go vote in the poll

here is AOL's footage. I think it's the best available.

http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/video.adp?id=20041120082509990011

Posted by gunsnewing:

then you might as well kick jackson and artest out too. I casn understand why Artest went into the crowd eventhough it is not the right thing to do.

just think about...you are in a gym playing ball and someone throws something at you. Won't you go confront him in some way?

They weren't in a gym. They were on stage. Where they're paid many millions of dollars to entertain fans. Artest lost it - wan't the first or last time. But he crossed a pretty big line with this one.

Posted by Bizzy211:

I don't agree and you should reconsider. We all have the luxury of watching such events on T.V, but NBA players are human and when a fan steps on the court during a confrontation then you have to assume:

1. The police aren't doing their jobs because that guy should be grabbed up as soon as he touches the court, or they just lack personnel.

2. Players should have a right to protect and defend themselves because you don't know how much that fan had to drink, and you don't know what he is carrying on him (not a gun, but any sharp object).

3. That fan is just looking for trouble. Fans should be responsible for their own actions, or the NBA is going to have to invest in some Nets to go around the area to protect the players from the fans and objects coming their way. Jermaine protected Ron, and made sure the guy couldn't do anything by demoblizing him with that sweet punch.

These guys are only human, why do people feel as if things don't hurt these guys, they aren't made of steel. If there were adequate policemen/ security around, then Ron would not have been able to get that far. Detroit fans have a reputation and the NBA ignored it.

I think Artest is a punk for not taking this out on Wallace but he did what any man would do by defending himself after being hit with the beer. Stephen Jackson is the man for having his back. They shoudl be suspended for a while.

Dude watch the AOL footage. O'neal really crossed the line. The guy he punched was the same guy Artest had just finished knocking out. He was getting up and a friend was helping him thats when O'neal ran in with the finishing move. Why did he do that?

Check it out man. I really think there should be more than just a fine for O'neal. He did the worst thing. I really believe he should be banned.

I can't see the AOL footage for some reason (I'm at work so it's probably blocked), but I think the fan asked for it. I could understand if he was in the stands and Oneal did that, but he was on the court.

He's lucky he didn't get stomped on like the fan that tried to attack Jeff Nelson in the bullpen last year. If you go into any area where professional athlets play, ie. bullpen, on ice, the court, or the football field, you are asking for it, and your actions should hold you very much responsible for any actions the players take to protect themselves.

If it were the President who had been on that court, you know the fan would've been taken out again. These guys have to be protected because there are those obsessed fans out there who are willing to hurt and you just never know what that guy is thinking when he steps on to the playing area.

[Edited by - Bizzy211 on 11/20/2004 12:18:13]

Posted by Clean:

The guy is on the court not to give them flowers but to try and fight the players its obvious how can you not see this. Who care if he had been laid out before he deserved what he got for doing what he did. O'neal is now my hero he protected a teammate he does not like. That warrents much respect from me.

Dude Artest was back pedaling and out of it and the dude was being helped up by his friend when O'neal popped him. I'm telling you. He wasn't coming to Artests aide. I don't know what he thought he was doing.

Check out that link if you can....or get to someone with a AOL account.

Like I said Stephen Jackson is my man right now cuz he jumped up in the stands and was right there with Artest. He jumped off first. That to me is loyalty.

O'neal wasn't doing the same thing.

You gotta see it again......you probably seen it 50 times already. This AOL footage explains it all though. Check it out though.

The fans didn't belong on the court and they were all wrong for this whole thing but O'neal to me really was buggin. Especially since he had nothing to do with the whole thing.

This is bad but really....it could have been worse. The fans that were on the court weren't the fans you find in the rafters.....imagine that.

Not good though. Regardless what they deserved....this is real life. If this was at the Cage during the West 4th street tounament and this was us guys....we would be in jail. Same stuff should apply. I doubt it though.

This has to be handled right though guys can't just get a 5 game ban. These dudes should be shut down.

Even some of the Pistons were fighting the fans too. Let's not forget that.

Whew.....

Oneal and Artest will probably be gone for the rest of the season but not permanently.Jackson might be back in time for the playoffs.Artest will be shopped,but I doubt anyone will offer fair value if anything except for Isiah (I hope he doesnt).

As far as jail time,I wouldnt be surprised see battery charges against Artest,Oneal,and a bunch of fans.I dont know about Jackson.

Assault is the threat of violence,battery is the act itself.

Its easy to bring all this rational thinking when we are looking at replays over and over but in the heat of the moment all oneal saw was the two guys come for artest he ran over to help his teammate by the time he got there the guy was just getting up from being laid out by artest whose fault is that? If those two guy would have got artest on the floor do you think they would have stopped beating on him? No, so why the double standard?