Luis Suarez case: English hypocrisy?
- 21 December 2011 10:44143582We are being slated in South America as hypocrites after the punishment meted out to Liverpool footballer Luiz Suarez (eight game ban). He of course called a Man United player "negrito during a game.
A debate is persisting about cross-cultural significations of the Spanish word, but aside from that, Suarez should probably have been more aware of the connotations and as such deserves some punishment.
Do Uruguayans have a point? we are certainly recognised exponents of the art f hypocrisy in this country.
And it exposes to debate several broader points. It seems that there are no moral standards or scruples any more except those that are forced down everyone's throat by the thought police.
I doubt if many of the white people expressing howls of outrage really care about black people at all. Not that their lack of caring is based on colour prejudice because I believe we live in a society in which concern for your neighbour is rapidly dying out, even in exceptional cases for children, when they get in the way of ultra self-indulgent parents.
Further, there is a world of difference between heartfelt concern and being terrified into bleating the correct words to evade being cast into the outer darkness.
Moreover, the whole issue of race has been blown out of proportion. I understand that fans of a non-league football club were baiting a black opposition player with the taunt of "your mother is a whore". Which presumably is "OK". If they had said "You mother is a black whore" al hell would have broken loose.
Is there _such_ a big difference in levels of offensiveness between the two statements?
Sorry to point out the loopholes in the New Order, but the sight of people using fake concern to gain some kind of kudos sickens me. - 21 December 2011 10:51143585bobby moore used to get the same song because his name rhymed nicely.
he just used to conduct the stretford end, the kop and hampden park while they sang it. - 21 December 2011 11:24143590I respond to your post Andrew more to signify that I have read it than of having the least knowledge of the actual issues you write about.
Racism, moral turpitude and hypocrisy I know something of, but football and indeed sport in general are things I know little about.
That said, there is a word for this sort of crowd and inter-player 'banter' in the field of cricket;slating or slamming? And it has been hard to miss that a Mr. Rooney has recently been shown leniency for some offence on the field, according to the headlines I have seen.
It is true, though, that any Jonny-foreigner coming here and wishing to-do-as-the-Romans-do would be spoiled for choice as to how to behave correctly in broadly similar situations on and off the field.
Perhaps it is the vacuum between word and deed that sucks-up a storm in the sad Tabloid tea-cup?Ignorance is bliss, bliss is happiness, I am happy...to draw your attention to the possible connectivity in the foregoing. - 21 December 2011 11:42143591As I have many friends in Liverpool I have checked out the views of some on this and they are not best pleased.
There is also this statement from LFC...
"Liverpool Football Club is very surprised and disappointed with the decision of the Football Association Commission to find Luis Suarez guilty of the charges against him.
We look forward to the publication of the Commission's Judgment. We will study the detailed reasons of the Commission once they become available, but reserve our right to appeal or take any other course of action we feel appropriate with regards to this situation.
We find it extraordinary that Luis can be found guilty on the word of Patrice Evra alone when no-one else on the field of play - including Evra's own Manchester United teammates and all the match officials - heard the alleged conversation between the two players in a crowded Kop goalmouth while a corner kick was about to be taken.
The Club takes extremely seriously the fight against all forms of discrimination and has a long and successful track record in work relating to anti-racist activity and social inclusion. We remain committed to this ideal and equality for all, irrespective of a person's background.
LFC considers racism in any form to be unacceptable - without compromise. It is our strong held belief, having gone over the facts of the case, that Luis Suarez did not commit any racist act. It is also our opinion that the accusation by this particular player was not credible - certainly no more credible than his prior unfounded accusations.
It is key to note that Patrice Evra himself in his written statement in this case said 'I don't think that Luis Suarez is racist'. The FA in their opening remarks accepted that Luis Suarez was not racist.
Luis himself is of a mixed race family background as his grandfather was black. He has been personally involved since the 2010 World Cup in a charitable project which uses sport to encourage solidarity amongst people of different backgrounds with the central theme that the colour of a person's skin does not matter; they can all play together as a team.
He has played with black players and mixed with their families whilst with the Uruguay national side and was Captain at Ajax Amsterdam of a team with a proud multi-cultural profile, many of whom became good friends.
It seems incredible to us that a player of mixed heritage should be accused and found guilty in the way he has based on the evidence presented. We do not recognise the way in which Luis Suarez has been characterised.
It appears to us that the FA were determined to bring charges against Luis Suarez, even before interviewing him at the beginning of November. Nothing we have heard in the course of the hearing has changed our view that Luis Suarez is innocent of the charges brought against him and we will provide Luis with whatever support he now needs to clear his name.
We would also like to know when the FA intend to charge Patrice Evra with making abusive remarks to an opponent after he admitted himself in his evidence to insulting Luis Suarez in Spanish in the most objectionable of terms. Luis, to his credit, actually told the FA he had not heard the insult.
Author: Liverpool FC"
http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/latest-news/liverpool-fc-statement-20-12-11Ignorance is bliss, bliss is happiness, I am happy...to draw your attention to the possible connectivity in the foregoing. - 21 December 2011 11:45143592tom
in cricket the term is "sledging" england and australia could not get by without it.
it has now spread to all the test playing countries, a classic line i remember from the eighties was ian botham responding to abuse from a pakistani bowler with retort "i would not send my mother in law to pakistan". - 21 December 2011 11:50143593I think sledging in cricket and the issues I raised are rather different matters. The hysteria over this incident is unbelievable.
- 21 December 2011 11:56143595i must admit when i first saw the headline i did not delve any further, sportsman calling each other names in the heat of the moment is hardly a big deal, career ending tackles is much more important.
having read the report it seems that suarez has been wronged, convicted on the basis of evra saying that he did insult him.
the record of evra over the years is nothing to write home about, remember the french world cup fiasco? - 21 December 2011 12:07143597Thank you Howard, that the word didn't come to me is a source of personal joy.
I'll have to leave you to it Andrew, to you and other sports fans. I will not now take us down the, "Psych Up or Psych Out" cul-de-sac.Ignorance is bliss, bliss is happiness, I am happy...to draw your attention to the possible connectivity in the foregoing. - 21 December 2011 14:05143610"Psych Up or Psych Out" cul-de-sac is a new one on me, Tom. No idea what it means though.
- 21 December 2011 15:57143615John Terry is to be charged on the advice of the CPS for Racially aggravated public order offence, following a Premier League match against QPR. What a mess football is in at the moment!!Audere est facere.
- 21 December 2011 16:09143616what has he done now?
- Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
21 December 2011 17:23143629called some player a naughty word. - 21 December 2011 17:29143631not that spat with rio ferdinand again?
thought that was over i am sure that the met have much more important things to be getting on with. - Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
21 December 2011 17:32143632howard,its anton ferdinand chappie. - 21 December 2011 17:33143634the world has gone mad, where does public order come into it?
only the two players know for sure what was said so no riot took place. - 21 December 2011 19:23143641The fact it is going to court is because a 3rd party made the complaint to Police, far better to let the FA deal with it in my opinion.Audere est facere.
- 21 December 2011 20:39143650Agree with Martin P.Before leaving London 0ver 30 years ago Charlton and West Ham had policies for taking racism
out of football...it was ugly and crude and had stopped families going to football.....children follow adults example!!.
The FA are fully on board now............it is unacceptable and taints the sport.
It will never go away but it must be removed when it raises its ugly head.
Let the FA deal with it. - 21 December 2011 21:06143652reg is right in how it was 30 years ago, i was a season ticket holder at west ham for 20 years and racism was fairly normal at clubs like west ham, millwall, chelsea, leeds and wolves in particular.
rather odd as all those clubs had black players, just the other clubs players got picked on.
at english football clubs now it is mostly non existant, the problems now occur in southern and eastern europe as is well documented.
the odd rash comment on the pitch between players is hardly evidence that racism is still around. - 22 December 2011 12:59143712we seem to be moving further into the silly season.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/dec/22/alan-hansen-black-footballers-coloured - 22 December 2011 15:31143720Jeez I have to admit I didnt think there was anything wrong or offensive with the term 'coloured'. (Howards link) Years ago it was the polite way to say black, when black was considered too strong. So its hard keeping up to speed nowadays with the rapidly changing offensive situations. Every week there is a new level of offense you can inadverdently give. Worrying iof you are doing something in the public domain.
You can bet Alan Hansen didnt mean anything offensive in his terminology above in Howard's link...but its caused considerable offense. Not quite on the scale of the previous explosive upsets with people in the media but then it doesnt deserve to be either.
Hansen has been using the term 'coloured players' for years as I remember...but now suddenly..whoosh!
We are in a new age of delicacy and diplomacy and no mistake.email: dover7@msn.com