Sunday, March 18, 2012
Call Yourself A Professional Footballer?
Much hype recently about the 'power of social media' with an online clip about an African warlord going viral and many middle class liberals wringing their hands as much at the 'power' they think they now have as the crimes of that particularly despicable; by the way he was not an unknown, anyone who keeps up with current affairs would have been familiar with his evil story.
I have my doubts. Most people on line have the attention span of a stick insect. I'm surrounded by people at work who spend half their day on facebook yet they can never recall a joke they had regaled/bored us with 24 hours earlier.
But on the day Fabrice Muamba suffered a heart attack while playing for Bolton Wanderers in an FA Cup tie against Tottenham players round the world were still diving and cheating.
Check out this guy playing for Muang Thong United against BEC Tero on the opening day of the new Thai Premier League season. Watch from around 1:00.
Can the internet change anything? Probably not. But wouldn't it be nice if this particular individual, who probably calls himself a professional footballer, demands a high salary, win bonuses etc etc, was called to account for his bullshit. Wouldn't it be nice if the club sanctioned him. Wouldn't it be nice if he was banned from football for life?
He's a cheat. OK, in this example a failed cheat but all too often players get away with this kind of shit and when they do get away with it their clubs acquiesce. with their silence they condone this cheating.
Players are quick enough to whine about the ref, whine about their 'hectic schedule'. It would be nice to see them take a stand against this embarrassing behaviour and tell the offenders it just ain't acceptable.
# posted by Me @ 6:15 AM 
