What an ending to Indy-Pistons game!

[Jim Johnson]

I just saw the entire footage on SportsCenter and I was left with my mouth open.    Expect some lawsuits to be thrown around.  I think what made Ben Wallace snap was that the foul was done by Ron Artest and given what Artest had spoken out about asking for a month off because he's warned out from doing his rap album just made Wallace snap.

What made Wallace snap was the fact that Indianapolis was up by 15 points with 45 seconds left and Artest purposefully fouled Wallace to prevent the "easy" basket... from the replay, it's clear that Artest didn't even go for the ball...

Then, Artest laid on the scorer's table during the melee on the floor... when a fan hit him with a little plastic cup that only had a little beer in it - he went ballistic... Okay, you could forgive Artest for going into the stands to defend himself... but Jackson? O'Neal?  They were not attacked, so they had no right to go into the stands...

From the Detroit Free Press:

FOUL PLAY IN AUBURN HILLS: Pacers in brawl with Palace fans

Fight spills into stands as Pistons game crashes to a halt

November 20, 2004

BY M.L. ELRICK and SHAWN WINDSOR

FREE PRESS STAFF WRITERS

What a black eye!

Detroit Pistons fans and the Indiana Pacers traded bruising punches in a knockdown nationally televised brawl that erupted in the last minute of the Pistons game against their Central Division rivals. Officials called the game with 45.9 seconds left, with the Pacers leading 97-82, as chaos erupted in the stands and national TV commentators denounced Detroit fans.

In the fight, three Pacers -- Ron Artest, Stephen Jackson and Jermaine O'Neal -- punched Pistons fans at the Palace of Auburn Hills. Fans, some of whom had thrown popcorn, drinks and other things at the Pacers, fueled the mayhem.

The ugliness began when Artest fouled Ben Wallace as he took a shot. Wallace responded by shoving Artest's face with both hands and forcing him backward.

While Wallace shouted at Artest, Artest lay down on the TV broadcast table alongside the court with his hands behind his head and legs crossed, as if he was lounging by a pool. Artest also put on a headset from a nearby broadcast crew, apparently mocking Wallace.

At that point, Wallace threw something at Artest. Meanwhile, players from both teams jostled with each other in the stands and on the court. Pistons Coach Larry Brown tried to calm Wallace.

Then a fan threw a drink at Artest, and the Pacer sprang up and vaulted into the crowd. Several rows of fans began fighting as other Pacers followed Artest into the seats. Artest punched a fan, while his teammates tried to drag him out of the crowd. Fans streamed onto the court and threw popcorn buckets and beer cups at the players.

Jackson slugged a fan, who fell to the floor between the rows of seats.

The Pacers play-by-play announcer Mark Boyle was trampled as he tried to hold back Artest. Boyle bled from a gouge on his forehead.

Richard Sullen, a fan from West Bloomfield, was near Artest when he pounced. Some fans raced down from the upper concourse to fight the Pacers' forward. The fans unintentionally jumped on Sullen and injured his shoulder. Other fans were throwing punches, rushing the court. Still others were crying. Ushers were powerless and kept saying, "Oh my god. Oh my god."

Sullen walked around in a daze.

"I need a medic, someone to talk to," he kept saying.

Police eventually swarmed the seats, holding out handcuffs, threatening anyone who wouldn't leave.

Near the locker room, Brown finally walked in and addressed the situation.

"That was the ugliest thing I've seen as a coach or a player," he said. "I'm embarrassed for our league."

Said Pacers Coach Rick Carlisle: "I felt like I was fighting for my life out there."

The chaos lasted close to 10 minutes. Police and Palace workers led the Pacers across the floor and out of the arena, while fans continued to hurl objects, the dregs of their beverages and verbal abuse at the Indiana squad.

Pistons Chief Executive Officer Tom Wilson said he believed the Pacers were allowed to leave the building because there was no police action.

As for what caused the brawl, he said: "It wasn't Friday; it wasn't the Pacers, it was situational."

Public address announcer and radio personality Mason told fans to stay off the court and leave the Palace immediately because the game had been called. Fans cheered the Pistons as they walked into their locker room. Brown, who recently returned from having hip surgery, was handed a pair of crutches and hobbled off with his team.

The road out of the Palace parking lots was lined with dozens of Pontiac, Oakland County and Auburn Hills police cruisers.

Both fans and players may face criminal charges in the assault.

In the post-game press conference, Brown didn't excuse Wal-lace's retaliation against Artest, but blamed Artest for making a flagrant foul in a game that was all but over.

The mayhem recalled the infamous the late 1970s "Disco Demolition" debacle at Chicago's Comiskey Park during a double-header baseball game between the Tigers and White Sox. In that instance, the White Sox had to forfeit the second game of the twin-bill because the field was unusable.

Some fans expressed a kind of adrenaline-fueled glee at witnessing one of the most bizarre and chaotic ends to a professional sporting event.

"I was scared for the fans. I also saw Artest hit a ball boy on the court. It was wild. I thought they would have gotten the players off the court faster," said Forest Jackson, an automotive consultant from Detroit.

"What about Detroit's image? The Indiana guys started it at all. The fans shouldn't have done that. But the Indiana guys should have known better than to run in the stands, and put their million-dollar careers on the line for stupid, childish things. If I'm making $12 million a year, the last thing I should be worried about is a guy who's making $50,000."

And quietly, one fan who had been cheering wildly for the Pacers throughout the night put on a red coat to cover up the No. 31 yellow Reggie Miller jersey he was wearing and headed for the door.

http://www.indystar.com/articles/1/196268-9541-092.html

From the Indianapolis Star:

Pacers battle fans in Detroit

Artest, Jackson charge into stands; game stopped with 45.9 left; Indiana wins

By Mark Montieth

mark.montieth@indystar.com

November 20, 2004

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- An all-out brawl erupted Friday near the end of the Indiana Pacers' victory over Detroit, one that will likely result in long-term suspensions for some Pacers players.

Ron Artest and Stephen Jackson rushed into the stands to confront fans who were drenching the Pacers with beverages with 45.9 seconds left in their 97-82 victory over the Pistons.

Artest did not appear to land punches, but Jackson did. Jermaine O'Neal later struck a fan after he was hit in the head by a chair as chaos reigned at the Palace.

Artest later punched a fan on the court who rushed at him and tried to land a blow.

Stunned Pacers coach Rick Carlisle, speaking with ESPN reporter Jim Gray in the hallway outside the team's locker room afterward, said, "I felt like I was fighting for my life out there."

Fan Mike Ryan, of Clarkston, Mich., speaking about Artest, said: "I have no idea what happened. All of a sudden he was on top of me, punching me, saying, 'Did you do it? Did you do it?' "

"I said, 'No, man, no.' Then he got off of me and moved on to the next guy."

Fred Jones, Eddie Gill and David Harrison were among the Pacers attempting to break up the fights.

Play was suspended while security personnel struggled to restore order, and both teams headed to the locker rooms. The Pacers were pelted with drinks and debris as they passed through the tunnel, and more confrontations erupted.

It was easily the worst incident in the 37-year history of the Pacers franchise.

"That was the ugliest thing I've ever seen in my life as a coach or player," the Pistons coach, Larry Brown, said.

The incident began when Artest gave a hard foul to Pistons center Ben Wallace.

Wallace then shoved Artest in the chest and had to be restrained by Pacers players and coaches from attacking Artest.

Artest responded by lying on the scorer's table with his hands behind his head, smiling while Wallace was restrained.

But when a fan lobbed a drink squarely on his chest, he jumped up, rushed into the stands and began throwing punches. Jackson joined the melee, and other Pacers rushed into the stands to attempt to break up the fights.

Pacers radio broadcaster Mark Boyle, who had attempted to tackle Artest as he hurtled off the scorer's table, had a cut over his right eye. One Pistons official was taken out of the arena in a wheelchair, and several courtside personnel were drenched with beverages.

Reporters were not allowed into the Pacers' locker room after the game, and NBA officials gave the team permission not to make players available to the media.

"The NBA is withholding comment until it can review the incident," NBA spokesman Tim Frank said.

Auburn Hills Deputy Chief of Police Jim Mynsberge said one person was taken to the hospital and there were many other injuries, the Detroit Free Press reported.

"The tape will be reviewed and there will be a full investigation," Mynsberge said. He said police would talk to players and fans to gather information.

Carlisle said: "It was an unfortunate incident -- that's about all I can say right now. I've never seen or been involved in anything quite like this.

The Pacers' plane landed about 1:30 a.m. today at Indianapolis International Airport. About two dozen fans showed up, several of them to support the players.

"This is awesome," said Bobby Large, 24, Greenwood. "This is the craziest thing I have seen in sports live in a long time."

http://www.indystar.com/articles/1/196268-9541-092.html

[BULLO12]

Don't try this at home kids...these "men" are professionals.... : :

[Velcro]

Kick Artest to the curb... for good

[RJWGoBulls]

some pictures

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/us_sport/photo_galleries/4028165.stm

[smazza]

artest,league, and arena are in deep doo doo

artest's actions are not surprising

even expected

this is what happens when baseball didn't suspend guy that threw chair.he should have vbeen suspended two years minimum

players should have walked to lockerrooms not confronted fans

commish mazza would issue following punishment

1.artest is out of league

2 jackson 1 year suspension

3.o'neal  2 year suspension

if pistons own arena I fine them  1 million dollars for having inadequate security

if fan that threw cup and others can be identified can be identified i would encourage pistons to revoke season tickets and authorities to press charges

[beastiebull]

The guy that Artest initially attacked should definetly press charges.  He's gonna be rich.

[smazza]

sheriff- if a guy only gets  probabtion after striking another he got l ucky by getting a soft judge

[Brad]

if pistons own arena I fine them  1 million dollars for having inadequate security

I mostly agree with commish smazza.  Last night they said that the NBA provides some security for each game.  Going to be hard for them to place blame on the Pistons.

If I were commish, I shut down the whole league, it's nothing you can't see in prison.

More disturbing is the jackass announcer on ESPN that sent his message to David Stern that "he needs to stand up for the players".  Right...

[Guest It_Was_Pathetic]

The NBA is looking more and more like the Vibe awards. Maybe Artest was right and he should be in the music business. The players were at fault and yet today on Fox sports I hear Kellen Winslow Sn. sticking up for them (no wonder his freaken kid is such a gem huh). He was applying street rules for fighting to a professional basketball situation and that, in short is the problem. There is no more "professional" basketball. Its a bunch of thugs who can't even beat Puerto Rico bowing up and acting tough. Go try it on the asphault and get off the hardwood.  Football and baseball (see chairthrowing) are sure to follow the No Brains Association down the wrong track and it will probably be for the betterment of the country. Athletes are more celebrated and less diciplined than any non-outright-criminal segment of the society and they need to be riened in post haste. Throw them out of the league, cancell some season tickets and settle the lawsuits. Thats my opinion.

[Markeymark]

Artest - flagrant foul on Wallace

Wallace - minor suspension for starting fight with Artest

Artest did the right thing to stay out of it at first...unfortunately, blindly flailing on some guys who happened to be standing in the general direction the thrown beer came from is the wrong thing to do...he should get a nice big suspension for that as well as a nice lawsuit from that guy who didn't even throw the beer. And then he just cold-cocked that other fan who walked up to him - another nice suspension for that, even though the fan was wrong to be there.

O'neil and Jackson will get some nice suspensions, too.

It's hard to tell from the video exactly how far the fans went in instigating the players, so I'll withold further judgement until more of the facts are out.