'Setting an example is not the main means of influencing others, it is the only means'- Albert Einstein
The first major illness of the autumn/ winter season has struck. Thankfully it isn't a pesky cold or a rare tropical disease contracted from some weird foreign food, but is instead one of the sporting variety. The new NBA season has arrived and it promises to be a cracker of a season. Will the Golden State Warriors win their 3rd Championship in a row? Can LeBron James lead the Los Angeles Lakers to glory and push his claim to be the G.O.A.T.? Will the stereotype of white men being unable to jump be broken? Oh my, it's all too much.
With the Toronto Raptors 6-0 so far this season, hopes are certainly high for this enthusiastic, yet still learning game by game, NBA fan. Indeed, fireworks have already been set off in the recent clash between the Lakers and the Houston Rockets. After Brandon Ingram (Lakers) fouled the magnificently bearded James Harden (rockets), he then pushed him and was called for a technical foul. Ingram's unsportsmanlike conduct was then increased tenfold as he got in referee Jason Philips' face, meaning teammate Lance Stephenson had to pull him away. Rajon Rondo (Lakers) and Chris Paul (Rockets) then decided to have a shouting match- and that's when Rondo apparently spat in Paul's face. Paul put his finger in Rondo's face, meaning Rondo unleashed his fists of fury. His target started throwing punches back, encouraging Ingram to join the fracas as well. A memorable home debut for LeBron James in his Lakers career.
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| NBA Slam takes on a whole new meaning |
Game suspensions were duly handed out; 4 for Brandon, 3 for Rajon and 2 for Chris. Fines have also been dished out as, with Paul forfeiting $491,781 in salary, Rondo $186,206 and Ingram $158,817. With Paul being president of the National Basketball Player Association, the fine and suspension is costliest to him due to the fact that he needs to be seen as a voice of reason and authority in the NBA community. There's no excuse to behaviour like this, and is quite a sight to see on the basketball court. Scuffles are important tactics in ice hockey and contact sports like American football always bring about some aggressive behaviour, but basketball?! Perish the thought!
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| It looks so satisfying in slow motion |
On the same day, another storm was brewing in London with Jose Mourinho returning to his old stomping ground of Stamford Bridge with his Manchester United team. A last minute Chelsea equaliser led to one of their assistant coaches, Marco Ianni, celebrating right in the face of United's manager. The former Special One isn't one to back down from a fight and squared up to the overly-excited coach. Stewards and staff stepped in to make sure that Mourinho didn't pummel Ianni as he hurried down the tunnel. Once the full-time whistle had gone, the ever-confident Jose held 3 fingers up to the taunting Chelsea fans to kindly remind them that he was the man who had led them to Premier League glory three times. Cocky, obnoxious, sulky in defeat; Jose Mourinho is a strange creature.
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| The man just loves being the centre of attention |
So, it was certainly an explosive Saturday. It was excellent entertainment, that's for sure, but it puts a black mark against the match and takes attention away from the game itself. When people ask whether you saw Chelsea vs United at work on Monday, they will forget about the excitement of last minute equalisers and another solid performance from Anthony Martial. Instead, it's all about the schoolyard squabble between a disgruntled manager who is acting like a man who wants to get fired and a very happy coach who let his emotions get the better of him. It's understandable that when two rivals face one another sparks fly, but it should be about the duel on the pitch rather than off it i.e. the actual football, not angry men getting pissy at each other.
Discipline should be kept in check in all professional sports. These world-class athletes are icons to aspiring stars and hopeful youths striving for fame and glory. To see their favourite player throw a punch, swear profusely or commit other misdemeanours, they get the wrong idea of how to act when playing.
Cheating does rear its ugly head in sports on numerous occasions, and that is a problem that needs to be addressed still in order to maintain the sporting community's respect in the wider community. A blatant dive on the football pitch, mixed in with unnecessarily aggressive behaviour, just gives off a terrible impression. Looking at you, Sergio Ramos...
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| What a wetty |
We are taught from a young age the importance of sorting out any tense situation with words and a calm head rather than landing an uppercut to the kid who took the last piece of jelly at lunch. The threat of being sent to the Headmaster's office or having to deal with unimpressed parents sends shivers down the spine, especially when dealing with a disapproving look from Mum after she remarked on how disappointed she was. Yet these fully grown men, who they themselves might be parents, still choose the path of violence because someone gave them a little push. Of course, some people react aggressively when actions/ words are much more serious (i.e. the first punch or even a racist comment), but there still needs to be a degree of professionalism in these situations. The world is watching and they will make their voices heard. Twitter is a ferocious beast.
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| You can always rely on Paddy Power for insightful tweets |
It's not new to see blood boiling over when partaking in sports. Even a kick about at break time can lead to a full-on brawl after a dirty tackle or whether the jumper used as a goalpost is of regulation size. This blogger has certainly let the heat of the moment overtake him on the rugby field, with a punch or two thrown in the scrum or a cheeky dig at the ability of the other team to play sport. Once the game ends, handshakes are exchanged and all the hatred that flowed for 80 minutes evaporates into nothing with an apology and a laugh at how embarrassed you feel for stamping on someone's head. But the stars of the sporting arena have so much more on the line. Their reputation is under constant examination and this is their livelihood.
The amount of money being thrown around in football is a crime in itself and those salaries can easily be curtailed after losing their head on the pitch. Regardless of sport, gender and level of ability, initiating a fight is inexcusable.
The whole point of this ramble is that sporting authorities really need to clamp down on discipline. Football still suffers from the tragedy of players surrounding the referee in a threatening manner and trying to change their decision with exuberant hand gestures and some very close contact with the face. Racism still remains a blight across the board, especially when you consider how the Russian FA was fined £22,000 for Russian supporters making racist taunts to several black French players in May 2018. In the same month, the English FA was fined £16,000 for an English player drinking an energy drink that wasn't an official sponsor of the Under-20 World Cup. The idiocy of FIFA is on great display here, and their failure to actively deal with racism means that there is little hope in making sure the game remains professional and respected.
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| After racially abusing Patrice Evra back in 2011, Luis Suarez was banned for eight games |
Sadly, the road to the utopia of sport being a place free of ill-discipline and other negative aspects is a long one. More time it seems is put into maximising revenue rather than ensuring that professionalism is constantly maintained and any act against it is met with no tolerance. The longer that players are allowed to get away with scuffles and the like, the worse the situation will get. While there are plenty of examples of well-behaved athletes doing their respective sports a service by being courteous and calm, there are still those that ruin it for everyone else. It's not too much to ask. If you can get a bunch of kids to recognise the downsides of being a little shit when playing sports, then the process shouldn't be too hard for adults. *sigh*
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| On second thought... |
So here's the conclusion. Cut out the 3 S's; cut out the swearing, shoves and shitty behaviour. Is that too hard of a task? Yes, of course it is. It's unlikely that this epic ramble (in the sense that it's muddled rather than it being an intelligent piece of writing) will create shockwaves amongst the administrative sporting bodies, but this topic is worth discussing. Youths are impressionable, whether
it's being cool by doing drugs or
watching douchey vloggers on YouTube, and the actions of their sporting heroes are bound to rub off on them. Let's just hope that their incredible sporting achievements overshadow thrown punches and other violent actions.
Ben G 😁 xo
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