LEON THE BARBER

[Eggcentric@xxxxxxx]

The late Leon the Barber is considered by many to be the world's best 
heckler.  For years, he harassed the Pistons, and in doing so, became a 
legend.  Too bad he is not alive to see his Detroit team only a few 
heckles and two wins away from the conference finals.  

What happened to Celt heckler Berg is chilling, because it implies that 
a fan no longer has the right to heckle, yet has the right to be charged at, 
pushed in the face, and then as a bonus, have his season tickets revoked.  

I have not heard any claims that what Berg shouted crossed over the line 
to the personal or the obscene.  By all accounts, his heckling was confined 
to Walker's shoddy performance in game three and continued pleas for
Obie to bench him.  

Had Berg been so personally abusive to Toine over these past seven 
years why hadn't his season ticket been revoked long ago?  Shouldn't 
Fleece Security, our very own version of the FBI/CIA, have seen this 
one coming?

Yesterday the league backed off from disciplining Walker with a
mealy-mouthed 
        ''The information in our investigation offered no 
        conclusive evidence that Antoine warrants any 
        disciplinary action.'' 
despite the vast majority of eyewitness accounts stating that it 
was Walker who charged at Berg, not the other way around.

Yes, the Celts were in a fight for their lives in game four and desperately 
needed Walker. Still, one has to question the leaguebs quick decision to 
once again protect its own.  

Shed no tears for mouth Berg, however.  I really do not believe that 
he originally orchestrated this incident for personal gain, but do believe 
that he will soon be a wealthy man because of it.  For along with selling 
all those ''Toine pushed me'' t-shirts, we can anticipate that he will 
soon be receiving from Toine a discrete but hefty out of court settlement 
in this assault case while Stern continues to get away with such risky 
business in his whitewashed, pristine office.  

Enter the Boston Police... on the other hand, why bother?  Will they be 
any more diligent on this case than they chose to be on the Pierce 
stabbing?  

Egg
-----------------------

< NBA spokesman Tim Frank said that the league is looking into the Walker 
situation, and the fact that the Celtics forward clearly broke league 
policy by leaving the bench to confront the heckler, a longtime season 
ticket-holder named Stewart Berg. > - Mark Murphy, Herald, May 11


< The fan, identified as Stewart Berg, heckled Walker for most of the 
evening, imploring coach Jim O'Brien to substitute another player for 
him. O'Brien removed his All-Star forward with 4 minutes 42 seconds to 
play and the Celtics trailing by 24 points. At that point, WALKER MOVED 
TOWARD BERG, who was sitting to the right of the Celtics' bench, to 
confront him. Celtics security director Phil Lynch quickly intervened, 
at which point Walker said to Lynch, ''Let me go. Don't touch me. Don't 
touch me again.''
Reached on his cellphone last night, Berg was asked if Walker touched 
him. ''Yes, in the face,'' said Berg, who indicated he was not hurt.
Berg was removed by security personnel, but not before five of Walker's 
friends left their loge seats and charged toward him, issuing verbal 
threats of their own. Walker's friends were restrained by Lynch, and no 
punches were thrown, but the scene served as a hideous off-the-court 
ending to a hideous on-the-court performance. > - MacMullan, Globe, May 10 

< BOSTON (Ticker) - The NBA is investigating an incident in which Boston 
Celtics forward Antoine Walker pushed a fan.
NBA spokesman Tim Frank said Saturday that the league's security 
department is looking into the incident, which took place during the 
final minutes of Boston's home playoff loss to the New Jersey Nets on 
Friday night.
Walker was taken out of the game with 4:42 remaining and the Celtics 
trailing by 24 points in an eventual 94-76 loss. Responding to a fan 
heckling him from the row of seats directly behind the team's bench, 
Walker put his left hand on the right side of the fan's face and pushed 
him.
Friends of Walker's in the crowd descended upon the fan before the 
incident was broken up by security personnel. > - Boston (ticker), May 10