Is this a surprise to anyone?

Can anyone really claim the melee in the NBA game over the weekend is a surprise? I think the surprise is that it didn't happen sooner. In fact, incidents have happened sooner - just not to this level. That's the way things happen in a culture. Small events (and this is still a small event in the big picture) happen and are rationalized and swept under the rug. Remember the 'fans' that attacked the umpire in a Chicago baseball game and the pitcher who threw the chair into the stands this summer?

We are not alone in the US. European football (soccer) has been dealing with hooligans for years. Melees' between fans and players - while not common - are certainly not rare. Also, it's not just professional sports or between fans and athletes. How many stories do you hear about the parents at high school or club events getting into fights in the stands?

The rationalization takes many forms. From the fans, "We paid good money for these seats so we can say and do almost anything we want!" to the players who have been treated like gods for most of their lives and have been never held responsible for much of anything. Add to the fact that they are younger and younger (drafted out of high school), is it any wonder the maturity level and basic responsibility is lacking?

For their part, the NBA benches 9 players in brawl has responded:

"'We have to do everything possible to redefine the covenant between players and fans - and fans and fans - and to make sure that we can play our games in a very welcoming and peaceful setting,' NBA commissioner David Stern said during a news conference Sunday afternoon at Madison Square Garden in New York.

'We'll do whatever is necessary to ensure that we exemplify the best of sports and not the worst. . . ."

Which is only a start. The real measure will be what else they do "to ensure that we exemplify the best of sports and not the worst. . . " and what other leagues learn from this experience. It will also be important for the rest of us to take responsibility. We didn't get to this point overnight. We've watched and allowed fellow 'fans' to push the limits more and more - because we've been intimidated, we chose not to get involved, or we buy into the 'rights' of individuals to express themselves. It's time to get over it.