[Goose]

I tend to agree with the author although I don't believe this is a race issue.

I do believe that in some way the Hip-Hop culture is at the crux of the problem here. When looking at the entire picture, you simply cannot blame it all on beer. Drinking has been a part of the sports scene for a long time and yes, there have been incidents involving drunken fans, but this is just not about drunken fans, and I think if the NBA soley focuses on that one thing, they miss the larger picture. Who do they want to sell their product to?

Let me say that I do not believe there is anything wrong with Rap music, but there is a dark side to that venue. That being the ganster rap. It is this element that I have seen creep into the all sports but the NBA moreso.

Trust me, it will not be long before an NBA player is gunned down. I hate to say it, but the culture of this ganster rap is at the forefront. The younger guys live this stuff and I believe it carries over, and we all know that it carries over with the fans. The fan that came down on the court and faced Artest was not pointing his finger to catch the breeze.

Don't get me wrong here. This is not a condemnation of Rap in general but merely an observation of a type of rap, noteably ganster rap.

Of course there are other issues at play here like drinking, but the culture in the NBA is far different than any other sport. It is my belief from what I've seen over the years, that there is a negative element that has entered the NBA and part of it can be traced to their embracing of ganster rap scene.

Race IMO is not the problem. The Celtics started 5 black guys way back in the early 60's and the league has been 80 percent black since the 70's, so one can hardly blame it on race. Fans too have always sat close at NBA games, so it is not that either. Fans have always been verbally abusive, and you can go back and see there have been incidents of players and fans for years and years. Sir Charles flung a notable luggie at a fan, and "Cornbread" Maxwell for the Celtics went after a fan in the 80's too.

I think the NBA needs to take a hard look at itself and possibly examine exactly who they want to sleep with. They are trying to market and sell a product. If they want to sell it mainly to the rap industry, more power to them, but don't come around and blame race, drinking, etc. for your problems when the very audience you wish to market to, revels in ganster type behavior, where disrespect, fighting, and killing is a way of life.

just another 2 cents, not fifty cent!

goose