No less authority than Charles Barkley, who in his playing days told us that he was not a role model, claimed a player’s right to go after an aggressive fan and beat the crap out of him. This morning the talk show circuit is filled with hand wringing about the incident that cost Artest about $5 Million and the Pacers an aggregate of two seasons of highly paid play. They all express shock that violence has marred the usually gentlemanly conduct of the League’s players and fans.

Well, being just slightly older than dirt I remember when any bodily contact between opposing players was a foul and the zebras called the game that way. The only varsity game I played in high school came right after football season and I lasted a whole 4 minutes before my fifth foul was whistled. I did not make the transition real well and Coach and I decided I could contribute more to the team by sitting in the stands.

I also remember CBS’s Bill Geist’s father. He taught print shop introducing us to the mysteries of job printing setting the type by hand and operating the letter-press. Since he was a neighbor and I was fascinated by the process I used to hang around after class and learn a little extra. It was fun. Pete Cacioppo was a star halfback and forward on the BB team. He came in to talk to Mr. Geist bearing a note from the Dean of Men – who was also the Coach. Pete had accomplished the impossible. He flunked print-shop. Mr, Geist, forgetting that I was there, read the note outloud. “Please give Pete a second chance – again.”

Last year our local prosecutor gave three of the stars on Illinois’ basket ball team a pass. The charge was burglary. They had broken into an apartment they thought was empty and looted it. They were caught in the act. No charges were filed. To his credit the Coach punished them by suspending them for two games – non conference of course.

In today’s basketball you practically have to draw blood to draw a foul. Violence is part of the act. Today’s NBA players have been taught that their athletic prowess will excuse any transgression and that lesson has been drummed into them from grade school on up. They also learned that violence is part of the show for which they are paid the big bucks. We should not be shocked when violence breaks out. It is all part of the game.