Take me out to a ballgame? Not without protection!

Okay, I know the title is about baseball, but even that sport can apply to what I have to write about here.

Let me start by saying that I am a sports fan. I enjoy watching a game on TV from time to time and have even been known to go to a live event. I was ,at one time in my life, a competitive athlete. In fact many would say that I was a pretty good shooting guard who should have played at least college ball.

But I have got to tell ya, the older I get, the less and less I care a flying flip about sports!

On Friday, November 19, millions of people watched an absolute brawl that erupted at a NBA basketball game between the Indiana Pacers and the Detroit Pistons.

For those of you who may know the players, or even care, the Pistons Ben Wallace (flowing afro and all) drove to the hoop, for apparently what was going to be a thunderous slam-dunk. Indiana Pacer forward Ron Artest had a better idea, deciding to hack Wallace on the arm and take him down a notch or two. Comparatively speaking, the Artest foul was not that hard and did not seem blatant.

Wallace however thought differently and decided he was going to let Artest know about it, shoving both hands into Artest's chest and the fight was on. The two players strangely
calmed down somewhat and had backed off. The fans though would have no part of it and one drunken bum lobbed a cup of beer onto Artest and the fight was on, literally.

What followed was a free-for-all. Players in the stands punching fans, fans hurling beer, food and even chairs at players. It is a wonder that someone was not seriously injured. Afterwards the respective coaches told the press that it was the worse case of sports violence that they have ever seen. We have not gotten any solid response from the players yet.

Okay here is my two cents. All of those who threw punches were wrong and should face the consequences. Players should be suspended, and I don’t mean for a couple of games. Those directly involved should be thrown out for the rest of the season; Artest, Wallace, whoever. Fans who participated in the freak-out should be banned from the stadium and prosecuted for assault.

The sort of incident is so stupid, but not unbelievable. I really appreciate the comments of ESPN commentator Greg Anthony,a former player himself, when he said what could we expect when alcohol is made such a large part of what professional sporting events are.

I agree with Greg Anthony. I went to a New Orleans Saints game last year, and even though I enjoyed being there and especially spending some time with a good friend, I was shocked at how much alcohol was being sold there and how many people were guzzling the stuff. I mean when you get a stadium full of people together, who get so worked up over a stupid ballgame, and then add in the factor that a large majority of them are probably drunk as skunks, then you are asking for trouble. Sooner or later something like the Pacers-Pistons brawl has to happen.

In a broader view, our obsession with sports and entertainment is out of hand. Too many folks would rather watch a stupid ballgame, played by a bunch of overpaid, under worked, immature spoiled brats (and all pro athletes are not that way) than spend time with their families or even breath, and that my friends is not normal.

All I can say is, GET A LIFE……PLEASE!