Footie Random Thoughts

[mgoblue2290]

So they released the comments made by Suarez. I take it back... The 8 match ban wasn't appropriate - it was light.

Really? Because he said negro a few times. 8 games is plenty.

 

[Bigpapa42]

Really? Because he said negro a few times. 8 games is plenty.

I don't care if he said it 2 times or 25, its what he was saying. Telling someone you kicked them because of their skin color, or that you don't talk to their race, is pretty fucking offensive. That kind of stuff doesn't belong on pitch.

I've seen no indication from Suarez that he is remorseful or understands that what he said was wrong, which is worrisome. He's a helluva talent but he's got a pretty good track record of dumb shit already for someone his age.

 

[Kuzzy Powers]

2 EPL draws ruined late in games today.

:rage:

 

[mgoblue2290]

I don't care if he said it 2 times or 25, its what he was saying. Telling someone you kicked them because of their skin color, or that you don't talk to their race, is pretty fucking offensive. That kind of stuff doesn't belong on pitch.

I've seen no indication from Suarez that he is remorseful or understands that what he said was wrong, which is worrisome. He's a helluva talent but he's got a pretty good track record of dumb shit already for someone his age.

The FA is making Suarez their whipping boy and taking giving him an overly strong suspension to show how much they hate racism. He should be suspended for 3-4 games, not 8. He was playing mind games with Evra, trying to get into his head.

 

[Bigpapa42]

The FA is making Suarez their whipping boy and taking giving him an overly strong suspension to show how much they hate racism. He should be suspended for 3-4 games, not 8. He was playing mind games with Evra, trying to get into his head.

Except that there is already a precedent for a similar suspension. As CB pointed out, John Mackie got an 8 game suspension for racially abusing an opponent back in 2002.

And yes, they are making a statement with a longer suspension. A statement that it is unacceptable to racially abuse an opponent. The kind of statement that should be made. I don't see how a 3 match suspension, which would be the equivalent of the automatic suspension for getting a straight red card, would make sense. Racism is a social problem and an overt effort is being made to remove it from the game, so why would they equate that to someone making a poorly-timed tackle or a deliberate hand-ball?

The "reason" that he racially abused Evra is not a factor. At all. Whatever his reason, he did it. Its something that should offend anyone and it should not have been done. And again, perhaps if he had acted contrite or didn't already have a history of incidents on the pitch, then maybe he would have earned a bit of leniency.

 

[mgoblue2290]

He called him blackie. Lets not act like he used something worse.

The worse part is the FA is basing their whole case on what Evra said. Also during the game apparently Evra said the ref was carding him because he was black.

 

[Bigpapa42]

He called him blackie. Lets not act like he used something worse.

As I said four posts up, its not the term he used but how he used it. The term "blackie" or "negro" isn't massively offensive to me... though I'm not black. But telling someone you kicked them because of their race or that you don't speak to someone of their race is really fucking offensive, regardless of what term you use to describe their race.

 

[mgoblue2290]

As I said four posts up, its not the term he used but how he used it. The term "blackie" or "negro" isn't massively offensive to me... though I'm not black. But telling someone you kicked them because of their race or that you don't speak to someone of their race is really fucking offensive, regardless of what term you use to describe their race.

They were talking shit to each other. Back and forth. Evra said he would hit Suarez, so Suarez said I dont speak to blacks, then Evra said now I'm really going to punch you, so Suarez said, okay blackie, blackie, blackie. He was trying to get Evra to do something stupid. Suarez isn't a racist.

 

[Bigpapa42]

They were talking shit to each other. Back and forth. Evra said he would hit Suarez, so Suarez said I dont speak to blacks, then Evra said now I'm really going to punch you, so Suarez said, okay blackie, blackie, blackie. He was trying to get Evra to do something stupid. Suarez isn't a racist.

Absolutely none of that is relevant.

So what if it was a back-and-forth exchange? Unless Evra said something racist first, the fact that Suarez was responding to threats does not change that what he said was racist and inappropriate.

His intent is irrelevant. Whether he was spouting a racist rhetoritc or simply trying to trash talk Evra, it does not affect that what he did say was racist and offensive, and therefore deserved to be punished. His personal beliefs don't really matter. Its like throwing a banana onto the pitch at a black player - its a racist gesture and has to be punished as such, regardless of what the person who did it believes or was trying to accomplish. This is no different at all.

Despite his history - like biting an opponent during a match while at Ajax - I really like Suarez. One of my favorite non-Arsenal players in the Prem. Really liked him at Ajax, too. But what he did - regardless of the exchange, intent, or his personal beliefs - was wrong and it has no place in the game. The 8 match ban was not harsh.

 

[mgoblue2290]

Suarez claims to have only said it once too. Evra originally claimed Suarez called him a nigger and did it 10 times, then changed his story. Not sure how Evra is credible but Suarez isn't. Both changed their stories.

I'm assuming the FA will also be issuing John Terry an 8 match ban too.

 

[Bigpapa42]

Suarez claims to have only said it once too. Evra originally claimed Suarez called him a nigger and did it 10 times, then changed his story. Not sure how Evra is credible but Suarez isn't. Both changed their stories.

I'm assuming the FA will also be issuing John Terry an 8 match ban too.

Its not hard to see why Evra looks more credible, to be honest. The difference in terms can be attributed at least partly to translation between languages. Stating 10 when it was 7 is notably closer to being accurate than stating it was once. They also stated that Suarez's account was disputed by the available video evidence. Not sure they took the history of Suarez into account but that would not have helped him if they did.

Terry should get the same or worse. Still haven't seen any real details, but I cannot imagine that its something small and simple if its going to the courts. I don't particularly like that the FA is waiting for the court ruling, as if they find Terry non-guilty in a legal context, the FA could use that to excuse him from punishment and that would not be right at all.

 

[1ke]

Lol @ saying I dont speak to blacks. Lol @ defending him for "mindgames"

 

[Rudi]

Arsenlol

 

[calgaryballer]

Suarez claims to have only said it once too. Evra originally claimed Suarez called him a nigger and did it 10 times, then changed his story. Not sure how Evra is credible but Suarez isn't. Both changed their stories.

I'm assuming the FA will also be issuing John Terry an 8 match ban too.

:smh:

Have you read any of the report MGB? I figured it was only the most blinkered of blinkered Liverpool fans who were still banging this drum.

Thereafter there are conflicting accounts of what happened. Evra claimed that Suárez responded by saying: "Because you are black". Suárez claimed he had replied: "It was a normal foul."

The commission, however, found several holes in this argument. Although it was accepted that "negro" could have a different meaning in Uruguay and Latin America in certain situations and that Suárez himself had used it on previous occasions in a friendly way, the experts that the FA instructed to prepare a written report on the linguistic and cultural interpretations of the words "negro and negros" in Rioplatense Spanish, told the commission "that if Mr Suárez said the things that Mr Evra alleged, they would be considered racially offensive in Uruguay and other regions of Latin America", not least because of the acrimonious context in which they occurred.

The fact that those who came forward to support Suárez were also inconsistent hardly helped Liverpool's case. While Suárez claimed that he said to Evra: "Por que, negro" – meaning "Why black?" – Damien Comolli, Liverpool's director of football, who spoke to Suárez immediately after the game, and Dirk Kuyt, the Liverpool midfielder who also had a conversation with his team-mate afterwards, both said initially in their interviews with the FA that Suárez's words translated as "because you are black". Comolli later claimed that he misheard what Suárez said in Spanish, and Kuyt said that he misheard what Suárez said in Dutch, leading to them both changing their words to tally with Suárez's version when it came to providing their witness statements.

There were couple of inconsistencies in Evra's accounts but, overall, the commission accepted his account of the exchanges because he was "a credible witness" and his "evidence was not seriously undermined in any material respect".

That right there is why Suarez was viewed as an unreliable witness. Liverpool keep trying to paint Evra as a liar, while forgetting that the Chelsea incident wasn't brought forward by him.

At the end of the day, people who study Rioplatense Spanish examined the evidence and found that if what Evra said was true, then Suarez's comments would be racially offensive in Uruguay and other parts of South America

Also, NO ONE is branding Suarez a living, breathing racist. The commission doesn't think so, Evra doesn't think so, etc. However, just because he doesn't have a hood under his bed doesn't mean he gets to use this kind of language in a threatening way

 

[BigHouseUSA]

I figured it was only the most blinkered of blinkered Liverpool fans who were still banging this drum.

Have you seen RAWK lately? Everyone's custom title says "Luis Suarez is not a racist."

 

[1ke]

I thought Arenals two yellows on the Swiss kid were soft, but all in all a very good result for Fulham.

 

[Rudi]

Hoping City can pick up some points tomorrow against Liverpool. Last time we played them, we got lucky af to escape with a draw, especially after Mario got a red. Atleast its at home.

 

[Rudi]

Rather entertaining match today. Good to see City get back on track. I STILL don't understand the reasoning behind Gareth Barry ever playing, let alone starting on this team. He is the definition of useless. Was terrible passing the ball today, picked up 2 yellows. Just terrible. On the bright side, since he got a red today, he will miss this weekends FA Cup matchup against United. Talk about a blessing in disguise.

 

[1ke]

Rather entertaining match today. Good to see City get back on track. I STILL don't understand the reasoning behind Gareth Barry ever playing, let alone starting on this team. He is the definition of useless. Was terrible passing the ball today, picked up 2 yellows. Just terrible. On the bright side, since he got a red today, he will miss this weekends FA Cup matchup against United. Talk about a blessing in disguise.

Lol....

All the flow stops as soon as he gets the ball.

 

[Fappin Raptor]

Landovan is not expected to start today.