http://www.sacbee.com/351/story/133257.html
Ailene Voisin: Petrie, Maloofs have their worst fears realized
By Ailene Voisin -
Last Updated 3:05 am PST Tuesday, March 6, 2007
Geoff Petrie and the Maloofs responded decisively and appropriately. They were neither enablers nor executioners. They uttered neither excuse nor indictment. They sent Ron Artest home for the immediate future, delivered a powerful message to the community, and then went in pursuit of further details and -- one has to assume -- justice for all.
Artest. His wife. His teammates. His fans. His community. His league. Victims of domestic violence everywhere.
"We are concerned about Ron, but we're also concerned about the image of the team and the reputation of the people involved," a weary Petrie said, explaining Artest's indefinite ban.
Was the Kings' basketball president angry? Of course.
Was he surprised? Of course not.
Why would he be surprised? The ticking had quieted, but never completely ceased. While Kings officials often referred to Artest as "high maintenance" in the 14 months since he was obtained from the Indiana Pacers, until the past several weeks, there were none of his previous on-court issues to report. The eighth-year veteran had even seemingly morphed into the average pampered NBA player -- inclined to complain about his coach, his touches and his teammates, along with the usual assortment of injuries and ailments.
If anything, Artest, whose NBA rap sheet includes a 73-game suspension that helped precipitate his trade for Peja Stojakovic, exceeded virtually everyone's expectations. For the most part, he not only comported himself like a professional, resisting opponents' nightly efforts to incite one of those familiar outbursts, he introduced Sacramento fans to defensive intensity, propelled the once-slumping 2005-06 Kings into the playoffs, and the past several weeks was healthy again and playing his best basketball of the season.
"I've said this to a lot of people," Petrie noted. "There have been no physical confrontations in practice. He has not been destructive. He has not destroyed anything in here, like thrown a TV, or anything that might indicate he was on the verge of going off."
Nonetheless, Kings officials have been uneasy since January, when one of Artest's dogs was rescued by Placer County officials. Suddenly, the small forward's domestic front -- an issue early in his career -- became of greater concern than his influence in an unsettled locker room. The anxiety was only heightened when Artest skipped a Feb. 25 game at Indiana, citing "family issues."
Did he in fact commit the crime, abuse his wife and prevent her from calling 911?
Professional athletes should be afforded the same protections as every other citizen. Innocent until proven guilty. Let the courts decide.
Yet by "excusing" Artest indefinitely -- a course of action that, in contrast to a suspension, probably precludes an immediate appeal by the National Basketball Players Association -- Petrie and the Maloofs responded to the severity of the matter and the sensitivity of the issue. Perhaps they were tacitly acknowledging the organization's ongoing relationship with WEAVE, the primary provider of domestic violence and sexual assault services in Sacramento County.
Petrie's wife, Anne-Marie, organized a fund-raiser for the nonprofit agency two years ago and remains a member of its board. And lest anyone forget, the family empire is presided over by matriarch Colleen Maloof. Indeed, the female voice resonates over at Arco.
So there are no winners here. This isn't a game. This is life. According to WEAVE executive director Beth Hassett, the California Attorney General's office receives 500 calls daily on domestic violence-related incidents. The Department of Justice estimates that 50 women are victimized hourly by a partner. And the children? What about all those pint-sized Kings fans who are subjected to terrifying episodes of abuse?
"If there is domestic violence in the home," Hassett said, "there is a 50 percent chance the kids are being abused as well. The stats on the number of kids who witness abuse is astounding."
Offered Petrie, cautioning against a rush to judgment, "I can't speculate. The official facts will come out. We'll have more to say as we go along."
About the writer: Reach Ailene Voisin at (916) 321-1208 or avoisin@sacbee.com.
Ailene Voisin: Petrie, Maloofs have their worst fears realized
By Ailene Voisin -
Last Updated 3:05 am PST Tuesday, March 6, 2007
Geoff Petrie and the Maloofs responded decisively and appropriately. They were neither enablers nor executioners. They uttered neither excuse nor indictment. They sent Ron Artest home for the immediate future, delivered a powerful message to the community, and then went in pursuit of further details and -- one has to assume -- justice for all.
Artest. His wife. His teammates. His fans. His community. His league. Victims of domestic violence everywhere.
"We are concerned about Ron, but we're also concerned about the image of the team and the reputation of the people involved," a weary Petrie said, explaining Artest's indefinite ban.
Was the Kings' basketball president angry? Of course.
Was he surprised? Of course not.
Why would he be surprised? The ticking had quieted, but never completely ceased. While Kings officials often referred to Artest as "high maintenance" in the 14 months since he was obtained from the Indiana Pacers, until the past several weeks, there were none of his previous on-court issues to report. The eighth-year veteran had even seemingly morphed into the average pampered NBA player -- inclined to complain about his coach, his touches and his teammates, along with the usual assortment of injuries and ailments.
If anything, Artest, whose NBA rap sheet includes a 73-game suspension that helped precipitate his trade for Peja Stojakovic, exceeded virtually everyone's expectations. For the most part, he not only comported himself like a professional, resisting opponents' nightly efforts to incite one of those familiar outbursts, he introduced Sacramento fans to defensive intensity, propelled the once-slumping 2005-06 Kings into the playoffs, and the past several weeks was healthy again and playing his best basketball of the season.
"I've said this to a lot of people," Petrie noted. "There have been no physical confrontations in practice. He has not been destructive. He has not destroyed anything in here, like thrown a TV, or anything that might indicate he was on the verge of going off."
Nonetheless, Kings officials have been uneasy since January, when one of Artest's dogs was rescued by Placer County officials. Suddenly, the small forward's domestic front -- an issue early in his career -- became of greater concern than his influence in an unsettled locker room. The anxiety was only heightened when Artest skipped a Feb. 25 game at Indiana, citing "family issues."
Did he in fact commit the crime, abuse his wife and prevent her from calling 911?
Professional athletes should be afforded the same protections as every other citizen. Innocent until proven guilty. Let the courts decide.
Yet by "excusing" Artest indefinitely -- a course of action that, in contrast to a suspension, probably precludes an immediate appeal by the National Basketball Players Association -- Petrie and the Maloofs responded to the severity of the matter and the sensitivity of the issue. Perhaps they were tacitly acknowledging the organization's ongoing relationship with WEAVE, the primary provider of domestic violence and sexual assault services in Sacramento County.
Petrie's wife, Anne-Marie, organized a fund-raiser for the nonprofit agency two years ago and remains a member of its board. And lest anyone forget, the family empire is presided over by matriarch Colleen Maloof. Indeed, the female voice resonates over at Arco.
So there are no winners here. This isn't a game. This is life. According to WEAVE executive director Beth Hassett, the California Attorney General's office receives 500 calls daily on domestic violence-related incidents. The Department of Justice estimates that 50 women are victimized hourly by a partner. And the children? What about all those pint-sized Kings fans who are subjected to terrifying episodes of abuse?
"If there is domestic violence in the home," Hassett said, "there is a 50 percent chance the kids are being abused as well. The stats on the number of kids who witness abuse is astounding."
Offered Petrie, cautioning against a rush to judgment, "I can't speculate. The official facts will come out. We'll have more to say as we go along."
About the writer: Reach Ailene Voisin at (916) 321-1208 or avoisin@sacbee.com.
