NBA its fan-tastic

Or is the new slogan like EA sports' you're in the game?

On Friday there was a crazy brawl in the Detroit vs Indiana game. Fans throwing food and drinks at players, players responding by rushing into the stands swinging away like WWF wrestlers. In a word bedlam.

So the punishment has been handed down by commissioner Stern. Ron Artest suspended the rest of the season, Jermaine O'neal 25 games, Stephen Jackson 30 games, Ben Wallace 6. Well there goes the heart of the Indiana Pacers squad and with it any real hopes for this season. Was it a deserving punishment? Yes and No.

On the one hand yes because this melee has brought the league into disrepute. Players should stay on the floor, fans in the stands. Fans already think that most NBA players are a bunch of selfish, overpaid thugs but now they are taking this behavior to the paying fans in the stands. Not acceptable. One does not pay the price of NBA tickets these days to go get one's head caved in by the players.

On the other hand, there was a fight on the floor, players were already hyped and upset and then they are assaulted by fans. I can understand why Artest would charge in throwing those 'bows. He felt threatened he reacted in the spur of the moment.

Fans need to respect players and players fans. Its that simple.

A little closer to home, the Raptors beat the Spurs yesterday with just 4 points from Vince Carter. Who would have imagined that? Vince just doesn't seem to be playing with intensity and just doesn't seem to be involved in the team first concept that the new coach Sam Mitchell is preaching or is it just that the trade rumors have affected his play? Whatever it is I think it is time for Vince to move on. I aint mad at him. His time just simply is up. His heart is no longer in the game in Toronto, his excitement has dried up and the fans are not coming to see him. In other words he is no longer our franchise player. Can he be a franchise player elsewhere, revive his career? Quite possibly so Toronto needs to explore that option to better themselves and also to give Vince a chance.

Do we trade him to Portland for Shareef? My thoughts are a bit divided on that. (Lack of sleep has me waffling on everything this morning) Shareef will bring the points but his natural position is power forward, the same as Chris Bosh so I can see Shareef retarding Bosh's development a bit if brought in. Still it might not be a bad deal given that Shareef's contract is up at the end of the season.

Oh well, Vince respect due, you did alot for the franchise, you were the man, you gave us some wins and some respect in the league with your earlier play but like a rapper who cant follow up his debut album you've "fallen off". You don't dunk, you don't drive, you've become a far less accurate version of Reggie Miller playing on the perimeter and most important clearly you upset the fans by demanding a trade. You have lost our love and loyalty as was shown by the fact that you've been booed this season. I've already spoken on this whole issue with the trade so I wont repeat myself but Vince like O.C said 'times up'.