Wednesday, December 21, 2011

We are still living in the 60's I guess

This morning I read an article on ESPN about Chelsea and England skipper John Terry being fined for "racially abusing" another player during a game in October.  Tuesday, Luis Suarez, of Liverpool, was given a 8 match ban and a $62,000 fine for remarks made against a Manchester United player also in October.  Terry's fine of only about $4,000 American, is nothing compared to that of the fine that Suarez received, but to me, a captain not only of one of the top teams in all of the world, but as well as England, should know when to keep his thoughts to himself.  Sure, football is a game of spirited, and heated match-ups, and we all know by reading the lips of our favorite players that the term "gentlemen's game" does not apply any longer, but to honestly not be able to come up with a "your momma is so fat" jibe on the spot is nothing short of ridiculous.  Why is it that so many people revert to racism to get under another person's skin.  We all are guilty of it, even if we don't say it aloud, we think it in our minds.  In North America once Willie O'Ree first stepped on the ice as a member of the Boston Bruins, this battle should have been over.  Yet hockey, being the only predominantly white sport left on the earth, still has its fair share of racially fueled incidents.  Just this season, there has been speculation that Philadelphia Flyers winger Wayne Simmonds has been the victim of racial abuse.  Not helping his fight at all, Simmonds then turns around and verbally abusing the Rangers Sean Avery by calling him a "fag" in the middle of a play, not saying that Sean Avery does not deserve any and all criticism, but this kind of slur is wrong as well.  Today's athletes are bigger, tougher, faster, and smarter than those of our past.  Every day they change the game for the better.  They make higher leaps to catch a football, hit a home run farther than anybody had before, find new and improved ways to deke a goalie out of the net, learn to play a game with 10 other people from 10 different cultural backgrounds, but yet they cannot seam for the life of them to leave the racial slurs at home.  It is a sad day indeed for the English Premier League, and for football all over for that matter.  Even though this happened in England, does not mean it isn't happening in our own back yard as well.  Parents, students, coaches, and players, we all need to be awakened to this.  We are not the ignorant country we used to be, we know better now.  We need to learn how to prove it now.

3 comments:

  1. Hey Clinton it's Trixie,
    I have enjoyed reading your work, and although class has ended, I was wondering if you were willing to continue giving feedback. I am interested in learning how to write a blog and improving my skills as I continue to write my book. Let me know what you think.
    t

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  2. Hey Trixie, I would love to help in amy way possible, in fact I'm flattered that you would want me to help! Anyways, I am available any time through email at clinto1977@yahoo.com Look forward to hearing from you.
    Clinton

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  3. Hi, nice post. Would you please consider adding a link to my website on your page. Please email me back and I would be happy to give you our link.

    Thanks!

    Frank
    frank641w@gmail.com

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