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Basket-Brawl
So it’s been a few days since the NBA player/fan brawl and the initial penalties have been handed out. What’s everyone’s take on this? Are the players to blame? Are the fans to blame? Is security to blame? Are the players getting off to easily or too hard?
I feel that both the fans and players are guilty in this fight but the players shoulder most of the blame here.
Was the throwing full beverage cups and boxes of popcorn acceptable? Heck no and those that were involved should be punished in some way. With that being said though I don’t feel that throwing a cup of Coke is really that “threatening” towards anyone’s well being. I see it more as a display of raw emotion. It’s no different than a woman throwing here beer in the face of man as they stand in a bar. Chances are the bar owner would just ask both parties to leave but not threaten law enforcement action. It’s not right but it’s not a dangerous act. Browns fans throwing batteries and bottles at players and coaches a few years ago was dangerous.
Was the reaction of a few players to “enter” the stands an appropriate or understandable reaction? HELL NO! It would be one thing to throw the popcorn back but there is only one intent when someone charges into the stands looking for a fight. The correct action would have been to walk away. How can anyone feel that they had a right to not only go into the stands but to also go up there throwing punches? This is a criminal act and should be punished harshly especially since a lot of innocent fans (young and old) where caught in the middle.
The players started the physical fight but there appeared to be a few fans who were more than interested in accomidating the fight. It looks like the few fans who are seen throwing punches at the players weren’t even involved with the initial fight, they came from else where to join in. I hope those few fans are dealt with also.
Now I do have to say that some of the involved fans might not be that guilty IMHO. I would think that quite a few people who watch a 7 foot player come charging up into the stands to beat down someone standing in their vicinity would jump in to stop the player. I’m not saying it’s right but what do you expect when you pick a fight with the audience?
When the fight in the stands stopped it appeared to be over until the same 2 players continued to pick fights on the court. One even came back out onto the court to continue the fight. I think that where any question of guilt is erased, guilt is guaranteed.
The NBA has handed down their reaction to the fight and I don’t have any problem with any of it. It is a bit odd that they still have jobs though. Can you imagine the reaction of your boss if you started a fist fight with a customer on national TV? Man, you’d be out of job before the night was over.
Now it falls into the hands of the police and I hope they are just as fair. I expect a few sentences imposed on the few extreme fans as well as the players. I’m not keeping my hopes up for the law coming after the players with this though.
How did this happen? I think that professional sports fans have becomed numbed to whole player/fan seperation or the lack there of. It’s become an environment of the Have’s and the Have Not’s. Players continue to make the news as they get away with things that would either land Joe Schmoe in jail or get him fired. Then we are bombarded with show after show where sports and entertainment folks brag/showcase all the wonderful things they have.Remember when the only show that showed the life of the rich was Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous? Now it’s like 2 months after some new sports player signs his first contract after high school or leaving college we see them on TV showing off their 5 cars and 10,000 sq. ft. house.
I really think that quite a few of these players and entertainment folks are starting to believe their own hype. They are really seeing themselves as being on another plane, seperated from the rest of society. It seems that the whole culture needs a wake up call. Hopefully there are severe enough penalties imposed after this that it re-aligns the relationship between the fans and players.
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