Who needs hockey? There is no National Hockey League season this winter because of a labor dispute. After the things that occurred last weekend in sports, those who have been missing the sudden mayhem they could expect from the NHL could once again breathe easy.
You've seen it all, the fight between the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons that started on the court and spread into the stands and the fight in the closing minutes of the Florida State-Clemson college football game Saturday.
As we write this, there has been no announcement of what sanctions will be handed out over the Clemson/Florida State fiasco. The two schools are fortunate that the Pacers/Pistons debacle had occurred, since it attracted the press attention that still goes on.
To his credit, though NBA Commissioner Larry Stern was quick to act. The day after the fight in Auburn Hills, the most obvious participants were suspended indefinitely. By Monday, the final sanctions were announced.
The apparent bad boy of the incident, the Pacers' Ron Artest, was suspended for the rest of the season. He was the one who first went into the stands to wail on a spectator he assumed had thrown a drink cup at him.
His teammate, Stephen Jackson, was suspended for 30 games and Jermaine O'Neal sits for 25 for going into the stands and throwing punches. Anthony Johnson is suspended for five games and Reggie Miller one.
From the Pistons, Ben Wallace was suspended for six-games. He is the one who overreacted to a foul from Artest and shoved him. That occurred on the court. Chauncey Billups, Elden Campbell and Derrick Coleman will be out one game each.
Stern is to be congratulated. Of course the penalty phase is not yet over. The players' union already has said it will challenge the suspensions and it can be expected to take the matter to court … of law, not hardwood.
In addition, I would hope that Auburn Hills authorities will ultimately file criminal charges against players and fans who were involved in criminal acts.
Since the NBA Friday Night Fights, I have heard several commentators, professionals and non-professionals, make remarks to the effect that, "Well, if somebody throws something at you, you have to defend yourself."
What a bunch of cowboy hooey.
If someone throws something lethal at you are threatened. At that point you have to decide whether your personal safety is better served by going after them or running. Usually that depends on whether or not they have any more lethal things to throw at you.
But a cup of pop or beer? Where's the threat in that? Artest's uniform was about to go in the laundry anyway and he didn't even have to wash it himself.
Where was the threat that he and some of his teammates felt needed to be neutralized against some scrawny, out of shape fans by repeated roundhouse punches obviously intended to inflict injury?
Fans who got involved also should be held responsible. Reports are that some threw punches at players as well.
It will be more difficult to identify the guilty fans, although there is plenty of video that shows what took place and hopefully, the authorities, through interviews and other sources, will be able to do so.
If only Ron Artest could have realized that he could have been a hero by not answering idiocy with violence.