Racism in Football

[spzretent]

http://menmedia.co.uk/manchesterevening ... trice-evra

What is wrong with people and why does this happen so much in the UK? You never hear of anything like this happening over here. And we have so many more sporting events between the four major professional sports: Baseball, NFL, NBA, Hockey(NHL) then add in College Sports.
With this Trayvon Martin shooting I feel like this country is still in the dark ages where race is concerned.
Then I read things like this and Luis Suarez and more.
When organizations are set up like Kick Racism Out Of Football its a pretty sad world.

[runcible]

You'd think people around him would have turned on on the guy. I have seen that happen at matches and I wish it would happen more. Sadly many fans are so thick they look for the lowest common denominator and attack it. The awful incidents with Muamba and Petrov have brought some unity, but give it time and a load of wankers will start singing songs mocking the medical conditions of those players. It happened with the Man U Munich disaster, the Hilsborough tragedy, the Leeds fans murdered in Istanbul - all of which, at the time, brought unity and widespread goodwill. Shameful.

Mind you the tweets that Swansea uni scumpag posted about Muamba are among the worst pieces of abuse I have ever encountered. Just incredible anyone would even think thoughts like that let along put them on the web.

Whilst this incident is noteworthy the situation in many European countries - Poland, Russia, Serbia, Ukraine (to name a few), and even Italy and Spain are far worse from a racial perspective where it's standard behaviour at many grounds for black players on the away team to be booed throughout a game. This was a Liverpool fan mocking a black player, yet Liverpool have black players in their team. Pathetic.

[spzretent]

I only read the UK news so I have no idea what happens in other countries. I'm not surprised. It just seems so ignorant. That is actually too nice a word. Its fucking stupid!
Why have anger aimed towards a race? I could put together one hell of a team using only black players. Just in the Premiership.
I just dont get this at all.

I suppose the closest thing we have here is that our baseball team, like many others, is made up of mostly Latin American players. There are so many they speak spanish in the clubhouse. They are not really under any pressure to improve their english. The drawback is that fans in Detroit, where we dont have a large hispanic population, dont relate to them as much as they could. So the spokesman for the team is a career .200(batting average and not good at all) white ballplayer whom most fans here identify with. The casual fans(plus soccer moms/cougars) love him. The hardcore fans hate him and want him off the team.
This offseason Detroit signed one of the biggest free agents Prince Fielder. A totally chilled black player that people here have already fallen in love with. Fans can relate with a superstar finally.
Fans in the US heckle. That has almost become a sport within itself. Some of it is hilarious. It never crosses the line into racism that I have ever heard. Anywhere in the US.

[redcloud]

I don't even know how to respond to this. It is appalling. This guy isn't a football fan....he's an angry, ignorant disgrace who should be ashamed.

Over here, the Oakland Raiders fans are considered the most "barbaric and savage" fans in American football. There has been violence, there is a gang mentality and it is certainly an intimidating environment for opposing fans. But, even in this atmosphere I don't think people would hurl racist insults and remarks at the players.

[BVCP206]

I don't even know how to respond to this. It is appalling. This guy isn't a football fan....he's an angry, ignorant disgrace who should be ashamed.

Over here, the Oakland Raiders fans are considered the most "barbaric and savage" fans in American football. There has been violence, there is a gang mentality and it is certainly an intimidating environment for opposing fans. But, even in this atmosphere I don't think people would hurl racist insults and remarks at the players.

As someone living in the UK I was always under the impression that violence in American Football was limited to the pitch and there was never any trouble between opposing fans, in fact I thought fans never really travelled to away games. Have I got this wrong

[redcloud]

As someone living in the UK I was always under the impression that violence in American Football was limited to the pitch and there was never any trouble between opposing fans,

The Raider fans definitely have a thuggish mentality. Also, for some reason the Raiders have been adopted by many gangs, in particular, the Latino gangs. So, there has been trouble and even deaths but it is nothing at all like the mob, well organized violence one may see (or used to see) at a Millwall or Cardiff City game.

in fact I thought fans never really travelled to away games. Have I got this wrong

Of course fans travel to away games. There is always a contingent of visiting fans at every game. Because of the size of our country they may not travel in mass numbers from California to New York but there will still be some fans that do. More will obviously travel to closer cities or bigger rivals.

[spzretent]

As someone living in the UK I was always under the impression that violence in American Football was limited to the pitch and there was never any trouble between opposing fans, in fact I thought fans never really travelled to away games. Have I got this wrong

Yes.
Take it from someone who has traveled all over the place seeing the Detroit Red Wings. Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Chicago, Phoenix, Buffalo.
Never had a problem except Buffalo. Someone was standing outside the arena and we were looking for tickets. We walked up and he asked if we were touts. We said no. Told we were in Toronto last night and decided to go to Buffalo. He said Merry Christmas and gave us the tickets for nothing. As we were walking in I was grabbed by a tout and he demanded $20 from me. I asked why. He said I get a cut of everything out here. I asked him if he was the Mayor of scalpers? He didn't like that and pushed me. I didn't like that so I very rudely told him to get the fuck out of my face. He again demanded $20. I said listen, you get a cut of every transaction out here supposedly. He said Yep!. I said these were given to us. What is a percentage of $0. He said $20. I said you must have flunked math. Any percentage of $0 is ZERO. Now get away from me before I find a cop. He then told me next time I was in Buffalo he was going to kill me. I asked him for his phone number so I could call and let him know next time I was in town. While this was uncomfortable I was alarmed that there were no police anywhere in the area.
Flip side of that is Toronto which is notorious for touts/scalpers. We went up for a saturday night read: Hockey Night In Canada(nationally televised) Red Wings vs Toronto game. There were tons of people milling around Maple Leaf Gardens. We had been drinking a lot of the day so we were joking around with one of the touts and he decided to flip a coin. If we won we got a pair of tickets for $150. If we lost that pair was $250. This is way after the game started too. We won. He lived up to his end of the bargian and told us to meet him at a bar after the game so he could buy us drinks(which we really didn't need) but we did. And he did.
I have traveled to see the Detroit Tigers all over the place the only place I have ever had trouble was Cleveland. All the way down to the ushers and service staff. Miserable baseball fans. Sorry Redcloud.
At the end of the day there is very little fan violence. It happened in Los Angeles last year on opening day of the baseball season. I have seen plenty of fights in the stands and both Hockey and Football games. But its mainly alcohol related. Not racially motivated. There is no racism ever reported here

[redcloud]

I too have travelled to see my teams (Cleveland Browns and Cleveland Indians). I have been to Seattle, San Francisco, Kansas City, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and Buffalo. Apart from some good natured banter, which I fully expected, I have had no problems. That said, I had the chance to get tickets to either San Francisco or Oakland to see the Browns play last season. I was told by many of my Bay Area friends to go to a 49er game and not a Raider game. They told me it could be ugly if I wear Orange & Brown in Oakland stadium. At the start of last season there was actually a shooting in San Francisco at a 49ers v Raiders game. Strangely, the shooter and the victim were both Oakland fans. I think they were both gang bangers though.

I have traveled to see the Detroit Tigers all over the place the only place I have ever had trouble was Cleveland. All the way down to the ushers and service staff. Miserable baseball fans. Sorry Redcloud.

Yea, we're a depressed fan base that have been short changed with a really shitty product for years. Or, when our teams do have success they choke and collapse as soon as the trophy begins to look possible. We then see other working class cities like Detroit and Pittsburgh who somehow get it right and regularly win championships and bring pride to their city. Trust me, it's hard to be a Cleveland sports fan.

[spzretent]

They shouldn't take it out on the visiting fans. Trust me, in the 90's when the Indians were good and the Tigers weren't Tiger Stadium used to fill up with Indians fans. I highly doubt anyone went back to Cleveland bitching about Detroit fans.
I have even had confrontations with Indians fans in Detroit. We were in a standing area above the Indians bullpen yelling at the Indians pitchers warming up. One who was blown up the night before. And this Indians fan started in on me telling me how classless I was. I said to him did I swear? Did I say anything off color? Its part of the game. He was relentless until other Indians fans told him he was out of line. And he left with his tail between his legs.
Humor and sarcasm and so much a part of baseball. That, and the history, are the main reasons I adore the sport so much.
Well, that and the beer.

[redcloud]

They shouldn't take it out on the visiting fans. Its part of the game. He was relentless until other Indians fans told him he was out of line. And he left with his tail between his legs.

He was clearly an idiot. Sadly, that minority spoil it for many. It sounds like the other fans did the decent thing and told him to shut up. They were probably embarrassed by his antics.

When my son and I were at the 49ers v Browns game last October a couple twits were sitting behind us laughing and making jabs like "really, is this the best your city can produce?" I can take the banter. Trust me, I fully expect it when I go into somebody else's house. BUT...I eventually got annoyed and turned around and made a few comments about how easy SF's division is compared to Cleveland's. I think I also said something about enjoying them while they can because they will be moving south to Santa Clara/San Jose before too long. In the end they were alright. They laughed and at the end of the game they shook our hands, wished us luck and said they respected the true fans that stuck by their teams.

[spzretent]

There was an Indians/Tigers game here last summer where the Tigers just beat the snot out of Cleveland. We were sitting in a bar after the game and 3 Indians fans walked in. I told the bartender I am buying their first round. They came over and asked us about the Michigan beers. So we guided them and they freaked. They really enjoyed it. We all slapped each other on the back at the end of the night and I am pretty sure they went back to Cleveland thinking, Detroit is alright.
I would love nothing more than to have that happen to me in Cleveland.

[redcloud]

I would love nothing more than to have that happen to me in Cleveland.

One day I'll buy you that beer. It might not be in Cleveland though...but who knows.

[spzretent]

I have seen a few bands in Cleveland and really enjoyed the show and crowd. I've seen the Stones there twice 1978 and 1981, AC DC at the Q a few years ago and Lanegan/Soulsavers.
Something about them sports fan though.