About this brawl at the basketball game…
First off, I'd like to see the sheriff and the district attorney and the police chief have at least a half a dozen fans arrested and charged with felonies and banned from all professional sports games of any sort when they finally get out of jail.
But secondly, I don't think that NBA Commissioner David Stern (search) has been tough enough.
I know that Ron Artest says he's being treated unfairly being kicked out of basketball for the rest of the season. And I know that a couple of those other players are going to think they are being unfairly fined — Stern's action amounts to a few multi-million dollar fines.
But I don't know why there shouldn't be a Shoeless Joe Jackson (search) in basketball if there could be one in baseball. I don't know why Pete Rose (search) is banned for life from baseball for gambling and a basketball player gets booted for a fraction of the season for punching fans.
I'm looking for a lifetime ban here.
I think Stern was not quite stern enough. If I think there is even a possibility that a seven-foot, 300-pound guy is going to climb over me to get to some loudmouth behind me, I'm not going to the game, period.
Now I'll admit, I haven't been an NBA season ticket holder since Gail Goodrich played for the Lakers. But, after seeing that tape over the weekend, I think I don't particularly need the expertise of being a current season ticket holder.
Who says Ron Artest (search) has a right to play professional basketball? The players' union? Oh right, that's a joke.
And don't all these players — basketball, football, even baseball — need a wake up call? What are you going to do if you're not allowed to make a lifetime's worth of money playing games for a few years? Ron Artest, you think that rap album is going to make you a living as good as basketball? Good, go ahead.
Come on, David Stern. Show you're made of sterner stuff. Issue a lifetime ban against any player who goes after a fan with mayhem on his mind.
That's My Word.
Watch John Gibson weekdays at 5 p.m. ET on "The Big Story" and send your comments to: myword@foxnews.com
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