What should Rio Ferdinand's punishment be?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.express.co...yers-if-they-walk-off

/// Meanwhile Rio Ferdinand defied his manager’s wishes by refusing to wear a T-shirt backing the ‘Kick It Out’ campaign. ///

/// But despite United kitman Albert Morgan standing at the tunnel entrance with the T-shirts, Ferdinand refused and warmed up before yesterday’s game against Stoke in his normal United training top.///

/// Ferguson stated: “We are disappointed Rio didn’t wear it.

“Every player in the country should have adhered to the PFA request.

“He has let us down. We will deal with it, don’t worry about
that.” ///

[LazyGun]

No, AoG - DT is right - it is not about what has happened to discipline in this country - the real question is why you support measures to quell free speech.

[andy-hughes]

AOG - I think it is easy to interperet Ferdinand's behaviour as petulant and childish, but i would suggest that as a mixed-race man being subjected to racist abuse, he sees it rather more seriously than that.

My understanding is that Sir Alex has decided that they will both 'move on' which suggests that he spoke in haste and has decided that Ferdinand being 'dealt with' sounded like a stroppy dad waiting to get him home!

I personally agree with Ferdinand's position, if he chooses not to wear a tee-shirt because he believes its message is not reaching its target, then that is his choice.

[DTCwordfan]

rubbish, AOG, total rubbish. Rio has an issue with what Kick It Out are doing, as do other footballers - so he is not exactly alone. Accept that - he is just standing up for what he believes in and there is nothing wrong with that. And what is "illegal" about it?

Ok he and AF have an issue, they will sort out that behind his office door, not on the pages of the Guardian, Telegraph, Mail or Express.

[humbersloop]

^^ union flag alert - baaallldriiic!

[sp1814]

Thank you for your answers AOG. I think you're wrong, but you could not have known about the footballers who defied the PFA by refusing to take part in the anti-homophobia campaign when you posted your question about Ferdinand.

There's no way you could've predicted that effectively, Ferdinand's refusal, and the refusal of players to support the other campaign initiated by the PFA are exactly the same issue.

[anotheoldgit]

LazyGun

/// No, AoG - DT is right - it is not about what has happened to discipline in this country - the real question is why you support measures to quell free speech. ///

When has refusing to wear an article of clothing got anything to do with the freedom of speech?

Yet another overuse of a word or phrase to add to 'Raciest', 'Bigot' 'Nazi' 'homophobic' etc, by those who are continuously preventing the 'Freedom of speech', to anyone who dares to hold a different view to them.

[anotheoldgit]

andy-hughes

/// I personally agree with Ferdinand's position, if he chooses not to wear a tee-shirt because he believes its message is not reaching its target, then that is his choice. ///

Then perhaps he should be intelligent enough to suggest a better method to make the message reach it's target, instead of objecting to a measure introduced by the ‘Kick It Out’ campaign?

[LazyGun]

@AoG - This was the content of your last, frankly risible attempt in defence of your OP and subsequent follow-ups.

"When has refusing to wear an article of clothing got anything to do with the freedom of speech?

Yet another overuse of a word or phrase to add to 'Raciest', 'Bigot' 'Nazi' 'homophobic' etc, by those who are continuously preventing the 'Freedom of speech', to anyone who dares to hold a different view to them."

So it begs the question - Are you being deliberately obtuse, or can you genuinely not see the absurdity of your position?

On the one hand, you condemn others ( the political correctness brigade, or lefty liberal hand-wringers, no doubt) for attempting to curtail or infringe upon your freedom of speech or freedom of expression.Rights incidentally subject to much debate at the moment, but rights nonetheless enshrined in law - subject to the usual caveats regarding incitement to violence, hate speech, etc.

On the other, you condemn Rio Ferdinand, who was exercising his right to free expression by not wearing a T-shirt whose message he apparently believes is not doing the job.

It seems to me that on matters pertaining to race, your own bias renders you incapable of making any kind of coherent, logical or objective argument and merely makes you appear foolish. You really have to get a grip on this.

[DTCwordfan]

Makes you wonder, LazyGun, if we would have had the same thread published by AOG if say, Peter Crouch or Steve Gerrard had refused.......

[sandyRoe]

On another thread some people are saying that the birch never did anyone any harm. A short, sharp, shock might make Rio mend his ways.

[Duncer]

Let's all go live in the IOM.

[sp1814]

AOG

I think LazyGun has summed it up rather well. You've effectively 'nutmegged' yourself with your own question.

[Duncer]

I find myself somewhat caught in the middle here. I think Rio Ferdinand is an over the hill Snag, but I fully support his right to behave as he did.

Meanwhile, overpaid players posture weekly and I believe practically none of them.