Barkley says players should "beat the hell out of fans.."

I saw a short interview with Charles Barkley on CNN in which he seems to double talk a bit. On one hand he says that players should not go into the stands to confront fans, yet on the other hand he says that if a fan provokes them, the player should *beat the hell outta them*.
Kind of odd because at first he claimed that the fan who incited Artest swung at his face, but when the interviewer pointed out that the fan didn't swing at him and that he actually had thrown a beer at him, he stated that was still enough to warrant a sound beating from a 7 foot tall man. I suppose I should expect this from Barkley, he has his own history of violent encounters.

My thought is that it's somewhat irresponsible for him to say this things in light of the recent Brawl, and given his history of assaulting a fan who spit at him and also the fact he tossed a guy through a plate glass window a few years back, among other sordid encounters:

Dec. 21st 1991- Arrested in Milwaukee for disorderly conduct, after breaking Joseph McCarthy's nose in a bar.

July 7th 1996- Jeb Tyler files an assault complaint against Barkley over an altercation in The Basement, a Cleveland dance bar. Tyler: "He said it like three times, 'You got to leave.' I said, 'No, I'm not leaving the bar.' Then I said, 'How about you leave the bar?' As soon as I said that, he punched me in the nose."

Oct. 26th 1997- Barkley is charged with aggravated battery and resisting arrest after throwing 20-year-old man Jorge Lugo through a plate glass window in an Orlando, Florida dance club. Barkley later tells reporters: "I regret we weren't on a higher floor."

I dunno, I think some of these guys (probably because they usually get acquitted after incidents like these) think they are above the law. Some 40% of the players in the NBA today have violent criminal records. I for one do not feel that Stern was too harsh with the penalties he imposed on the players involved in the brawl the other night, however, I do think that the fans involved need to be charged as well.

Your thoughts?

Regardless of the venue, assault is assault and battery-battery.

I think the incident was very predictable - especially after how little Sprewell actually was penalized (68 games after initially receiving a one year suspension without pay) though that was ata practice.

It comes down to money - and the league has a vested interest in keeping the most athletic players playing, regardless of their socipathic behavior or criminal records. That most pro sports leagues have turned blind and often hypocritical eyes towards their players only reinforces my belief that there is literally a cost-benefits spreadsheet run on each event and each individual player. If a Micahel Jordan had been involved in the fight, I am fairly certain he would have received the lightest penalty unless he was so egregiously more outrageous in his behavior than the other players that it simply could not be ignored. It comes down to money - and the stars bring it in.

In this case, I think that every player who entered the stands and swung at a fan should be banned for life. The fans involved should be charged accordingly under the local criminal code - and right after that, the criminal trials of the players should begin, regardless of the league's actions.

Harsh? Maybe. But if these guys can get away with it, then the message being sent to young fans and players is that such behavior is acceptable - especially if you get paid enough. It's the OJ criminal case syndrome.

Look at what happened to Pete Rose and Billy Cannon - and that was for betting, not assault on fans.

With a very big sigh, I have to agree... I just can't wait to see all the wannabees who will be wearing Artest jerseys now.

Dead on.


Cannon, the LSU idol? Even worse, IIRC....counterfeiting.

- yoshi

The double standard really amazes me. If someone takes a swing at a police officer and the officer beats the living crap out of him, everyone screams police brutality (which it is), but the same people who speak out against that type of violent behavior will stand behind a basketball player who balls it out with a fan. Seems most game players are getting a bit too big for their jerseys.

Football and basketball players slide through highschool on yardage and half court shots instead of gpa's to be given full ride scholarships at universities where little is expected of them on the academic court so long as they win the penant. And people everywhere still pay tons of cash for season tickets supporting the players million dollar contracts once they make the pro league. They are made out to be heroes for points scored instead of deeds done.

So long as cities continue to subsidize the teams regardless of the criminal records of the players (or really at all) and state run universities continue to give scholarships based on tackles and slam dunks, so long as people continue to line the streets supporting criminal athletes just because they like the shoes the athlete endorses or the color of his jersey, we will continue to see these problems. What happened was disgraceful. Both the fan and the players involved are to blame. But the attitude of those supporting this act of violence is shocking and detestable.

On another bent, it is insane that basketball courts are so easily accessible by fans and fans are so easily accessed by the players. Football fields, Baseball diamonds, hockey rinks and even soccer feilds are somewhat protected from fan/player interaction. Is the money from courtside seat sales really more important than the safety of players and fans?

With the amount of money these guys are paid there's just no excuse for this kind of behavior. I really don't care if someone in the crowd whips it out and pees on a player. If the player assaults a fan they should be out of the sport, not just for a few games, but forever. Those multi million dollar salaries should come with an incredibly strict code of conduct. That will never happen of course.

That shit cracked me up when that little bitch got beat down.

I bet he learned some friking respect for next time and doesnt go throwing shit at people who are working. I'd be pissed if someone came to my work and started throwing beer at me and probably start swinging too.

Learn respect fools and stop throwing shit and spitting on people. Just because the law says you cant hit people, does not give you license to spit on someone or throw your beer at them... I gotta say I'm glad the dude got smacked around and I thought it was funny. HA HA

Ok praying to the gods of sanity that you are jesting. A normal law respecting person would have called for security and had the person trespassed off the property instead of going 10 rounds with a devotee.

No sir I am not.

Wanna know why?

I dont think its the best way to handle things, but people gotta understand theres a right way and a wrong way to act.

For one, you dont go throwing shit at big pumped up people. Do you prance around in front of a bull? Nooooo. Not unless you expect for that bull to try and trample you. Its just a dumb thing to provoke these kinds of people. They are ultra competative, athletic people. DONT TEASE THEM DONT POKE THEM

These are a type of people called Alpha males. They can be nice guys, but are also loaded guns and you just dont mess with them.

Gotta remember we are still animals and we still have this bunch of guys that are the serious ass whoopers of our species. They are the ones that ran off the big bad beasties that used to threaten us before guns. They are not to be taunted, they are gentically designed to be loose cannons.

cool, let's put 'em in a zoo with the other dangerous animals. they can play ball and people can come watch and throw peanuts to them. then dumbass cities can spend the money on schools instead of stadiums. well, after they pay for the new zoos...

You go put em in a zoo. I'm gonna be their friend.

You sir, are exactly the reason these folks feel they are above everyone else. Worship away.

*applause*

I'm not the one that created social hierarchy, so I really cant be blamed for it either.

It's just a fact of life that there are dominant males and females. It's nature, not something created by humans and even though we trancend the heirarchy somewhat through intelligence and laws there still remains the fact of what they are and that genetics makes it this way.

Of course they dont just run the show like they used to, but you still have to respect them for what they are. They didnt pick to think and feel the way they do, it's just the way it is and if you are dumb enough to provoke them, then dont expect a law or anything else to nessasarilly protect you.

I'm not saying they should walk all over you, but just to not put yourself in a position to piss them off when you dont have to. It's just not wise is all I'm saying.

Go ahead and play with a bees nest and expect to not get stung. Go ahead and spit on some 7 foot tall guy that obviously has a bunch of testosterone pumping in his body.

Some things you just dont do.

Now I am confused and in some ways offended. Are you actually saying that these players are lacking the capacity to react in a civilized manner? Tell you what, go and tell a basketball player "We don't expect anything more from you than irrational acts of violence because you are no smarter than a bull" See how quickly they befriend you.

Basketball players ran off big bad beasties? Ok I am lost. First you call them animals now you are saying that they are rebel fighters of some sort who are genetically predisposed to violence for the purpose of protecting themselves from preditorial species. So would you suggest that "they" are to be quarantined from the rest of the public and used as entertainment in the true roman fashion because "they" could never be expected to act with in a civil manner?

This was not the attack of a predator it was a friggin beer. Dude beat the shit out of a fan when he could have asked for security to remove the beer hurler. Suggesting that the player is an animal incapable of controling his primitave urge to attack in an unjustifiable manner is insulting to those basketball players who do not act in this manner.

Omg Wiggs are you actually listening to yourself? Everyone knows the fan was wrong. But how in the hell can you justify the act of the player. And heres a clue for free, they are not alpha males. They are not protecting their territory. They do not have territory. The fans own the territory with the purchase of tickets. They are basketball players. They do have a responsibility to the public in that it is the public that pays their salary. For you to excuse them based on their inability to react in a manner other than brutality is absolutely assinine and insulting.

From your anology any deputy working in a prison has a right to beat inmates who throw water on them and teachers have the right to beat students who spit spit wads in class.


You are correct in saying that you did not create social hierarchy. But incorrect in alluding that basketball players are anywhere near the top. The alpha male in human society is not the one who can put a ball in a hole.

Did I say basketball players used to run off beasties or that alpha males did?

Did I say all basketball players are like this?

I dont think it's one bit irrational to say that provoking someone and getting a bad response is anything to not expect of some people.

To say that everyone reacts the same as you in all situations is pretty irrational.

I'm not saying the basketball player was right. I'm saying that that is to be expected of some people.

Everyone always misunderstands what I say because I dont just gag at what happend. In this case I think the guy brought it on himself and to bad.

I'm not saying what the player did was good, but it was kinda funny considering the attitude with which the guy did it thinking he was safe from retribution.

Something I hate worse than violent people is people that think they can be shitheads because the law allows them to be.

The law didn't allow him to be an idiot. He would have been prosecuted for assault and likely trespassed off the property for good. He also doesn't make millions to represent a company which the taxpayers have contributed to in the form of a venue to play in. Your logic is flawed. If you would have said they were jointly and severally liable then I would have to agree but to say that this should be expected of someone for whatever illogical reason you conjured up in your head is so wrong.

Violence of this sort is never funny but is even less comical when comitted by a public figure. If the player would have acted responsibly parents could have told their children that the fan was in the wrong. Now they have make excuses for the "hero" and the assailant becomes a martyr.

DId you see what the player did?

This is to be expected of some people and that player proves my point.

Dont provoke people and most likely this wont happen.

Dont be a dipshit and throw crap at people and you wont get hit.

Do you think its alright for that fan to start it in the first place?

There are many other things other than what this guy did that people do all the time that the law does allow. It's called disrespect and I believe the world could use far less of it.

This has moved beyond the act of the fan. The fan does not represent the NBA. Two wrongs do not make a right, Wiggs.

Disrespect. Please tell me you are kidding. Disrespect allows someone to beat the ever loving hell out of a person?

Definition: Lack of respect, esteem, or courteous regard

Does this deserve a beating? You are disrespectin all sense so I guess that following your logic I should beat you as well?

Then every board meeting I go to would end in bloody fisticuffs. Please tell me you are not going to pull the disrespect thug bs into an argument over whether or not a basketball player should beat up someone for throwing a beer on him. If he would have thrown a glass of water on him in return then I would be on your side. But the offense was not deserving of the retaliation no matter how you try to spin it.

Nope, they dont make a right, but it sure cracks me up to see a smartass get his ass whipped a little.

If the guy would'nt have been an asshat and thrown shit he wouldnt have gotten his ass whipped.

He just happend to be a smartass to the wrong guy for a change.

I do not like disrespectfull people. Sorry. It does not make me one bit sad to see one put in his place.