Cheers and Booze; Fans Also to Blame for Detroit Brawl

Pittsburgh City Paper › August 03, 2009

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Summary

Meantime, let's get acquainted with the people we're dealing with in the Detroit riot. We already know the background of Rappin' [Ron Artest], serial flagrant fouler and career psycho. But the unknown in the mix is John F. Green, the fan who allegedly threw the cup that made Artest bolt into the stands on a fast track to mayhem (and a season-long ban).

NBA commissioner David Stern did the right thing by issuing such severe suspensions. Artest isn't the Wicked Witch of the West: A cup of beer -- or soda, or ice, or whatever -- won't make him melt. Artest's reaction to getting hit by the cup was totally unwarranted. Besides acting maniacally, Artest showed a flair for ignoring the obvious on his initial foray into the stands: The first fan he went after was holding a cup.

Throwing an object while cloaked by a mob shows one level of cowardice. Judging from video of the brawl, Green quickly reached the next level when Artest rushed the stands. Green apparently let Artest slip by him and begin pummeling another spectator. Green then jumped onto Artest's back and delivered a flurry of ineffective cheap shots.

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Extract

Cheers and Booze; Fans Also to Blame for Detroit Brawl

The horrific scene ignited by a fan and played out by Ron Artest and two of his Indiana Pacers teammates at Detroit two Fridays ago used to be commonplace in European soccer.

The playe...

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