Where Amazing Happened

I'm going to ignore the whole "Cavaliers not winning the Eastern Conference" thing and move on to something I find much more important.

The NBA has been using old memorable footage for their "Where will amazing happen this year?" commercials. Admittedly, these are really cool. They've taken Magic hitting the baby-hook over the Celtics, Kobe alley-ooping to Shaq, Bird with the steal and passing to DJ for the layup; memorable moments. (If you have no idea what I'm talking about, go here:   or if that didn't work http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCNWm9YH4xU )

The problem is one that I've mentioned to some of my close friends: The NBA is missing out on the best possibility for one of these commercials.

They've forgotten one of the most memorable moments in the history of the league.

I'm talking, of course, about the Pacers/Pistons brawl.

If you don't remember, Ron Artest committed a "hard" foul on Ben Wallace, who promptly responded by shoving Artest in the area of the neck. A near melee ensued as the Pistons players showed their street-savvy and nearly fought with the Pistons several times. 

Amid all this, Artest was merely lying down on the scorer's table (what else would he be doing?) minding his own business and staying out of more trouble.

Until that pesky cup-full-o-beer hit him and he flipped out, ran into the stands, and started fighting spectators. 

The video is here:

   or if that didn't work http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4637125146685574271

So I'm thinking something like this: skip exactly to the 1:17 mark of the video and work with me.

Empty gym. Ben Wallace is walking menacingly toward nothing - in slow motion.  He starts his shoving motion and Artest appears to take the brunt, his body shrugs backward from the force of Wallace.

By the 1:20 mark of the video, Jamaal Tinsley fades into the shot to try to stop Ben Wallace...he fails.

Then the commercial skips ahead, past the beer thrown at Artest, and cuts straight to him sprinting into the empty stands.

At this point we'll use exactly the 1:46 mark of the video as Artest is jumping into the crowd. Again, in slow motion, he charges into the crowd, and right as he's getting to the guy in the black shirt, the entire crowd gets put back into the shot.

The shot is highlighted by Stephen Jackson's vicious right-handed punch of one of the fans.

Then the commercial cuts to any of the Pacers players being heavily guarded as he walks into the tunnel while being bombarded by beer, peanuts, nachos, and whatever else the fans have to offer.

Then the crowd fades out.

Followed by Jackson/Artest/Tinsley/Pacers player X fading out.

The gym empties.

"Where Will Amazing Happen Next?"

I love the NBA, but they're missing the boat on this one.