Double Standard for Footballers?

We live in an era where world famous athletes are put on pedestals above the average citizen because of success in their sport. Almost everyday you hear stories about athletes getting in trouble with the law for a variety of issues. Is the frequencies of this in result of athletes thinking they’re above the law? Does the government treat these athletes the same as any other citizen, regardless of social status? Let’s dive in and come to the bottom of this once and for all.

Just this week England winger and Sunderland player Adam Johnson was released on bail following his arrest on suspicion of sexual activity with a girl under the age of 16. Although the Premier League club suspended Johnson on Monday after learning he had been taken into custody, just a day later he was released on bail. Seems pretty quick for something as serious as potential rape. As a successful footballer, you have to wonder if this is part of the equation.

Although this example was as recent as this week, two precedents that were very similar are the cases of Ribery and Benzema and Ched Evans. Just last year footballers Frank Ribery, forward from Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema, faced three years in prison if found quality of having sexual relations with Zahia Dehar when she was 18 years old. Robery claimed he didn’t know the age of this woman and Benzema denied claims they spent the night together in Paris. Although it sounds like the incident happened which would be consider rape as this Algerian woman was underage, the judge at the court in Paris ruled there wasn’t enough proof that the pair was aware of Dehar’s age at the time.

Lastly, there’s the messy situation of footballer Ched Evans. Three years ago in April 2012 the Sheffield United player was convicted of rape, of a 19-year-old woman and was sent to jail. He admitted to having sex with the woman but said it was consensual. On October 17^th 2014 after serving half of his term, Sheffield launched a fresh bid to have his conviction overturned by asking the Criminal Cases Review Commission to examine his case. He was released.

All of these examples share the fact that these footballers were released after being accused for rape. While we don’t know exactly what happened in every situation, it seems all too frequent that athletes are released of their charges for some reason or another… Would it be the same for some average Joe who maybe wasn’t well off? We need to ask ourselves if we should let the government put any individual above the law.

You tell me, what do you think about these cases and do you think justice was served? What roles could have played into the judges decision? Is there a double standard when it comes to athletes/celebrities? 

Expand The Game

MLS has seemingly grown over the past couple years, with stars like Landon Donovan and David Beckham becoming icons of the game.  Since the game has gained popularity in the US, there will be a need for more teams.  Recently, New York debuted the NYC FC.  Now, former soccer star David Beckham is advocating for a team to be placed in Miami.

Speaking at a media event, Beckham acknowledged the struggles in securing the idea of a team in Miami.  He's noted that plans for stadiums in South Florida have fell through a couple times, but he remains committed to finishing his idea.

When Beckham signed with the LA Galaxy in 2007, his contract included the right to own an MLS expansion club.  However the main problem is finding a permanent stadium and Beckham's group has been working to figure that out.  His plan to make a stadium next to where the Miami Heat play was denied.

MLS wants to expand to 24 teams by 2020.  I believe that a team should exist in Miami due to the large population in the area.  I'm glad to see Beckham has stayed involved with the game after his retirement.  Do we really believe MLS will continune to become more popular, or will the expansion only hurt the league?  Only time will tell.

http://www.si.com/planet-futbol/2015/02/09/david-beckham-miami-mls-delays-frustrating

Howard Webb urged to come out of retirement

Recent refereeing controversies has seen people calling for Howard Webb to return to refereeing in a bid to help improve the standard of officiating. The former head of the referees' board Keith Hackett is one of the most vocal proponents urge Howard Webb to return to the game in a bid to improve the standard of officiating.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, he said: "Referees are making big mistakes, week in, week out. They need some leadership and with that leadership the guy who is at the top needs to front up." Webb, who is one of England's most well known referees due to his officiating and his impressive physique, retired in August 2014 to become the technical director of the Professional Games Match Officials Limited (PGMOL). In 2010 he was the first person to officiate the Champions League final as well as a World Cup in the same year.

Howard Webb does have an impressive resume when it comes to refereeing big games but will his presence really make the difference? Isn't he also prone to the same mistakes his colleagues are making? Isn't he the same person to allow Nigel De Jong to basically get away with murder when he karate kicked Xabi Alonso in the chest in the 2010 World Cup final and only received a yellow card?

Keith Hackett is wrong in thinking that a reinstated Howard Webb will improve the officiating of his colleagues. I highly doubt that they will be thinking What Would Howard Do? when Ashley Young makes a 10/10 dive into the penalty area in the 90th minute. Officials are forced to act immediately and unwaveringly. That is just the nature of the game. Soccer is an amazing sport because of the fact that you don't know what will happen next, including blunders from referees. Mistakes will surely happen and it is idealistic to assume Howard Webb's presence will change that.