"Someone started trouble and I ended it," Artest told about 50 children Wednesday at a panel on black empowerment at the Judge Mathis Community Center. "I would always encourage you to protect yourself but in certain situations, if you can avoid them, avoid them."
Yes, that was Ron Artest essentially telling a group of children to "Do as I say, not as I do." I personally think the talk would have been a lot more effective if Ron-Ron decried his own actions during the Malace in the Palace rather than embrace them, but I'm not Ron Artest.
I'll bet the parents were thrilled that their kids got to learn that lesson.
You're putting that in exactly the context you want to put it in so that it can frame your opinion. In other words, if anyone other than Ron Artest said "Don't do things to put yourself in bad situations, but it's important to stand up for yourself in said situations should they ever happen", this doesn't get a drop of ink wasted on it.
And I know parents that actually GIVE that as advice for their kids, starting with my own parents.
Originally posted by JoshMannYou're putting that in exactly the context you want to put it in so that it can frame your opinion. In other words, if anyone other than Ron Artest said "Don't do things to put yourself in bad situations, but it's important to stand up for yourself in said situations should they ever happen", this doesn't get a drop of ink wasted on it.
And I know parents that actually GIVE that as advice for their kids, starting with my own parents.
(edited by JoshMann on 16.8.06 1618)
The problem is that Artest took a marginally bad situation (at worst) and turned it into a catastrophe. I mean, he did 'put himself in a bad situation' (to use his advice). It wasn't his job to stand up for himself; that's for the security people. He said 'Someone started trouble and I ended it.' The thing is *he* was the one who escalated trouble. It's not a case of confronting a bully or being forced to take a stand. Artest didn't have to do anything, except let security do their job. Instead, he antagonized the crowd and then charged into the crowd attacking fans.
Give me a break. It's absurd to call that 'sticking up for yourself.' He should have said that, 'although it's important to stand up for yourself, there's a correct time and place for it and the Palace at Auburn Hills wasn't it, I learned from this mistake (even though he clearly hasn't), blahblahblah'
"Teach children that they have great potential because they are human." -Warrior
That isn't what I said at all. I'm not calling what happened in Detroit sticking up for yourself. I'm saying that's what he said to the kids. Since the chances are marginally thin that they'll ever be lazing on a scorer's table and have beer tossed on them, it was more in general and applicable (read: situations that the kids might actually find themselves in) terms. It's just that some people are comparing what he said versus what he did and ignoring the actual message because they're too busy harping on the incident.
Him doing the exact wrong thing in Detroit and having little to no contrition about it is a separate matter altogether than him telling a bunch of kids "don't let yourself get bulllied".
I'm just relieved that now it's a Sacramento Kings logo to the left of this thread, and not a Pacers logo. (Now if we can get off our collective asses and get Al Harrington the way we were supposed to a month ago, maybe I'll actually say it was a decent-enough trade.)
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On an ancillary note, he showed up at the Tigers game last night sporting a Tiger's cap. The cameras went back to him a few times until it seemed like the broadcasters were forced to comment on it. I don't think the crowd was aware of his presence, or he would have been booed right out of "The D" (Sorry, that's Kwami's afectation for Detroit).
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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8569141/ Last year, he averaged about 5 points and 3 boards per game during the season, but happened to beat up on an undermanned Kings frontline, so of course that meant he was worth almost $6M per year for the next 5 years....