Sportmanship Takes a Back Seat

During the Los Angeles Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder game. Metta World  Peace who is also Ron Artest made an impressive dunk, in which he began to celebrate, while doing so James Harden was violently elbowed in the face by Ron Artest. It happened very fastly and was hard to make out what had happened until it is slowed down in replay. It was a truly heinous crime that most definitely could not go unpunished. Artest is looked up to by so many kids and just people in general who enjoy basketball. His crime of passion looks bad not only for him, but for athletes everywhere. It put a bad light on everyone that has a professional career. Mr Artest was thought to have turned his life around, but as for what has been seen, he was just acting to be better. His atrocity should not and will not go unpunished.

For proffesional athletes and other famous people, the rest of the country would eventually let it slide. This should not be taken so kindly, yes it is a sport and feelings do go crazy but it needs to be more harshly punished. I’m not saying he should go to jail for such an act, but that he should be fined and suspended for at least a few games. People at home and children need to know that no bad act goes unpunished. It is sending a negative message especially to the youth who saw a man knock out another man and the worst he got was suspended for an unknown time. Athletes need to be more aware of who they affect and how much they actually impact lives of the young.

Artest who also wears ‘World Peace’ on his jersey just shattered any views anyone has about him and the subject, when he knowingly elbows another athlete in the face who merely bumps into him. To wear such a jersey should have more impact on the person wearing it. He should not be allowed to wear the jersey when he eventually is allowed back to play. That being said, the ref did take immediate action in suspending him from the game, but nobody knows for how long yet, and as I said prior, that is the route to be taking, however he should get a hefty fine as well for reacting in such a juvenile way. He is an athlete, and should be persecuted as such.

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