Osiris Eldridge's Turkish team involved in ethnic brawl

[tornado]

This one is really weird...and it's a good thing more weren't hurt...

In addition to playing a regular schedule of Turkish League games, Eldridge's team, Pinar Karsiyaka, also plays Eurocup Challenge games.
Just this past Tuesday night, Karsiyaka traveled to Athens, Greece to play Apoel Nicosia...and Karsiyaka lost 82-80. (Osiris had 7 pts, 4 reb, 1 asst. & ex-Chicago State gyard David Holston had 25).
Ex-Vincennes teammate of Dodie Dunson, Zvonko Buljan plays for Apoel.

BUT -- the real story is that the instant the game ended...and as soon as the ref blew the final whistle...
a bunch of Cypriot thugs started blowing off smoke bombs, throwing rocks and flaming bottles of gas, and charged the floor throwing "rocks and gas bombs" at opponent fans and reportedly the Turkish team's players, too....
...then the crowd went after other players, chasing them into the lockerroom with rocks and sticks in an apparent effort to attack them, and they had to barricade themselves in the lockerroom for over an hour.

Apparently, according to some reports, this riot had ethnic origins, as the Cypriots have long been staunch supporters for the Armenian Turks , who some believe the nation of Turkey is oppressing.

FIBA has "sanctioned" the Greek team, but such sanctions mean very little, unfortunately...but Apoel has been verbally reprimanded, fined, and will have to play their next three games without any spectators in the stands!

Here's video of the event as disruptive, fighting fans spill out onto the floor..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2RfUy5M93g

This one even shows Osiris and team covering their heads from the rocks being thrown, as they race to the safety of the lockerroom.
http://video.haberturk.com/spor/video/olay-macin-ilk-goruntuleri/46058

http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/worl...ar_Karsiyaka_vs_Apoel_football_game_in_Cyprus

http://www.interbasket.net/news/7403/2010/12/fiba-sanctions-in-greek-turkish-basketball-brawl/

http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/news/lateNews/p/newsid/45478/arti.html

Here's some talk by people who were at the game ..
http://forums.interbasket.net/f11/fanatic-apoel-fans-attacked-karsiyaka-players-15347/

http://www.tumgazeteler.com/?a=6510495

 

[SFP]

Cypriot is divided into to 1/2s, The Turkish ethnic side and the Greek side. There has been an ongoing battle for this island for generations. I'm sure the brawl had very little to do with The Armenian issue.

 

[Braves4Life]

Cypriot is divided into to 1/2s, The Turkish ethnic side and the Greek side. There has been an ongoing battle for this island for generations. I'm sure the brawl had very little to do with The Armenian issue.

Yep! My college roommate was Greek and when the subject of Turks came up it was always met with "F'n Turks". :lol:

 

[tornado]

Here's a funny bit of revenge -- Eldridge's team has fans who hacked and attacked the Cypriot web sites to get even for the attack on their players...
kinda funny way to get even!!
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/ipad-ap...-basketball-riot/story-fn6bn7je-1225976880948


The Karsiyaka team officials think the penalties are way too soft and have demanded a two year ban on Cyprus from competing internationally..
http://www.cyprus-mail.com/hooligans/scramble-limit-political-damage/20101224



And one more weird note involving Osiris Eldridge!

On Christmas Day, Eldridge's Karsiyaka team was to play Allen Iverson's Besiktas...but the game was set back to December 26 and the reason for the change of date was never made very clear....
....nor the reasons that several of Karsiyaka's best players did not play.

BUT -- digging a little and translating some of the Karsiyaka releaases....
..the reason the game was delayed was due to a complaint by the Karsiyaka team that their players had played too many games in a short span that required extensive travel
and that they were exhausted -- plus they were required after the riots in Cyprus to stay there an extra day to assure their safety before travelling back to Turkey...
And all of this hadn't given the team adequate time to rest and practice & prepare...and even with the date being set back to Dec. 26, Karsiyaka protested the game by showing up
with only their SEVEN youngest and most junior players plus an "amateur guest player" -- all junior players 15-16 years old.....virtually guaranteeing them a loss but making the point...
Here's a translated quote form the Karsiyaka site..
"(The) federation has decided to postpone the regular season game Beşiktaş C.T. vs P. Karşıyaka from Saturday to Sunday (1 day only)
upon the request of Karşıyaka team for a postpone.
..As a protest, Karşıyaka team will attend the game on Sunday with 7 players only all 15-16 yo players who serve U-teams."



Iverson's team prevailed rather easily 89-65..but clearly Osiris Eldridge did not play at all, and neither did Karsiyaka's best player and top PG David Holston...nor many of their regulars.
http://www.eurobasket.com/boxScores/Turkey/2010/1226_1035_190.asp