I feel sorry for Suarez. All that talent and to miss most of the world cup. My family and I, we know him well, because we have been Liverpool supporters forever. This last Premier League season, Suarez was banned for the first nine games for another biting incident. But when he returned to the League, he was magic. He found the net every time someone gave him a ball.
Liverpool came second in the league this year and qualified for Champions' League, after many years. I see we are buying new strikers left, right and centre. (Though I think what we need is a defence now that we have lost our old faithful, Carragher, and we have Sturridge and Sterling around.)
But Suarez did not bite anyone after that ban just before the last season - until last week. I saw that bite and there is no way of getting away from that. I saw the marks on Chiellini's shoulder. The teeth went in. But nine matches and four months? FIFA is making a point, or destroying his motivation?
That boy needs treatment, not punishment. I keep thinking of all the things we need to purge football of, before we home in on a Uruguayan with buck teeth.
No one would bite a sweaty footballer in the middle of a game, which millions are watching, unless there is a serious compulsion. Human beings do not bite as a matter of choice. And I do not believe Suarez goes out there with intention.
How about the rampant spitting? We don't see Murray, Nadal or Sharapova, not even the courageous Williams sisters spitting on the sanctified grass of Wimbledon, do we? But, in football, it seems to be de rigueur. What about all that head butting and tripping up ? Sometimes there is serious damage done to the victim. I have seen men being carried away with concussion or wounds on the face. Why doesn't FIFA punish for broken noses, for instance?
Racism is illegal, but they get away with racist rants and name-calling in many countries in Europe. Who do we ban for that?
Then again, I think of all the suspected corruption that lingers in the corridors of FIFA. Nothing proven yet, but some strange things do happen.
'He who has a beam in his eye...
Liverpool came second in the league this year and qualified for Champions' League, after many years. I see we are buying new strikers left, right and centre. (Though I think what we need is a defence now that we have lost our old faithful, Carragher, and we have Sturridge and Sterling around.)
But Suarez did not bite anyone after that ban just before the last season - until last week. I saw that bite and there is no way of getting away from that. I saw the marks on Chiellini's shoulder. The teeth went in. But nine matches and four months? FIFA is making a point, or destroying his motivation?
That boy needs treatment, not punishment. I keep thinking of all the things we need to purge football of, before we home in on a Uruguayan with buck teeth.
No one would bite a sweaty footballer in the middle of a game, which millions are watching, unless there is a serious compulsion. Human beings do not bite as a matter of choice. And I do not believe Suarez goes out there with intention.
How about the rampant spitting? We don't see Murray, Nadal or Sharapova, not even the courageous Williams sisters spitting on the sanctified grass of Wimbledon, do we? But, in football, it seems to be de rigueur. What about all that head butting and tripping up ? Sometimes there is serious damage done to the victim. I have seen men being carried away with concussion or wounds on the face. Why doesn't FIFA punish for broken noses, for instance?
Racism is illegal, but they get away with racist rants and name-calling in many countries in Europe. Who do we ban for that?
Then again, I think of all the suspected corruption that lingers in the corridors of FIFA. Nothing proven yet, but some strange things do happen.
'He who has a beam in his eye...
