The Rog's Rant
Soccer is welcome, but not soccer violence
The FIFA World Under-20 Soccer Tournament was a tremendous
success for FIFA and for Canadian soccer, no question.
The tournament was great, the attendance was an all-time record
and the tournament served as a coming out party for big-time
soccer in Canada. Soccer really is the world’s game and
the “beautiful game” as it is called.
It’s all good.
What is also good is the swift and prompt reaction to the
ugly scene after the semi-final game between Chile and Argentina
that started on the field and ended with a most unfortunate
altercation with the police.
I’m am not taking sides, I am not criticizing anybody
personally but we must make it clear that the kind of violence
we have seen associated with soccer elsewhere is not welcomed
in this country. Ever.
I don’t care how bad the officiating was. I don’t
care if it was the worst officiated game in the history of soccer.
And I completely understand the passion and frustration of players
and coaches in such an important game – I don’t
blame them for being angry. I do blame them for letting their
anger get out of control.
The behavior of the players and especially the coaches on
the field was totally unacceptable. And again, I will not comment
directly on the scene afterwards because I didn’t see
it – except to say that I have a lot of confidence in
Toronto’s police and security teams and will leave it
at that.
The Chile delegation demanded an apology from Canadian officials
for the way they were treated by police. What they should have
done first was apologize for their out of control behavior on
the field that led to the high emotions after the game.
They embarrassed themselves, they embarrassed the tournament
officials and they embarrassed the wonderful game of soccer,
which far too often has been tainted by ugly scenes, far more
than any other sport seems to be.
And before anyone tries to argue that point, please –
the number of times the sport of soccer seems to have inspired
this kind of behavior far exceeds other sports. When is the
last time police in this county have had to use force on a hockey,
basketball, football or any other team after a game? Try never.
Do you hear about rugby and cricket incidents involving payer
or fan violence nearly as often as soccer incidents in the rest
of the world? Of course you don’t.
How did the NBA react to the horrible, horrible brawl in the
stands in Detroit a few years ago? They threw Ron Artest out
of the league for a year and arrested and fined fans. Artest
is lucky he didn’t get booted out for good.
Soccer and hooliganism seem to be bedfellows and have been
unfortunately for decades, even though this one incident is
not meant as an indictment of the sport of soccer. What it is
though, is a message of how we in North America look at these
kinds of incidents.
There is no place for that behavior, in soccer or anything
else, in our society. I’m sorry the Chile officials felt
they were dealt with unfairly.
They can take solace from the fact that if I was running the
tournament I would have sent their team home after their despicable
behavior in the semi-final in front of a world audience.
Soccer is a great game, the people of Chile are terrific people
and they are both welcome in the North American sports scene
at any time. But the ugly incidents that often accompany the
world’s beautiful game?
Sorry. No place for that here at any time and under any circumstances.
Let’s make that clear right from the get-go.
Comments on The Rant of July 9 on Barry Bonds:
“I feel sorry for Barry Bonds more than anybody else.
Because if he was on steroids as long as some people suggest,
he is going to have massive health issues and they are going
to hit him very soon.” – Steve in Toronto
“Asterisk? Bonds was clearly a complete "ass to
risk" his magnificent legacy (not to mention his health)
by taking the 'roids. Mind you, good thing he's not a 'pro'
wrestler or he wouldn't just be murdering the baseball.”
- Bruce in Nanaimo, B.C.
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