The five members of the Indiana Pacers that were involved in the brawl with fans are not only going to be disciplined by the NBA, but are now going for face charges for the scuffle. Pacer Jermaine O’Neil will likely face to charges two of misdemeanor assault and battery while Ron Artest and the other Pacer players will face one count each. The five Pistons fans involved will also face charges.
And why not? When Marty McSorley, playing with the Boston Bruins at the time, swung his hockey stick like a baseball bat resulting in a concussion to Donald Brashear, then with the Vancouver Canucks, he was convicted of assault although he didn’t get any jail time. He did 18 months of probation and was kicked out of the NHL for good.
This isn’t any different, except that it exploded over from the basketball floor into the seats and it involved fans, where there is an even greater risk of injury. No, the fans were not justified in their actions, but they are not seasoned athletes that strength train and are jostled around for an entire season. One good shot by a player and one of these fans could have been seriously injured if not dead. I think the league’s stance was just and now it is time for the world off the court to have their hand at dolling out punishment.
