#but it could have included the UK example of a football fan who was banned from going to the stadium over her tweets

[calacuspr]

Calacus Weekly Hit & Miss – Thierry Henry & The National League

Every Monday we look at the best and worst communicators in the sports world from the previous week.

HIT – THIERRY HENRY

There has been much debate in recent weeks about the value of sports stars taking the knee.

Players and broadcasters make sure they push messages about the importance of equality and the fight against racism, but we have seen lately some players refuse to comply because they are seeing no progress.

Crystal Palace and Ivory Coast forward Wilfried Zaha, for instance, said that he will no longer take the knee before matches because he feels it is “degrading” and isn’t leading to real action on racism.

While discourse on racism and equality is certainly a step forward, there remain doubts about the progress being made on and off the sports field and in society in general.

Social media is one area in particular where racism and trolling are rife, with so many black players in particular facing racist abuse, even from their own ‘fans’.

Recently, Swansea midfielder Yan Dhanda hit out at social media companies after he became another victim of online abuse on Instagram.

South Wales police launched an investigation after Dhanda received a private message following Swansea’s 3-1 defeat against Manchester City but the player criticised Facebook, which owns Instagram, for not being proactive enough. The account holder was prevented from sending direct messages “for a set period of time”.

The former Arsenal and France striker Thierry Henry, decided this week to take stronger action, deleting his social media platforms until greater action is taken to address the racism that pervades those channels.

Henry, who recently left his role as head coach at Montreal Impact, has 10 million followers on his Facebook page, along with 2.7m on Instagram and 2.3m on Twitter.

He said: “Hi Guys, from tomorrow morning I will be removing myself from social media until the people in power are able to regulate their platforms with the same vigour and ferocity that they currently do when you infringe copyright.

“The sheer volume of racism, bullying and resulting mental torture to individuals is too toxic to ignore. There HAS to be some accountability. It is far too easy to create an account, use it to bully and harass without any consequence and still remain anonymous. Until this changes, I will be disabling my accounts across all social platforms. I’m hoping this happens soon.”

Speaking on CNN, Henry added: “It's not a safe place and it's not a safe environment. I wanted to take a stand on saying that it is an important tool that unfortunately some people turn into a weapon because they can hide behind a fake account.

“I'm not saying it's not good to have social media, I'm just trying to say that it has to be a safe place.

“Basically, I did what I felt and I hope it can inspire people to do the same thing if they feel the same way.”

Oliver Dowden, Minister for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS), said nobody should be forced to disable their social media accounts due to abuse.

He commented: “Social media firms must do more to tackle this and we are introducing new laws to hold platforms to account,” he said.

“This is complex and we must get it right, but I’m absolutely determined to tackle racist abuse online.”

But where is the deterrent when Patrick O'Brien, 18, sent 20 messages to Ian Wright on Instagram after losing a Fifa video game match in May 2019.

The teenager, who blamed his loss on picking Wright as one of his players, was given probation rather than a criminal conviction when the case came to court in February.

Wright said: “It seems to be a fad now - a black player plays poorly, or they think they've played poorly, and they come with all the emojis, or whatever it is.

“There are ways of being able to catch people. I don't think they [social media companies] are vigilant enough, nowhere near. How much do they really care deep down?”

“Seeing this judgement, I can only wonder what deterrent there is for anyone else who spouts this kind of vile racist abuse.”

The social media platforms make promises and declarations about how seriously they take online abuse, but until they take consistently more robust action and legal punishments better reflect the pain and suffering caused by trolling, the problems will endure. 

MISS – THE NATIONAL LEAGUE

The Covid-19 pandemic has had huge ramifications on sports clubs of all shapes and sizes.

Professional and amateur football clubs in the UK are one such group that has suffered severe financial losses, largely stemming from a ban on spectators from attending matches.

While elite teams have been able to fall back on other income streams such as broadcast and sponsorship revenue, professional and semi-professional non-league sides have been left to fight for their existence due to the lack of matchday income.

With the cost of hosting matches and paying players often outweighing money coming into clubs in the absence of fans, some sides have been forced to take drastic measures including the postponement of fixtures.

Last month, the National League confirmed that clubs would not be fined or have sanctions imposed on them for non-fulfillment of matches during the Covid crisis, news which was largely welcomed by clubs.

However, the League has since reversed its decision and imposed fines and suspended points penalties on several clubs across the National League, National League North, and National League South.

It is a decision that has shocked many with critics arguing that enforcing financial penalties on clubs for deciding against playing matches behind closed doors because they lacked the money to do so makes little sense.

Every organisation should have the right to change their mind or approach should circumstances change, but it must be communicated clearly and this move by the league could be viewed as trying to profit from something that is out of anyone’s control.

Dover Athletic have undoubtedly been hit hardest by the National League’s decision after they were expunged from the competition for failing to fulfil their fixtures.

The Kent club have only played 15 times this season compared to at least 25 by the rest and they will play no further part in the current campaign having had their previous results wiped out.

They have also been handed a 12-point deduction to start with next season and a £40,000 fine for being in breach of league rules.

Dover's owner and chairman Jim Parmenter shared his grievances with Sky Sports News: ""We have been hung out to dry and made an example of to the rest of the league with this draconian punishment. They are trying to implement a rule book that is not designed to deal with issues like a pandemic.

"We've stuck our necks out while there are seven or eight other clubs in a similar situation scared stiff of the type of action the league has taken against us.

"We have demonstrated we cannot afford to continue, nor finance a loan, so how does issuing us with a £40,000 fine help football?"

The National League's statement read: "The panel had regard to financial information provided by Dover Athletic and fully respected the responsibility of the club's directors under company law. However, the panel also had to consider the integrity of the competition and the actions of Dover in relation to the other 22 Clubs that continue to incur much costs as they fulfill their fixtures.

"In view of the current financial situation and in order to reflect the approach taken in other cases of breaches of rule 8.39, the independent panel reduced the initial fine by 20 per cent to £40,000."

Dover were not the only side impacted by the decision, with National League South side Dulwich Hamlet taking to social media to express their shock at being fined £8,000 and given a suspended eight-point deduction.

“Solidarity to the other clubs affected, sometimes you wonder why you do this in the first place. We'll work together for the good of the game and hope that change is swift,” the club tweeted.

The past 12 months have been an incredibly uncertain time and this has invariably led to difficult decisions having to be made, but the National League has made a series of mistakes in how it has communicated with its clubs and stakeholders.

Alongside ensuring the health and safety of players, coaches, officials, administrators, and spectators, the National League should be trying to do everything in its power to ensure all 66 clubs stay afloat, but that has clearly not been the case.

This sorry tale underlines the importance of regularly communicating with all stakeholders to explain why decisions have been taken and to avoid any unexpected shocks or U-turns that will have long-term implications.

[lemonkimchi]

Are Koreans Racist?

I was inspired by a comment I received on one of my previous entries. 

If you’re outside of Korea, you’ve likely heard about the apparent love of blackface:

Unless they’re in the generation after mine, a lot of Koreans simply don’t see the problem. I wondered how that was possible, because I was raised in a culture where blackface was always considered to be inappropriate. Of course, there are genuine racists in Korea because genuine racists exist everywhere, but the situation in Korea widely appears to be a simple case of ignorance because of a lack of education on the subject of equality and acceptance. This comes in two parts. 

1. A (seemingly) cultural belief that “If it’s not mean, it’s not racist.” 

I remember teaching adults in my generation about this. They were educated people who tried to be more culturally educated, and I explained a situation I frequently ran into: when shopping with a Korean friend, I would usually ask the staff for something (in Korean) and the staff would either speak Korean as a reply only to my Korean friend or they’d attempt to flub through very bad English (even though I wasn’t speaking English). When I explained this to my adult students, they said that it’s simply because the staff is scared to speak English. “But I’m not speaking English,” I reminded them. “Yes, but they think you’re speaking English because you’re not Korean.” “No they don’t, they understand my Korean but simply choose to answer the question to my Korean friend instead of replying to me.” “That’s because they’re scared of speaking in English!” “But I’m not speaking English.” “Yes, but because you’re not Korean, they’re afraid of speaking English, so they feel more comfortable speaking to your Korean friend.” “That’s racist.” “No, they’re just uncomfortable.” “Have you ever had this problem in Korea, where you ask a question in Korean and the staff doesn’t reply to you, but talks to your child or to your friend instead?” “No, because I’m Korean.” “Yes, that’s right. So they are treating me differently because I’m not Korean and that’s what makes it racist.” “Oh!”

During another adult class focused on travel, I was teaching about different people in Australia. When I posted a picture of an Aboriginal Australian, one of my well-traveled, intelligent students said, “Hey, he looks like a monkey!” I was taken aback and explained that’s not something you should say, but after I collected myself from the initial shock I explained why. I asked her how she would feel if a non-Asian was shown a picture of a Korean and they laughed and said, “He’s all yellow and squinty!” and she understood.

Koreans recognize racism, they aren’t immune to this concept. They recognize it a lot when they receive it because of previous Japanese invasion/occupation. The Koreans were treated as subhuman. In fact, that’s one reason they had become so isolationist after the Mongolians invaded back in the 13th century: they didn’t want to deal with other people’s bullshit, and thought this was a great way to deal with it. 

Koreans were (rightfully) upset by some media issues I want to share:

First is this racist gesture during a football match.

It really pissed off the Koreans on the team and landed the offender, Edwin Cardona, a five game ban. 

Second, a British guy commented about a Korean bakery on a TV program. His comment had him saying it was like a UK bakery, and he referred to it as “civilized”. Some Korean viewers wanted to leave positive comments to him on his Instagram page. His friends thought it would be a good idea to mock the broken English used by some of the Korean fans, and this did not sit well, either. This story ended up on the Korea Times. 

Third, from another Korea Times article, racism towards and from Koreans was pointed out, including this ridiculous picture from Glamour Brazil:

So if Koreans can recognize racism, why don’t they apply it to their own racist commentary/behavior? This article sums it up pretty well: because Korea has been invaded but never invaded others, it sees itself as a peace-loving perpetual victim; as such, Koreans may have the inability to recognize that they can cause racism and create victims.

Compounding this issue...

2. There currently are no anti-discrimination laws in Korea.

If you read the article, you’ll find that Korea has no anti-discrimination laws in this sense. As recently as February 2017, Koreans were petitioning the government to actually create some anti-discrimination laws to cover sexual orientation, race, and religion. 

Korea does have laws against discriminatory hiring practices, but this is only for women, the disabled, and the elderly. How much of this is enforced, I can’t say. I will say that I have worked for a place that had refused to let women teach the adult students attending the learning center because it was “too hard for women to teach adults” (my direct bosses knew this was sexist bullshit and let me teach the adults anyway), and I have only seen one disabled person ever in Korea that had a regular job. 

Just in 2017, a Korean soldier was given a jail sentence for being gay, and foreigners are encouraged to never attend Pride events because some Christian extremists will photograph you, figure out where you work, and try to get you fired for supporting the LGBT community. All of this is currently legal. 

Teaching English in Korea has some requirements set out, but once you arrive in Korea you may find a problem getting work. If you appear white (even if European ancestry is very small in your genetic make-up), you will likely have an easier time finding a job in Korea. There is even discrimination against foreign-born Koreans who speak fluent English. 

While we’re on the subject, if you’re obese, your application (which must include a photo) could be rejected. If you ask why, they’ll plainly tell you it’s because of your weight. 

Are you male? Well, some places hire women-only. Wait, isn’t that illegal? Yeah. Not really the most enforced thing. 

Okay, so you’re a slim, white female from the UK. You’ll have an easy time finding work, right? Not so fast. The US and Canadian accents are the most trendy, so I’ve met British people who were denied jobs on the grounds of “We want someone with an English accent.”  “But I am English and this is an English accent.” “I mean, speaking English like an American.”

It’s actually a really layered problem and this is why things like blackface get a slap on the wrist in the form of issuing an apology...if that. Compounding the issue is “Riding the White Horse”, which is the creepy fetishization of white people. I’ve heard some people, like the person who replied to the blog linked at the top of this entry, assume that it means all white women get raped in Korea (which isn’t true). I don’t understand why Riding the White Horse is considered anything special, since the west has “Yellow Fever” for the creepy fetishisization of Asians and “Jungle Fever” for the creepy fetishization of those who have African ancestry. This is an example of ingroup/outgroup thinking that makes it seem like Koreans are mega racist assholes (and they aren’t). 

Overall, for the individual person, racism, sexism, and other forms of discrimination don’t really happen because most Koreans...like most non-Koreans...aren’t fucking assholes. They’re regular people who want to live their lives peacefully and meet new people, they understand sharing culture and experience is a positive thing. 

Racists do exist, but they exist everywhere. The ignorance Koreans have about discriminatory actions is due to widespread ignorance on what constitutes discrimination compounded by a lack of laws (or existing weak laws). With some education on the subject, it’s very easy to get Koreans up to speed...in fact, even without it being specifically taught in school, many of today’s teens and children are very keen on discrimination of all kinds and know it’s morally wrong.

[everydayantisemitism]

With "hundreds" of fans performing Nazi salutes, it's time to take firm action against antisemitism in European football

#EverydayAntisemitism

The far-right has long seen European football as a recruiting ground. In Britain, informants and even players have claimed that neo-Nazi groups often infiltrated groups of football fans. Similarly, fears have previously been raised about neo-Nazi elements establishing themselves in various countries, including Germany, Spain, and a myriad of other European countries.

These troubling links between the politics of the far- right and European football should cause us to pause and reflect on the “Jewish” character that many European football clubs have assumed in their rivalries. Famously, Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League has been known as the “Yid Army” for decades. Whilst Tottenham has always had a significant Jewish supporter base, the epithet “Yid” is used both by non-Jewish supporters, and by non-Jewish supporters of opposing teams, who often use it as an insult.

Opposition to the use of the term is often dismissed as over-sensitivity. Many Tottenham Hotspur fans view the term as affectionate, and opponents often see derogatory use of it as solely attached to the club, with antisemitic intent absent. Yet, many matches between Tottenham and other London clubs will be marked by hissing noises from the stands – an attempt to mimic the sound of the gas chambers, as well as multiple puerile chants clearly targeting Jews. The extent of these chants is well documented, examples can be read about here and here. This antisemitism has even previously escalated into a stabbing.

Several recent incidents on the continent illustrate just how deeply ingrained this antisemitism has become in what is referred to by its fans as the “beautiful game”. Last week, Lazio fans plastered images of Anne Frank in a Roma jersey around the stadium that the two rivals share, and the BBC reports that antisemitic slogans such as “Roma fans are Jews” were also found in the stadium. Whilst Roma is not a club that has a reputation as an ostensibly “Jewish” team, like Spurs and Ajax are, it does have a large Jewish following, something almost certainly not lost on many Lazio fans, who have previously used the Holocaust to taunt their rivals before; in 1998, Lazio fans flew a banner reading “Auschwitz is Your Homeland. The Ovens are Your Homes”. The Italian Football Federation have announced that a hearing is to be held, which Lazio representatives will have to attend.

The reaction to the Anne Frank stickers was fierce, but time will tell if there is any bite behind the bark. Sergio Mattarella, Italy’s President, called the stickers “inhumane”, and “an insult and a threat”. Anxious to salvage the club’s reputation, Lazio President Claudio Lotito visited a local Synagogue, yet a local news source claims that a recording shows him mocking the visit, which he allegedly treated as a mere charade.

One initiative taken that was taken following these disgraceful scenes was that Lazio appeared in t-shirts bearing Anne Frank’s face to display their opposition to the Antisemitism of their fans. Across Serie A, extracts from Anne Frank’s diary and Primo Levi’s “If This Is A Man” were read at matches, followed by a minute of applause. Yet across Serie A, sections of fans ignored the displays, or worse. Hundreds of Juventus fans allegedly turned their backs and sang the Italian National Anthem. Worse still, 500 Lazio fans outside the Stadium sang Nazi songs and performed Nazi salutes during the ceremony. Crotone fans also reportedly sang their club’s songs as the reading was taking place. Many of the fans taking part in these despicable displays are thought to be “ultras”, a word used for football hooligans in Italy.

There are growing calls to permanently ban those involved with such displays of antisemitism. The police have already identified 16 individuals suspected of being involved with the Lazio incidents.

These events could easily lead one to the impression that efforts to combat antisemitism in football is futile. The response – involving police investigations, a genuine effort to increase awareness, widespread, unequivocal condemnation from political and sporting leaders, and attempts to build bridges with the Jewish community – was thorough and generally appeared to be carried out in good faith. Yet if this is followed up with prosecutions and stadium bans, the authorities will be in a position to demonstrate the antisemitism in football is completely unacceptable and will meet strict sanctions, something which is yet to be achieved on a widespread basis in London derbies involving Tottenham. In order to seriously tackle this problem, football fans need to acknowledge the uncomfortable fact that racism and antisemitism are still disturbingly common in Europe. The language of antisemitism does not stand in isolation, but is a continuation of the antisemitism prevalent in society at large. Until this is recognised, and perpetrators are consistently identified and sanctioned, antisemitism will always enjoy a safe refuge in the hearts of European societies – their national sport.

English football once had a far more pronounced problem with racism, far- right extremism and hooliganism. Groups such as the National Front determinedly sought to recruit football fans, producing a magazine, The Bulldog, which devoted pages to covering the sport. The Bulldog was freely distributed in many football stadia in the country. After the Heysel football tragedy, a crowd crush in Belgium at a match between Liverpool and Juventus, leaflets for the far-right British National Party were found in the terraces, according to Christos Kassimeris, a prominent academic writing on racism in football.. Many of these activities seem to coincide with the decline of the far-right as a political force following the advent of the Thatcher government, as many of its target supporters were drawn towards mainstream conservatism, which had been repackaged to have a greater appeal to sections of the white working class. The Bulldog was founded in 1981 and the Heysel tragedy was in 1985. Senior National Front figures such as Martin Wingfield and Martin Webster both publicly stated that various factions of the National Front targeted football fans in their recruitment according to Anthony King in The European Ritual. Christos Kassimeris and others have suggested that the decline in political support for the National Front caused them to increase their activities, dropping previous pretence of having a broad economic program, and instead focusing on populism capitalising on racist sentiment.

Whilst in Britain, huge progress has been made in reducing racism and far-right activity in football grounds, 50% of match-goers witnessed racism since 2010, down from 61% between 2000 and 2009, and 67% between 1990 and 1999. Football fans can face criminal sanction in the UK under several statutes.: Iindividual racist expressions can be charged under the Public Order Act 1986 for using “obscene or foul language at football grounds”. Repeated racist chanting, but only by grounds of supporters, became a criminal offence under section 3 of the Football (Offences) Act. It was only with the passage of the Football (Crime and Disorder) Act 1999 that individuals were caught under a specific offence, but only if they repeatedly chanted racist slurs. The changes in the criminal law, though not perfect, have led to a decline in overt racism in English football. Concurrently, efforts within football have made a clear difference. The Kick It Out campaign was born out of cooperation between groups including the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE), the Professional Footballers Association (PFA) and the Football Supporters Association (FSA). The Kick It Out initiative established a set of guidelines, including preventing the circulation of far- right materials in stadia. Whilst some far-right material has been distributed in the last 20 years, and racist chanting still happens, both are in a clear decline. All of these measures, however, require good-will from prosecutors, clubs and the majority of fans, to have serious impact. Increased fines for clubs, bans for players and supporters, and perhaps most potently, point deductions, can help create incentives to stamp out overt displays of racism. If, however, we are presented with the reality of extremists once again targeting football fans, bans of those who are known to be associated with far right groups outside of football may be prudent. The fact that 500 Lazio fans congregated outside the ground to perform Nazi salutes and chant Nazi slogans strongly suggests that these individuals had already previously been banned for their behaviour, but in order to ensure they are not able to poison the wider footballing environment, measures such as those often taken in the UK – such as banning them from being within a certain distance of a football ground within a certain time period of a match – would go a long way, as would seeking an understanding from bars popular with supporters that they will be refused entry, something currently achieved with police cooperation from bars in towns with trouble-prone nightlife.

  Only time will tell whether there is any serious prospect of reducing the influence of the apparent deeply ingrained antisemitism from, at least, hundreds of Italian football fans. However, in the UK, where Tottenham supporters’ groups stubbornly refuse to recognise the antisemitism of their use of the word “yid”, and where there are frequent displays of virulent antisemitism from opposition fans, there are also lessons to be learned. Where one group of fans uses this slur “in appreciation”, shortly after, outright antisemitic abuse comes as a reaction. The actions of those who engage in outright antisemitic abuse at football matches is obviously totally unacceptable. However, the fact that football fans abuse their own clubs’ reputations by using these epithets as a badge of honour has to be recognised as something that is taking the high amounts of emotion that are present at sporting events, and allowing this to be dumped on Jews by opposing fans. The result is a culture that is still, despite all the progress in cleaning up European, and particularly British, football since the “bad old days”, still can be fundamentally unwelcoming to Jews, where sntisemitism goes largely unpunished.”

[d2kvirus]

Dickheads of the Month: February 2020

As it seems that there are people who say or do things that are remarkably dickheaded yet somehow people try to make excuses for them or pretend it never happened, here is a collection of some of the dickheaded actions we saw in the month of February 2020 to make sure that they are never forgotten.

The issue with the Tory government being stuffed with morons and sociopaths is that it leads to solutions such as their new immigration policy which equates anyone earning less than £24k a year with being an “unskilled worker” so therefore not eligible for a visa...when in reality that is unreasonably raising the bar, which becomes immediately obvious when you realise that the majority of entry-level positions within the NHS are paid less than that per annum.  But fret not, they also have a solution in the sudden gap of 8m in the workforce, namely having the “economically inactive” fill the gap...even though that figure is primarily made up by the elderly, the terminally ill, and students who are currently working on that “low skilled” issue whose post-graduation salaries are estimated at around £18k a year 

Unelected bureaucrat/organ grinder Dominic Cummings had a genius idea for proven liar Boris Johnson’s first cabinet reshuffle: eliminate anyone who might possibly have any semblance of an idea of their own (plus Esther McVey) and install a bunch of unthinking drones into the cabinet who will all follow his specific instructions...which sounds a lot like communism, doesn’t it?

We should almost thank Andrew Sabitsky for proving exactly what Dominic Cummings’ directive of “misfits and weirdos” really meant, namely that what Cummings wanted was somebody whose track record includes saying that black people are intellectually and genetically inferior on multiple occasions, calling for forced contraception for the lower classes and attending eugenics conferences, and that’s somebody who fits the profile of being appointed special advisor to the Prime Minister

In the latest example of The Department of Work and Pensions appearing to exist for the sole purpose of committing an ideological genocide on the lower classes, it emerged that they had been destroying reports of former claimants who committed suicide after their benefits were stopped - and had been doing so since at least 2015

Has anyone noticed that proven liar Boris Johnson didn't show up in Yorkshire with a mop and bucket when it was flooded again?  Or did anyone notice that, when the official line was given that he didn't want to cause a media frenzy by showing up and instead wanted to put his feet up at a lakeside mansion to do...whatever it was that he was doing, it appears to have forgotten that he didn't mind showing up in flood-hit areas with the resulting media frenzy when there was an election campaign going on?

The estate of George Orwell will want a word with Lee Cain following his role in proven liar Boris Johnson’s “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others” moment where he divided journalists into two groups before a Downing Street briefing, before telling journalists from one of the groups - who were from the Mirror, Independent, Huffington Post and PoliticsHome, that they should leave as they are not welcome

In the latest example of Question Time being an echo chamber for the far-right, they bussed in two-time National Front candidate Sherri Bothwell to sit front and centre of the audience and be the person to ask the first question of the show...if going off on a rant about how we should close our borders constitutes a “question” - although it does constitute a blatant violation of editorial guidelines

Smirking cretin Priti Patel demonstrated her statesmanlike credentials when facing a question about forced deportations in the House of Commons...by getting the hell out of the chamber before she could even hear the full question, presumably because staying in the chamber would potentially involve having to face scrutiny or criticism and that’s not how the Tories work

It’s no surprise that the FBPE mob responded to the first anniversary of the formation of The Independent Hashtag Group for Hashtag Change UK Hashtag Ltd by hand-wringing about how a potential force for good in British politics failed, because if they didn’t they might have to accept that their blindly believing in one “centrist” neoliberal careerist after another, from Chuka Umunna to Jo Swinson to Jess Phillips and numerous other examples aside, played a large part in why man of the people/proven liar Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson is currently Prime Minister

Good to see the Chinese government coming up with the best possible solution to the Super Magic Chinese Megaflu of DEATH epidemic by...adding World War Z to the ever-growing list of books banned by the Chinese government.  I don’t know why, though, it's not like it says Xi Jinping looks like Winnie the Pooh or anything...

Of course the English media responded to the Irish election result, where the incumbent Fine Gael lost out to a combination of Sinn Fein gaining the most first-choice votes and Fianna Fail getting the most second choice votes by reporting why this was the case...oh who am I kidding, of course they bloody didn’t, they only looked at through the usual English-centric prism and assumed that Britait was the reason why Fine Gael lost out, completely ignoring there was a unique consensus between all three parties that Britait is A Bad Idea that has also led the bigheaded gobshites from across the water to treat the irish like some second-class citizens who should shut up and fall in line behind their imperialistic masters

Once again the point-missers of the internet seem to think that you can use suicide rates as the basis for a game of Top Trumps, as there was a depressingly vocal section who responded to Caroline Flack’s suicide by comparing the number of suicides related to Love Island to the number related to The Jeremy Kyle Show as if it’s a football match and Love Island is currently “winning” 3-2

It was a busy day for smirking cretin Priti Patel as she had to simultaneously deny *deep breath* that MI5 have been actively withholding sensitive information from her as they see her as a threat to national security (and have grounds to see her as one...), that she hasn’t been bullying Home Office staff since getting her feet under the desk, that she didn’t force anyone out of the Home Office because they wouldn’t blindly follow every insane directive she could think of and it’s just a coincidence that attempts were made to remove Sir Philip Rutnam from the department...at least until Rutnam called her a liar, that is

Self-appointed voice of all Jewish football fans David Baddiel was as predictable as he was vocal in his disgust at the Oxford English Dictionary changing the definition of the word “Yid” to include Tottenham fans, leading to him howling about how Spurs fans have no right to reclaim the word while pretending that he doesn’t know the reason why Spurs have reclaimed the word, namely their regularly being serenaded with chants about Auschwitz, gas chambers and the Holocaust by Chelsea fans since the 1970s due to the club’s Jewish identity.  Chelsea fans such as...David Baddiel

Littlest Englander contender Douglas Carswell gleefully took to Twitter on February 1st to say the UK hadn’t collapsed into a pit after leaving the EU...meaning that either he doesn't understand that the UK is still in the EU as part of a transition period, or he knows this but knows that his followers don’t know this so thinks doing a victory lap during the warm-ups is normal

You would think that The Jewish Chronicle admitting that they fabricated stories of Louise Ellman being an antisemite and having to pay her damages would have gained more traction, but by complete coincidence they were being drowned out by David Baddiel and Stephen Pollard coincidentally throwing out a lot of think pieces about how Tottenham fans are the Third Reich unlike those nice, reasonable Chelsea supporters... 

Of course Blizzard were going to have to issue a statement addressing the launch of Warcraft 3: Reforged going so well that the game has a record Metacritic user score of 0.5 at one point, but Blizzard being Blizzard the “apology” was more along the lines of saying they were sorry that fans didn’t get the game they wanted, in other words trying to transfer blame onto them that the game shown in the teasers bore no resemblance to those in the finished game while pretending that there hasn’t been a cascade of criticism about their new policy that says any user-created mods will become Blizzard’s own property, in other words admit fault...which they never will

The latest non-logic from the BBC states that, if a Tory MP refuses to appear on any of their programming, they will cancel the appearance of whichever Labour MP that was also booked, in other words responding to the Dominic Cummings issuing a media blackout by silencing the Opposition in his stead

What better advertisement for Australian policing than Mark Thompson taking a moment to forget that he was Detective Inspector for the murders of Hannah Baxter and her children when her estranged husband set their car on fire before killing himself and instead decided to suggest that maybe she nagged him too much and that’s what led to the tragedy

Becoming a homeopathic mentalist hasn't done Gwyneth Paltrow any favours, considering that the second that there was so much as a whiff of criticism about he waffling about coffee enemas solving all ills on her Netflix show she responded by howling about how valid criticism from qualified health professionals is “clickbait” and not, say, valid criticism from qualified health professionals

Nobody seemed to explain to Dele Alli that posting a video on social media cracking jokes about coronavirus isn't a good idea as people are going to see it, and more than anything else spend a good couple of days flooding Tottenham’s Twitter feed with “DID YOU KNOW DELE ALLI MADE A RACIST POST ON SOCIAL MEDIA???” more times than anyone is willing to count

What a great piece of advice Ninja gave to everyone, namely that if you lose in a video game the only sane and rational response is to get angry and, if you don’t, this makes you “weak”

So much for “Mad” Mike Hughes and his attempt to prove that the earth is flat by using a homemade steam-powered rocket, as instead he made a reasonably-sized crater in the San Bernardino desert which proved that the earth is pretty goddamn hard when you plow into it from several thousand feet in the air while going at an estimated 350mp

Good to see that Jess Phillips is handling her failure in the Labour leadership race well, with her mouthing off at an event commemorating female journalists by harrumphing that it’s a pity that Labour has never had a female leader...while both Rebecca Long-Bailey and Lisa Nandy remain in the leadership contest

And finally, a little more puffed up than usual, is Donald Trump and his sociopathic response to the Republicans allowing him to slither out from the sights of impeachment which was rewarded by him bringing down the axe on anyone who put the party (or, you know, country) ahead of him, which somehow looks less deranged than him mouthing off about Parasite winning Best Picture at the oscars because something something trade deal

[fatfemme97-blog]

Boxing Day Facts

6 Amazing Facts About Boxing Day Relax, Hallmark conspiracy theorists: Boxing Day  in Europe isn’t some prank to confuse America. It’s a real holiday in the United Kingdom and other European countries that dates back to the days of Queen Victoria. Here are some facts to get you up to speed.

1. IT OCCURS ON DECEMBER 26TH. Boxing Day Facts is observed annually on December 26. If it falls on a weekend, the public holiday itself will be celebrated on Monday. It became an official holiday during the reign of Queen Victoria, though some historians trace its origins back much further—to medieval times. Today, it's largely an extension of the Christmas holiday and a big day for sporting events and shopping.

2. NO ONE REALLY KNOWS WHERE THE NAME ORIGINATED. Many historians think the holiday’s name is derived from the church practice of opening alms boxes the day after Christmas and distributing money to the poor. Historically, British employers followed the church’s lead by sliding workers and servants gifts or cash on December 26.

Others believe the "box" refers to the boxes of gifts employers gave to their servants on the day after Christmas. (In wealthy households, servants were often required to work on Christmas Day but given December 26th off in order to celebrate the holiday on their own.)

3. IT'S A BIG DAY FOR SHOPPING. Historically, Boxing Day's post-Christmas sales have long made it one of the U.K.'s busiest shopping days of the year. And while it still falls within the top five biggest shopping days of the year, the popularity of online shopping has reduced the overall spending people do on December 26.

“Fifteen years ago it was pretty much guaranteed that you would only get big sales a few times a year—Boxing Day and the big summer clearance," Bryan Roberts, an analyst at Kantar Retail, told The Telegraph in 2015. That is no longer the case.”  

“The Boxing Day facts sales are pretty much dead,” Roberts added. “Black Friday and Cyber Monday illustrate Christmas sales are starting earlier and earlier. There is a possibility prices will just keep on dropping in the run-up to Christmas. This makes the Boxing Day sales incredibly diluted."

4. THERE IS NO BOXING INVOLVED. Despite the name, British observances of Boxing Day involve no fisticuffs. For patricians, however, another sport rules the day: fox hunting. Though it's a long-held tradition, many animal rights activists and groups would like to see the practice done away with altogether. Especially since, technically, it's illegal. In the days leading up to Boxing Day, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) is often very vocal in reminding citizens that "The chasing or killing of foxes and other British mammals with a pack of dogs was banned because the overwhelming majority of the UK public rejected this so-called 'sport' as cruel and abhorrent."

5. SOME OTHER COUNTRIES DO TAKE THE NAME MORE LITERALLY. In other countries, Boxing Day celebrations are more literal. Some former British colonies in Africa and the Caribbean celebrate the holiday with prizefighting events.

6. IN IRELAND, DECEMBER 26TH IS SOMETIMES KNOWN AS WREN DAY. Ireland sometimes refers to December 26 as Wren Day, a nod to an old tradition in which poor children would kill a wren, then sell the feathers to neighbors for good luck. In today’s celebrations, the wren is fake.

How to Celebrate Boxing Day Boxing Day, also known as St. Stephen’s Day, is usually celebrated on the day after Christmas (December 26) in the United Kingdom and other countries with British roots. Although its origin is unclear, a popular theory is that it stems from the medieval practice of churches opening their collection boxes for the poor on this day, and so charity is an important theme to this holiday. Learn how you can incorporate this and other customs to celebrate a traditional Boxing Day.

Volunteer for church functions. Find out if your church follows the tradition of collecting donations from the congregation and distributing them to the less fortunate on Boxing Day. Ask if they need any assistance. If they do, donate your time.

Donate your time elsewhere. Embody the spirit of charitability by giving and finding organizations who need volunteers for programs that day. Collect food and/or donations for a food drive. Assist in a soup kitchen. Donate blood. Contribute to improving the lives of others.

Plan ahead. Since charity is needed all year round, use Boxing Day to plan your calendar for the upcoming year. Search online for future events in which you could be of assistance. Plan a budget so you can donate to your favorite charities on a regular basis.

Tip people who provide you service. If you haven’t already, give a holiday bonus to your doorman, postal worker, delivery person, and anyone else who provides you with regular service.

Be a Wren boy. Buy a stuffed bird and a birdcage light enough to carry. Dress up in fancy women’s fashion. Parade around town and ask for donations from passersby on the street, customers at pubs and restaurants, or by knocking on houses from door to door.

Join the fox hunt. Although killing the fox has been largely criminalized, the fox hunt still endures as a popular Boxing Day tradition. Don the red jacket, mount your horse, and participate in the legal substitute of flushing out foxes with your hounds (without killing the fox) or chasing a human substitute instead.

Play football. Since football (or soccer, for you Americans) is such an important part of Boxing Day traditions as well as the overall culture of the countries that celebrate it, get out of the house and burn off some of those holiday calories. Organize a neighborhood pickup game. Challenge your family to a match. If you’re on a league team, set up a match with a local rival.

Attend games and races. Go to any one of the many horse races, soccer matches, and cricket matches scheduled on Boxing Day. Don’t worry about traveling; most teams make sure to play another that’s nearby so neither the players nor their fans have to go too far from home.

Take a dip. Participate in one of many icy swims organized on Boxing Day. Wear something absurdly fancy, take a plunge into the winter sea, and win a medal for bravery while warming back up in front of a beach bonfire with all the other daring souls. Many of these events raise money for charity, so consider it a good deed done!

Visit family. If your extended family is too large for you to see everyone on either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, use Boxing Day to include them in your holidays. Have a formal holiday feast or keep true to the more relaxed spirit of Boxing Day and have a simpler get-together.

Spend time with friends. If you’ve already checked family off your list of holiday duties, feel free to make Boxing Day a time to spend with friends instead. Go to a sporting event or watch one at the local pub. Or just hang out together at someone’s home.

Keep it casual. Put the formality of the holidays behind you. Host a potluck where everyone’s free to get rid of their leftovers. Make it a pajama party if you want to make it even less formal and more inviting. Tune into the football marathon on TV, zone out, and be merry.

Go on an outing. Since sports and exercise are such a large part of Boxing Day, stay in the spirit and have the whole family get some exercise. Use this extra time together to go for a long hike through the woods or walk through the streets.

Attend a pantomime. Take the young kids to see this family-friendly piece of lively theater based on fairy tales, which is traditionally performed on Boxing Day. Sing along with the musical numbers and interact with the performers onstage.

Chase the sales. Take advantage of the more modern tradition of stores opening the day after Christmas, offering deep discounts. Go to larger chain stores and shopping malls, since smaller shops are more likely to remain closed for the holiday.

Make it a family trip. Retain some of the holiday spirit and make it an outing for the whole family. Include gift cards among your other Christmas presents to family so they can spend them the day after. Build a tradition of your own around the annual sales.

Stay true to Boxing Day’s roots. Since charity is considered to be an important aspect of the holiday, use the discounts to shop for others who may lack the means to afford even these sales. For example, buy coats, blankets, and other winter gear for the homeless.

[gadgetsrevv]

Koulibaly: No racism at Napoli

Kalidou Koulibaly believes there is no racism at Napoli as their fans “could never have written a letter like the one Inter supporters sent Romelu Lukaku.”

Racism remains a serious issue in Italian football, with Koulibaly among those subjected to monkey chants from rival sets of fans over the years.

However, Inter ultras defended their Cagliari counterparts when the latter abused Lukaku, despite the striker being one of their own.

“These idiots who jeer at stadia would never do it in front of me, to my face,” the Senegalese told L’Equipe.

“Everyone says Italy is a country of racists, that foreigners are put off coming here for everything that you hear, but I can say that Naples is something else.

“I’m having a great time at Napoli. My family have been received very well and so have my friends. When they come to see me, they’re very happy.

“On top of that, the beauty of your surroundings here is incredible. By showing to certain people that we’re among the best teams, we can fight racism.

“If I could also win a trophy, in Italy or in Europe, this fight would have even more resonance.

“The Napoli fans could never have written a letter like the one Inter supporters sent Lukaku because there’s so much love here.

“How can they say that jeers aren’t acts of racism? It’s obvious that we’re discriminated against by the colour of our skin.

“I’d like to see these people go through what we do. It really hurts. The rules exist and I know them, but there’s still some difficulty in applying them.

“I haven’t seen any fans banned from stadiums yet, neither have I seen any heavy fines or points docked. A strong example needs to be set.”

Watch Serie A live in the UK on Premier Sports for just £11.99 per month including live LaLiga, Eredivisie, Scottish Cup Football and more. Visit: https://subscribe.premiersports.tv/

!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)}; if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window, document,'script', 'https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js'); fbq('init', '334626263543430'); fbq('track', 'PageView'); Source link

via wordpress https://ift.tt/2IJxjEF

[mideastsoccer]

Eyeing UK soccer clubs: Gulf buyers come with baggage

By James M. Dorsey

 A podcast version of this story is available on Soundcloud, Itunes, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn, Spreaker, Pocket Casts and Tumblr

 The bitter Gulf rift between Qatar and its Saudi and United Arab Emirates-led detractors could spill on to the pitches of English soccer.

 A flurry of reports suggest that the Gulf rivals are seeking to buy big name English clubs.

 Abu Dhabi billionaire Sheikh Khaled bin Zayed Al Nahayan, a member of the emirate’s ruling family, said this week that he had agreed terms with Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley to buy the Premier League club.

 Meanwhile, Qatar reportedly was in talks to purchase Leeds United while Saudi Arabia has been rumoured to be circling Manchester United.

 Stepped-up Gulf interest could take the region’s rivalry from the European level, where the UAE’s acquisition more than a decade ago of Manchester City and Qatar’s buying of Paris Saint-Germain set examples, into a national competition.

 While both acquisitions have on balance contributed to the UAE and Qatar’s soft power despite hiccups, Manchester City’s owner, City Football Group, has created a template for commercial exploitation of what are some of the Gulf states’ most valuable brands by acquiring stakes in clubs in the United States, Australia, Japan, Spain, Uruguay and China.

 The rush to buy British clubs is at least in part the latest round in the Gulf dispute that erupted two years ago with an alliance led by the UAE and Saudi Arabia declaring an economic and diplomatic boycott of Qatar.

 Qatar has so far emerged on top with its unexpected winning of the Asian Cup early this year in of all places Abu Dhabi and its successful thwarting earlier this month of UAE-Saudi-backed efforts by world soccer body FIFA to force it to expand the 2022 World Cup from 32 to 48 teams.

 Qatar’s victories came on the back of a series of failed or at best partially successful Saudi and UAE efforts to enhance their influence in global soccer governance that would have enabled them to pressure the Gulf state.

 The rush also suggests that the soft power gains of Gulf states seeking to project themselves in ways that contrast starkly with their image as autocratic and often brutal violators of human rights, including widely criticised migrant labour systems, outweigh the associated reputational risks.

 That assessment is borne out by Manchester City fans’ enthusiastic embrace of the club’s Emirati owners and willingness to ignore the country’s human rights record.

 Singing to the tune of African American 1920s classic Kum Ba Ya (Come by Here), fans chant “Sheikh Mansour m’lord, Sheikh Mansour, oh lord, Sheikh Mansour,” a reference to Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Manchester City’s owner, UAE minister of presidential affairs and half-brother of UAE president Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

 Like Sheikh Mansour, Newcastle’s buyer Sheikh Khaled, whose business ties appear to be more with Dubai than Abu Dhabi, is likely to project his acquisition as personal even if the Emirates’ de factor ruler, Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, keeps a tight lid on government as well as family affairs.

 The Gulf states, responding differently to criticism, have nevertheless not had an easy ride in seeking to garner soft power and polish tarnished images.

 In contrast to the UAE and Saudi Arabia who seldom respond to their critics, Qatar has reacted to an avalanche of criticism since its winning of the 2022 World Cup hosting rights by engaging with its detractors.

 Although too little too late for its more strident critics, Qatar has made substantial changes to its kafala or sponsorship system that puts employees at the mercy of their employers. To be fair, so has the UAE even if it did so less because of pressure by human rights and labour groups and more as part of an effort to project itself as a model, cutting edge 21st century state.

 Nonetheless, both the UAE and Qatar could see their reputational gains undermined if legal proceedings involving their soccer business practices go against them.

 Manchester City has reacted angrily to an investigation by European soccer body UEFA into allegations of financial fair play irregularities, which could lead to a Champions League ban.

 The chairman and chief investigator of UEFA’s club financial control body investigatory chamber, Yves Leterme, has referred the allegations to the group’s adjudicatory chamber to issue a ruling.

 Similarly, Paris Saint-Germain president, UEFA executive committee member and chairman of Qatar’s television network beIN Sports Nasser Al-Khelaifi was last week charged in France with corruption in connection with the bidding process for this year's world athletics championships in Qatar.

 In an argument that could spread to Britain, Javier Tebas, the president of La Liga, Spain’s top soccer league, denounced Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain as “state-run clubs, one off petrol money, one off gas” that should be expelled from European competitions as threats to the sport.

 Echoing Manchester City fans’ rejection of criticism of the UAE as “racist,” the club’s chairman, Khaldoon al Mubarak, dismissed Mr. Tebas’ assertions as ethnic slurs.

 That’s a tactic that likely will work as long as fans such as Howard Hockin concede that they may be “hypocrites" who “don't care about human rights in the Middle East.”

 A Manchester City podcaster, Mr. Hockin adds: "Abu Dhabi is an up-and-coming country, and it wanted to boost its profile. It's a PR thing, and we're fine with that… I should care but I don't. I should care about where my shoes come from – if they've been made by slave labour – but I don't. I don't look to football for my moral code. I don't think I've sold my soul to support Man City."

 The question is whether Mr. Hockin would stick to his position if the business practices of his club’s owner or the politics of the UAE become a liability rather than an asset. With Mr. Al-Khelaifi’s legal issues, the same question could confront Paris Saint-Germain fans.

 Dr. James M. Dorsey is a senior fellow at Nanyang Technological University’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, an adjunct senior research fellow at the National University of Singapore’s Middle East Institute and co-director of the University of Wuerzburg’s Institute of Fan Culture.

[willridgard]

THE ‘A TO Z’ OF MY AMERICAN ADVENTURE IN WORDS AND PICTURES

Did I really live in America for 15 months?

Yes.

Yes I did.

But, after more than 18 months since moving back ‘home, from Richmond, Virginia, I frequently ask myself the above question.

More than 4,000 miles away from friends, family, and home comforts, I must have been mad when I think about it. But I did love it! Experiencing a different culture and way of life was superb and I’m really glad I was brave enough to do it.

I haven’t written too much lately, but I’ve been inspired by my ‘American adventure’ and plan on providing my committed readers with A to Z ramblings and pictures on all things ‘Merica. So here goes…

Alcohol - They love it! Yep, it’s true, some Americans cannot drink, but then some Brits cannot either! There are some lovely local ales and ciders to choose from. Oh what I’d give for a Bold Rock Cider or a Vienna Lager right now; Virginia’s finest! Bud Light was like water over there and there was nothing better than a visit to the local alehouse or brewery on a Sunday afternoon filled full of sunshine, live music food trucks, and good drinks. ‘Tailgating’ was fun; you basically eat, drink and play games in/by your cars until you are ready to go into the event you are waiting for. It’s also almost impossible not to get ID’d in the States; you literally get ID’d every single time. In Walmart they have a ‘Challenge 40′ policy. Strict or what!? Pints come in the form of ���fluid ounces’. You can pick from 16, 24 and 32 fl oz. 1 imperial pint = 17.5 fl oz. It’s fair to say that the 32 fl oz ‘growlers’ (which keep your beer cool & fresh) are the most popular…’Tipping’ is a must. A lot of employees make most of their money from tips; anything less than 10% is frowned upon, but not illegal. I recommend tipping at around 20%, and in cash…We partied pretty much every weekend (we even did an all-nighter in a Ipswich v Norwich themed party in respect of the 1-1 draw in September 2016) and I learned all the ins and outs of popular drinking games such as Chesticles, Flip Cup and Beer Pong. #BYOB

Baseball - ‘Take me out to the old ball game’ was a song that I had to get used to during my stay. I took a while to warm to the popular sport, but actually rather enjoyed it in the end. I found it quite relaxing and similar to cricket, but some fun interlude activities, after every inning, such as t-shirt shooting, mascot racing and a firework display made it worth the admission price. The Richmond Flying Squirrels were my local team (I even got a selfie with ‘Nutsie’), but I was fortunate enough to watch a Major League Baseball game between Washington Nationals and St. Louis Cardinals. In prime seats, it was fantastic to experience the pace, skill and professionalism that these major players display. Unfortunately, I never really gave hitting or pitching a go; Year 11 Rounders was where my talents ended! #ItsAHit

Cornhole - Cornhole is amazing! Basically, either on your own or with a partner, and against another individual/pair, you have to chuck bags of corn (effectively beanbags) onto a board from quite a distance. You score one point if your bag stays on the board and three if you manage to throw it into the hole towards the top of the board! However, if, say I was to throw my bag into the hole and then little Jimmy, on the other team, did as well, our scoring points would be cancelled. The team who scores 21 points first is the winner. Technique and mental strength is everything. Some people loop them. Some people fire them in. I was obsessed, but I wasn’t as good as your average American… I might make a couple of boards now and turn it into a UK craze…#NiceToss

Driving - God. Where do I start? Turning left at traffic lights is a nightmare. You can turn right on a red light, which actually makes things on the road a lot quicker…if you don’t crash into the back of someone (cough, Daryl). Turning left is slow and takes forever. Daryl and I also took two hours to get from work to our apartment (a 10-minute drive) on our first day…it was fun trying to work out where to go and on the wrong side of the road! Trying to buy a car, as a ‘foreigner’, was even more fun. After literally the longest day in the world, with lots of technical difficulties, I finally managed to get my hands on a Hyundai Elentra. Fortunately, obtaining a Virginia Driver’s Licence was far easier, although I did have to take practical and theory tests. Now, it’s no secret that I spent quite a bit of time and money getting a UK licence, but, ironically, I had no such problems getting a Virginian one. After smashing the theory test, adapting to all the different road signs, my practical test was literally a 15-minute drive around the block to make sure I could control the car! Oh how I laughed. American driving licences are handed out via states, only making them valid in that state, so it’s all very confusing when someone from Florida drives in Virginia for example…Automatic cars are also very popular out there. Nine out of 10 cars are automatic. I’m not a fan myself; you approach a junction and all you have to do is brake, but it felt like you should have more to do! I was more of a ‘stick’ fan. Stick to what you know. There were also lots of monster trucks, with wheels as big as elephants. Don’t mess with those. #MyRideOrDie

Experience - If you’re thinking about going to work/live abroad, even if it’s for a short/extended period of time, go for it. Different places bring different experiences and ways of life. If you don’t like it, you can always come home! #JustDoIt

Food - Oh my god. It was amazing. It’s easy to put on the pounds…and not so easy to lose them. Americans love their food. They especially enjoying ‘grilling out’ - the equivalent of a BBQ - with an unlimited array of meats, pastas, and salads. They literally ‘grill’ all day (often by the pool and with a ‘cooler’ packed full of beers) and everybody brings a dish until it’s all cooked and eaten! Fried food is massive. McDonalds is monstrous. Chicken wings (mostly devoured at Buffalo Wild Wings) are most popular and the portion sizes will blow your mind. I made history when I walked through a Chinese drivethrough (I had car issues) on July 4…They’d never experienced that. Chipotle was the best. I had countless amounts of it; I could eat it forever. Double chicken. White rice. Black beans. Medium sauce. Grated cheese. Sour Cream. Sweetcorn. Chips & dip. Unbelievable. Still, I did miss a good ole Sunday Roast. #BurritoBowl

Golf - There are some lovely courses, with some beautiful views. If only I was a bit better…However, I did make Oasis Sports Park history with a tee-off that skipped across the pond on three or four occasions before plonking right next to the pin for a birdie. Well, birdie opportunity…You know what they say ‘form is temporary, class is permanent’… Footgolf, at Windy Hill Sports Complex, was a lot of fun too and was the permanent fixture of the annual Wynn Lane competition. I did convincingly win it in 2016…#Fore

Hiking - There are some amazing views in Virginia. It took me a while to get used to that hike life, but I actually really enjoyed a good ole Sunday morning stroll up the mountains. Hiking is kinda scary you know, but fortunately I outfought several bears and managed to avoid any catastrophic slips off the top of the mountains. Better to be safe than sorry… #HypeToHike

Indoor soccer - So much fun. It’s fast, it’s feisty, and it’s really competitive. Indoor soccer is played professionally across the pond and I found myself working in a place that specialised in it. XL Sports World provides 24/7 soccer. Every night of the week, hundreds of players and teams, of all ages, sexes, and abilities compete against each other. From U6 up to the 40+ age range, every day was different. In the ‘Winter season’, when there is no ‘outdoor soccer’, the XLSW facility is absolutely heaving; it opens at 6:30am and often closes somewhere between 2 and 3 am, with both ‘fields’ fully occupied through the duration! Crazy. Indoor is played on a pitch with measurements of 180 by 75 feet. Solid walls all the way around lead to a plethora of rebounds and pinballs! Let me tell you that indoor is bloody exhausting and you need subs more than ever! In such a tight area, toepoke shots were so effective, yet so annoying to watch as a football traditionalist. I loudly disapproved at the start, but actually used them quite a lot in the end as goalkeepers didn’t expect them and nobody knew where the ball would end up! This is not just your casual game of five-aside by the way…there is a whole book of unique rules (including the controversial three-line rule among others), with match referees, who have to be certified. Games consist of two 25 minute halves and you can get blue, yellow and red cards! Blue card = two-minute time-out. Yellow = five minutes. Red = whole facility ban plus a trial with the disciplinary committee (basically FIFA). Working and playing there was challenging at times as you wanted to win, but you also didn’t really want to upset customers/referees that you have to build relationships with. It’s a fine balancing act, but I think I got it just about right and only received one blue card(hand of God) in hundreds of games played. Once the ‘regular season’ is over, the play-offs occur, with the lure of ‘half-price beer’ for the winners often inspiring the teams…XLSW is the biggest seller of beer in the whole of Richmond. Impressive! Indoor Soccer is fantastic and I’d love to play and be a part of it again. Partizan Richmond United were my outdoor team and we were decent (I think we finished as runners-up). Roachy = absolute Scottish legend. #Helen #GoalsBusiness

Jamaica - I loved living with a few Jamaican lads. We had such a laugh living and working together. FIFA was on repeat. The nights out were great and we all played footy together too. Their cooking was sublime. Hopefully King Rusty has got a bit better at sh*thead by now… #BobsleighTeam

Kickers - Richmond Kickers were my local professional soccer team. Kickers played in the third tier of professional soccer (The USL) and the standard was quite impressive. On my first visit to City Stadium, I saw them narrowly lose 2-1 to a West Brom side that saw one of my heroes in Gareth McAuley play! In the summer of 2016, Kickers went one better and shocked a strong Swansea side by deservedly beating them 2-0. Both games were delayed by major thunderstorms, which was certainly a new experience for me and the English sides (Tony Pulis did keep his hat on). After settling into my XL Sports World job, I broadened my journalistic horizons and the Kickers were fantastic for me. They took me on in a part-time intern basis, and as the 2016 season progressed, I often found myself in the Kickers’ headquarters, writing articles and becoming part of the team. I even helped out the retail team once and sorted out the club merchandise! It was great to see how a professional club operates and I was very thankful to be a small part of the journey. I was very impressed with their ticket promotions too; prices were cheap (often $10) and there were stacks of drinks deals for paying customers too. Kickers’ average gate was around 4,000 when I was there. Impressive. #RVAIsRed

Lifestyle - You can do what you want really. I had so much freedom and lived a very relaxed life. All I really did was drink beer, eat food, play football, and hang out with friends. Perfect. I hit the gym a bit, I dived in the pool a bit. Concerts were epic (Milky Chance being my favourite), but you had to be careful of the crazy rednecks which were also in abundance at other events I attended such as NASCAR and the Rodeo. The Rodeo was a strange one; it’s something I can say I’ve been to, but I’m not too keen on it. Being a sport fanatic, I also put a lot of effort in to see live American Football, Baseball, Hockey, and Basketball matches. All of which were fascinating and very different. I must say that the hype, the electric atmosphere and the interval entertainment significantly adds to the value for money of attending American sporting occasions. They make you feel involved and you cannot take your eyes off the spectacle. I often went line dancing (LOL. Hopefully there is no video footage of my amazing dance moves out there) at a local bar, and loved Rugged Maniac which consisted of a 3-mile run littered with challenging obstacles (fire, barbed wire, tunnels, etc) and mud up to your waist! Paddleboarding was bloody immense…once you could do it. I did fall over a few times initially, but it was brilliant thereafter. I shot a few guns (Walmart was full of them) and, like everybody else, got hooked on Pokemon Go. The English accent drew a fair bit of attention too for some reason…#ILoveYourAccent

Mates - I was very fortunate to have such a close group of friends during my stay; they were really friendly, fun and made my experience all the more enjoyable. There are too many people to individually mention, but I made a lot of good friends I still keep in touch with. Most of these friends came from working at XL Sports World. I think it’s fair to say that I received a lot of ‘banter’ for my British roots, but elephant fan ‘Harry lad’ (fellow Brit) and I certainly gave as good as we got! Drinking games and hanging out with the likes of Justice, Wankathon Ian, Cheeky Keeky, Jesstice, Creechy, King Rusty, Coach Katy, Tommy Tuch, Syd the kid, Carlos Mohammed, McGinn, Daryl and big man Otto et al were always good value and lots of memories were made. I left them all supporting Ipswich Town and becoming experts at Sh*thead and Drenthe…#AlrightMate

Newspaper - After getting involved with the Richmond Kickers, I proceeded to write several match reports for the local newspaper: The Richmond Times-Dispatch. Being referred to as a special correspondent (!!), I covered games against teams such as Charlotte Independence, Bethlehem Steel and Louisville City, with my RTD front page on a thumping 4-0 Kickers win remaining my biggest achievement in journalism. I loved the challenge of writing for an American audience, using phrases such as cleats (boots), on frame (on target) and offsides (offside) with a hint of disapproval in my face… #SportSells

Opportunity - I am so very grateful for the whole opportunity. Ultimately, I grabbed this opportunity after working for the same company in England. My first involvement with XLSW was during a university placement that saw me lead American groups on sports tours around the UK…We visited places like Wembley and Wimbledon to mention a few, and my job was to show Americans the sights and take them from A to B. Sounds pretty cool, right? Well it’s a bit harder when you do it with a broken ankle..! Hard work and determination got me through that tour (I did get a first in that placement) and future opportunities rose from it as I was invited out to Virginia. XLSW now have bases in Florida, Maine, North Carolina, Georgia, and Pennsylvania. They, alongside soccer, are growing all of the time. #GoForIt

Patriotism - You wouldn’t believe how proud I felt to be British out there. I think I got the patriotic bug as Americans are so proud of their country and to ‘be American’. They love celebrating their country and indeed others’ as they go absolutely mental for St Patrick’s Day which is something we barely even celebrate in England! Thanksgiving and July 4 (Independence Day) are also massive and are just excuses to drink loads of beer and eat loads of food to be honest. England should have more days like that. ‘The Star Spangled Banner’ national anthem was absolutely everywhere! It seemed like it was sang at any excuse. From sporting occasions to the rodeo and NASCAR racing, every single American would standup, remove their hat, and belt out ‘the land of the free and the home of the brave’ very seriously! If you didn’t sing, or at least stand up, it was very frowned upon! Fortunately, Richmond possessed quite a large English and Scottish contigency out there, so that helped me keep sane! #StandUpIfYouLoveTheAmericans

Queen - Our Queen is a legend. Americans love her. We love her. What a woman. #GodSaveOurQueen

Richmond - Richmond is a cool place. Very artsy. Very cultural. It has a bit of everything. There are loads of great bars and places to eat. Richmond is definitely not shy of an event either, with half marathons, mud runs, live bands and gin festivals on every street corner. Soccer is growing all the time out there. You can watch more live football there than you can in England. It’s crazy and is probably why I loved my time there so much. #VirginiaIsForLovers

Skunks - Ahhhh, our Social Coed team consisting of all the lads and ladies in our friend group. What a team we were; I think we won the trophy four times! I’ll never forget my Skunks debut when I scored a ‘girl-goal’ (there is alternate scoring in Social Coed). Quite a few people laughed at that. We played good football, had a good team spirit, and drank loads of beer afterwards. Our girls, alongside a lot of other females that played at XL, were very decent by the way. I can see why the US are so dominant in the women’s game; they love it more than the blokes! I believe the Skunks have sadly dispersed now, but am also led to believe that my number 32 shirt has been retired in honour of my motoring arms and legs. #Champs.

As well as Social Coed, I played for several teams in the Men’s Open, which was a different ball game. I think I lost two or three ‘A’ finals with ‘Leicesterlona’, which was gutting as we had a great team who moved the ball well and rotated well. Conor Sammon’s (ex-Ipswich) best friend played for us as well! I never thought America would link me to the former Kilmarnock striker; football’s a funny old game! Underdogs Ian FC, captained by the inspirational Ian Robinson, also lost a final, in the ‘B’ division, after scoring three goals in the last two minutes of the semi-finals to spark absolutely wild scenes! I will never forget Marc Gohlke flopping around on the floor like a fish while trying to save a shot. Good times. I also need to mention that I scored five goals in an ‘A’ game once. #WillRigsOnFire.

https://www.facebook.com/will.ridgard/videos/vb.710673231/10153940691018232/?type=3

https://www.facebook.com/will.ridgard/videos/vb.710673231/10153907826768232/?type=3

https://www.facebook.com/will.ridgard/videos/vb.710673231/10153890752158232/?type=3

Travel - USA is one of the biggest countries in the world, so it would have been rude not to have done a bit of exploring. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to visit all 52 states, but I did manage to tick off Florida, Washington DC, and both the Carolinas. DC was amazing. I loved it. I saw all the sights, where the history of the US presidency is well-celebrated. Florida was hot. So hot. Lots of lovely beaches there, with the white sand squeaking with every footstep. I wouldn’t recommend getting stuck in Boston airport and sleeping on the floor though. That’s not so fun. #Explore

Uber - Uber is extremely popular out there and is pretty much used to and fro all parties. However, the Jamaican lads and I did get stung one night when an Uber cost us $300 for a 25-minute drive. We didn’t know whether to laugh or cry in the morning. I think that was my last Uber tbf. #AToB

Vote - I was in America the night of November 8, 2016 when Donald Trump was elected as the president of the United States of America! I was deported a day later. Lol. JK. I returned home a month later. It’s cool to say that I witnessed this significant piece of American history though. I sat up until the early hours with a six pack of Bold Rock and watched it all unfold. Virginia was 50-50 for the record…#DonaldTrumped

Weather - It was extreme. The humidity was relentless. The sun continuously baked.The rain was torrential. The thunderstorms were enthralling. The snow was extraordinary. I’d say Virginian summers saw temperatures average around 32 degrees celsius (90 fahrenheit). Florida was something else, I think it got up to 43 (110) at one point. Outrageous. The snow locked me inside my apartment for a whole week. My Elentra had to be rescued by a snow plough. Sadly, I never got to drive one. I absolutely loved the extreme thunderstorms. They were petrifying, but awesome to watch (especially with a beer on the balcony). #StormChasing

XL Sports World - XLSW was where I spent the majority of my time. My role was very varied and I enjoyed all of the challenging elements that went with it (mostly). I did a bit of coaching, which I really enjoyed. I did some marketing and PR work, and was especially prolific when co-promoting and setting-up our Open House project, pushing and driving our Youth programmes through. I wrote weekly newsletters which differed in content and I drove the social media to new levels. I managed the facility most evenings, checking teams in and co-deploying an effective payment system that was well-respected by teams, referees and players (eventually). I established excellent relationships with current and new customers - consistently attracting a host of new team$$, while maintaining current customers’ business. I scheduled league games (which is harder and more time-consuming than it sounds). I introduced cricket to XLSW. I ordered food. I pulled pints. I cooked food. I cleaned toilets. My role certainly varied and it was brilliant to do for just over a year. Social media is massive, but word of mouth is still the most effective news source there is and I think I did a lot for XLSW and their customers. It wasn’t all fun and games though. People moaned. Referees were abused. Fights occured. I had to call the police once. When it boils over, it boils over. It was uncomfortable at times. #PlayTheXLWay

Youngsters - My American adventure all started through the Summer Camps. For three months, alongside Daryl, I coached ‘soccer’ to hundreds of kids. It had its challenges and was extremely tiring, but I had a cracking time! There were some excellent players and some amazing kids. Some weren’t so good or nice, but, collectively, we all had a great summer coaching them. The Summer Camps certainly prompted me to work with children as you can have such a positive influence in their lives. #JustPlay

Zoo - Z is such an awkard letter, but Richmond has a zoo. I didn’t visit it, but I did think about it. It’s quite good apparently. Maybe next time. #ZooLander

So there you go. There is my A to Z analysis of my time in America. I do miss parts of it. I had a cracking time and it played a big part of my life and led me to where I am today.

Did I really live there though? I’m still no clearer…

[forumtechgq-blog]

Kodi: Open source TV application rouses all out copyright freeze in the UK Plunged from Xbox Media Center programming, it's a wrongdoing wave to copyright cops.

You know an innovation's gone standard when the sensationalist newspapers begin shouting about it. This year the Sun, the Mirror, the Express, and the Daily Star have run sprinkles running from "Kodi Crackdown" through "Kodi Killers" to "Kodi TOTAL BAN!". It isn't so much that they've discovered an underground hack scene; the stories have been informed by copyright proprietors and law implementation organizations. So what is Kodi, and why is it such a danger to The Man?Kodi is an open source media player program that began life as XBMC (Xbox Media Center). Today, running on an assortment of gadgets, it gives a well disposed interface to play video and sound substance, regardless of whether from static records, deluges, or a live stream.

In 2014, Nathan Betzen, a main figure in XBMC's people group, declared that the product was changing its name to Kodi, an enrolled trademark. "Clients have been tricked into squandering cash purchasing boxes running hacked and ordinarily broken adaptations of XBMC," clarifies Betzen, who's referred to online as natethomas. Presently at any rate these couldn't be sold under the Kodi name.But the issue hasn't left.

Kodi itself gives an interface however no substance. Anybody can make additional items that indicate video and sound sources. The XBMC Foundation gives a rundown of prescribed additional items that may not be embraced by substance proprietors, but rather just connection to substance that is genuinely accessible. The iPlayer WWW add-on, for instance, reminds BBC iPlayer clients they require a TV permit.

Many other additional items, in any case, offer unapproved access to paid substance. For purchasers, it's an enticing approach to get box-sets and movies for nothing. For media outlets, it's a bad dream.

Betzen discloses to Ars that he and his partners don't excuse illicit utilize, yet don't have sufficient energy or assets to "play whack-a-mole." They could debilitate unapproved additional items, mirroring iOS' "walled plant," yet "there's a reason no one but Apple can escape with it: you need to have a tremendous, rich, resolute client base for designers to believe it's beneficial." Even then, in light of the fact that Kodi is open source, miscreants could simply fork it and expel the protections.Illicit utilization of Kodi has achieved a point where the UK government's Intellectual Property Office issued a "Call for Views," which shut in April, to discover how law authorization organizations were managing encroaching use. They utilize the expression "IPTV," additionally allude particularly to Kodi.

No conclusions have yet been distributed, yet three essential implementation methodologies are conceivable: closing down providers of boxes, cutting off unlawful streams, and following end clients.

What Kodi perhaps turn out badly?

Kodi is easy to download and introduce, and additional items can be discovered utilizing web search tools. It chips away at anything from a PC or Mac down to Android-based set-beat boxes and even Raspberry Pis. All things being equal, setting it up isn't inside the safe place of each customer. That implies there's an interest for prepared to-utilize, pre-arranged equipment.

Android set-beat boxes are generally accessible discount, and there's nothing unlawful about offering them with exposed Android or with Kodi on top. What goes too far is pre-introducing additional items for particular unlicensed substance, making what are known as "completely stacked" Kodi boxes.

What's the size of illicit Kodi utilize? On April 20, YouGov distributed an overview that recommended almost five million individuals in the UK were utilizing "pilfered" gushing administrations of some sort, while the greater part the same number of again wanted to begin utilizing them. More than 800,000 clients had scratched off a TV membership. The suggestion is that compensation TV organizations remain to lose a considerable piece of income.

Kodi additional items connection to substance that others have decoded or copied. That is difficult to stop, however on March 8 the High Court endorsed a request requiring BT, Sky, TalkTalk and Virgin Media to piece indicated servers that were spilling Premier League football games, forestalling anybody on their broadband administrations from getting to them. A similar strategy could now be utilized to square different sources.

At the flip side of the chain, content proprietors are putting weight on the supply of completely stacked boxes. As Ars written about April 4, Amazon cautioned merchants toward the finish of March that "specific media players" had been "set apart as restricted." The move agreed with industry briefings on activity against Kodi utilize. "[Retailers'] help with handling this issue is an extraordinary help and we truly welcome it," the IPO reveals to Ars.The declaration enchanted "Freddy T-Power," a Kodi client who battles against the "trick" of completely stacked box deals. "Yes!!!!! At last My work of POSTING WARNINGS all over Amazon and Facebook for over a Year Hrs and Hrs Weekend after Weekend HAS PAID OFF!!" he posted on April 6. On May 1, Ars wrote "completely stacked kodi" into the hunt box on Amazon's UK site. It auto-finished "android box." The hunt created 73 comes about; none appeared to contain any reference to unlawful content.Ebay is an alternate matter. Cited by the Sun on April 11, a representative stated: "We work with the police and controllers to guarantee that all postings follow the law. There are pieces set up to keep the posting of illicit things, however we likewise always screen our commercial center."

On May 1, Ars scanned Ebay UK for "completely stacked Kodi box" and got 211 outcomes. "Completely stacked TV box" extended this to 1,289. Some said "Kodi" or "XBMC," while others utilized bland terms with Kodi adaptation numbers. Sprinkled crosswise over numerous postings was the expression "jailbroken," which has no specialized significance in this specific situation however proposes access to unapproved content.

Costs extend from under £25 to over £60, and numerous postings indicate administrations and movies that aren't accessible for nothing out of pocket. Regardless of giving distinctive contact points of interest, frequently in China, numerous merchants include practically indistinguishable showy representation. Kodi's Betzen says "it was constantly certain that the promoting pictures were stolen from each other, in light of the fact that half of them said my own particular main residence of Wichita or Colwich, Kansas, in the climate application." Pirates going to privateer.

Enclosed and beat up

Last December, two individuals in the UK who had been offering IPTV boxes "stacked with encroaching applications and additional items enabling access to copyrighted substance" to bars and buyers were imprisoned for up to four years.

It took after a private indictment by FACT UK (the Federation Against Copyright Theft) and the Premier League, expanding on an examination by the City of London Police's Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU). These providers were accused of intrigue to dupe, an expansive and inchoate offense. That is regularly a sign that the experts are attempting to discover a law that has been broken. More particular charges, however, are starting to stick.

Area 296ZB (1) of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (CDPA) gives that "A man submits an offense in the event that he makes available to be purchased or contract, or… offers or lets for contract… any gadget, item or part which is basically planned, delivered, or adjusted with the end goal of empowering or encouraging the circumvention of powerful mechanical measures." Often alluded to as "specialized security measures," or TPM, these can incorporate anything that stops a television fan watching content without paying.Malcolm Mayes of Hartlepool conceded in March to a charge under the CDPA subsequent to offering Kodi boxes adjusted to get substance, for example, Premier League matches for an eyebrow-raising £1,000 each. He had publicized the containers as "100% legitimate." They weren't. Mayes was requested to pay a sum of £250,000 and got a 10-month suspended sentence.

Brian Thompson of Middlesbrough appearances comparable charges at Teesside Crown Court this month. Paul Fleming, guarding, told a prior hearing the criminal court won't not be "the right discussion" for what was truly a common matter. That contention looks harder to make since a decision by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) on April 26 affirmed that disseminating boxes changed to get to encroaching substance added up to an unapproved "correspondence to people in general" of copyright works which would "antagonistically influence the ordinary abuse of those works."

Bars are a favored focus of FACT. Memberships enabling them to screen live games are costly, making Kodi boxes alluring. John Hewitt, proprietor of the Navigation in Middlesbrough, who was arraigned in October 2016, told the Teesside Gazette: "Anybody can get to this. On the off chance that we don't have the match on at the bar, somebody could watch it on their telephone. On the off chance that I lose, everybody with a cell phone will get done."Beer goggles

There's a urban myth that watching gushed content without paying for it isn't replicating. Actually, this was secured by segment 297 (1) of the CDPA years before computerized gushing. A man submits an offense on the off chance that they "insincerely get a program incorporated into a telecom benefit given from a place in the United Kingdom with aim to evade installment of any charge material to the gathering of the program."

Ars inquired as to whether any watcher had ever been arraigned under this law. It couldn't state. There are no focal records of officers' courts' judgments in England, yet as of late as 2015 FACT didn't know about any cases, and we couldn't locate any detailed. Be that as it may, area 286ZA likewise applies the far reaching forbiddance on dodging TPM to individual clients.

"We know the vast majority are decent the length of they are clear what they are and are not permitted to do," the IPO tells Ars. In any case, are the tenets clear? Ars addressed a Kodi client, likewise in the north east of England. He'd been given an Amazon Fire TV Stick by a companion with Kodi introduced alongside additional items "covering my particular advantages of motion pictures, documentaries, game, and music."

[giveuselife-blog]

What Are The Most Popular Sports And CRICKET activities Within the World?

New Post has been published on https://giveuselife.org/what-are-the-most-popular-sports-activities-within-the-world/

What Are The Most Popular Sports And CRICKET activities Within the World?

In these days while distinct Sports activities are competing for investment and marketing it’s miles exciting to look how they rank in terms of popularity.

Diverse criteria had been used to degree reputation such as Television target market, attendance figures, and sales earner. So which recreation is the world’s preferred? The answer after an examination of all of the standards is self-evident, soccer is king. But what is the world’s 2nd favorite? That honor goes to cricket observed by means of basketball in third place.

1) soccer

It has the largest fan following across the globe, varying from wealthy to bad and young to antique. The sport is Chinese in origin and became advanced with the aid of the English.

it’s far played in 208 countries with a fan following because the no 1 sport in ninety three nations with a combined population of 2 billion people and is among the top 3 Popular Sports in 100 countries with 3 billion people. it is the world richest recreation and can be played through rich and bad alike. Home leagues in Europe cost in extra of $30 billion and other leagues total some other $10 billion. The soccer Global Cup can improve the host u . S .’s economic system with the aid of upwards of $10 billion (except in growing countries) (Bleacher Record- Most Famous Crew Sports: football & Cricket, Basketball & Baseball; by means of Amrit Doley, May additionally 7, 2009).

There are unique sorts of soccer, namely, futsal or indoor soccer and seaside soccer which help to expand its enchantment. And there may be girls’s soccer which extended for the reason that 1990’s and also has World Cup competitions.

2) CRICKET

The second Most Popular game Inside the World.

it’s far the Maximum Famous game in 20 countries with a combine populace of one.6 billion and is the various pinnacle three Sports activities in 10 nations with a population in extra of two hundred million. The cricket world Cup sport is The second one biggest wearing occasion Within the Global with a cumulative Television audience of 5 billion human beings. The Board of Manipulate of Cricket in India is the richest carrying organization Inside the Global valued in extra of $2 billion. (Bleacher File – Maximum Famous Group Sports and many others).

Cricket comprises Twenty 20, the 3 hour 20 over a side layout, in conjunction with At some point Internationals 50 over a facet and Test fits (the traditional shape) of as much as 5 days.

The game became invented in England sometime Within the 17th century and exported to the colonies via the colonists In the 18th century.

The controllers of cricket have loads to be happy with. It ranks second notwithstanding the reality that (1) it’s miles handiest played Within the British Commonwealth countries namely, West Indies, England, Australia, India, Pakistan, South Africa and New Zealand and (2) in some of those nations some people have been excluded from The game at Diverse times for motives of race and class.

However cricket became nonetheless capable of live to tell the tale to emerge as The second Most Famous sport. This is well illustrated via searching on the development of The game in some of these countries:-

(a) England

English cricket has historically concerned troubles of sophistication. Teams in the beginning consisted of amateurs (gents) who belonged to the higher and middle lessons and specialists (players) who have been working class.

Cricket has progressed since the days while the gentlemen dominated The sport. Improvements which include Twenty 20 cricket and applications to encourage cricket in kingdom faculties like “Danger to shine” and internal metropolis schemes have helped to develop The sport’s attraction.

Though even nowadays cricket in England is a middle elegance recreation (nonetheless called the “Gentleman’s sport”).

Heaps of schoolchildren do now not get the Risk to play cricket with lingering prejudices and preconceptions getting rid of many extra. Cricket is best performed often in most effective 10% of English country schools and is handiest the sixth Maximum Famous recreation performed. Then again, practically all personal schools provide ordinary cricket with extraordinary centers and coaches. as much as the age of sixteen, about ninety three % of children Inside the Uk visit kingdom faculties so it’s far clear that too many younger people are missing out. This lack of opportunity has filtered via to the country wide Crew. nowadays, over ¾ of the Check squad have been educated at independent schools (English Cricket and The elegance Barrier, April 9, 2013 by means of Andrew Thorpe-Apps).

(b) West Indies

Cricket changed into introduced via the English colonists In the seventeenth century. They performed The game among themselves and the slaves were relegated to being mere spectators In the surrounding cane fields in which they labored.

If the ball became hit into the cane field the slaves might retrieve it and as a way to galvanize his grasp the slave would attempt to throw it lower back as fast and correctly as viable.

Every now and then a slave could capture the attention of the master who would invite him to discipline near the boundary line and retrieve balls that had been hit to the boundary.

After slavery become abolished in 1838 blacks had been From time to time invited to play in a constrained role as a quick bowler in which he may want to utilize his bodily power. This example endured until the arrival of Learie Constantine (later Sir Learie Constantine) in 1920’s.

Learie Constantine became a pioneer in that he changed into a black all-rounder who ought to bat, bowl, area and had a deep information of The sport. He disproved the myth that blacks should simplest play with their bodily strength and no longer with their heads. This paved the way for the inclusion of extra blacks Inside the West Indies Group and the appointment of Frank Worrell (later Sir Frank Worrell) in 1960 because the first black West Indian captain.

The influx of blacks into West Indian cricket raised the fortune of the countrywide Crew which went on to emerge as World champions In the 1980’s and 1990’s and more suitable the elegance of The sport.

(c) South Africa

Under the apartheid system blacks and coloreds have been formally excluded from The game. also excluded have been non-white journeying Teams. So in 1970 South Africa cancelled a tour via England due to the fact the vacationers blanketed Basil D’Oliveira, a coloured South African playing in England. As a end result South Africa became banned from Test cricket in 1970 and reinstated in 1991 with the autumn of apartheid and South Africa’s racial obstacles came to an quit.

(d) India

Cricket changed into taken to India In the 18th century via the British colonists and was controlled via princes in the course of the British Raj (colonial India) specially after the 1880’s.

The princes competed amongst themselves to have the nice Teams and also wanted to assert indigenous energy in beating their colonial masters at their personal game and in order that they bestowed patronage at the Most proficient cricketers no matter their caste, creed or social history.

After independence in 1947 princely patronage become changed by using company Manage over The game and corporations desired the knowledgeable gamers from the higher lessons due to the fact they could now not be a burden on the company in retirement.

This modification Within the nature of recreation patronage was reinforced by an increase Inside the fee of stadium tickets and a decrease in government investment for cricket in impoverished areas which drove the running lessons away from cricket and towards the much less expensive soccer and hockey.

The transformation affected the country wide Crew so in 1978 it simplest had 2 players who had been no longer upper-caste Hindus and in 1982 all except 1 have been brahmans or different top-magnificence (Cricket in India: Consultant playing area to Restrictive Preserve through Boria Majundar, Ethnicity, recreation, Identification: Struggles for Status 2006).

Despite the exclusion from cricket of the underprivileged The sport has survived greater than 300 years as the Most Famous sport in India. This changed into in large part because of the manufacturing by way of India in latest years of some of the sector’s quality gamers like Gavaskar and Tendulkar, the improvement of confined overs cricket and the awesome success of the countrywide Group over the last thirty years.

Cricket’s recognition in India and Pakistan with blended populations that make up over 1/5 of the world’s overall populace has no question contributed largely toward making it the Maximum Popular recreation following soccer.

3) BASKETBALL

An American invention, basketball is the Most Popular sport In the Philippines and is among the top three Most Popular Sports activities in greater than 10 nations with a combine population of one.eight billion. 90% of basketball cash is Within the US with NBA Groups generating in excess of $3.three billion in sales. The induction of overseas players to the NBA has contributed to making the game more Popular in Numerous nations. (Bleacher Report: Maximum Famous Crew Sports and so forth).

it is tough to rank the following few places for the reason that they vary depending on the standards used.

Reading the recognition of different Sports activities is constantly a difficult venture. The development of technology has led to the increase In the popularity of Sports and those like Sports for distinct reasons whether as players or visitors. The criteria used to measure recognition is best going to growth to be able to make the undertaking even more difficult.

Thankfully, the favorability of the above mentioned Sports mainly the first is so excessive (regardless of the criteria used) that it made the project of ranking them much less hard. Sportswriter; Born in Jamaica;Lived in 5 international locations;Bi-lingual English/Spanish, Pursuits include, Sports activities, reading, wooden paintings & ethnic food; Married and lives in Florida.

[calacuspr]

WHAT CAN BRANDS DO TO FIGHT RACISM IN FOOTBALL?

For those who are fortunate enough to watch European football club competitions in midweek, UEFA’s ‘No to Racism’ video message rings loud and clear.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and a host of other superstars extol the importance of tolerance and understanding.

But the message is not getting through.

As Brexit dominates politics in the UK and countries in Europe see a rise in right wing doctrine, so racism has become more commonplace at stadia across the world.

Last year, Kick It Out, UK football’s anti-discrimination organisation, reported an 11% rise in reports of discriminatory abuse during the 2017-18 season with racism up by 22% and homophobia by 9%.

In 2019 alone, there have been numerous incidents where high profile players have been the subject of racist abuse, including Liverpool striker Mo Salah by both West Ham and Chelsea fans; Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly against Arsenal and Juventus striker Moise Kean, whose captain Leonardo Bonucci then made a clumsy response to the taunts by Cagliari fans.

West Ham, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea (add links to official page statements) were all quick to condemn the racist behaviour with the threat of bans for those identified.

While Kick it Out has long been vocal about the scourge of racism in football, the Premier League has recently launched its own initiative ‘No Room for Racism’ which promotes inclusion and diversity within the game and while football cannot be blamed for society’s ills, it certainly magnifies the increasing racial prejudice that is emerging.

Some players decided to stage a 24-hour social media blackout in protest but how much of an impact will that have unless it affects brands and clubs directly?

At international level, England’s black players were targeted with monkey chants in Montenegro, LINK prompting football authorities to have their say, rightly condemning the incidents.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has suggested “harsh sanctions” and a “zero-tolerance approach,” adding that “Racism has no place in football. In recent days, it has been very sad to see a number of racist incidents in football. This is really not acceptable.”

And UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin went further, suggesting that referees could stop matches when fans chant racist abuse and that disqualifying teams could also be an option.

“It's 2019, it's not 100 years ago,” said Ceferin. “The moment a match is stopped, or it's not played, I think that 90% of normal people in the stadium would kick the asses of those idiots.

"If it's chronic, we could throw out a club team or a national team from a competition. Everything is possible. But that is a last resort."

But is that really an option, at national or international level?

Clubs and associations rely on broadcasters and brands for much of their revenue, with players also benefiting from lucrative sponsorship deals.

It says much for the increasing problem football now faces that England and Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling has become one of the most outspoken critics of racism.

His commentary, though admirable, needs to be echoes by football’s authorities, managers, players and fans at all levels to call out anyone who thinks it is acceptable to discriminate on any grounds and while Nike have run a campaign with Sterling, more needs to be done.

It is up to brands to take a stand and with football being such a goldfish bowl, provide a positive example for society rather than one of shame.

Sport has often been criticised for a lack of diversity in administrative and leadership positions – there are currently only two BAME managers in the Premier League, for instance, far from a reflection of society in general.

How many of the brands involved in football or sport in general have genuine diversity from the ground floor to Board level?

How many brands take firm action against racist behaviour by the players that they support – or even the clubs whose fans are guilty of such action?

Sterling, in a column launching an anti-racism campaign in The Times, calls for harsher sanctions and he certainly has a point that modest fines have little impact in the big scheme of things.

Playing games behind closed doors with all the lost revenue that entails; competition elimination or points deductions; and fines in line with the revenue guilty clubs receive would certainly focus the minds of clubs and administrators.

And what brands, whether global or regional, want to be associated with clubs (specifically their fans), players or competitions where racism rears its ugly head?

Those brand associations could have a direct impact on both their reputation and their sales.

There is a huge opportunity for brands to lead the conversation, set an example and call out any absence of direct action that helps to eradicate racism in football.

A recent survey showed that the world’s consumers would rather spend money on brands that take a stand on issues over companies that shy away from controversy.

If that’s not a wake-up call for sports sponsors to take a stand, to lead by example, nothing is.