There are a series of Budweiser advertisements on television that feature a fake sports star named Leon. Leon is the epitome of the spoiled-brat superstar, going as far as to pass up his at-bat to wait for a check to clear. The ads are meant to poke fun at what sports have become through an exaggerated character. Unfortunately, this character exists in real life.
On Friday night, the Indiana Pacers were coming to the end of a pitiful defeat at the hands of the current world champion Detroit Pistons. With about 45 seconds to go, the Pacers' Ron Artest committed a hard foul under the basket against Detroit's Ben Wallace. Wallace overreacted, but what happened next was one of the most unbelievable displays of unsportsmanlike conduct ever witnessed in sports.
A brawl broke out between players and fans, and Artest was at the head of the pack. Anyone who saw the game live or watched the thousands of replays saw Artest punch helpless fans in the face and attack anyone in sight. The image of a 6-foot-7-inch, 247-pound man running at a fat guy in a Pistons jersey and punching him in the nose will live with me forever. The sad part is it doesn't surprise me at all.
Artest is a guy who, like Leon, always puts himself first. In a bizarre incident earlier this season, Artest requested a few weeks off in order to promote his label's two new rap albums. Artest argued that he wanted to put his team first but that winning a Grammy award was definitely important too.
Basketball is supposed to be a team game. They put five players out on the court for a reason, and at its best it is one of the most exciting things in the world to watch. Anyone who's seen an NCAA tournament game knows that there's nothing more thrilling than watching a guard drive into the lane only to kick it out to his teammate for a wide-open three. Unfortunately, NBA players and Artest in particular do not seem to understand this. They think that getting their faces on SportsCenter's Top 10 plays is more important than getting their teams a win.
Artest was suspended for the rest of the season without pay, and his fellow attackers were also suspended for a number of games. The NBA apologized to its fans, and promised more security and harsher suspensions against players who commit these acts. But it is not enough. Until the players in the league realize that the world does not revolve around them, the game will never be what it should, and it won't even be what it is in the college ranks.
With more and more hoops stars skipping college to go to the pros for the big money, the game has become boring and dry. While it's fun to see Lebron lift his armpit above the rim to get a dunk, it's not worth watching the rest of the team run around shooting 37 percent from the floor. The NBA had the perfect opportunity to capture new fans with the NHL in a lockout, but the only thing it's done is turn people away from overpaid and overhyped players.
Artest is getting what he deserves, and maybe without millions of dollars he would have received for running when he wanted to, he'll get a new perspective on life. Until then I'll keep watching Andre Ingram and Travis Lay play a team game in Bender Arena and hope for a day when the Leons of the world disappear.
