Stern announcing Pistons/Pacers suspensions ESPN now...

[Career Prole]

Pacers Artest out for season, Stephen Jackson...30 games, Jermaine O'Neal...25 games, Anthony Johnson...5 games, Reggie Miller...1 game

Pistons Ben Wallace...6 games Chauncey Billups, Elden Campbell, and Derrick Coleman...1 game.

[VivaKerry]

1. good riddance Artest.

30 games! WOW. Good.

[gonefishing]

2. Stupid question?

Does Artest get paid for the season?

[vpigrad]

3. No

> Does Artest get paid for the season?

No. None of the players get paid for their punishment period. That's why the punishment is so over the top. It's going to cost Artest almost an entire year of income just for defending himself.

And, why Campbell? I've heard several people say that Stern just hates all of the black players. Rather than punishing the guys responsible some, he just picks on anyone that was close to the event.

[DenverDem]

5. Defending himself?!?!?!?!?

Artest started it by his unbelievable cheap shot on Wallace.

He then acted like a complete asshole by lying on the scorers table like a moran.

Then some dweeb pours a cup of water on him and Artest charges into the stands and attacks the idiot who is half ron's size.

Defending himself my fucking ass, there is no defense for Artest's absurd and irresponsible actions and he should never be allowed back into the league.

All the players who participated in this immature crap deserve everything they get. The idiot fans who participated in the aftermath deserve to be prosecuted as well.

But the guy who started it all by an idiot delivering a dangerous cheap shot because that's the kind of jerk he is, ron artest.

[mark414]

6. you clearly have strong feelings about artest

so you're probably not the best person to make unbiased observations about what happened

artest's foul of wallace wasn't that hard, nowhere near a flagrant, and wallace overreacted.

i blame wallace for overreacting, artest for going into the stands, but most of all i blame the fans for escalating it to a point that it never should've reached.

and i don't like artest either, i think he's a fucking nutcase.

[lazarus]

12. Let's not forget

That a minute before this all happened, Wallace bodychecked Artest hard into the goal supports, with no foul called at all.

[kick-ass-bob]

16. But he got suspended for 6 games for doing so.

What was Artest doing lying on the scorers table?

IMO, he and Jackson should get the same punishment.

[lazarus]

18. No, he didn't

He got suspended for his attack on Artest later.

I'm saying the refs should bear some responsibility here. They let that game get out of control by allowing too many hard, cheap fouls to go uncalled, throughout the game. The officiating crew is supposed to keep a lid on things, and they didn't.

Artest was trying to stay out of the melee.

At first, I thought Jackson should get the same punishment as Artest, but I've watched the sequence again a couple more times. It's possible that Jackson's original motive was to protect Artest by dragging him out of the stands. Just as he got to Artest, another cup of beer came flying in and struck both of them; that's when Jackson went off.

[tishaLA]

22. I don't think Artest's shot on Wallace was

"unbelievable" at all. But that's where my defense of him ends. I'm as fine with Wallace's suspension as Wallace himself is.

It's not self-defense to enter the stands and beat on the wrong guy. It's not self-defense to initiate contact with the fan on the floor, who the refs should have dealt with. In fact, it's not really self-defense unless you feel that you are in danger.

It was probably worse that Jackson went into the fray and started throwing hay-makers. Completely stupid and I think the 30 days is too little. It was only slightly better that Jermaine O'Neal cold-cocked a guy who was getting up off the floor.

Of course, we will hear Indiana fans kvetching about the suspensions until kingdom come. I had the misfortune of getting my masters degree at IU, and I learned something interesting about many of those salt-of-the-earth Hoosiers: they blame everyone else and refuse to accept responsibility or acknowledge that they have done wrong. That behavior is particularly true when it comes to basketball. They will insist that David Stern is out to get them, that it's a plot to undermine their certain NBA crown (it's certain every year, doncha know), and if you listen hard enough you'll hear comments about David Stern's religion.

[Socialist Dem]

4. What did Miller do?

from what I saw he was trying his best to keep everyone seperated

[mark414]

7. i'm not sure

the whole fight lasted about 3 minutes, but what i saw on sportscenter, etc. was mostly just clips and lasted 1-2 minutes...maybe somewhere in that footage miller hit someone or something, i have no idea

[democracyindanger]

8. Probably some variation on

the rule that says players can't leave the bench during a fight. Yeah, I know, a lot more left both benches, but like I said, probably some variation.

Now let's hear what the "fans" get.

[TroubleMan]

9. IMHO what Jackson did was worse than what Artest did

Artest got hit in the face by Wallace, then had a drink thrown on him (which is an attack) - it's still no excuse for what he did. But Jackson, who had nothing thrown on him and was not hit (at least at that point), ran into the stands throwing haymakers.

I think Jackson's suspension should have been greater than or equal to Artest's.

[Career Prole]

10. I'm pretty sure in the Q & A afterwards Stern cited past behavior as

a consideration in Artest's suspension. Still subject to appeal, I think.

[lazarus]

13. actually

I've watched this footage repeatedly.

And it's entirely possible that the motivation for Jackson was to protect Artest/pull him back out of the stands. But just as he got there, another cup of beer got flung at them both. That's when Jackson started swinging.

[jakefrep]

11. The players get hammered...

and nothing happens to the Pistons organization for failing to control the fans. Quite frankly the wrong people are being punished for this.

Hopefully the players' union makes itself useful and appeals these suspensions.

[Hokie]

14. The bottom line is the Pacers are toast

The message I see in this is that a Ben Wallace and a bunch of unruly fans in Detroit have now eliminated their main rival for the conference championship. That really sends the right message!

[Champ]

15. Yup, gonna be a long stretch for Indiana upcoming

I think Indiana can dp well with Bender filling in for Artest, he is currently on IR so we'll have to see how well he is when he returns. As for the playoffs and the last part of the season I think Indiana will be alright.

Jamaal Tinsley- Solid PG who made smart decisions that widen the gap vs Detroit. Not freaking out here.

Stephen Jackson, Fred Jones, Reggie Miller- These 3 will see time during that stretch, you may see them move Jackson to the SF and play Jones or Miller at the SG.

Jonathan Bender- Solid player from the bench, he will play well but nowhere near Artest's level.

Jermaine O'neal (bench)Austin Croshere

Jeff Foster (bench)Scott Pollard, good rebounder.

[LisaM]

17. It wasn't the first hard foul by the Pacers that game

and the game was out of reach at that point. Ben Wallace is not normally a hothead. And what was Artest doing on the scorer's table - wearing headphones?

[lazarus]

19. It wasn't the first hard foul

by either team. Wallace had bodychecked Artest into the goal supports just a minute before.

Artest was, believe it or not, about to be interviewed by a local radio station there on the media table. Hence the headphones.

[LisaM]

20. DURING THE GAME? Give me a break.

I saw what Wallace did; it was wrong. But Artest shouldn't leave the court during the game to do an interview. Puhleeze.

[lazarus]

21. I agree

i wasn't justifying it, just explaining it.