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Higher moral ground
Posted: Saturday February 19, 2000 04:46 PM
Let me say from the start -- racism has no place in a civilized society. That said, free speech does. So it follows that the right to make racist comments cannot be denied. I raise this point because in the last week there have been two separate cases in which I've noticed the right of soccer fans to free speech has been brought into question.
Now while I applaud the swift action of those committed to beating the cancer of racism in sport, I'm also a great believer that those involved in sport -- in any capacity -- should not be held to a higher standard than the rest of society when it comes to the law. With that in mind, I found myself in a dilemma -- if you don't outlaw racist comments from the bigot in the bar who sees everything in terms of color, creed or religion, then how can you punish his sporting counterpart for voicing the same jaundiced views?
I found my answer by revisiting the recent furore over Major League Baseball pitcher, John Rocker, whose tirade against every minority group with a pulse in New York City outraged most right thinking people in and out of the game. His appeal against his suspension until May 1st ultimately failed of course, which I for one agree with. Not for the reason you might think however. You see as much as I abhor everything he said, and everything he appears to stand for, I do not support his ban on the grounds that his comments were racist. He is an American, living in a country in which the Constitution gives him the right to speak his mind, however unpalatable his words may be. No, I believe his outburst deserved a heavy punishment not because it was racist, but because it embarrassed baseball, which is perfectly entitled to set its own parameters for behavior. One of which promotes racial harmony. Which brings me back to the most recent examples of racism in Spain and Italy. They too involved people speaking their minds, and also involved behavior that did not break the law. What they did break however was soccer's own code of decency, morality or ethics, call it what you will. And in that situation, within legal boundaries, football has the right to dispense its own justice regardless of whether they're out of step with the laws of the land. So for those who often criticize sport for its lack of moral fiber, and libertarian attitude to discipline -- I say take a closer look. Because, behind the headlines, the sport's authorities may in fact be taking a higher moral standpoint than anyone else. Terry Baddoo is a co-host of "World Sport," the international sports show that airs live on CNN/Sports Illustrated and CNN International.
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