Before I begin, I must say that I was NOT at the game and my comments are solely based on what I have heard. But, based on all accounts, the video in Columbus was pretty self-explanatory.
The events have left me disappointed, angry, and a bit confused. From the streamers to the taunt, it’s not a terribly bright time in Columbus. While I’m on the streamers, I think it’s becoming bad for the game. It’s disrupting play and slowing the game down. As for the taunt, on so many fronts, it’s difficult to speak on. First and foremost, I am a human being and all the other descriptives (Black, soccer player, athlete, etc.) follow after that. So, since we’re talking about footie, I will speak from the footie perspective.
There have been many times that people have heckled me. It started in college and escalated at the professional and international level. 99% of the time it was the usual “You suck”, “That’s why we traded you”,”I hate America”, blah, blah, blah. That’s the normal banter you hear from the fans. Does it get to you? Sure. Those words cut, but they’re things you can shrug off easier than others. I had to deal with racist taunts on the field once…in Dallas. In fact, I can only remember this happening to me once in my entire career from high school to the pros, but I can’t say the same for many of my fellow Black teammates during my career. Now, I’m not saying Dallas is a bad place, but it wasn’t generally a fan of the tan man, but that’s a whole different story. And the idiot making the taunt was clearly for the other team. I went to a small university in the mountains of southwest Virginia and got better treatment.
As an athlete, we are often held to lofty positions and are, by some, considered superhuman in some ways. However, we all have our faults and limits which sometimes are on display for the world to see. What happens within the arenas and stadiums falls under a different jurisdiction in society. What happens there usually is only addressed there. It’s like an athlete is expected to ignore or not retaliate against comments or actions. I think it is a bit unfair and unrealistic to expect these things. For many people, there would be a fight if you said something about their Mom (of course not their Dad!) or cut them off in traffic. Take this same situation and put it in a bar, and that’s the main ingredient for a brawl. Remember that guy that Charles Barkley threw through a window just for talking trash to him? As soon as we realize that athletes have feelings (not being sentimental) and are prone to mistakes like everyone else, the better we will be. We’ve all seen instances of players going after fans. In fact, I don’t know if we can call them “fans” at that point. Some may say that I’m paying my hard-earned money so I can say what I want. Good point! But, just remember that there are lines that should not be crossed.
As I said, I’ve only dealt with taunts once. I didn’t react to the moron and was able to keep my cool. But, I have given the old “You’re #1” salute in a separate incident. It was a big mistake, and I regretted it. You can never take away what’s done in the heat of the moment, especially when the stakes are high as a professional athlete.
We are fortunate that racism is not an issue in soccer in the U.S. There have been numerous instances in other countries, and some players have not dealt well with it. If you act ugly, expect ugly back. If you say something wrong, don’t be surprised at a reaction on the field or on the street.
You know that saying “Sticks and Stones”?
A friend of mine once said, “Sticks and Stones may break my bones, but Names could get yours broken off too”.
Now, let’s get back to some good old-fashioned footie and put this to rest!
Dante Washington
