# Holy balls almighty (Pistons-Pacers riot) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 20, 2004, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-balls-almighty-pistons-pacers-riot/275796 "2004-11-20T03:53:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2004, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-balls-almighty-pistons-pacers-riot/275796/101 "2004-11-22T16:38:53Z")
These are **unpaid** suspensions, by the way. The three worst offenders will lose a total of over 12 million dollars, US. Granted, $5.5 mil is less painful to Ron Artest than it would be to you or me, but it’s still a lot of money. I don’t care if I never see another NBA game. I was tired of all the thuggish taunting and fighting even before the dustup in Detroit. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_One](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/45deac/32.png) [@Evil\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_One)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2004, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-balls-almighty-pistons-pacers-riot/275796/102 "2004-11-22T16:53:37Z")
> [@Harborwolf](#): > > Okay, maybe he just listens to too much rap music. I expect to be mocked for this, but you may not be far off. If you are constantly exposed to crap about how great it is to be a “thug” who “busts caps” while slapping his “hos”, this kind of behavior is just the next step. Our society is being coarsened day by day. And this brawl was just one of three that happened that day at a sporting event. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2004, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-balls-almighty-pistons-pacers-riot/275796/103 "2004-11-22T17:15:09Z")
Don’t go blaming rap music. We can dig up just as many morons doing stupid shit who listen to other kinds of music. ---
**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2004, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-balls-almighty-pistons-pacers-riot/275796/104 "2004-11-22T18:06:36Z")
> [@Evil One](#): > > I expect to be mocked for this, but you may not be far off. If you are constantly exposed to crap about how great it is to be a “thug” who “busts caps” while slapping his “hos”, this kind of behavior is just the next step. You should be mocked. That’s like saying any band that has loud guitars must sacrifice goats to the dark lord satan. ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2004, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-balls-almighty-pistons-pacers-riot/275796/105 "2004-11-22T18:22:52Z")
> [@World Eater](#): > > Can anyone say Sprewell? Who? The fans and players involved should all get appropriate jail times for their crimes. No fines…players will lose the money they would have earned if they weren’t in the hole, and the fans will have to deal with their own stupidity as well. No money for those idiots either. If anyone who got mistakenly punched, they should seek and destroy (monetarily) the idiot who did it. Simple as that. “What’s that your honor? Six months? Man, I wish I got slapped with a 30 game suspension instead. Damn.” ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2004, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-balls-almighty-pistons-pacers-riot/275796/106 "2004-11-22T18:52:24Z")
Latrell Spreewell got in a fight with his coach and tried to choke him. The stink was as big as the one now, he was suspended for 65 games or something. He, like Artest had the skills so, he’ll end up on another time making a pile of money. > [@Yeticus Rex](#): > > The fans and players involved should all get appropriate jail times for their crimes. No fines…players will lose the money they would have earned if they weren’t in the hole, and the fans will have to deal with their own stupidity as well. No money for those idiots either. If anyone who got mistakenly punched, they should seek and destroy (monetarily) the idiot who did it. Simple as that. Like I said, I don’t think any fan should get any money. It was a couple of bumps and scratches, get real. This stupid “give me free money” society is dragging us down the crapper. ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2004, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-balls-almighty-pistons-pacers-riot/275796/107 "2004-11-22T19:02:50Z")
> [@mouthbreather](#): > > You should be mocked. That’s like saying any band that has loud guitars must sacrifice goats to the dark lord satan. Do I need to be able to _play_ my guitar or can I sacrifice the goats anyway? ---
**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2004, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-balls-almighty-pistons-pacers-riot/275796/108 "2004-11-22T21:23:22Z")
I’m an advanced ritual sacrifice guru but I am still learning how to play \*Smoke on the Water[/]. Go ahead with what you know, and work on the rest. ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2004, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-balls-almighty-pistons-pacers-riot/275796/109 "2004-11-22T21:35:32Z")
Here’s an update on the whole mess. [Fans file assault complaints in Palace melee](http://www.freep.com/news/latestnews/pm1503_20041122.htm) They found the cup tosser and are talking to him. They are still looking for the guy that chucked the chair. As for the “rap music” thing, twas meant as a joke but their is a bit of something there. It’s hard to dismiss the thug culture going around in society. Rap music is a part of that and the NBA is becoming one. I’m not saying that the music causes it, but it does promote it. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2004, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-balls-almighty-pistons-pacers-riot/275796/110 "2004-11-22T21:38:47Z")
> [@Airman Doors](#): > > The difference? Several million dollars a year, that’s the difference. For the money they are expected to play ball and behave themselves so that people will continue to fill the seats. Attacking fans does not usually result in repeat business. Fuck that noise, dude. If I owned that stadium, I’d be going through the film frame-by-fucking-frame and any season-ticket-holding fan who threw a first punch on a Player or FellowFan would have those season tickets revoked. Bad form is bad form, in uniform or out. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2004, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-balls-almighty-pistons-pacers-riot/275796/111 "2004-11-22T22:23:34Z")
If I were an athlete who was pelted by things thrown by the crowd I would allow security to do their job and throw the idiot out. Then I would sue them for about $100,000. When “fans” get into altercations with athletes I am sure that many of them start to see dollar signs and think they’ll sue for X million of dollars - they don’t care about the affect that it would have on the individual. I think if one celebrity won a big lawsuit ($100,000 is a handfull for most people) then you see an instant end to asshole “fans”. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2004, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-balls-almighty-pistons-pacers-riot/275796/112 "2004-11-22T22:26:11Z")
> [@Evil One](#): > > I expect to be mocked for this, but you may not be far off. If you are constantly exposed to crap about how great it is to be a “thug” who “busts caps” while slapping his “hos”, this kind of behavior is just the next step. > > Our society is being coarsened day by day. And this brawl was just one of three that happened that day at a sporting event. Sports used to be a LOT more violent than they are now, actually. We live in an era in which sports violence is at a historical low. Hockey fights (well, when there’s hockey, anyway) are less than half as common as they were just 25 years ago. There are almost no honest-to-God fights in football anymore, and it’s certainly safer than it was in the 19th century when players got killed fairly regularly. Baseball very rarely has fights, where 50 years ago they were far more common, and 90 years ago it wasn’t unusual for players, fans and umpires to fight each other, and player-player fights often continued outside the park after the game. Even BASKETBALL fights - despite this fight - are down from where they were 20-30 years ago, in no small part due to the reaction to the Kermit Washington - Rudy Tomjanovich incident. And despite the boors you saw in Detroit, most sports have done a good job controlling fan violence. Baseball was pretty bad, as was football, 30 years ago, but better control of alcohol sales and such has solved that problem for the most part. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2004, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-balls-almighty-pistons-pacers-riot/275796/113 "2004-11-22T22:45:43Z")
With apologizes to Terry Jacks \* Goodbye O’Neil, you frickin’ bum Hope you and Jackson found that fracas fun Together you climbed up to Ron Who was acting like a schlong Now for three months your ass is gone Who’d have thought at the game’s start that a quick foul would make them fall apart? One little shove lead to a fight and that a 20-foot cup flight would be best dunk of the night? You guys suck, you’re all scum Now the Pacers season’s done And Artest has all year To promote his rap career Hope your time on the pine Lets you think about your fine All that cash, gone to skids? Sprewell could’ve fed his kids \* ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2004, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-balls-almighty-pistons-pacers-riot/275796/114 "2004-11-23T04:51:35Z")
> [@Hal Briston](#): > > With apologizes to Terry Jacks > \* > Goodbye O’Neil, you frickin’ bum > Hope you and Jackson found that fracas fun > Together you climbed up to Ron > Who was acting like a schlong > Now for three months your ass is gone > > Who’d have thought at the game’s start > that a quick foul would make them fall apart? > One little shove lead to a fight > and that a 20-foot cup flight > would be best dunk of the night? > > You guys suck, you’re all scum > Now the Pacers season’s done > And Artest has all year > To promote his rap career > > Hope your time on the pine > Lets you think about your fine > All that cash, gone to skids? > Sprewell could’ve fed his kids > \* Bravo bro. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2004, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-balls-almighty-pistons-pacers-riot/275796/115 "2004-11-23T19:22:00Z")
> [@World Eater](#): > > Latrell Spreewell got in a fight with his coach and tried to choke him. The stink was as big as the one now, he was suspended for 65 games or something. He, like Artest had the skills so, he’ll end up on another time making a pile of money. Oh, THAT guy. Haven’t heard much from him lately. :rolleyes: > [@](#): > > Like I said, I don’t think any fan should get any money. It was a couple of bumps and scratches, get real. This stupid “give me free money” society is dragging us down the crapper. I concur, but as I have heard reported that one of the players punched the WRONG guy. Is there justice in that? Or should he just suck it up? Basketball is in the minority of all sports that doesn’t have some sort of physical barrier between the athletes and their fans (Security does not constitute a barrier if you can run in between them to get to the other side). There are both players and fans who see this “imaginary” barrier as crossable if they feel “justified” to do so (thrown items included). If the NBA doesn’t provide a physical barrier, then it looks like the plaintiffs will have to do the NBA’s job of providing one with lawsuits. I don’t support the “give me free money” attitude either, but if the NBA poo-poo’s this incident and does not make any changes to improve the safety of the players and fans collectively, then let the innocent victims of this incident make the impression for them. In other sports, if you make the idiotic effort of jumping the barrier (wall, glass, railing, whatever), you know that you will be arrested and that you are taking personal risks with your health when you cross that barrier; but in the NBA, that’s non-existent. ---
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2004, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-balls-almighty-pistons-pacers-riot/275796/116 "2004-11-23T19:57:00Z")
It’ll be fun to see what happens when the Pistons come to Indy to play. I’d like to think our fans will show a little class, but most likely they’ll be ready to rock. And since our best players are gone anyway, we don’t have much else to lose. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I would have reacted the same way Artest did, only I would have done it as soon as the motherfucker shoved me. Then maybe the fight could have stayed on the court. ] As for the dumbfuck fan who decided to throw a cup at a giant basketball who is known to be a loose canon, well, he deserved an ass kicking. You don’t charge into a 300 lb., 7ft. mofo and not expect something to happen. Anger management is for suckers. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-balls-almighty-pistons-pacers-riot/275796.md?page=5)