Det-Riots – Justitia und die Hautfarben

Michael Wilbon, Kolumnist der “Washington Post” (Reg. erforderlich) hat nun auch etwas zu den Vorkommnissen des Freitags geschrieben und bringt diverse interessante Aspekte.

So wie Tony Dungy den missratenen ABC-Trailer im Zusammenhang mit der Rassenproblematik sieht, betrachtet nun Wilbon den Aspekt der Hautfarbe.

It’s also not easy to figure out the racial complexities in a situation where a predominantly black league is being financially supported by fan base that is predominantly white. Take a careful look at the videotape of the fight and you’ll see black and white fans in suburban Motown taking dead aim on black NBA players. And these fans weren’t just willing to fight, they were eager to fight.

Richtig blümerant kann es der NBA, den Pistons, Pacers und den vier im Focus stehenden Spieler werden, wenn die verletzten Zuschauer möglicherweise vor die Gerichte gehen (Artest würgte zweimal unbeteiligte Zuschauer ehe er den “richtigen” erwischte). Wilbon:

The NBA might announce the severity of its suspensions today. But Artest, Jackson and O’Neal have far more to fear than the league. Indications are the players could face criminal prosecution. The sponsors and season ticket holders who pay the freight in Detroit are apparently going to insist upon it — and that doesn’t even consider the lawsuits fans could file against the players.

Hinsichtlich der Frage wie der von mir angeschnittenen Frage des neuen Typus egomanischen Mannschaftsspieler steht, schreibt Wilbon:

[… It] leaves the NBA facing the question of what in the world to do about several Pacers players who charged into the stands, the deteriorating relationship between players and paying customers, and the increasing perception that the league is full of young, underachieving, unprofessional, richer-than-ever, thug divas unable to maintain the level of play established by the previous generation’s stars.
[…]
What’s increasingly apparent is that even fans who pay to watch the game are growing sick of today’s players, their arrogance, their sense of entitlement. It’s a stunning reversal from the 1980s and 1990s, when the league enjoyed enormous acclaim and popularity that included a celebrated intimacy between players and the league’s patrons.

Marc Stein von ESPN wiederum vergleicht die Ausschreitung mit ähnlichen Vorkommnissen im Fußball, namentlich der 8monatigen Sperre nachdem sich Eric Cantona eines Fans per Kung-Fu-Tritt entledigte und Spiele in leeren Stadien wie zuletzt der AS Rom nach Zuschauerausschreitungen.