I am getting just a little fed up with the emails asking me to support a petition to have Tyson Fury (someone I had to check up on to see who he was before this all happened) removed as a nominee from the BBC Television's Sports Personality of the Year competition.
Now, just in case you're as much in the dark as me over this chap, he is the heavyweight boxing champion of the world - so I guess you do have to acknowledge that he has done something of note in his own sport; after all, world champion means something doesn't it?
Now the man has been nominated for being able to box, that's what won him the title not his ability to live a good life or to be a great orator or a lifestyle model. In fact, some of the top sportsmen and women in their fields have been some of the awfully poor lifestyle models there can be.
After all I can remember being at games where a certain goalkeeper was subjected to a chant referring to him not being on the pitch, 'Whose Missus is he sleeping with?' being the cry. More than one footballer has been the focus of sexual transgressions being sung about by opposing fans since then, but then that's what they do (fans and footballers) it seems.
The same has been true of of other footballers falling foul (no pun intended) of the law:
Arsenal Skipper Tony Adams spending time in jail for drunk driving - but still loved and admired.
Joey Barton spent time in, and behind, bars for assault and the like - but to many he found forgiveness as soon as he found the net!
Luke McCormick caused an accident which killed two children - but time (and skill) meant he found himself back in the game after a spell on the sidelines - think he became captain
somewhere too!
In boxing, the man with half Fury's name, although possessing a punch, some bark and plenty of bite - Mike Tyson - and after being convicted of rape, still made it back and is still, it seems, lauded by some despite this most awful of crimes.
An American Football player apparently kills his wife, has a car chase but is still admired by many.
I could go on but can't think of that many of the top of my head. The thing is that there are many flawed people in the upper echelons of sport and many of these have been largely ignored. BUT of course once certain lines are crossed then a certain agenda in lit up and followed such that the person is targeted, vilified, and campaigned against to have them removed from this competition. Cages are rattled and people are incensed and enraged by the activists that a bloke I have never heard of might end up not being in a competition I don't really have much interest in (even though I love almost all sport).
I've read the bloke explaining himself and what he seems to be saying is part of the cultural upbringing he had. This doesn't make it right and it doesn't appear to be stuff that I'd personally endorse but what the hey. who made? Let's stop and think about it for a minute: If 80,000 people who are apparently campaigning to have Fury chucked out of the competition all voted for another candidate - like Hamilton who apparently drives a car for someone or other on weekends or perhaps an athlete I've never heard of or some chap who apparently likes swimming, then 'job done', no need to chuck the bloke out - just humiliate him into last place! Perhaps we should be campaigning because Mo Farah has an Islamic sounding name or some other absurd and bizarre connection?
I like Fury's observations on it all: "Hopefully I won’t win BBC Sports Personality of the Year as I’m not the best role model in the world for the kids, give it to someone who would appreciate it.' Yeah, me too!
The problem is that those baying for blood appear to have no concept of justice or mercy, and most certain don't entertain any concept of humility either! Seems they regard their views as authoritative and valid when what they really are is just good old-fashioned rabble rousing types. They'll be bringing out the guillotine next - still, means the wife can get some knitting done in the crowd I guess!
And to clergy and other people of influence who support such awfulness - shame on you (Jesus, and Santa, are watching you know!). Life should be about influencing people to act and think rightly, not about smashing windows or burning books or dragging people off to camps and the like - and that, sadly, is the path that those who are encouraging the revenge-laded, acrimonious attacks on Fury are taking us down. What at first glance appears to be just another public outcry finds resonance with those who rose up in the Germany of the thirties and stirred up things - I'm surprised they havent tried to arrest the bloke!
I'm certainly not for anyone acting wrongly against others and so think Fury needs to rethink the communications and belief side of his life to mirror the Christ he claims to follow - I also think we need to stop letting the bigots and rabble-rousers draw our society into equally wrong behaviour ... and now, as then, many good people are being swept along whilst other good people hide their faces or look the other way rather than stand and face attack themselves by speaking out for what is right: and this is all it takes for wrong to triumph.
Pax
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