Column for December 2, 2004

Have you had enough of the Pistons Pacers basketball fight highlights? I think it got more coverage then the presidential elections. Every TV show, every radio station, every paper and magazine. Them Pistons still the bad boys and what about them terrible Detroit fans. Yes, it must be the fans and I heard plenty of people saying they must all be drunk too.

So now "they" want laws against "it" too. What ever "IT" is? The teams? The fans? Drinking? Having fun or being stupid? And who are "They" anyway? PETA people, MADD mothers, or maybe the same people who were offend by the woman who dropped her towel the week before on Monday Night Football?

But hey you know me just a guitar player with a long ZZ Top type beard who will pretty much take either side on any argument. So let me give you a little different take on this BAD FAN idea.

Not only our Piston fans but more and more fans now see themselves as part of the game and believe they can effect the out come.

Players representative Antonio Davis said he thinks Detroit fans are terrible, they take being a fan to a whole different level. I take that as a compliment. I am a fan, I am proud to be one and believe fans do effect the game.

Throwing stuff and intimidating the other team is nothing new. In the Roman times they through flowers for a good performance and garbage for a bad one. In the Vaudeville days you got a standing ovation or a tomato and country music
bars put up chicken wire to protect the bands on stage.

As a passionate fan I am offended when they say the fans were all a bunch of drunks. You don't have to be drunk to be stupid. Smart people would know that if the cup that got thrown had ice in it, it wasn't beer. You don't put ice in
beer, you put ice in pop. All the videos and the smart people who know everything couldn't figure out it might have been a blue Pepsi cup. No one was able to understand that was the fans way of protesting, saying they were not happy with the game.

So lets outlaw pop. We can try to outlaw having fun, being stupid and maybe outlaw over reacting too.

To reach Ben E. or to see where his band is performing call (313) 730-1627 via e mail benejets@aol.com and see the Have you had enough of the Pistons Pacers basketball fight highlights? I think it got more coverage then the presidential elections. Every TV show, every radio station, every paper and magazine. Them Pistons still the bad boys and what about them terrible Detroit fans. Yes, it must be the fans and I heard plenty of people saying they must all be drunk too.

So now "they" want laws against "it" too. What ever "IT" is? The teams? The fans? Drinking? Having fun or being stupid? And who are "They" anyway? PETA people, MADD mothers, or maybe the same people who were offend by the woman who dropped her towel the week before on Monday Night Football?

But hey you know me just a guitar player with a long ZZ Top type beard who will pretty much take either side on any argument. So let me give you a little different take on this BAD FAN idea.

Not only our Piston fans but more and more fans now see themselves as part of the game and believe they can effect the out come.

Players representative Antonio Davis said he thinks Detroit fans are terrible, they take being a fan to a whole different level. I take that as a compliment. I am a fan, I am proud to be one and believe fans do effect the game.

Throwing stuff and intimidating the other team is nothing new. In the Roman times they through flowers for a good performance and garbage for a bad one. In the Vaudeville days you got a standing ovation or a tomato and country music bars put up chicken wire to protect the bands on stage.

As a passionate fan I am offended when they say the fans were all a bunch of drunks. You don't have to be drunk to be stupid. Smart people would know that if the cup that got thrown had ice in it, it wasn't beer. You don't put ice in
beer, you put ice in pop. All the videos and the smart people who know everything couldn't figure out it might have been a blue Pepsi cup. No one was able to understand that was the fans way of protesting, saying they were not happy with the game.

So lets outlaw pop. We can try to outlaw having fun, being stupid and maybe outlaw over reacting too.

To reach Ben E. or to see where his band is performing call (313) 730-1627 via e mail benejets@aol.com and see the Websites bennyandthejets.com and
reverendguitars.com.

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