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One down, a hundred or so other venues to go...

vrbryant

Ever thus to ____ers
Staff member
Two men banned from all events at facilities

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Two men were banned from events at The Palace for what the Detroit Pistons say is their involvement in last month's NBA brawl.

John Green and Charlie Haddad were sent letters informing them of the ban, which also includes events at DTE Energy Music Theatre in Clarkston, Pistons spokesman Matt Dobek said Wednesday. The Clarkston site is another holding of the Palace Sports and Entertainment organization.

Apart from Pistons games, the Palace hosts figure skating competitions and concerts. The DTE Energy Music Theatre holds concerts.

Green, of Oakland County's West Bloomfield Township, is accused of lobbing a cup at Indiana Pacers forward Ron Artest on Nov. 19, sparking the brawl. Haddad, of Burt, ran onto the court that night, Dobek said.

The brawl spilled into the stands and led to three Indiana players being suspended for 25 or more games, including a season-long ban for Artest.

"That's ridiculous. Are they going to ban Artest and the other Pacers who ran into the stands and beat up on our fans and the people that live in this community," Shawn Smith, Green's attorney, said Wednesday. "They're completely picking on the little guy. ... It's not fair."

Ron Baker of MCC Inc., said: "Charlie would like to stress ... he's an avid and loyal Pistons fan. He was injured in that brawl between the Pacers and the fans. He'll have more to say in the future about it. MCC Inc. is doing public relations work for the law firm representing Haddad.

"He just wants to have his normal life back."

Although not mentioned as part of the ban, the man whom police say threw a chair during the melee has been convicted of assault before, The Detroit News is reporting. According to court documents, Bryant Jackson was a co-defendant in an attempted murder case that was later dropped and also was convicted of assaulting the mother of his child, the newspaper reported.

A message left with Green's attorney Wednesday was not immediately returned. There is no telephone listing for Haddad.

No criminal charges have been filed in the brawl. Oakland County prosecutor David Gorcyca said Tuesday that police must finish their investigation first.

"It is obvious from the multitude of videotapes that numerous Pacer players and fans are implicated in criminal wrongdoing," Gorcyca said in a statement. "To issue charges in haste and before a thorough investigation is completed would be irresponsible and a dereliction of our duties."

Gorcyca had told The Detroit News that Pacers players will be charged but declined to specify the players or charges.

Not sure how I missed this, but I'm glad at least some of the fans are getting their comeuppance.
 
tibor75 said:
Too bad a lifetime ban hasn't been instituted on that worthless piece of **** Ron Artest.
Artest has some serious issues, no one denies that he should be punished for his actions. When taking a look into some of the fans history, however, you can't exactly call them victims. Artest had no right to punch anyone, but he didn't exactly start the altercation. Arenas have long been allowing the fan to go too far. They have become a larger and larger part of the game until you knew, eventually, something like this would happen. The league has to set a precident for how to handle the situation from the fan side.

Not only does Artest have an advantage in past history, but he wasn't exactly unprovoked. Artest's life will be far more impacted in a negative light than any fan's will. It's about time there was at least SOME justice on this side of the situation.
 
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Just out of curiosity, should Artest, Stephen Jackson and Jermaine O'Neal be banned from playing in the Palace? I'm sure there are others who could be added to the list but those 3 were in my opinion the worst offenders of the players that were involved.
 
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Mudvayne said:
Just out of curiosity, should Artest, Stephen Jackson and Jermaine O'Neal be banned from playing in the Palace? I'm sure there are others who could be added to the list but those 3 were in my opinion the worst offenders of the players that were involved.
It is my opinion that the more of a future advantage you give the Pistons as a result of this incident, the more it will justify the fans actions in their own minds. If you continue to punish the Pacers everytime they visit Detroit, what message does that send to other fans around the league?..."Stir up enough anger to incite a riot and ensure a greater home playing advantage for the next 5 years."

I am of the opinion that the greatest way to punish the fans is to kill home games for Detroit. Send them to other arenas. This hurts the fans, because their team will struggle and they can't attend. It will hurt the front office and they will demand more strict rules on alcohol sales and of taunting of players...Yet it still won't HELP the Pacers, because they don't deserve any advantage as a result of their stupidity.

Players entered the stands and overstepped their boundaries, Fans did the same by throwing objects onto the court. Both should be held equally responsible and I think the players have taken the brunt of the wrath so far, and they will continue to suffer at the hands of the courts. I think it's time to start handing out equal punishment on the other side.

Just my opinion...that doesn't mean I'm right :).
 
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