Some good has come from Pacers/Pistons melee

            By Howie Baker, THG Sports

November 21, 2004

Unless you have been living in a cave the past couple of days, you have seen the footage from the fight that broke out with 45 seconds left in the Indiana Pacers/Detroit Pistons game Friday night; the scuffle between Ben Wallace and Ron Artest followed by fans getting into the action by throwing cups, popcorn, chairs, and even punches at Pacers players trying to protect themselves.

Despite all of the negative publicity for the NBA and both teams involved, indefinite suspensions, and the numerous lawsuits that will tie up courtrooms for years to come, some good has come from the melee.

This event has taught sports fans a valuable lesson: if you are a fat, nacho-eating slob whose idea of exercise is getting off your lazy ass to get another beer out of the fridge, you have no business attempting to fight an elite athlete twice your size who lifts weights, runs, and jumps for a living.

For many sports fans, buying a ticket to the game is the equivalent to buying a license to be an obnoxious jerk for three hours.  These are average nine-to-fivers during the day who become drunken, screaming lunatics once the game tips off.

Being a sports fan my entire life, I have had a great game ruined by these idiots many a time.  That is why I was overjoyed when I watched the replays of the Pacers/Pistons incident on Sportscenter Friday night and again Saturday morning.

The look on the scrawny, spectacled white guy’s face when Artest went after him for throwing the cup of ice was priceless; you can bet he had to go to Wal-Mart and get some new Fruit of the Looms the next day. 

Best of all was what happened to one of the Pistons’ fans that came down onto the court to fight.  The slob got what was coming to him: the business end of seven-foot tall Jermaine O’Neal’s fist. 

When I saw O’Neal connect with the side of that guy’s head, my immediate reaction was “DAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMM!!!!” followed by uncontrollable laughter.  I could just imagine the headache that moron had the next morning.

Kudos to the Pacers for teaching fans worldwide a lesson; if you are going to jump into the lions’ den, you’d better be prepared for the consequences.

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