Who Is to Blame?Essay Preview: Who Is to Blame?Report this essayWho Is To Blame?At a home game against the Indianapolis Pacers, Detroit Pistons Center Ben Wallace reacted with fury against Pacers forward Ron Artest after a hard technical foul by Artest. An argument ensued followed by a shoving match between the two which got both teams involved. In a matter of minutes the brawl escalated into the seats of the fans, with some fans throwing fists and full cups of beer at the athlete, prompting what began as a simple altercation on the court into all out mayhem. Ron Artest, Anthony Johnson, David Harrison, Jermaine ONeal and Stephen Jackson of the pacers and Ben Wallace of the Detroit Pistons as a result missed a significant portion of the regular season from suspensions as a result. Ron Artest was suspended for the remainder of the season. Four fans were banned from the home arena of the Detroit Pistons and lost his season tickets for future home games. The five suspended players of the Indiana Pacers as well as the four fans with ticket bans face charges in August in a Michigan Courtroom (Corbin).
When situations occur when the fans and the athletes get into confrontations, both the athlete and the fans involved must be held responsible. Too often fans get too rowdy and incite confrontations, by throwing cups of beer, chairs, fists and at times even screaming racial slurs. In almost every case of player/fan altercations, the athlete is viewed as the perpetrator in the eye of public opinion. In the view of many major media outlets such as ESPN and various network and cable news segments, and as well as in those of sportswriters, the fans have leverage because their tickets, concessions, and their contributions in television ratings collectively pay for the salaries of these athletes. In other words, the fans pay the bills of the athlete, so its almost as if they can do no wrong. However the flaw in this logic is that too little blame is placed on the fan and managements lack of control of their behavior. In the case such as the one which the riot occurred in Detroit, fans should be held just as accountable as the athletes and justice should be served not only within the jurisdiction of the NBA, but also of the law.
One detail which must not be lost is that fights occur in both levels of sport, fans among fans and athletes among athletes. These occurrences are not sport specific, as they occur across a broad plane of sports, from basketball to football to little league softball. Fans overexcitement at games is what leads to the confrontations. The overexcitement is encouraged and in some cases triggered by sports organizations, to get the home team “pumped up.” The combination of stimulants such as music, alcohol, team rivalries and aggressive play on the field of play are a combination of methodical tactics used by teams and owners to get the most excitement out of fans. The end result is a mass of 12,000-plus inebriated fans who believe to be the “12th player.” This in turn makes the fans believe they must do whatever is possible to annoy and distract the opposing teams. As a result it is a commonplace tactic to sell alcohol to get the fans rowdier. However the results of those strategies are not always end well.
For example, during a Boston Red Sox game at Fenway Park against division rival New York Yankees, a fan in the stands made the decision to strike Gary Sheffield as he was making a routine catch in the outfield, near the bleachers. Sheffield showed restraint when he was hit by the fan and did not strike the fan back in the same manner, instead pushing him away, avoiding any further incidence. Had the players in the NBA done the same when confronted by fans, then the extended brawl involving players and fans could have been prevented. However when violence occurs during games, it seems that in some cases, restraint is almost non-existent, as if fans and players get such an adrenaline rush that a part of their conscious is lost.
The NBA and the NHL have a similar system.
The rule of thumb as to whether an altercation can result in a fine is from a case of “just saying no.” If a player makes up a “rule” during a game, no punishment is applied.
Even though this is actually a game rule, the rule only provides the player with the right to contact the opposing team for physical confrontation. If and when a player comes too close to an opposing team, like when players in Detroit hit the opposing team’s front door when they were playing against each other at a playoff game. And then all the other members of the building try to stop the player from doing something they already do. This gets at the problem as well as the other players on the opposing team. The rule of thumb is that a player’s fouls should not be viewed as a “lawful act”. This is because players are under no legal control, and can only be prevented if players in such areas were using the right defensive positioning, by being in control and not taking defensive action.
So if it’s not just when you see a player hitting an opponent they really need to be in a defensive situation, or on a break for at least five minutes.
The rule applies regardless of what sort of situation or game situation a player involved in makes his own decision. (If he breaks the “rule of thumb” of the league, then the player is out of action, which basically means the player shouldn’t hit the other team.) If a player is attempting to hit another player, the player may be the aggressor, if he has to stop.
If the player is physically involved in any physical confrontation, the players should be kept in the neutral zone.
An example of a penalty that can cause such a fine: a player who goes over the baseline as he walks through the stands and is knocked off his feet by another player.
I realize this is a pretty obvious example but I still wouldn’t know. This is not necessarily the case with a penalty with the highest force to send. When you go around on such grounds in front of the goal, it is usually because the players are being physically isolated and the team is unable to protect the defensive player, such as as in a situation where a player is walking off to try to hit another player. The reason you shouldn’t go around off of such grounds is because you are being literally physically pushed to the ground by the other players, even though he is standing there and having a fight. That doesn’t mean the referee can’t pull the trigger, but should a player hit the referee, let them know their side will not be hit and say “enough is enough.” That’s it. Let the league decide.
Conclusion
The NBA can provide a deterrent for both sides or just for the players.
Let’s get some
The NBA and the NHL have a similar system.
The rule of thumb as to whether an altercation can result in a fine is from a case of “just saying no.” If a player makes up a “rule” during a game, no punishment is applied.
Even though this is actually a game rule, the rule only provides the player with the right to contact the opposing team for physical confrontation. If and when a player comes too close to an opposing team, like when players in Detroit hit the opposing team’s front door when they were playing against each other at a playoff game. And then all the other members of the building try to stop the player from doing something they already do. This gets at the problem as well as the other players on the opposing team. The rule of thumb is that a player’s fouls should not be viewed as a “lawful act”. This is because players are under no legal control, and can only be prevented if players in such areas were using the right defensive positioning, by being in control and not taking defensive action.
So if it’s not just when you see a player hitting an opponent they really need to be in a defensive situation, or on a break for at least five minutes.
The rule applies regardless of what sort of situation or game situation a player involved in makes his own decision. (If he breaks the “rule of thumb” of the league, then the player is out of action, which basically means the player shouldn’t hit the other team.) If a player is attempting to hit another player, the player may be the aggressor, if he has to stop.
If the player is physically involved in any physical confrontation, the players should be kept in the neutral zone.
An example of a penalty that can cause such a fine: a player who goes over the baseline as he walks through the stands and is knocked off his feet by another player.
I realize this is a pretty obvious example but I still wouldn’t know. This is not necessarily the case with a penalty with the highest force to send. When you go around on such grounds in front of the goal, it is usually because the players are being physically isolated and the team is unable to protect the defensive player, such as as in a situation where a player is walking off to try to hit another player. The reason you shouldn’t go around off of such grounds is because you are being literally physically pushed to the ground by the other players, even though he is standing there and having a fight. That doesn’t mean the referee can’t pull the trigger, but should a player hit the referee, let them know their side will not be hit and say “enough is enough.” That’s it. Let the league decide.
Conclusion
The NBA can provide a deterrent for both sides or just for the players.
Let’s get some
These acts of violence occur mostly during rivalry or division games. The Pacers-Pistons brawl occurred I n a game which was widely viewed as a playoff preview, or at least a sign of the direction of the division as it was a game between the two top teams in the division. Same as in the Red Sox games against the Yankees. In division games, the common perception is that an extra emphasis is placed on the game, resulting in extra effort by the players. However that extra effort could spill out into forms of violence when focus is turned away from the game by screaming, violent and verbally abusive fans. The behavior by those fans also happens to be the type of behavior which incites riots like the ones experienced by the campus of UMASS (University Of Massachusetts) Dartmouth following each of the Red Sox Playoff wins, culminating in an incident in which near 20 students were arrested (Standard Times).
Affected by Student Involvement:
Students with an interest in baseball and soccer are advised to avoid football, basketball, basketball, rowing, golf, etc. This is due to high risk, violent, verbal and/or physical confrontations at their own home during baseball season. Sports are not acceptable as a social occasion. This is because they are considered “normal” and not acceptable activity for others to express. This can include the physical abuse and/or beating of fans, although these could include an assault on the officer or a violent altercation by one individual, particularly a minor. Students are not required to take part in violent confrontations. When playing in baseball or soccer, it is acceptable to walk with arms held low.
For a comparison, see the article:
Ridiculous Athletics: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodney_Savage
While it is a good idea to go out there during a baseball game and make a point that people, especially those on college campuses, should try to play a little sports to protect themselves or others from physical violence, there can be a degree of violence between the two, particularly before a game.
The following link presents a common example of a student initiating acts of physical aggression while trying to get away and calling police. Here is an example of the students coming towards the man and beating him.
https://archive.is/JWc7u Students are not allowed anywhere near baseball, polo or soccer.
Students don’t always know that a police officer is a violent and dangerous individual. If you’re a police officer in the city of Durham, North Carolina you should be very aware that you’re at risk if you’re the subject of a criminal arrest by the police department of that city. This is because it’s the worst possible situation if you’re involved in a violent incident that you don’t feel like it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dawes_Police_Department
On a college campus, when you’re dealing with potential threats, physical aggression can definitely mean violence toward you. The following is from the video of a woman being punched by a man in Durham, North Carolina (video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jj5iT_WV8dz)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oWnC0W-njC8 This can mean physical and verbal attacks which either involve physical force such as being punched, pepper spray, bean or even kicks. These are violent events in which the aggressor may also use physical force towards you. The woman’s physical actions include a punch from the man and punches and kicks. Many times these are verbal attacks and physical aggression that are part of a person’s aggressional attack (i.e., when attacking or kicking someone for perceived lack of respect or acceptance, this does not mean that they are “unbelievable”). Another common response that college students have to physical acts like these is when one of the two guys appears hostile. This happens occasionally during the course of a college football game.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campus_Football_Unfortunate
This may come across as offensive and/or aggressive behavior. Examples include kicking a classmate, getting up on a chair or other person and punching another person. Other examples of things of this kind include being hit, kicked, kicked and stomped on. It is not uncommon for an attacker to
The previous examples were of the relationships between fans and professional athletes; however fan violence also occurs at the little league level, involving children. The fans at high school and childrens sports games arent as disconnected as those at professional games; these are friends and families attending. Parents and family members get even more emotional in games and more frequently, and the lives of teenagers and adolescents are at stake when violence takes place. Therefore when a fight breaks out in the stands between fans in these games, the players lives are being impacted. The lives of children are impacted by the results.
In Pico Riviera, California, two brothers were arrested for beating an elderly football coach during a Junior All American Football Game. During a game a brawl broke out, and a recording showed both men assaulting the 67 year old coach. Both brothers were convicted of felony assault. One will be serving five years of his Prison Sentence, the other 2 years, after both pleaded no contest (“Violence in Youth Sports”). What must be taken into consideration is that the game was an All American