Blow The Whistle

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Suarez has been in Europe for six years now. He should more than understand that word and what it means. He isn't stupid. £40,000 isn't that much money to a footballer, either, considering how much money he earns each week (£80,000+)

exactly!

[btwoline]

It’s not all black and white

    I will try, and I do stress try, to talk about the following with an upmost unbiased stance.  I blogged not long ago about the multiple racism rows which stained our beloved game.  Since then FIFA president, Sep Blatter, did his best to fuel the fire of the already burning scandals with his nonchalant solution on how racism should be handled.

  This and more have made the past few months in football more than uncomfortable. Before these scandals, the unresolved issue of racism had never been completely ousted (forgive the pun) from the game. Since then it has intensified. In case you haven’t heard, Luis Suarez was banned for 8 matches (yes 8 whole matches) and fined £40,000 (yes a whole £40,000) for using ‘racially insulting words’ against Patrice Evra. Since this news broke late yesterday evening, the controversy behind this case has intensified.

  First of all, the FA has found him guilty of using racially insulting words. Suarez’s defence is that the word “doesn’t have racial connotations back in Uruguay”.  He and Liverpool have vigorously stated this throughout their defence. Here’s my first issue with this. If the FA feels he is guilty, why give just an 8 game ban and fine him half a week’s wages? They may as well adopt Sep Blatter’s approach and tell Evra and Suarez to shake hands on move on. Before I carry on let me stress that I’m not posing as the judge and executioner here, I’m merely airing my views.  

  “Luis Suarez's eight-match ban for racially abusing Patrice Evra is a strong statement that racism will not be tolerated” – Gordon Taylor.

  How is this a strong statement? This is nothing short of feeble. If the FA really wanted to send out a statement that they are combating racism, they’d hand out a season long ban. Let all the other players in the league know just how intolerable racism is. My second issue is with Suarez and Liverpool. Firstly Suarez. Fair enough (well not really) he said the words he used don’t hold the same connotations in Uruguay. He’s been in Europe for around 6 years now. Surely he must be wise enough to understand that the words he used won’t be welcomed with the same grace in Europe as they would in Uruguay. Once again, I’m not accusing him of using malice. I’m accusing him of lacking plain old common sense. At the end of the day only he and Evra know what really happened, so we can only speculate as to what he really said and meant.

  As for Liverpool. Well I’m disgusted with the statement they released. Instead of just defending their man, they tried to attack Pactrice Evra and make him out to be the boy (man) who cried wolf too. They are going off Suarez’s word alone, and nothing more. Obviously they will stand by what their man says. But who are they to call out the lynching mob for Evra? Allegations of racism are no joke. Neither for the accuser nor the accused.  In no way shape or form should they be allowed to attack somebody who is a victim. At the end of the day Evra is the victim here, not the enmy.

  “It is our opinion that the accusation by this particular player was not credible - certainly no more credible than his prior unfounded accusations."

  This was taken from the statement released by Liverpool last night. I may be a United supporter and be naturally bound to hate Liverpool, but even others must be able to see the lack of tact in this. Fans from both teams have also react with a mix of anger, ignorance and fickleness. But this was expected considering the intense rivalry.

  Once again racism in football has turned its ugly head and it will be a long time before she goes into hiding. Later today we are expecting the CPS to make announcement on the investigation into alleged racist abuse involving Chelsea footballer John Terry towards Anton Ferdinand this afternoon. I will just sit and wait and see how the FA handles this situation. I’m not rooting for John Terry to be found guilty, I simply want a correct verdict to be reached and a proper penalty to be imposed should it warrant one.

[btwoline]

The "He Can't Do It" Man

I don't think I've ever seen so many experts tell one man, "you can't do it". I watch a lot of sports and never has one player/team been told so many times that they can't do something. I don't know which continent you'll be reading this from, but if you're reading it outside of North America there's a good chance you won't know who I'm referring to. No single trip to Wikepedia will help you understand the man, the athlete, the legend that is Tim Tebow. You'll need to back that up with various YouTube videos and multiple articles to understand just who Tim Tebow is, and how much of a battle he's had against adversity.

Many regard him as the best collegiate athlete to ever grace the gridiron. He was a successful quarterback during the majority of his college years, winning both individual and team honours. Reading this as a football novice, you wouldn't be wrong to think that a legendary career awaited him in the NFL. Well you would be very wrong to think that. Every expert in football seemed to decide that all the magic that Tebow produced in his college years, just wouldn't cut it in the NFL. And so began 'The Curious Case of Tim Tebow'. Before he even entered the draft, a large minority (excuse the oxymoron) had decided that his future in the NFL was away from the QB position. Crazy right? Some had him going as late as the 3rd round. But as with anything Tebow related, some twist was lurking in the shadows. The whole of America probably took a huge gasp as Tebow was surprisingly selected in the 1st round by the Denver Broncos.

So shocked were people that the next few months were nearly entirely devoted to Mr Tebow. The words 'mechanics' and 'throwing arm' became the slogan to this mini soap opera. Those who said he wasn't ready, were smirking after his first season passed with his behind firmly cemented on the bench. It seemed as if Tebow-mania had been subdued. But like the dormant volcano that this saga was, it exploded into life again. The Broncos, who drafted Tebow in the first round, had tried every option but Tebow himself. And the Broncos fans started voicing their discontent at at his unused state. I blogged before about the drastic measures Broncos fans resorted to, to get Tebow starting. By week 7, the Broncos eventually gave in (if you want to call it that) and gave Tebow the starting job. Since then, Tebow has been 6-1. However the experts still don't think he has what it takes to make it in the NFL. Imagine that?! He's won 6 out of 7 in a league where many said he couldn't cut it, yet many are still sticking to their words.

What do I think? Well sure his throwing motion isn't the most orthodox, or comfortable to watch even. However he's getting it done. Not by himself may I add, but he's getting wins under his belt. Wins they weren't getting while he was on the bench. This is why I say he's amazing. He's definitely not the best QB in his division, let alone the league, but he's producing it when it matters. Tebow isn't the first QB to have his abilities questioned by those NFL experts saddled on their high horses. Cam Newton and even Colt McCoy faced questions about their abilities before they took their first starts. Where are they now? Comfortably in the #1 QB spots for the respective teams. So why can't we give the same closure to Tebow? He has a better win percentage than both Newton and McCoy, yet he still hasn't won over the masses. To be honest even if he gets as far as the Superbowl, not even wining it just getting there, he will still face this skepticism. Before I continue, count the amount of times I've said Tebow's name. That's the level that he's being discussed at this current moment. If any other young player had faced this much coverage, would they have coped as well? Or would they have cracked under the constant scrutiny? By the way somebody say hello to JaMarcus Russel for me, wherever he may now be. Anyway whatever happens next, Tebow will be the talking point. Even if the Packers go 19-0, Tebow will still be the talking point. As I said, the man is a (temporary) legend.

[btwoline]

An Unavoidable Tragedy

It was as recently as Friday that I read a small extract from a book called "A Life Too Short" which was featured in Sport magazine. This is a book about the late Robert Enke, a German goalkeeper at the height of his career who committed suicide. Before 29 year old Enke took his own life, you wouldn't have thought for a minute that he was somebody battling severe depression. It wasn't until he stepped in front of a train, that the whole world found out the issues which plagued his life off the field.

"In our achievement-orientated society a goalkeeper, the last battle of defence, can't be a depressive. So Robert summoned up a huge amount of strength to keep his depression secret. He locked himself away in his illness."

I remember thinking about Enke, and how depression finally got the better of him. All I told myself was how little we actually know about these individuals who are constantly in the public limelight. All we see are big pay cheques and fast cars and become envious of them. However we forget that they too are humans, and they too can have a closet full of problems. If I never read that small extract I wouldn't have remembered the tragedy that was Robert Enke, and I wouldn't have spent the next few days thinking about the troubles that not only sports people, but celebrities on whole may face.

Come the following Sunday I was beyond shocked to find out that Wales coach, Gary Speed, took his own life. With the memory of Robert Enke still fresh in my memory, I was rooted on my seat in deep disbelief. I asked myself how a man who had been receiving nothing but praise over the last few months, was driven to taking his own life. It was a sharp and painful reminder of the troubles people in the public eye go through. He may not be held up there with the likes of Zidane and Ronaldo, but Gary Speed was and always will be a legend in his own right. He amassed the most outfield appearances in the Premier League (535 appearances and 83 goals), spent 15 years performing at the top level (Leeds, Everton, Newcastle, Bolton, Sheffield United and Wales), and as Wales manager, rejuvenated the way they played football. Off the field, he was a husband and a father of two. Those around him saw no signs of depression, and his suicide remains a mystery which we may never crack. He was seen a day earlier on BBC1's Football Focus, and you couldn't have imagined for a second that a day later he'd be discovered hung in his garage. You only have to look at the wave of tributes which have poured in to understand how much of a legend Speed was and always will be.

The cases of Speed, Enke and even Justin Fashanu are etched with pain and tragedy. Before we can ask "why didn't he seek help", we have to first understand the difficulties he and the other men may have faced. The nature of football (and other sports) prevents the problems these players faced to be delicately handled. Imagine 40,000 chanting abuse at you on an away game after finding out about your problem in the press. Thoughts like these may have caused them to incarcerate themselves with the issues they were battling. And what we're left with is severe tragedy. How do we prevent something like this happening? We can't, can we?! We can only hope. Hope that others can use this tragedy as a beacon of hope and reach out to those around them, seek help and prevent another tragedy from reoccurring. And with that I ask you to join me in a chant of "THERE'S ONLY ONE GARY SPEED!".

R.I.P Gary Speed 1969-2001

[btwoline]

John Terry: Five Words Which Shocked A Nation

The FA has hit its stickiest patch since Sven Goran Eriksson’s sex allegation saga. However time it’s more sensitive than a saucy romp on the secretary table. England and Chelsea captain John Terry is currently in the middle of the biggest controversy in British football. He is accused of racially abusing Anton Ferdinand during the QPR-Chelsea clash on Oct 23rd. Anton Ferdinand is the younger brother of Rio, the man who Terry replaced as England captain. All this and more has made the sensitivity of this case literally immeasurable.

  As seen in the case of Patrice Evra, these cases often don’t make it past the initial complaint. Why? Because there’s hardly ever enough evidence to investigate them any further. It basically winds down into a case of “he said she said”. However this case is completely different. Firstly nobody on the field, let alone the stadium, spotted or heard the alleged abuse. It was an eagle-eyed member of the public who, watching from the comfort of his or her own home, made the initial complaint. The video of the alleged abuse popped up all over the internet as soon as the complaint was made public. The video shows Terry mouthing either “ you f*cking blind c*nt” or “ you f*cking black c*nt”. It really is down to how each individual sees it. At this point in time we can speculate all we want but until the police investigation is over, it will be just that, speculations.

    The FA has refused to comment on this issue until the police investigation is over. They are currently in a very precarious position. The man who captains the nation’s side is at the forefront of a racial abuse scandal, but do they show him support or do they distance themselves from him? Their on the fence approach may be positive in PR terms, however it doesn’t necessarily shed a good light on them. Their ‘Fast Track’ discipline system for on the field actions has been made obsolete in this scandal. They’ve even acted fast in off the field issues. Just look at Terry’s previous controversy where his affair with the wife of former teammate Wayne Bridge became public. The FA and Cepello wasted no time in stripping Terry of the armband then. However the sensitivity of this case, the manner in which Ferdinand and QPR have reacted, and Terry’s past have rendered any quick action inadvisable.

    There is never a good time for racial abuse to occur, however with it happening during black history month, and a week after the Evra-Suarez race row, it’s done nothing but drag English football backwards. Terry’s football career will find itself on a knife-edge. All of his teammates (no matter what race) will have already made up their minds on the whole issue and will look at him in a new light. Fabio Capello will face serious pressure to once again strip Terry of the captaincy. The abuse he’s received by fans over the past week may continue throughout his career. This is all before the police even released the result of their investigation. If he’s found guilty, English football will be plunged  into further controversy. If he’s cleared it will just be seen as not enough evidence to charge him. Whichever way you look at it John Terry is in a lose lose situation. He will come out of this worse than he entered it. His football ability will be overshadowed by this controversy. Will he recover? Yes. Will he ever be the same again? I highly doubt it.

[btwoline]

Taking 'Pride' In Being A Role Model

Athletes everywhere have to struggle to land on the big stage. Whether it’s footballers who learned their skills amid heavy gunfire or the runner who had to train without any shoes, they all faced hurdles which they had to clear on their journey to the top. Whenever you leap over hurdles like these you don’t just land a better athlete, but a better person too. But not all will clear the hurdles they face. Some will try to step around them. You only have to look at the likes of Alan Iverson for an example. It seemed to many as if this talented athlete had cleared the hurdles which plagued his young life, however we saw from all the incidents in his professional career that he was constantly confronted by his demons.

I ofthen think some athletes don’t value the talent they’ve been blessed with, nor the stage they’ve been allowed to perform on. Some have unfairly been thrust into the spotlight before they were ready, others take their fame as a pardon to act without care or attention. These athletes are a poison for aspiring youngsters. You only have to look at American collegiate sports to understand how ungrateful and fearless the next generation are. The good role models they should be taking examples from a few and far between. It seems as if these youngsters can get to the top with talent alone these days. However once they get there, that attitude lasts as long as it takes them to blow their signing bonuses. And by then it could all be too late. Think JaMarcus Russell. A young man with immense talent, but a disgusting attitude. He went from peforming on the big stage to completely unwanted by anybody and everybody.

What happened to the good old fashioned role models? They’ve been crowded out by the new extravagant models. Think along the lines of Mario Balotelli. That’s the type of athletes up and coming youngsters are aiming to be like. Why can’t they look up to the likes of Curtis Pride? That right there is a complete role model. Who is he? He’s a retired baseball player. Why is he so special? Curtis Pride is special because he was born deaf. Not only did he develop oral skills early in his life, but he didn’t allow his hearing impairment to prevent him from excelling in baseball, basketball and football (soccer), where he played for the American U16 team at the 1985 World Championships. Pride eventually became a baseball pro and was in and out of the majors throughout his career. In a sport where hearing and communication is often key, it’s amazing how he worked to play at such a level. He didn’t let his situation carry him away or get on top of him, he simply worked hard and didn’t rely on talent alone. Many in and around baseball have nothing but praise for Pride. He was seen as not only a great player, but a great teacher also. And it’s there where Curtis Pride is passing on all that he’s learned onto young athletes. Pride is a baseball coach at Gallaudet University, where he coaches other deaf athletes. You never know, he could be helping the next Curtis Pride to go on and achieve what he did if not more.

[btwoline]

Go direct to the EPL, if you pass 'Go' and spend £200 million

We've got to the point where foreign ownership has become as much part of the game as a Wayne Rooney red mist moment. Wherever you look there are foreign owners watching the game from the stands, trying to show the fans that they have the team's best interest at heart. I'm not a fickle human, I know business comes first for the majority of these owners. Well excluding the oil princes at the Etihad Stadium. They have a "money ain't nothing but a number" approach to football.

When I looked at the EPL and beyond at the start of the season, I saw more and more clubs operating under foreign ownership. Malaga in Spain, and (my beloved) Paris St Germain in France have now popped onto the scene showing signs that they aren't afraid to thrown bags of money at players and managers alike. And it's this where I think the major issue in foreign ownership is at it's worst. Other clubs can no longer compete with these millions. You only have to look at the Javier Pastore deal for an example. Rumours had the talented Argentine becoming a Chelsea player before the end of the transfer window. However up stepped PSG with their newly found millions to outbid Chelsea and their new transfer policy. If Chelsea can't compete with clubs like PSG, what will that mean for the other clubs?

The equilibrium of the transfer market has long been toppled, and there are overpriced players floating all around European football. Just compare England and Liverpool's Andy Carroll and Spain and Barcelona star David Villa's transfer fees. It's even worse when it comes to player wages. Just look at Manchester City outcast Emmanuel Adebayor struggling to seal a loan switch to Spurs due to his highly excessive wages. I've always said UEFA should take the courage to impose some sort of wage cap/and or transfer limit. Their proposed foreign ownership policy and attempts to limit the amount of foreign players in teams are nothing short of useless. Michel Platini and his supporting cast need to stop beating around the bush and actually take drastic actions.

These owners will use leagues such as the EPL as a monopoly board. It's already almost like a game to them. Just keep throwing money at the team until they're successful. And that's another issue. They're behaving like barbaric MNE's by landing down on a club and destroying what took years build in a matter of seasons. I think it's unfair that I'm blaming this all on foreign owners, as we have domestic (albeit very rich) owners playing this sort of game also. Take a look at Newcastle in England or Anzhi Makhachkala in Russia. They're both run by domestic owners, with the former said by many to have gone a long way to destroying a lot of what his club stands for. Remember Portsmouth? We all saw how the club crumbled over a matter of seasons. They nearly ceased existing altogether. Once the clubs get the destroyed, the leagues are next.

A story broke out this week that one of the foreign owners in the EPL are in favour of scrapping promotions and relegations altogether. You also had the Liverpool managing director talking about having exclusive foreign viewing rights. If we're not careful these money hungry owners (not just the foreign ones), will alter the way the game is run in the future. You may find that in 10 or 20 years time, football as we've come to love it will be unrecognisable. I've been saying this for a while, but something needs to happen. Sure the surge in foreign ownership has increased competition, but are all these cons worth it? Can you imagine European football becoming like American sports? No relegation or promotion. Just a huge league full of franchises? Something has to be done.

[btwoline]

The doom and gloom of the international break...

The dreaded international break is upon us once more. Club mangers hate it, fans are bored of it, and weekend seems emptier with it. I must say that I have grown to despise the international break that little bit more every time it comes. The prospect of no club football for a week and a half is enough to drive me to pull the hairs out of my head.

International friendlies or WC/Euro qualifiers are boring. There's no two ways about about it. France vs Albania? Montenegro vs England? We have to endure games such as these before we can watch Liverpool vs United. I know there are some out there who actually love international footy. However I don't! Unless were at the summer tournaments, I'm not wowed by them. Imagine watching your team playing awfully the having to wait 2 weeks to seem them bounce back? The same opposing player you were insulting on Saturday, will be the same one you will be rooting for tonight. Imagine hearing your star striker (cue Robin Van Persie) picker up an injury during a friendly game, and will now be out for 6 months. Spare a thought for Dean Ashton. The guy was never the same again after picking up an injury on international duty. I guess international football is just one of those things you have to endure, just like pre-season football.

Anyway, enjoy Montenegro - England or whatever match you'll be watching tonight.

By @YannickHPP