ADVERTISER editor GLENN EBREY on why Luis Suarez's biting habit is bad... but not that bad...
NOW, as the football lexicon demands, let me begin by saying that no one condones biting.
And yes, Luis Suarez should be banned from football. And, yes, it should probably be for a pretty long time.
And yes, sticking your not too inconsiderable gnashers into a member of the opposition is, as Lionel Ritchie would say, once, twice, three times unacceptable.
But almost as bad is the inevitable stream of self-righteous nonsense in response to Luis Lecter's latest transgression, led inevitably by the angry man from angry-ville football phone-in brigade.
"Ban him for life," "I wouldn't want him at my club," "I'd rather he broke someone's leg than bite them," – some of the inevitably ridiculous, reactionary opinions floating around social media in the hours since the incident.
The English footballing fraternity are an admirably moral bunch in a pretty amoral sport. We're the ones who expose Fifa corruption, we won't stoop to cheating and diving to win a game, and we hate those pesky foreigners bringing their spitting and biting into our league.
Generally, this attitude is one we should be proud of but occasionally it slips into a terrible sort of Little Englander attitude to the World game, that spitting (though disgusting) is somehow a hanging offence and, as for biting an opponent, well, I'd rather you gave me a good honest chinning.
Similarly pompous is this "I wouldn't want him at my club line." If you really, honestly hold that opinion then it's very admirable. But would Liverpool want to get rid of Suarez after this incident? Of course they won't. Will Real Madrid and Barcelona still be lining up to buy one of the world's great players? Of course they will.
A Palace fans' forum last night ran a thread titled: 'Would you take Suarez at Palace?' Would any fan, in their right man, answer no to that question? Would you really, given half a chance, say 'Thanks Luis but we'd rather stick with Cameron Jerome?'
Biting is bad. But it isn't that bad. Luis Suarez hasn't ended anyone's career, he just needs a combination of punishment and professional help to stop him carrying out a bizarre yet hardly life-threatening bodily function.
I'd take Luis Suarez at my club tomorrow. Maybe that makes me all that's wrong with modern football.
Or maybe it just makes me a football fan.
