Ron Artest is a pretty good basketball player, and most of the time, his presence on his team is OK.
But his bad moments are just so weird. And his recent reference to Ben Wallace in the Sporting News, "I'll just fight him right there," should draw some form of reprimand - perhaps even suspension - from the NBA.
I think we've come to a point with Artest, that when he says something goofy, to think, "Ah, it's just Ron Artest..." It's a dangerous trap. There was nothing funny about the brawl at The Palace in 2004. It was the worst case of player-fan violence in the history of sports in this country. What? He is going to fight Big Ben again? Can you imagine what a dangerous proposition that might be for those attending the game. Or for the safety of the players on the court. Or the officials, who would be put in position to break it up. Doesn't seem like Artest had much remorse for what happened that night, either, does it?
NBA commissioner David Stern can't just let this pass. He must act now.

My column in Thursday's Oakland Press on Michigan State's football program: Has Mark Dantonio lost control? http://tinyurl.com/yg6323t