So, did you see the Ron Artest hypocrisy on NBC this morning? I did. Ron Artest is a punk, a thug, and a despicable human being. Instead of apologizing, he promoted his CD. Instead of repentance, he cracked jokes. He's gone for the season. Good. Damn fine work of the clueless NBA management. But he should be gone for good. Let him try to make $5M on his stupid [c]rap CD.
In light of that, I can only say: Geoffrey Norman makes some dead-on comments about the NBA:
The fracas in Detroit was not scripted but it was, nevertheless, inevitable. The NBA sells a product that might as well be called "gangstaball." The players are world-class dunkers, exhibitionists, and malcontents. But, as last year's Olympics demonstrated, when they are required to play actual team basketball, they can't handle a squad from Puerto Rico. As the quality of play has declined in the NBA over the last several years, so have fan interest and television ratings.
The worse the games gets, it seems, the harder the players work to make themselves unlikable. Kobe Bryant may have beaten the rape charge against him but he did not emerge from the ordeal untarnished. Latrell Sprewell, who famously choked his coach, has recently rejected a contract offer of some $9 million as "insulting." Sprewell talked about how he had a "family to feed," but somehow failed to fire a lot of compassion. Then there was the recent trial of Jayson Williams, former New Jersey Nets star turned broadcaster, who shot a limo driver. He persuaded a jury that he didn't mean to do it. But it came out during the trial that he'd once shot a dog and done it very much intentionally.
Nice guy.Posted by Clifton at November 23, 2004 09:24 AM | TrackBack
I'm not justifying the generally spirit within the NBA but an Indy-based blogging friend of mine has referred to infomation from WDIV in Detroit about the bloke who threw the beer on Artest:
"WDIV learned that Green has a [surprise!] criminal history, which includes the following legal miscues:
2003 -- Operating under the influence of liquor/operating while visibly impaired (second offense)
1989 -- Assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder
1989 -- Escape from prison
1986 -- Carrying concealed weapons
1986 -- Uttering and publishing, which is using a false, forged, altered or counterfeit record, deed or instrument to injure or defraud.
Artest had already been nailed by Piston Ben Wallace on the court. Artest uncharacteristically but charitably retreated and laid down atop a scorer's table. But when the beer cup came sailing to hit him on the chest, it was no more Mr. Nice Guy from there on out. He stormed into the stands and went straight for Green, but:
Green stepped aside and another person took the initial blow. The tape of Friday's fight then shows Green attacking Artest from behind.
The other guy went down hard, too. Can you say 'lawsuit' I knew you could."
Posted by: Dave at November 23, 2004 03:07 PMDavid:
I was commenting narrowly on Artest. Beer cup or no beer cup, he gets paid millions of dollars a year to have a thick skin. Beyond that, it's clear he has an "anger management" problem.
But commenting more generally: yeah, the fan with the beer cup is the same sort of punk and thug as Artest. Legally, he assaulted Artest, and was assaulted by Artest (after conveniently getting out of the way and letting some other fans take some knocks to the head; pretty big of the guy, huh?). I saw "evens." Both of them demonstrated the miniscule size of their brains and their "manhood."
The other fans Artest assaulted, however, should sue big and get all they can. I think any parent of a minor should also so on the basis of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and otherwise "corrupting the young."
I haven't seen an NBA game since the likes of Byrd and Magic left. The NBA was never the paragon of virtue, but at least its public face was cleaner and more respectable.
Posted by: Clifton D. Healy at November 23, 2004 03:23 PMOf course I don't get to see much NBA over here, and just follow the standings to see how the Pacers are doing, but the game was already going downhill before I left Indianapolis - not that I could afford to see a game in person then anyway.
I don't know that we can expect cash to thicken skin, however. That may be a presumption on our part - just like the idea that this players are or should be role models of some kind. I've only ever looked at professional sports from the perspective of living vicariously through the physical and competitive feats that we would never actually be able to accomplish and that somehow the cameraderie of the real team projects itself into the camaraderie amongst its fans.
Children who have been taught that they should look up to an Artest, Miller, or even Bird or Johnson, have been taught misplaced values, IMHO.
Posted by: Dave at November 24, 2004 03:28 PM