Icon And you thought Floyd Landis was digging himself into a verbal hole.
 
Ron Artest, that excitable athlete who is immature at best and insane at worst, spoke on Wednesday to a group of children at the Judge Mathis Community Center in Detroit. Many would rightly doubt the decision-making process that allows Ron Artest to speak to a group of kids, but this particular speech was a part of his community service sentence for the infamous brawl that occurred in November of 2004.

You remember it: Artest fouls Ben Wallace hard at the end of a blowout game, Wallace overreacts and shoves Artest (a fact that is for some reason often overlooked), the two scuffle and are separated, Artest attempts to cool off by lying down on the scorers table, someone tosses a glass of beer at Artest, Ron-Ron leaps into the stands to presumably get his revenge (he ends up punching the wrong man), other players come into the stands as players and fans begin to fight, Mike Breen and Bill Walton break the record for most uses of the word disgrace in three minutes.

 
It was ugly, it was unnecessary, and in this writer's opinion should have ended the career of Ron Artest. You can't go into the stands and punch a fan in the face. Could you imagine if that happened anywhere else? If a disgruntled grocery store employee took a swing at a customer, do you think that employee would be able to keep their job with that company? Ever again? Forget that he cost his team a shot at an NBA Championship; Artest acted like an immature, spoiled brat and should have received a lifetime ban.
 
Regardless, here he is, playing for Sacramento and apparently holding down his temperamental fort while speaking to a group of young kids about that night in The Palace of Auburn Hills. He's probably willing to apologize, yes? Perhaps admit that he overreacted to an action on the part of a fan?
 
To quote Steven Tyler: Dream On.
 
"Someone started trouble and I ended it."
 
That's what Artest told the 50 children at the event about that night. Someone started trouble and I ended it. Put another way, it's not my fault. He even seems to be implying that he did the right thing. Later in the speech he said, "I don't have any problems with John Green," (Mr. Green being the man who threw the beer at Artest, of course, not the man Artest tackled and punched.) "He did something really stupid but a lot of people do stupid things. God forgives, so I'm forgiving too."
 
Good golly, Mr. Artest, how lovely of you. Wouldn't you be glad to know that if you offended Ron Artest, he'd be willing to forgive you? Of course, this forgiveness might only come after he physically assaults you. Understand, in no way am I condoning what John Green did. He got drunk and made a stupid decision. He is not, however, the only person to blame for the events of that evening.
 
Artest also told the children that he "would always encourage [the children] to protect yourself but in certain situations, if you can avoid them, avoid them." With this statement, Artest becomes, at best, a do-as-I-say not-as-I-do hypocrite. Artest was not protecting himself from anything (unless he's allergic to beer coming in contact with his skin), and there was absolutely no reason he couldn't have avoided the confrontation with fans. You're a multi-million dollar athlete on a basketball court being broadcasted on live TV and surrounded by security guards who are there to protect you from fans. Tell a guard and John Green gets kicked out and arrested. Stand up on the table and point, scream and curse at the man. Laugh. Cry. Take a swig from the glass. Do anything but go into the stands.
 
I wish I could say that this latest incident from Artest is surprising, but how could it be? Aside from formal apologies written by agents, has Artest ever done or said anything to make us believe he feels sorry for his actions? Has he shown any signs of true maturity? Is there any player, referee or fan anywhere who doesn't tense up every time Artest gets whistled for a hard foul?
 
In fairness to Artest, perhaps he just doesn't have it all together. Perhaps a fault caused by nature or honed by nurture doesn't allow him to make decisions in the way many others seem to be able to. Perhaps some light was shone into that tunnel when, addressing his own parents' divorce, he told the children that "if [seeing your parents divorce] happens to anybody, you have to worry about yourself. You can't worry about your parents at that time, because obviously they aren't thinking about you, they're thinking about themselves." That's an overstatement, to be sure, but there are certainly times when such is true. It's just too bad he's heeded his own advice too strongly. If Ron Artest had been thinking of someone other than himself, one of pro sports' darkest days may never have occurred.
 
Honestly, wholeheartedly, and sarcasm aside, I hope that Ron Artest's troubles are behind him. However, the more I see and hear from the man, the harder a time I have believing that.