Yes he does have mental health issues, but so do a lot of people- I don't think he should be banned for life from working because of it. That "Malice in the Palace" backlash was pretty unfair, in my opinion- if any of you were lying on a scorers table and some punk threw a drink at you, most of you would go after him. I still think the fans at that arena were responsible for that melee, but the media seemed to find it easier to blame and demonize the guy with the reputation.

This elbowing incident was pretty vicious, so yes he deserves to be suspended for some games- but to be honest I think Kevin Love's face stomping incident a few weeks ago was on the same level, but for some reason Kevin Love got a free ride (2 games?!) from the league and the media.

smackeddog wrote:I think people sometimes exagerate his behaviour- essentially he hasn't seriously hurt anyone up until now, and for the most part, he's kept his nose clean these past few seasons. He's not a monster.

Yes he does have mental health issues, but so do a lot of people- I don't think he should be banned for life from working because of it. That "Malice in the Palace" backlash was pretty unfair, in my opinion- if any of you were lying on a scorers table and some punk threw a drink at you, most of you would go after him. I still think the fans at that arena were responsible for that melee, but the media seemed to find it easier to blame and demonize the guy with the reputation.

This elbowing incident was pretty vicious, so yes he deserves to be suspended for some games- but to be honest I think Kevin Love's face stomping incident a few weeks ago was on the same level, but for some reason Kevin Love got a free ride (2 games?!) from the league and the media.

Yes, because a few drops of beer should cause anyone to go off the deep end and start a full on melee with fans, especially ones half your size. I'll keep that in mind, the next time I go into a crowded bar, and somebody accidentally bumps into me, and spills some beer on my nice shirt.

Moron.

smackeddog wrote:

ChuckBuck wrote:

smackeddog wrote:I think people sometimes exagerate his behaviour- essentially he hasn't seriously hurt anyone up until now, and for the most part, he's kept his nose clean these past few seasons. He's not a monster.

Yes he does have mental health issues, but so do a lot of people- I don't think he should be banned for life from working because of it. That "Malice in the Palace" backlash was pretty unfair, in my opinion- if any of you were lying on a scorers table and some punk threw a drink at you, most of you would go after him. I still think the fans at that arena were responsible for that melee, but the media seemed to find it easier to blame and demonize the guy with the reputation.

This elbowing incident was pretty vicious, so yes he deserves to be suspended for some games- but to be honest I think Kevin Love's face stomping incident a few weeks ago was on the same level, but for some reason Kevin Love got a free ride (2 games?!) from the league and the media.

Yes, because a few drops of beer should cause anyone to go off the deep end and start a full on melee with fans, especially ones half your size. I'll keep that in mind, the next time I go into a crowded bar, and somebody accidentally bumps into me, and spills some beer on my nice shirt.

Oh come on- There's a difference between someone spilling a drink on you and throwing the whole cup at you deliberately! I know going after them is the wrong thing to do, but it's the kind of thing that would p*** me off enough to go after the guy- I think most people honestly would, unless they have the self control of a robot!

And besides which, would you throw a drink at Ron Artest while he's lying down? Would you throw a drink at any muscle bound 6 feet 7 man with a reputation for losing his temper? What would you think would happen? If you're going to provoke someone who's bigger and stronger than you, then prepare to reap the consequences- don't blame them for getting annoyed.

Under no circumstances should any athletes go after any fans "in the stands" no matter what. That's what security is for. Imagine MMA, boxers, football players, baseball players with bats go into the stands is justified anytime a cup of beer is thrown onto the field? No place for that all. There's a line between player/athlete and fan/paying customer, and he crossed it by going into the stands. I'm not advocating the actions of the fan that threw the beer, let arena security and police figure that one out, but there is an absolute barrier between player and fan, and Artest crushed it.

He elbowed Harden harder than many UFC fighters I've seen.

smackeddog wrote:

aienjell wrote:It looks so brutal when you look at it in slow motion, his mental problems make him dangerous to other players. He has a history of violence and then this, should't be allowed to play again. MEGA WORLD WAR is an animal.

What serious harm has he done in all his years in the league? None- sometimes he gets hot headed and lashes out, but he's never gone all out on someone (and he's so strong he could do some real damage if he wanted to). How is he an animal?

You mean besides the brawl with the Pistons? There's also a bunch of fights when he was still on the Bulls. Also, a bunch of shots at players' heads and necks during games