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It was clear, even through the television, that things were unpleasant in the stands in Dallas for Game 4. (That whole Game 3 shove of a TV camera guy was nothing!)

But what did it all amount to? Today many aspects of the bad blood are documented online, meaning you can make up your own mind:

• There's video of Carmelo Anthony's fiancee Lala Vasquez leaving the arena at the behest of security. If she attempted to throw that same punch in an NBA game, she'd be ejected and suspended for at least one game.
• There is Vasquez's statement, released in response to the video, to TMZ: "Obviously the play-off games bring out the best and the worst in fans but what happened on Monday night with the racial slurs/threats, verbal attacks on my son and physical attacks to myself by irate fans was unacceptable. The fans were totally out of control. What the cameras captured was me defending myself and didn't show the abuse that was taking place."
• Then there are the words of a Maverick fan named Peggy, who sat near Vasquez, who told Tim MacMahon of the Morning News that Vasquez's accusations are false: "The hostility started, according to Peggy, when the bodyguard turned around and loudly and crudely insulted her. 'Everybody started defending me,' she said, 'and it just got really nasty.' Peggy (who asked that her last name not be used) strongly denied that any Mavs fans used racial slurs or threatened Vazquez, a VH1/MTV personality. She said the only time any Mavs fan touched Vazquez was when a girl in Peggy's group accidentally brushed against her while reaching for a purse underneath her seat. 'Don't you ever (beep) touch me again!' Vazquez responded, according to Peggy, who added that Vazquez also flicked soda on them at that point. 'If that would have been any other fan, they would have been tossed out long before that girl was,' Peggy said. 'That little girl needed attention. Apparently, she's a has-been whatever. .. Dallas fans are getting a bad rap for this,' Peggy said. 'I think they're pulling the race card, and there's nothing to it. It's ridiculous, because it's not at all what they're saying. Those people just wanted attention.'"
• There is Kenyon Martin (NSFW) on camera with a homophobic gutter insult shouted at Mark Cuban. Start a war of words with the mother of someone who has a "Bad Ass Yellow Boy" tattoo on his chest (well worth reading the whole 2002 profile) and this is the kind of thing that might happen.
  
• There is this line in Mark Cuban's apology to Kenyon Martin's mother, whom he had previously insulted: "It's a dirty secret that all arenas need to do a better job of protection for visiting team fans, particularly during the playoffs."
• UPDATE: The Denver Post has an account of a harrowing scene at the game.

Cuban does a classy job of offering to patch things up. But gosh, don't you think we could have used some of that class from all parties before it got to this stage?

That's my main thought, when I see all that video hatred -- to every fan, owner, fiancee, player and everyone else on camera being rageful and acting foolish, I would like to ask them about their dignity. Is it good? Is it intact? Are you behaving in a manner that makes you proud? Are you glad to have all this on video?

If not, then why not?

Nuggets fans who are lucky enough to have tickets: Take the opportunity to learn from these mistakes. Be smarter at tonight's Game 5. This could be a high point of Nugget basketball history. Don't mar it by mimicking the behaviour of the most foolish in the building.