Liverpool FC Forum

The Manhattan Project wrote:This morning on talkSPORT, Alan Brazil was babbling on about how people are supposedly "overreacting" to this incident. He may have been drunk, but I'll address his main "arguments" (if we can refer to slurring speech as an "argument").

1- "We See Things Like This In Rugby All The Time".

Football is not rugby. It's arguable that a violent incident would even be permitted in rugby too. Besides, even if something is acceptable in one sport, doesn't make it acceptable in another. Ice hockey can be a violent sport, but if a figure skater slammed another figure skater into the sidewall, that wouldn't be accepted, despite the fact they are both winter sports.

2- "It Wasn't That Bad".

Mendes was knocked unconscious and suffered a seizure. Therefore, even if to drunken Scots, it didn't appear to "look" bad, it actually WAS bad, as supported by the evidence of Mendes' condition.

3- "We Have Seen Worse".

The fact we have seen worse incidents in football, does not mean that this incident is any more acceptable. In policework, a cop may see victims with 32 stab wounds, but it doesn't mean it's any better than seeing a victim with 33 stab wounds.

4- "The "Pansy" Argument"

Where the injured player is labelled a "pansy" because he went down after being elbowed in the face, and anyone who condemns this violent incident via phone or e-mail is equally called a "pansy". This is a sure sign of a weak argument.

5- "It Used To Happen All The Time In The Past..."

So did bear-baiting, so what's the point?

Just because violent hooliganism was also seen in the past, doesn't it make it acceptable today. The back-pass was seen in the past, but isn't today, because the game changes.

6- "Mendes' Injuries Were Caused By Hitting The Advertising Board".

Incorrect. Video replays show that his head never actually makes contact with the advertising board. The injuries were entirely caused by being violently struck with a forearm/elbow.

7- "Football Is A Physical Game..."

Striking a player in the face doesn't fall into the parameters of "physicality" as allowed by the rules of the game. It's why stamping on a player's face or ripping off his left ear would also be considered unacceptable.