The Other Side of Ron Artest is Still Crazy

Ron Artest is asking you to recognize his other side. You know, the one that isn't insane.

First, I didn't know he had a non-insane side. I always thought that he was just varying degrees of crazy. You know, Monday...half-nuts. Tuesday...three quarters gone. Wednesday...bat-shit crazy. And second, his other side isn't nearly as entertaining. Sure, it's heartwarming to hear about his humanitarian efforts in Kenya, but with the precedent he's set, I'm waiting to hear about him punching out David Stern in his office, ripping off his own pants and jumping out the window. I think it's a safe bet that this will one day happen.

And that's what Ron Artest doesn't seem to understand here. It's not like we don't want him to be a better person. As many jokes as I (and other hack writers) get out his unabashed insanity, I can honestly say that I would like to see Ron Artest stop being crazy. There's plenty of other athletes that I can make fun of, like Pacman Jones. And I don't need him to be insane to talk bad about him. His game provides enough holes for me to do that.

But if he wants us to recognize this "better person" that he's trying to push off on us, he's got to stop doing things like punching his wife (allegedly) or promoting his album while trying to appeal a 73-game suspension. You know, using common sense in life. Stop saying the first thing that comes to your mind (like "maybe the team will be better off if they traded me," or "please recognize the other side of Ron Artest"). Stop talking about how you're going to retire at season's end EVERY YEAR. If you truly are a "better person," you shouldn't have to tell us. All you have to do is not appear in the police blotter and stop saying dumb stuff.

You don't ever hear O.J. saying "Please recognize the other side of O.J. Simpson." You know why? Because no one listens to people that they still believe are murderers. He might as well be saying, "America, I've done more things than just allegedly kill my wife. Let's look at that other stuff instead." Think about that, Ron Artest. We know you've done more than just run into the stands and throw punches at people. We know you've got charities and things that you're involved in. But you don't wind up in the news for the other things, or heaven forbid, your actual job. It's always something negative. It's not that we don't want to recognize the other side. We're just more familiar with the one wearing a straight-jacket.