Seen it and laughed. By your own words, you're basing your comments on third hand opinion and have no knowledge at all of my personal experience, that may or may not include a deeper level of experince with the same people you know. In any event, you seem to be going to an awful lot of trouble to help make my point by way of example. You have argued why you feel it is acceptable to pre-judge and discriminate against a particular group of players. They are offered less protection than others. Either we have a system where some arbitrator decides that one set of abuse is worse than another, or that one type of people are more sensitive. Either way, it's discrimination that you are justifying.
Scientific research although not conclusive (it may be dis-proven at a later date) is not third hand opinion. But you are right, I have no idea as to your experience on the subject, I can only base that on what you have posted. My point, one that you constantly seem to be ignoring, is that no player 'deserves' abuse or discrimination but you simply cannot compare weight to race. They are completely different entities and I find it rather insulting you trivialise the plight of ethnic groups and their abuse based on inherent physiological traits by comparing them to overweight people, which although not exclusively, is predominantly a lifestyle choice. It's really not. I'll let you have the final word if you must, but as far as I'm concerned we're always going to disagree on this so I'm going to leave it at that and move on.
Airlie, I don't expect you to agree with me, prejudiced types rarely like their short comings highlighted. As an example, you talk of science, but offer only some that support your view. There are scientific papers that also argue against it. That's the nature of science. While they're researching, despite money and resources, the problem continues. To dismiss it as a lifestyle choice if offensive and ignorant. It also highlights the fact that you classify larger people as somehow less than others. Instead of trying to defend your discrimination, you need to look at why you do it. I don't think these boards are the right place though.
I think that England, France and Holland will get the most abuse as they have the most black players in there squads. UEFA are under massive pressure to act though. If the refs dont do anything then the media for starters will make big issues of it. I have a nasty feeling that the football will only be a side issue in many games. Hopefully the morons will be kicked out early. TWT.
Dutch, whilst I disagree with a lot of what you have said and do not appreciate being accused of something I am not. I do respect your opinion and am grateful for the articulate and constructive way you have conducted this debate, rather than the cheap insults often resorted to on here. It's good to have a healthy debate now and again. It is always going to be an emotive subject and neither opinion was ever going to be swayed by a few message board posts. But it's probably best we move on, go our separate ways and get back to discussing football.
I appreciate the position he and the rest of UEFA have put themselves in by choosing Ukraine and Poland. They should have realised what was likely to happen. So he if does not support the teams who have racially abused players he and UEFA are allowing the racists win.
Making the Euros a 24 team competition from 2016 and completely messing about with the structure of the thing, just cos. Irrelevant but I agree strongly with this, everyone is obsessed with dieting these days and exercise is just ignored. I get no end of girls my age saying it's 'unfair' that I can eat what I want and remain thin, but it's because I enjoy and participate regularly in, intensive exercise. It's a massive problem particularly for girls.
I really don't see how that's going to work. I can't get a method that would allow for the numbers to work in a knockout system. Ie 6 groups of 4 would mean 12 teams left for knockout, doesn't work. Maybe three teams could qualify from the groups? Would leave 18, doesn't work. 8 groups of 3 would work, one elimination per group, but that would be beyond ****e.
It's 6 groups of 4, and in 4 of the 6 groups a 3rd team will go through (presumably the groups England aren't involved in) meaning there will be a 2nd round of 16 like the WC.
