Dallas-Mavs.com Forums - View Single Post

Mavdog · 03-28-2005, 02:49 PM

I watched the whole match yesterday, and at no time did any "Osama" chanting come through the TV. There was a reference to that happening at some time in the past (an U-21 game?) but not yesterday.

Listening to the Alex Lalas interview about his games at Azteca sounded errily similar to what I have heard from Cowboy players who tell about playing in the Vet at Philadelphia. Jeers, taunts, and then there are the thrown batteries and such...

National sports competition brings out some of the worst in some fans, and soccer seems to have its dubious history in this malaise. There is an active campaign ongoing in European matches on stopping rascist taunts against black players (the English, French and Dutch teams have several). The German team has endured many instances of jeers about being Nazis. The Israelis have some of the worst tossed their way by those sympathetic to the Palestinian cause.

There have been some NBA fans who have crossed the line and have been kicked out of games here.

Does anybody honestly believe that these type of taunts don't come out of some American's mouths at sporting events? We're unfortunately not immune.

EDIT: I found this article about the chanting, it was in a U-23 game last year:

Posted 2/12/2004 2:09 AM Updated 2/12/2004 2:13 AM

Notebook: Mexicans' behavior part of the game
By Kelly Whiteside, USA TODAY

GUADALAJARA, Mexico — The jeers from the crowd of 60,000 and the chants of "Osama, Osama, Osama" quieted Tuesday night when Mexico took control of the Olympic qualifying game against the USA at Estadio Jalisco. The 4-0 victory eliminated the U.S. under-23 men's soccer team from the Athens Games this summer.
"Since Mexico won convincingly, every fan walked out cheering," U.S. goalkeeper D.J. Countess said Wednesday after training. "I've been hit with bags of urine, limes and batteries. There even was a dead chicken thrown on the field next to me in El Salvador, but since Mexico got the result they wanted, there wasn't much of that.

"I'm sure if we would have won the game, there would have been a lot of stuff thrown at us and a lot of chants."

In the teams' meeting here last May, the crowd pelted the U.S. players with beer bottles, batteries and racial epithets, causing the U.S. Soccer Federation to send an official letter of complaint to the Mexican federation.

Though the taunting chants of "Osama," referring to al-Qaeda leader bin Laden, were disturbing, U.S. soccer officials said no formal complaint would be filed.

"The world's a political place. There are inherent jealousies between Mexico and the United States, and some people choose sports to make that as their platform," U.S. coach Glenn "Mooch" Myernick said. "There's no place for it anywhere, but particularly in sports. I don't know what any formal complaint would do."

03-28-2005, 02:49 PM	#6
Mavdog Diamond Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Texas Posts: 6,014	RE:Mexicans Soccer Fans I watched the whole match yesterday, and at no time did any "Osama" chanting come through the TV. There was a reference to that happening at some time in the past (an U-21 game?) but not yesterday. Listening to the Alex Lalas interview about his games at Azteca sounded errily similar to what I have heard from Cowboy players who tell about playing in the Vet at Philadelphia. Jeers, taunts, and then there are the thrown batteries and such... National sports competition brings out some of the worst in some fans, and soccer seems to have its dubious history in this malaise. There is an active campaign ongoing in European matches on stopping rascist taunts against black players (the English, French and Dutch teams have several). The German team has endured many instances of jeers about being Nazis. The Israelis have some of the worst tossed their way by those sympathetic to the Palestinian cause. There have been some NBA fans who have crossed the line and have been kicked out of games here. Does anybody honestly believe that these type of taunts don't come out of some American's mouths at sporting events? We're unfortunately not immune. EDIT: I found this article about the chanting, it was in a U-23 game last year: Posted 2/12/2004 2:09 AM Updated 2/12/2004 2:13 AM Notebook: Mexicans' behavior part of the game By Kelly Whiteside, USA TODAY GUADALAJARA, Mexico — The jeers from the crowd of 60,000 and the chants of "Osama, Osama, Osama" quieted Tuesday night when Mexico took control of the Olympic qualifying game against the USA at Estadio Jalisco. The 4-0 victory eliminated the U.S. under-23 men's soccer team from the Athens Games this summer. "Since Mexico won convincingly, every fan walked out cheering," U.S. goalkeeper D.J. Countess said Wednesday after training. "I've been hit with bags of urine, limes and batteries. There even was a dead chicken thrown on the field next to me in El Salvador, but since Mexico got the result they wanted, there wasn't much of that. "I'm sure if we would have won the game, there would have been a lot of stuff thrown at us and a lot of chants." In the teams' meeting here last May, the crowd pelted the U.S. players with beer bottles, batteries and racial epithets, causing the U.S. Soccer Federation to send an official letter of complaint to the Mexican federation. Though the taunting chants of "Osama," referring to al-Qaeda leader bin Laden, were disturbing, U.S. soccer officials said no formal complaint would be filed. "The world's a political place. There are inherent jealousies between Mexico and the United States, and some people choose sports to make that as their platform," U.S. coach Glenn "Mooch" Myernick said. "There's no place for it anywhere, but particularly in sports. I don't know what any formal complaint would do."