Racism in Soccer? HBO Dares to Uncover the Truth! [Archive]

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JayRockers!

28 Sep 2005, 12:02 AM

September 28 Edition of Real Sports (http://www.hbo.com/realsports/index.html).

The latest edition of Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel profiles Kurt Busch, the defending Nextel Cup Series champion, examines the persistence of racist incidents in European soccer, celebrates a special needs student-athlete in California, and revisits baseball's leading supplier of talent, the Dominican Republic when it returns Sept. 28, excluisvely on HBO.

Thx,

Jay!

Added... I went back to the website and saw DeFord's picture. I clicked the "stories" link and clicked segment 3. It was DeFord doing the piece! Then I saw it was the wrong one. Gumbel himself did it.

A Source of Shame (http://www.hbo.com/realsports/stories/2005/episode.102.s2.html)

One of the biggest challenges for American sports fans is understanding the huge appeal of professional soccer (football) in Europe. To a large degree, the scope of the intense hometown support and spirited rivalries that exist between dueling teams is admirable athletic competition. But extreme fan behavior is also part of the mix in European football. Now, a three-year REAL SPORTS investigation uncovers a disturbing, unchecked aspect of fan activity -- blatant racism. Among examples of extreme fan reaction to individual players are the mimicking of monkey sounds and the throwing of bananas anytime a black player touches the ball, as well as the waving of swastikas and open Nazi salutes. Speaking with Bryant Gumbel, players such as Thierry Henry of England's Arsenal reveal that in parts of Europe "home field advantage" has less to do with the color of one's jersey and more to do with the color of one's skin.

Correspondent: Bryant Gumbel
Producer: Tim Walker

I throw bananas at that pro-simian Oliver Khan whenever he is in goal. Does that make me a racist?

V Funk

28 Sep 2005, 02:09 AM

Real Sports is one of the big selling points of HBO for me (along with boxing and just about all of their other original programming). Some of the only real sports journalism you see on tv. Unless you find the questions on the Budweiser Hot Seat to be hard hitting...

The_Sandman

28 Sep 2005, 03:14 AM

I get all my soccer stories from Rome is Burning. Jim Rome rocks!

Spartak

28 Sep 2005, 05:14 AM

There is racism in European football? What a scoop for HBO.

Motterman

28 Sep 2005, 07:39 AM

The American sports journalist does not bring you soccer stories. They bring you soccer-related stories. They usually are about crowd control problems, riots, hooliganism, etc. Nice to see they are branching out into covering racism for a change... :rolleyes:

None of them could tell you who won the European Cup last season though. :(

texgator

28 Sep 2005, 08:49 AM

Now, a three-year REAL SPORTS investigation uncovers a disturbing, unchecked aspect of fan activity -- blatant racism.
Unchecked? Other than being discussed incessantly last season by people who actually cover the sport for a living, yeah, its been completely unchecked.

TarheelJTK

28 Sep 2005, 09:04 AM

I love how American journalists will go out over to Europe to deal with the negative aspects of soccer yet won't even bother to comment on results of things like the Champions League.

silentbob

28 Sep 2005, 10:35 AM

I think "unchecked" in the context of HBO's promo sentence meant that there were no consequences of the racist fan incidents (as in "checks and balances"). IIRC, their clubs may have had to pay some tiny fines to UEFA but that's about it. Nothing inaccurate about the statement.

monster

28 Sep 2005, 10:43 AM

Motterman

28 Sep 2005, 10:52 AM

None?

I highly doubt that.

OK, "none" is definitely over-stating it I'll admit.

I would say that an American sports journalist who knows a fair amount about soccer worldwide would be an atypical find.

MikeLastort2

28 Sep 2005, 11:02 AM

Cool. I'll have to watch this episode. Real Sports is one of my favorite shows on HBO.

The_Sandman

28 Sep 2005, 01:34 PM

Who hosts that show, still Bryant Gumbo? If he saw someone on the street in a red jersey with "Rooney" on the back, he'd probably mistake him for a really big 60 Minutes fan.

JasonC

28 Sep 2005, 06:15 PM

September 28 Edition of Real Sports (http://www.hbo.com/realsports/index.html).

One of the biggest challenges for American sports fans is understanding the huge appeal of professional soccer (football) in Europe. To a large degree, the scope of the intense hometown support and spirited rivalries that exist between dueling teams is admirable athletic competition. But extreme fan behavior is also part of the mix in European football. Now, a three-year REAL SPORTS investigation uncovers a disturbing, unchecked aspect of fan activity -- blatant racism. Among examples of extreme fan reaction to individual players are the mimicking of monkey sounds and the throwing of bananas anytime a black player touches the ball, as well as the waving of swastikas and open Nazi salutes. Speaking with Bryant Gumbel, players such as Thierry Henry of England's Arsenal reveal that in parts of Europe "home field advantage" has less to do with the color of one's jersey and more to do with the color of one's skin.

It took them 3 years to find this out? All they needed to do was go to one Lazio match.

AndyMead

28 Sep 2005, 06:37 PM

It took them 3 years to find this out? All they needed to do was go to one Lazio match.

"A 3 year study" doesn't mean it "took 3 years" to find something out.

Way to misread it.

vmax71

28 Sep 2005, 06:56 PM

I am just cringing thinking about how bryant gumbel is going to butcher our sport in the guise of being a credible journalist - I can't even bear to watch - will get a summary from you guys.

JayRockers!

28 Sep 2005, 10:55 PM

OK, "none" is definitely over-stating it I'll admit.

I would say that an American sports journalist who knows a fair amount about soccer worldwide would be an atypical find.
Yeah, you should know by now hyperbole and exaggeration for comedic effect really doesn't fly too well in this forum. Even if you do put that little "rolleyes" icon after your obviously over-the-top statement... :rolleyes:

Thx,

Jay!

Also, I'm TiVoing the show at 10pm Pacific, but feel free to discuss here if you've seen it.

V Funk

29 Sep 2005, 01:11 PM

I appreciated Henry's candor in not trying to act like his anti-racism TV spots were going to change the world. In fact, he seemed skeptical of things changing, at all. I have to agree and that gets a big :(

I always find myself torn when I visit Spain...I always enjoy going there but the racial tensions also sour the mood. But here in America...

Oh yeah, I can't believe they didn't even mention the day's Champions League matches....

clevelandstoker

30 Sep 2005, 02:15 PM

Parts of that piece were trash...such as showing stock footage of English hooligans...but it was interesting to see the reaction of the National Front boss and the EUFA lackey when confronted by an American journalist on their problems.

Look...Bryant Gumbel is smoking crack if he thinks racism is gone from our shores. Sure...our fans don't throw bananas or chant racist things...but do yourself a favor and park yourself in a high school football crowd on a Friday night. If team A from an urban setting is playing team B from a suburban setting you will hear a nice healthy portion of All-American gourmet racism.

futbolrey

30 Sep 2005, 09:08 PM

Look...Bryant Gumbel is smoking crack if he thinks racism is gone from our shores.

REDSKINS anyone?

DutchFootballRulez

30 Sep 2005, 09:41 PM