Knicks' Antonio Davis ejected for going into stands at United Center

[MavsFanFinley]

Knicks' Antonio Davis ejected for going into stands at United Center

January 18, 2006

CHICAGO (AP) -- New York Knicks forward Antonio Davis was ejected Wednesday night after he went up into the stands at the United Center during overtime in a game against the Chicago Bulls.

There was no physical confrontation, but several people could be seen pointing and shouting for several moments before security finally arrived and Davis was ejected.

During a timeout, Davis jumped over the scorers' table and ascended about ten rows of seats before the confrontation started.

A group of people in the area of the confrontation were later escorted from the area by United Center security.

[Drbio]

What a moron. Did he not learn from the Indy fiasco?

[Stranger]

From what I heard, some fans were in some way threatening his wife and family.

[Drbio]

You do not go into the stands period. He can notify security and they will remove the idiot fans. He is going to get a massive suspension over this.

[MFFL]

Originally Posted by Drbio

You do not go into the stands period. He can notify security and they will remove the idiot fans. He is going to get a massive suspension over this.

I don't think he cared. I know that >I< wouldn't care. Nobody should be expected to ignore threats of harm against their family. Fans have to be held up to a standard as well.

Perhaps Davis should consider a lawsuit against the Bulls organization. Unsafe working conditions would be a decent claim.

[DubOverdose]

Originally Posted by Drbio

You do not go into the stands period. He can notify security and they will remove the idiot fans. He is going to get a massive suspension over this.

I don't know. If a fan is out of hand, and security does nothing about it, then there might be some wiggle room. I know he isn't supposed to be in the stands period, but he didn't run up there ready to punch, he seemed very in control of himself. This wasn't an Artest-like venture up in to the stands.

[Drbio]

Oh I agree MFFL. But in his position he could have had these moronic fans arrested or at least tossed and he stands to lose a lot for going into the stands. If that report is true, this is understandable to a degree, but he lost big time for doing it regardless right?

Fans like this should be jailed. It won't stop until there is a more punative action than ejection from the stadium. It has really gotten out of hand. I can remember people being shocked at old Turnpike Stadium when fans called the opposing players a "Bum".

[Drbio]

Dub- do you really think that Stern will consider that or will he jsut bust him down for entering the stands? Stern was very clear after the Indy incident that it will not be tolerated for any reason.

This is a tough deal, but I still think these guys have to understand what they will lose by entering the stands. Bad decision on his part probably.

[DubOverdose]

Originally Posted by Drbio

Dub- do you really think that Stern will consider that or will he jsut bust him down for entering the stands? Stern was very clear after the Indy incident that it will not be tolerated for any reason.

This is a tough deal, but I still think these guys have to understand what they will lose by entering the stands. Bad decision on his part probably.

I think he really will see that he didn't have a hot temper like Artest going in to the stands, and Davis didn't throw any punches or anything physical like that. I'm assuming around a 5 game suspension. Don't get me wrong, he will be punished, but I don't think it will be that bad.

[Drbio]

I guess we will see. If the report is true about threats, it would be kind of refreshing for Stern to release a statement saying we understand but here is 5 games. That would show an essence of humanity in Stern.

[MavsFanFinley]

Just saw the clip on ESPN. He didn't look to go after anyone other than to aid his wife. I think it looked worse because some fans were standing up but a few them were pointing a guy out.

Larry Brown said that Davis saw his wife falling backwards and went into the stands for her.

Davis had this statement (I don't have word for word cause it was on ESPN):

"I saw my wife being threatened. I had to act and felt I didn't have enough time to alert security."

[Drbio]

Originally Posted by MavsFanFinley

Just saw the clip on ESPN. He didn't look to go after anyone other than to aid his wife. I think it looked worse because some fans were standing up but a few them were pointing a guy out.

Larry Brown said that Davis saw his wife falling backwards and went into the stands for her.

I yield. I have no problem with this at all knowing that. Stern should not fine him or suspend him. He was ejected for it and that should be all.

[#1MavsFan]

Wow some fans are just idiots, he shouldn't get any fines or suspensions out of this.

[Drbio]

That fan should be investigated. Certainly Antonio Davis did nothing while in the stands to warrant a penalty.

The NBA has already released a short statement (per ESPN) that stated, "Players are forbidden to enter the stands".

If he is suspended for this it would be a shame.

[MavsFanFinley]

I watched NBA fastbreak and they said Antonio Davis did what any other guy would do when seeing your family threatened. It's unfortunate and not based on Antonio Davis' character but the league will suspend him. They think 1 or 2 games since he broke a rule and that it was an entirely different situation than Artest.

[MavKikiNYC]

Questions:

1) Wouldn't it be safer to have players' families situated in private boxes, away from the drunks?

2) If for whatever reason players' families have to be seated with the general admission crowd, shouldn't they have an usher standing nearby?

3) Where was security?

[sike]

Where was security?...donut run....duh.

he should be punished as lightly as possible within the rules...his action was totally understandable

[mary]

His actions were understandable, but you still have to hand out a suspension, IMO.

[DubOverdose]

Originally Posted by DubOverdose

I think he really will see that he didn't have a hot temper like Artest going in to the stands, and Davis didn't throw any punches or anything physical like that. I'm assuming around a 5 game suspension. Don't get me wrong, he will be punished, but I don't think it will be that bad.

Can a guy get some props and rep points for callin' the 5 game suspension? Damn, I'm good.

[birdsanctuary]

Why didn't his wife leave the stands and get security or to file a complaint? In the footage I saw the man was sitting gesturing to security to do something and Davis' wife appeared to be prolonging the situation. In a hostile arena, her judgement was suspect. I cannot jump on the pro-Davis bandwagon on this one. If the video footage I saw makes its way to court, I don't like her odds.

[dude1394]

I heard on the radio that much of this was instigated by Davis' wife. I don't know how valid it is. But she was in the stadium and kept standing up much of the time. The guy behind her asked her to sit down , then finally said sit the **** down. At that time she got in his face wagging her finger at him and they "discussed" things and the guy pushed her finger out of his face.

Sounds like the fan should have called the security guard to get her to sit down.

5 games sounds about right. I don't blame him for going in the stands, but he's also gotta pay the piper. It could have easily escalated. In fact I thought he would get more and wouldn't have much problem with it.

[MFFL]

According to reports that "fan" plans to sue Davis for a million dollars.

[Drbio]

My thoughts now that it appears that his wife was to blame for at least some of this.

1. The fan deserves nothing. He can suck it.
2. Five games is appropriate.
3. I cannot blame him for entering the stands when he saw his wife in what he perceived to be trouble.
4. I was impressed that he made his way up to his wife but did not put his hands on anyone but rather just tried to get his wife out.
5. Security is to blame here too. It is reported that the fan tried to find security but none was available.

[Nash13]

I just recently worked for a NHL arena, and i can tell you that security is good when it comes to people not going where they're not allowed and checking people at the door, but that's pretty much it. There's not that many security guards in the stands, but it's sad that a player on the court can see an altercation before security.

[Big Boy Laroux]

all security does at arenas is make sure people that don't have access aren't going into the luxury box areas...

[EricaLubarsky]

the fan is a moron for sueing, but the league is finally right in its judgement.

Fortson getting 2-3 games for storming off the court and throwing a chair that could have hit a fan in the face had it not been caught? Ridiculous, but 5 games for this is perfect.

[dude1394]

Originally Posted by EricaLubarsky

the fan is a moron for sueing, but the league is finally right in its judgement.

Fortson getting 2-3 games for storming off the court and throwing a chair that could have hit a fan in the face had it not been caught? Ridiculous, but 5 games for this is perfect.

Yea but this is the country of the instant millionaire lawsuit. I guess the suit may be dropped if Davis admits that he didn't know whether he was intoxicated or not, it is a pretty public character slime. Let's say the guy was some sort of youth counselor or something.

[mary]

"I could understand the league's point of view, but I'd like to put Stu Jackson or David Stern or one of those guys in that situation and see how they would have reacted," Knicks coach Larry Brown said. "I'm amazed at the restraint he had."

After reading and hearing responses to this situation from other players, columnists, media, etc. and watching the clip, I've developed a few new ideas.

Okay...I understand the desire to protect his wife from what he "perceived" to be a threat. Honestly, I'm not 100% convinced of the of the perceived threat - but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. He said she was falling backwards - I never saw her falling backwards. He said the man had his hands on her - I never saw the man put his hands on her, unless it he grazed her hand which was like two inches from his face.

But ok....for some reason I'll give him the benefit of the doubt that he thought his wife was in trouble.

Larry Brown's quote of "I'm amazed at the amount of restraint he had." rubs be the wrong way. Lets not go too far in giving Davis credit for not going up in the stands and immediately kicking some random guy's ass. I want to give Davis credit for not loosing his cool, but that should be the expectation, especially in these circumstances.

Quite frankly, if Davis had been "aggressive" towards this fan, it wouldn't have been justified at all because his wife was clearly being the physical aggressor. She was standing up...he was sitting down...she had her hands in his face....he was motioning for security.

I'm not saying the fan didn't antagonize her, or that he wasn't being a jerk, or that he didn't say something rude to her...but it looks pretty clear to me from the tape that she wasn't being physically threatened.

I think Davis intervened because he saw his wife in a conflict and instinctively wanted to protect her from the conflict itself...but I think he's just slipped this whole notion of the fan being a physical threat to his wife in the back door, and everyone's pretty much just accepted it, even though the evidence doesn't bear that out whatsoever.

The "what would you have done if you were me?" argument can only take you so far, especially if you make claims about the circumstances that later turn out to be false - i.e. wife falling backwards, the guy having his hands on her, and the whole intoxication thing.

In fact, if I were that guy's wife, and saw this happening....I would've thought, "Antonio Davis' wife is about to kick my husband's ass...." (I don't know if he's married or not, but you get my point).

Anyway, I thought the five game suspension was fully warranted, and I'm glad he didn't get more than that. If Larry Brown wants to defend him and complain about the suspension, fine, but lets not twist the facts of what happened.

Davis saw his wife in the stands having an argument with a fan and he stepped in to diffuse the situation. If he were my husband, I'd make sure he was an extremely happy man during his five game suspension.

But it doesn't change the fact that what he did could have potentially created an even more volatile situation - and that is the reason players can not go into the stands and fans can not go onto the court. It just can't happen. And if it does happen, you can't send a message to everyone else that it "might" be okay to go into the stands by handing out a meaningless fine.

Larry Brown needs to stop being "amazed" that Davis restrained himself from a guy that was sitting down in his seat, trying to get security.

The fan needs to drop his threats to sue and move on with his life.

[MavKikiNYC]

Anybody give odds on Kendra Meeks Davis v. Jackie Christie?

BIG-MOUTH MRS. KNICK ALWAYS ON ATTACK

By MARIANNE GARVEY and HEATHER GILMORE QUEEN OF THE COURT: Kendra Davis with hoops hubby Antonio.
Photo: AP
January 22, 2006 -- Her maiden name defies her personality.
Kendra Meeks is anything but.

Last week's ruckus at the United Center in Chicago is not the first time the wife of Knicks forward Antonio Davis has got in a spat with others in the name of love.

The stunning, mouthy mother of twins has been involved in at least three previous, well-publicized incidents — and The Post has learned the former Miss Illinois Teen USA is being investigated by cops in a fourth. "I feel bad for my wife," said Antonio, 37. "I don't feel she's done anything wrong in the past."

Neither of the devoted pair said they regret what happened with 1:04 left in overtime against the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday.
Witnesses said Kendra was in a shouting match with at least two Bulls fans when the 6-foot-9, 240-pound Antonio leaped over a press table to confront the hecklers and protect his wife.

Mike Axelrod, 22, claims that as the drama unfolded, Kendra dug her finger into his cheek and mocked him after he rooted against her husband. Now the Bulls fan is preparing to sue for battery and slander. Lawyer Jay Paul Deratany said his client is prepared to drop the $1 million suit if the Davis' apologize.

This is just the latest in a string of similar stories involving the beautiful basketball wife.

"She'll speak her mind. Definitely," said Antonio's godson, Justin Walker, 17, who sat one row behind Kendra at the Bulls game and tried to calm her down.
"She'll speak it," he told the Naperville Sun. "If she thinks something, she'll let you know."

In 2000, Kendra, now 31, got in a shouting match with Knick Latrell Sprewell during a playoff game against her husband's team, which was then the Toronto Raptors. Sprewell said he had no clue it was Antonio's wife at the time.

The next year, Kendra gave Bulls ex-General Manager Jerry Krause the finger at a Raptors home game outside the Bulls' locker room, shouting, "You should have signed him, Jerry!"

Krause had pulled an offer off the table for Antonio to be traded to the Bulls. She wanted to be back near her hometown of Aurora, a Chicago suburb.
Also in 2001, when Antonio was accused of accepting sexual favors at an Atlanta strip club, an enraged Kendra told reporters that it was a "lie" and that the scandal was "not an issue in my household."

And just last year in Naperville, Kendra allegedly threw a steaming hot cup of coffee on someone, who complained to the local cops. Naperville Police spokesman Sgt. Joel Truemper confirmed the report but said he could not release any details, because the case is open.

"I am who I am. I have a very strong personality," Kendra told the Chicago Tribune from her home in Naperville on Friday. "I know some people would prefer for me to be this sweet little trophy wife and play the 'proper role.' I'm a person with a voice and an opinion and a love for my family that is undeniable."
Tales of her feisty determination date back to her childhood. In 1991, at 16 years old, she was the first black woman to win the Miss Illinois Teen USA.
She said she entered the pageant because her brother Calvin dared her to. He had called her "fat, ugly and dumb," and she had to prove him wrong.


Jackie Pantella said she was friends with the Davis family when they lived in Indianapolis, while Antonio was with the Indiana Pacers.

"She was torn trying to be a wife, mom, and trying to own a business and being very young. She had an energy."

[DubOverdose]

wtf, i thought i started a thread, but it went in to this thread as a post...hmm

[Drbio]

And hopefully the chapter ends.....

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Bulls fan whose confrontation with Antonio Davis' wife led the New York Knicks forward to rush into the stands will not sue the player and his family.

In a joint statement released Monday, Michael Axelrod and the Davises said: "It's clear that the episode at the United Center last week, and its aftermath, evolved from some misunderstandings. This has produced regrets from all parties involved. Common sense strongly suggests that we collectively put this episode behind us and move on. That's what the Davises and Michael Axelrod plan to do, and we hope everyone else will, as well."

Axelrod's attorney, Jay Paul Deratany, said in a telephone interview: "Both sides expressed regret for any miscommunication that occurred. Both parties want to move forward -- with being a fan and watching the game and being a ballplayer. They've expressed their regret and that's good enough for the family. And we're satisfied with the result."

Axelrod and Kendra Davis exchanged words during last Wednesday's Bulls-Knicks game, and the trouble escalated from there. Another fan became involved, and Antonio Davis ran into the stands during a timeout in overtime. He was ejected and, ultimately, suspended for five games by the NBA. He issued a statement after the game saying a drunk fan had touched Kendra.

The next day, Axelrod said he had only one glass of wine with dinner a few hours earlier and had threatened to sue for at least $1 million. On Friday, Axelrod and his attorney said they would drop the issue if the Davises issued a public apology.

The Davises refused. But agent Bill Duffy and Axelrod's father, David -- a prominent Democratic political consultant -- continued to talk.

"It's good to come to a sensible resolution of this matter, especially where good people are involved," Duffy said in the statement. "You have two strong, wonderful families, and there's no reason why a heated moment should divide them."

David Axelrod said in the statement: "Emotions always get cranked up after incidents of this type. It's good to step back and let common sense prevail."

Michael Axelrod, 22, works for his father and for Deratany, a family friend. Deratany had given the Davises a week to apologize before filing a battery lawsuit against Kendra Davis and a slander suit against her husband.

"It's never been our desire to push this forward," Deratany said. "It's always been our hope that we could resolve this amicably and without litigation."

The incident sparked memories of last season's brawl involving fans and players during a game between the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers, which resulted in lengthy suspensions and criminal charges for Indiana's Ron Artest, Stephen Jackson and Jermaine O'Neal.

[TripleDipping]

I guess that fan's lawyer told him that suing will not get him anything except looking like a money-grubbing whore.

[MavKikiNYC]

Originally Posted by TripleDipping

I guess that fan's lawyer told him that suing will not get him anything except looking like a money-grubbing whore.

Or maybe he had a high enough profile that he wanted people to understand who instigated what.

I think he got his point across.

[dude1394]

Originally Posted by mary

If he were my husband, I'd make sure he was an extremely happy man during his five game suspension.

Hoo Rah!