When Players Attack

Friday's brawl between the Detroit Pistons and the Indiana Pacers was one of the most disgusting, shocking, and appalling incidents I have ever seen in sports. We’re used to seeing players fighting with players (NHL) and fans fighting other fans (European soccer), but this is the first time I’ve seen players fighting fans in a mob-type of an atmosphere. There’s no one person to blame for all of this – this was everyone’s fault. Shame on Ron Artest for committing an unnecessary hard foul when the game was already decided. Shame on Ben Wallace for reacting the way he did. Shame on the fan that threw that beer cup on Ron Artest. Shame on Ron Artest and Stephen Jackson for jumping on to the stands – what on earth were you guys trying to prove? Shame on the fans that went on to the court – you guys deserved what you got. Shame on the other fans who threw chairs, bottles, & beverages on the players – what’s the purpose of doing that? These people should get off of their tough guy mentality; it’s just a game. There's plenty of blame to go around.
I believe that Friday night's incident is a reflection of what our society has become. Face it, we crave violence. We watch violent films, play violent video games, watch violent reality shows, listen to "gang rap" music, and our news is covered with images of war. It was all just a matter of time when all these things came to a boil.
But here's the worst thing of all: instead of being role models, these athletes and adult fans didn’t take in to consideration that there were kids in that arena that night. Those kids saw what happened. Is that the type of example you want kids to learn? That using your fists and anger makes you tough? That using a "gang-like" approach to conflict is ok? They should all be embarrassed!
And a message to ESPN: Yes, we get it and the whole world saw what happened so please stop repeating the scenes over and over again on Sportscenter. Seeing it once is more than enough.