Liverpool striker Luis Suarez was handed an eight game ban by the English Football Association yesterday, for racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra.
There was no video evidence backing the FA’s decision, and Liverpool have complained about the decision seeming to be based largely on the word of Patrice Evra.
While Liverpool have a justified gripe in that regard, it is hard to feel sorry for Suarez, a man who is currently under another investigation for aiming an abusive hand gesture toward Fulham fans, and has previously been convicted for biting an opponent while playing for AFC Ajax. After his infamous handball during the 2010 World Cup, it is also unlikely that Suarez has many sympathizers in Ghana after his latest incident.
Suarez has had his supporters during this case, but some of the people defending him have stooped to a pathetic level while doing so.
Brighton manager Gus Poyet said that in his country “if a man is fat, we call you fat, and if you are black we say so.” Poyet then declared Evra was a “cry-baby” and said he should accept things how they are or “he can go home.”
Of course what strips Poyet’s words of any integrity is the fact that he justifies how things are in Uruguay and says Evra can leave if he wants to. Poyet is not working in Uruguay, and Suarez did not racially abuse Evra in Uruguay. The English FA is working hard to stamp out racism in England, and if Poyet and Suarez do not like that perhaps they should be the ones to “go home.”
Poyet was criticized by Sir Alex Ferguson who called his rant “a bit silly,” while PFA management committee member Clarke Carlisle summed up the thoughts of many on racism when he said “ignorance is not an excuse.”
The FA has made a positive step by handing out a harsh punishment for racist behavior, and if it seems a bit harsh then so be it. However, soon they will be faced with an opportunity to underline their message, or to undo this good work and bring their own integrity into question.
On February 1, 2012, England captain John Terry will appear before a West London Magistrates’ Court on charges of racism. Given the fact that Terry is facing his charges in a court of law, rather than at an FA hearing, it is fair to assume that Terry has even more damning evidence against him.
Terry also has a greater responsibility to the FA than Suarez does, as acting England captain to be an ambassador for the game’s governing body. Time and time again, Terry has failed miserably on that front.
It is impossible to make Terry’s offense any less significant than that of Suarez. It is certain that fans and allies of Terry will jump to his defense, but how could it possibly made any less of an offense? Lets look at the potential arguments.
“They have no concrete video evidence of John Terry being racist.” There was no video evidence of Suarez.
“Saurez had a negative past history.” The same is true of Terry. In addition to sleeping with a teammate's girlfriend, Terry has been found selling his FA box for personal gain during England games, giving illegal and unauthorized paid tours of the Chelsea stadium and keeping the money, assaulting a nightclub bouncer with a bottle, and drunkenly mocking American tourists the night of 9/11.
“Terry can’t be a racist, he works daily with black players such as Didier Drogba and Ashley Cole.” The same is true for Suarez, who plays with Glen Johnson and has a black grandfather.
“Terry is England captain and should be treated differently.” This seems to be the only point of difference, and it will be a sorry state of affairs if this means Terry getting less punishment.
England can be accused of being an island race who isolate themselves at times from the rest of the world. If the game’s national governing body punish a Uruguayan footballer, and then let the England captain off the hook for the same offense, those accusations would be hard to argue against.
It is important for the future of racism in English football that John Terry receives at least an equal punishment to Suarez. If not, perhaps the movement of the anti-racism in English Football should be changed to……Kick It Out (when it suits us).
While Liverpool have a justified gripe in that regard, it is hard to feel sorry for Suarez, a man who is currently under another investigation for aiming an abusive hand gesture toward Fulham fans, and has previously been convicted for biting an opponent while playing for AFC Ajax. After his infamous handball during the 2010 World Cup, it is also unlikely that Suarez has many sympathizers in Ghana after his latest incident.
Suarez has had his supporters during this case, but some of the people defending him have stooped to a pathetic level while doing so.
Brighton manager Gus Poyet said that in his country “if a man is fat, we call you fat, and if you are black we say so.” Poyet then declared Evra was a “cry-baby” and said he should accept things how they are or “he can go home.”
Of course what strips Poyet’s words of any integrity is the fact that he justifies how things are in Uruguay and says Evra can leave if he wants to. Poyet is not working in Uruguay, and Suarez did not racially abuse Evra in Uruguay. The English FA is working hard to stamp out racism in England, and if Poyet and Suarez do not like that perhaps they should be the ones to “go home.”
Poyet was criticized by Sir Alex Ferguson who called his rant “a bit silly,” while PFA management committee member Clarke Carlisle summed up the thoughts of many on racism when he said “ignorance is not an excuse.”
The FA has made a positive step by handing out a harsh punishment for racist behavior, and if it seems a bit harsh then so be it. However, soon they will be faced with an opportunity to underline their message, or to undo this good work and bring their own integrity into question.
On February 1, 2012, England captain John Terry will appear before a West London Magistrates’ Court on charges of racism. Given the fact that Terry is facing his charges in a court of law, rather than at an FA hearing, it is fair to assume that Terry has even more damning evidence against him.
Terry also has a greater responsibility to the FA than Suarez does, as acting England captain to be an ambassador for the game’s governing body. Time and time again, Terry has failed miserably on that front.
It is impossible to make Terry’s offense any less significant than that of Suarez. It is certain that fans and allies of Terry will jump to his defense, but how could it possibly made any less of an offense? Lets look at the potential arguments.
“They have no concrete video evidence of John Terry being racist.” There was no video evidence of Suarez.
“Saurez had a negative past history.” The same is true of Terry. In addition to sleeping with a teammate's girlfriend, Terry has been found selling his FA box for personal gain during England games, giving illegal and unauthorized paid tours of the Chelsea stadium and keeping the money, assaulting a nightclub bouncer with a bottle, and drunkenly mocking American tourists the night of 9/11.
“Terry can’t be a racist, he works daily with black players such as Didier Drogba and Ashley Cole.” The same is true for Suarez, who plays with Glen Johnson and has a black grandfather.
“Terry is England captain and should be treated differently.” This seems to be the only point of difference, and it will be a sorry state of affairs if this means Terry getting less punishment.
England can be accused of being an island race who isolate themselves at times from the rest of the world. If the game’s national governing body punish a Uruguayan footballer, and then let the England captain off the hook for the same offense, those accusations would be hard to argue against.
It is important for the future of racism in English football that John Terry receives at least an equal punishment to Suarez. If not, perhaps the movement of the anti-racism in English Football should be changed to……Kick It Out (when it suits us).
