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Abstract

The November 19, 2004 brawl in Detroit provided vivid evidence of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) damaged image. The league embraces hip-hop culture to attract young fans, however, it ignores the violent aspects of urban life often associated with hip-hop. NBA Commissioner David Stern blamed the melee on Ron Artest. Artest had a troubled history, but he was not solely responsible for this incident. This paper uses Kenneth Burke's Terms of Order to show how scapegoating Artest highlighted a conflict in the NBA among its older fans and the younger fans and players who identify with hip-hop culture.

Journal Title

Iowa Journal of Communication

Volume

39

Issue

1

First Page

63

Last Page

80

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

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