It seems that the fans in Detroit, a city known for friendliness and good fellowship, carried their antics a bit too far last night. There's talk of the police analyzing video to determine if crimes were committed (well, duh), and if so, by whom. If you don't want to take the time to read the article, the story goes a little somethin' like this: big rich black guy makes a rough, unnecessary foul on another big rich black guy during the last minute of a basketball game...there is no doubt that the game's outcome has already been determined, so the foul was either intentional mischief by a gloating winner, or simply sloppy stupidity....fouled guy shoves fouling guy, the teammates of each join in a scrum, but despite copious use of the f-word, there appear to be no injuries, and the peace is restored.....fouling guy is then hit in the face with a full cup of beer, thrown down from the stands by stupid obnoxious small young envious white guy....fouling guy and a teammate rush the stands, punching folks along the way, more fighting, more things thrown, mass stupidity ensues.

One of the primary reasons that I've quit going to "big time" sporting events is that I've come to despise the "rowdy fan". It seems to me, anyone who's going to get so wrapped up in the outcome of a game is probably a little too nutty to be near. And to make game attendance even more enticing, Behold-- as our inevitable civil/social decline continues, a new sub-type of rowdy fan doth emerge--the wingnut who's at the game for riotous behavior, heckling, and the making of spectacle.

Of course, the players have to assume responsibility for their own actions, and the statements to the effect that charging into the stands is a form of self-defense are illogical attempts at justification, nothing more. But ya know, if somebody did the same sort of thing to me on the street, I'd retaliate, and believe myself justified in doing so.

With the NBA, MLB, NFL, or the EIEIO, all decisions come down to money, and you are sadly deluded if you think otherwise. The players put up with all the heckling (well, most of the time, heheheh) because of their huge salaries. The owners don't clamp down on the venue operators because the goal is to keep down the costs of staging the game. The venues don't increase security or limit the sale of booze because it would cut into their profits. If the players associations can convince the owners that they'll strike if civility isn't enforced, or if the owners can convince the venue operators that they'll take their business elsewhere unless security is tightened, or if the fans "stay away in droves" in response to the escalating barbarity in the stands, perhaps we'll see some change....but don't bet on it.