Kareem makes some good points about the Pistons organization’s responsibility to the fans. If the environment is truly that toxic, something like this was inevitable. It’s probably a pretty typical story, though. I know Heidi has told me of several incidents she’s witnessed at Fenway Park, one of the better parks to visit as a visiting fan. I’ve seen some unreasonable taunting behavior in the past as well. I’m not sure what the blame ought to be for the general trend. It is, however, not just a problem limited to the Pistons fans.

I’m also not sure I agree with Kareem on the Artest issue. I think Artest will get the lion’s share of the blame because he’s portrayed as a head case. SportsCenter just did an extended piece on him during his rap album controversy a few weeks ago. I don’t think it’s unreasonable that he got pissed off and went into the stands. It would be ideal and the best response for him to hold back and point out the idiot who threw the cup to security. I just don’t know how many of us would be able to show the same restraint after being involved in a shoving match right before that. Bottom line: it wasn’t right that Artest went into the stands but it is at least understandable based on the situation that occurred right before he went to the scorer’s table and based on the sheer unexpectedness of the situation.

I also find it interesting to note that this kind of penalty would never occur in Major League Baseball because no one, even after the fun Dodger incident and the fans attacking players incidents, would have the foresight to negotiate this type of penalty into the collective bargaining agreement. We all know that nothing happens in baseball if it isn’t in the CBA.