Untold: Malice at the Palace

    



Untold: Malice at the Palace recounts the infamous 2004 Pacers-Pistons brawl that spilled into the stands and led to players and fans fighting each other. The documentary includes extensive interviews with the players involved (namely Jermaine O'Neal, Metta World Peace [Ron Artest], and Stephen Jackson), plus Reggie Miller, Ben Wallace, Donnie Walsh (Pacers team president), police officers, a fan, and one of the referees, amongst others. The documentary follows the events preceding the brawl, the brawl itself, and the aftermath.

Released 2021; Runtime 68 minutes

Concepts
  • Aggression & Violence: A hard foul leads to a brawl between the Pacers and Pistons, and just as it is wrapping up, one fan made it worse, which led to members of the Pacers jumping into the stands and attacking the fans.
  • Mental Health Issues: Metta World Peace explains some of the mental health struggles he was having in the year or two leading up to the brawl, how he was trying to manage his emotions, and ultimately, how he was overwhelmed when the brawl broke out.
  • Sports Fans: One fan threw a beer cup at Metta World Peace as he was trying to calm himself down, which escalated the situation dramatically. Other fans tried to confront and fight the players as well, not to mention the numerous fans who threw food and poured drinks on the players as they were exiting.
  • Media: The documentary also focuses on how the media covered the event. Specifically, how the players were portrayed as 'thugs' and hoodlums. With players being not allowed to speak to the media about the incident, that narrative immediately took root and grew unchecked in the days, months, and years that followed, regardless of the legal outcomes.