was crossed by an unruly Piston fan. But once he snapped... he snapped hard. Then the floodgates opened.
Sjax and JO don't have the history that Artest does. Perhaps if the NBA was going to take mitigating circumstances into consideration, as well as some semblance of balance, they could've cut JO (and possible SJax tho he presents a stickier issue due to his actions) some slack and kept them more in line with 10-15 games. ...And given Wallace something similar. When a player STARTS a fight (or tries to) he needs to pay the piper for the consequences that ensue. It is like yelling fire in the crowded theatre. Just because normal NBA scrums don't escalate into riots that is no excuse. It did THIS time. It COULD again.
But in all this another thought crossed my mind. Does this incident give the Pacers a chance to void Artest's contract and wash their hands of any guilt by association as well as the worries he brings? A trade is unlikely and all but impossible. Anything we'd get back will just be taking on salary. Cutting him the Pacers would still owe him his salary. BUT does this incident violate his contract? Can that be argued? Wasn't this an issue with Spree?
I hope Holcomb comes back. He should've made the team to begin with IMHO.
Peck has mused in the past about this team not connecting with fans. I've not heard anything lately so I'm curious if he thinks it has made inroads there or if he's just not commented on it lately? In either case, what about now... Do the average fans support the banished players whole-heartedly or is this the type of thing some expected and has caused them to 'hold back' in the first place?
And the team we are going to see for a while is going to need our support. I hope the fanbase realizes this isn't going to be easy.
I will end by paraphrasing Coach Norman Dale:
"I would hope you support us for who we are... Not who we are not"
-Bball
I'll be at the Boston game.
I know I didn't. A fight with teammates... maybe refusing to go in to a game or even showing up sometime.... Those wouldn't have surprised me.
This is different. Very different. I said shortly after the incident that I couldn't hold it against Artest but then reality slowly started seeping back in. I do see the mitigating circumstances here. OTOH, I see the aggrivating circumstances as well.
When Artest wanted to wear that #91 this year that should've told us all we needed to know about where his head was at and how much he cared about his perception throughout the NBA.
"That's just Ron.... It's just a number... No big deal... Ron is no Rodman..."
Yet here we are... Staring at a penalty worse than anything The Worm brought to any of his teams. Was there any doubt when that cup hit Artest what was going to happen next? As much as we'd like to say it is human nature the fact is Artest is the LAST player in the NBA that could get away with challenging a fan like that. He should know that. His history is what it is. But then we're talking about the player who just had to wear #91 this season.
I guess at this point we'd all been better off if Artest had just paid Big Ben back rather than laying on the table.
This isn't Artest's first incident. Just the biggest public incident he's been attached to. A doozy. Whether you can mitigate the blame or not Ron has been a lightning rod. If you hang around a lightning rod eventually you're going to get struck. We did. The fans... the team... management... even the NBA all were struck in the end. With that in mind it is no wonder why Stern saw fit to suspend Artest for the season. It is just a wonder why he didn't make it a lifetime ban.
I am disappointed that more blame hasn't been attached to Ben Wallace for igniting the spark that began all this as well as Detroit in general who's lax security allowed this to escalate even more. They are (so far) coming out as winners in all this. Even a fine won't punish the fans or team properly. How much would you pay to have one of your closest competitors negated or weakened for a season? This helps Detroit to achiece and maintain homecourt for the playoffs.
The balance is out of whack. Wallace did start this. He was the instigator. Even as things spiraled out of control it wasn't Artest who instigated anything until his threshold was crossed by an unruly Piston fan. But once he snapped... he snapped hard. Then the floodgates opened.
Sjax and JO don't have the history that Artest does. Perhaps if the NBA was going to take mitigating circumstances into consideration, as well as some semblance of balance, they could've cut JO (and possible SJax tho he presents a stickier issue due to his actions) some slack and kept them more in line with 10-15 games. ...And given Wallace something similar. When a player STARTS a fight (or tries to) he needs to pay the piper for the consequences that ensue. It is like yelling fire in the crowded theatre. Just because normal NBA scrums don't escalate into riots that is no excuse. It did THIS time. It COULD again.
But in all this another thought crossed my mind. Does this incident give the Pacers a chance to void Artest's contract and wash their hands of any guilt by association as well as the worries he brings? A trade is unlikely and all but impossible. Anything we'd get back will just be taking on salary. Cutting him the Pacers would still owe him his salary. BUT does this incident violate his contract? Can that be argued? Wasn't this an issue with Spree?
I hope Holcomb comes back. He should've made the team to begin with IMHO.
Peck has mused in the past about this team not connecting with fans. I've not heard anything lately so I'm curious if he thinks it has made inroads there or if he's just not commented on it lately? In either case, what about now... Do the average fans support the banished players whole-heartedly or is this the type of thing some expected and has caused them to 'hold back' in the first place?
And the team we are going to see for a while is going to need our support. I hope the fanbase realizes this isn't going to be easy.
I will end by paraphrasing Coach Norman Dale:
"I would hope you support us for who we are... Not who we are not"
-Bball
I'll be at the Boston game.
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