To the Sports Editor:
In addition to the boundary between the players on the court and the fans in the stands, another boundary has been inextricably violated in the Pistons-Pacers brouhaha: the boundary between a fan's thoughts and/or words and the actual deed.
A big part of what takes place during a sporting event is joining in the spirit and mood of the home crowd and becoming passionately vocal, whether in support of the home team or against the opponent. Games are always littered with a spectrum of emotions, whether it be mild annoyances (boos) or more belligerent remarks (knock him out; crush him). As long as these comments are kept within acceptable bounds (although there is no widespread agreement on what those are), fans are able to cheer on their players, release pent-up frustration or do their part in helping stop an opponent's momentum.
What we collectively witnessed in the replay of the Pistons-Pacers game was horrifying; the once-secure unseen boundary between expressed and actual aggression separating player and fan collapsed. Those fans were in the wrong, as were Ron Artest and his teammates when their emotions exploded into a total loss of self-restraint and control that became downright frightening. We will probably never know to what extent the fans' excessive alcohol consumption, their envy and their desire for notoriety played a role in this fiasco.
But now a larger question looms: how do we restore the sanctity and healthy boundaries necessary to keep sports safe for spectators of all ages? For those of us who are parents, this incident was a most unwelcome and disturbing display of poor sportsmanship, and certainly one that parents will be explaining over and over again to their children.
Right now, a multitude of boundaries has been violated, and clear distinctions need to be articulated between what behaviors are acceptable and those that are not.
David Stern sent a loud and clear message that contained harsh consequences for those N.B.A. players involved in the violence and also laid the groundwork for establishing parameters to ensure proper fan conduct in the future.
Still, parents need to do their part. We can't just point our fingers at athletes behaving badly. There is a widespread erosion in societal rules, and mixed messages are rampant. Children are often told what not to model, yet what happens when bad behavior receives much greater attention and is repeated incessantly on TV?
Parents need to be reminded that in some cases, children would rather receive negative attention than no attention at all.
Therefore, we must not spend as much time focusing on what is wrong in the sports culture, but reiterate what is right. Perhaps we need to begin with input from community youth leaders, parents, coaches, educators, sportswriters and mental health professionals to foster and cultivate healthy sports behaviors.
Unless parents are willing to do their part and model better standards of conduct both at home and in the community, we all risk losing much more than the bruised egos sustained by the N.B.A. and those out-of-control fans.
Andrea Corn
Plantation, Fla.