Considering the continued and high profile incidents of racial conflict in the global game over the past year (and of course previously), I just think Kevin Prince Boateng's refusal to continue a friendly match when subjected to racist abuse deserved a shout out. Yes, it was only a friendly against a 4th tier club -- but I'm actually glad that served as a launching pad for this sort of action. But I can very easily see this happening in a competitive match, and sort of hope it does. Boateng himself says he will walk again, despite the importance of the match. To be fair, I think many of the fans in that clip sound like they were actually applauding Milan as they walked off, but that's just a guess. Part of me wonders if the recent flurry of racial conflicts (Terry, Suarez, Fans and gestures, etc), is a result of more awareness and more intolerance for racist abuse, or if there is actually a regressive movement that is allowing this to be more acceptable. Don't really know. Also: I actually used to think Prince Boateng was not all that much of player--then he had a very good World Cup (including embarrassing the US defense), and then in 2011 this happened... ... so I had to readjust my thinking. (Still struggle with which element is the most impressive: the take, the dribble, or the finish.)
Good for him. What an embarrassment, even for a sh*t 4th division team. I haven't followed it closely but I know it happens much more in Eastern Europe. I know the US has a lot to answer for for our history. But I have never seen this happen in any pro sporting event.
but would he walk off the pitch if the away crowd was chanting racists abuses? wouldn't that just encourage the crowd to do it more?
interesting to saee what kind of fallout there will be is anyone walks off midway through a Champions League game, what will UEFA do? Part of me wants all of the fans fed up with this shit to go and kick the crap out of those morons who continue the ignorant chants
With all of the security systems available, you can't tell me that the clubs can't locate & kick these clowns out of the stadiums almost instantly. In England don't they have an advanced hooligan network that tracks their moves from the train station to the stands & back again? These clubs don't care.
there will no doubt be a badge of honour mentality flying around, soem groupd of idiots will take real pride in causing a meaningful game to be abandonded
oh they spot them and arrest them all the time, only recently an idiot at Stamford Bridge was caught on CCTV doing a monkey gesture ( i tink Chelsea were playing Utd), the courts dont scare these idiots though, the prospect of punishment by the Police is not enough in the UK, it is obviosuly less worrying in other European cities
It's not just football's problem, here's a story about two black NHL hockey players in the Czech Republic* *full disclosure, one of these players had a banana thrown at him in London Ontario too.
do they really arrest them? not that I support such activity, but couldn't the club just kick them out of the stadium and take away their season tickets and permanently ban them from the stadium? arresting them seems like a free speech issue. but of course, I don't know what kinds of free speech laws Europeans have.
true. neither are Flyers fans. but I don't recall too many incidents in the NHL (not sure about European leagues) that were racial in nature.
I'm going with "all of the above," since the reply shows that he hit the finish with the outside of his foot, which is why the keeper went the wrong way. Me neither, but I know people who have seen it. They're old now, but guys I used to watch LSU baseball games with told me stories about how The Jackie Robinson Story was repeated throughout the south as the various minor leagues integrated.
There was a banana thrown on the ice when Simmonds went to take a shootout shot, and this was in Canada. Weekes had a banana thrown at him during a playoff game in Montreal. Bruins fans were racially abusing Ward because they lost to the Caps and gone where their hopes of a Stanley Cup.
yeah, I'm not arguing that it doesn't happen. but it seems to be quite prevalent in Europe. and that is not the case (to my knowledge) in the US. that's all.
I think it happens more than people think, but you don't really hear of it on a mass scale like you do in football. I've been to MLB games and heard some racists comments being thrown around about Hispanic players.
I'm not trying to justify it, but were the comments loud enough to be heard on the field, or were they audible to the dumb guys the dumb guy making the comments was trying to impress (and a few other victims of their stupidity)?
well sure, racism exists in the US just as much as other places. but it can be a lone idiot shouting something racist, or an idiot and a few of his idiot buddies. but hardly ever crowd chants. it's usually just individuals or a few people doing it. that, or maybe the media isn't covering it. I'm not there at every game, so I don't have first hand experience. I only know what the media chooses to cover.
The story about black players in the NHL is pretty similar to baseball, the scale is much smaller due to smaller Canadian black populations, and the socio-economic realities about playing hockey (in short, it's a rich kids' sport).
We were third row up from the outfield wall and the comments were directed towards an outfielder. Not sure if he heard them or not. It was like a massive yelling, just some loud mouth speaking loud enough that everyone around him could hear.
I saw Anson Carter score his 100th collegiate goal back when he played for Michigan state. I don't remember any major problems he had in the NHL, but he had some bananas thrown at hom in Russia. I also liked it when he played for Vancouver and was a linemate with identical twins from Sweden (can't remember their names). The line was nicknamed The Brothers Line.