I first covered the most unsavoury subject on planet futbol in a February 2006 blog, and at the time thought like all other pre-civilized diseases on mother earth the authorities would do all they possible could to ensure it would soon be eradicated. Joe Namath Jets Jersey . How foolishly wrong I was. Forget the now inherent corruption and back handed favours that plague the beautiful game. Goal Line Technology? Youre having a laugh. As for them penalty cheating bandits, footballs lawmakers upend them by awarding the penalty to the opponent each time a player attempts to con the referee into awarding ghost penalties. This at least ensures Cristiano and Gareth remain upright for the next el clásico. What Josip Simunic did following the final whistle in Zagreb Tuesday night is beyond the pale of rational or reasonable behaviour. This has to finally be the point FIFA and UEFA finally begin to behave in a manner which will ensure the so termed beautiful game is rid of racism. Let there be no doubt, this is hardly an isolated case. Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini need to take a long, hard and very painful look at themselves and their organizations for their inertia, pitiful response and the lenient way they have dealt with offenders. In some cases, repeat offenders. The punishment is not even close to the offense taken and crime committed. Shaking hands doesnt count, Blatter. The effect of leniency has provided the breeding ground which has allowed racism on the terraces and the sacred pitch itself to evolve into a form that is not far removed from becoming structural. Dare I say an accepted practice? My February 2006 blog highlighted the fact a fringe minority of so called Real Zaragoza supporters were repeat offenders for racially abusing Samuel Etoo. Moreover, I was as troubled by the fact when the racism had occurred the previous year the response from the authorities was to fine Zaragoza €600, approximately $1,000. Etoo was so incensed by the events in 2006 to again be the target of this depraved and cowardly behaviour he wanted to send a message he had enough and was willing to walk off the pitch. It took his then coach Frank Rijkaard and some of his Barcelona teammates to convince the Cameroonian to not allow the racists win. Shamefully no one in a position of real authority that particular Zaragoza night decided to act in the required manner and right there in that moment begin the long hard process of finally doing something more meaningful than the lip service of an appeal on the PA system. The referee requested Real Zaragoza make an announcement on the stadium public address system for those guilty to refrain from the racism. Not sure if they used the word please. Obviously 2005s €600 fine to Zaragoza was hardly a deterrent. Or the first time such behaviour had occurred. Merely the first time the authorities felt compelled to be seen to be doing something about it. Plainly, what the Spanish Football Federation did, likely briefing or getting direction from UEFA as they went, sent a clear intention that brushing it under the carpet was all they were willing to do. I cant quite understand why its the club the authorities go after and not the actual cowardly perpetrators themselves. They use their football club as a smokescreen. We could list here all the separate racist incidents that have occurred in European football since 2005 and the word worthless could fit in terms of an adjective for the so called punishments that have been handed out. Excuse me, sanctions. Punishment almost directly infers a crime had previously been committed. The most recent reported case of racism occurred in last months CSKA Moscow v Manchester City Champions League match. Yes, many cases do go unreported and undetected. City captain Yaya Toure was the target on that particular Moscow night. Russian footballs response to this was to accuse the English of a smear campaign, whilst CSKA rolled out the denial campaign. UEFA went away from its fines system and went for the partial stadium closure sanction. Three institutions, three strikes. Shameful. Hows this for flexing your muscles? In UEFAs official statement, they omitted any explicit racist references to what went on that particular night. Wholly unacceptably, UEFAs statement referred to the matter as an incident. The first sentence of the statement reading, "The UEFA Control and Disciplinary Body has handed down sanctions to CSKA Moscow following incidents during their UEFA Champions League home game against Manchester City" An incident? Of what nature exactly. Late in the statement we find out the sanction is partial closure to a section of the stadium where the horrific abuse stemmed from. UEFA couldnt even bring themselves to close the entire stadium, or even for that matter, the South Stand which is the part of the ground the racist cowards like to associate themselves with. Tough guys only need apply. When CSKA and Bayern Munich play their UEFA Champions League group stage match Wednesday, Sector D of the Khimiki Arena will be closed. It was only in the final paragraph of UEFAs statement were they were willing to use the R word. "The fight against racism is a high priority for UEFA. All forms of racist behavior are considered serious offenses against the disciplinary regulations and are punished with the most severe sanctions." If closing a solitary section for a single Champions League match is UEFAs definition of the most severe sanctions then it is all the proof we need the European Custodian of the worlds game is incapable of correctly policing itself. Hardly surprising, shortly after the match, Yaya Toure began speaking of African players and teams boycotting Russia 2018. Can anyone blame him? Why is it that where yet again society has grotesquely failed people of African origins they themselves feel compelled to take matters into their own hands? I ask FIFA and UEFA; do we need to see rioting on the streets before they recognize that it is they themselves who have a responsibility? They have failed this generation and are indirectly guilty themselves. I think the legal term is by association. Too bad Platini doesnt view racism in football as he does the so called financial doping in the code. When do we see a panel assembled that has the exact same resources and same wide ranging powers as UEFAs Financial Fair Play executive be put in place to finally rid us of racism in European football. Apparently you can no longer invest your own personal fortune to better ensure a winning culture pervades at your football club. But at the same token, sit idly back as your customers racially abuse and in some instances commit crimes on the employees of your rivals. Who invented this system? Didnt John Terry get charged by the London police in regards to the well documented case involving Rio Ferdinands younger brother? Ultimately standing trial shortly after appearing for England at EURO 2012. Why then are the people who claim allegiance to CSKA not feeling the full force of the legal system? Simunic was found guilty by the Zagreb legal system for, Spreading Racial Hatred and was fined a paltry $4,000 by the Prosecutors Office. What message does that send? Someone else willing to invoke 20th century Nazism for a sum of money Gareth Bale roughly receives for every minute he spends on the Santiago Barnebeau pitch. Those multi-national companies, including the recently added Russian energy company Gazprom, who set aside millions of dollars each year to partner up and brand themselves around the pinnacle of club football have a duty and obligation to greater society. Companies are very willing to associate themselves with good causes. There is no greater cause in all of humanity than to foster encouragement in us all to treat one another and each other as our equals. As in the immortal words of singer Timmy Thomas who asked in his 1972 classic, which over the years has gone on to be re-recorded by a variety of musical greats from a variety of different backgrounds: Why Cant We Live Together? Answers on a postcard to Sepp & Michel. Im sure the two most powerful men in world football are in a good place to cover the cost of the stamps. You can reach and follow Noel Butler at:Noel.Butler@BellMedia.ca @TheSoccerNoel on Twitter Chris Herndon Jets Jersey . Rajon Rondo had 18 of Bostons season-high 38 assists and the Celtics committed just seven turnovers in a 118-111 win over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday night. Nathan Shepherd Jersey . - Defensive end-linebacker Mike Neal apparently is returning to the Packers. http://www.shopnyjets.us/nathan-shepherd-jersey/ . With Van Osch out with a flu bug that has been rampaging through the tournament, Knezevic stepped in to lead B.C. (4-3) to a pair of victories on Tuesday before 1,131 at the Maurice Richard Arena.TORONTO -- Already exhausted following a long road trip and playing the second half of back-to-back games, the last thing the Toronto Maple Leafs was another emotional pitfall. Coach Randy Carlyle had already caused a stir in Detroit a night earlier by calling James Reimers play in a loss "just OK," and then the goaltender gave up a goal on the first shot he faced Wednesday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Unfortunately for the Leafs, that was just the beginning of a long game as defenceman Paul Ranger was injured and Steven Stamkos rang up a hat trick to hand them a 5-3 loss at Air Canada Centre, their third in a row. Even after the club released an update saying Ranger was "stable, conscious and alert" after his head hit the glass on a hit from Alex Killorn and he was taken to a local hospital, there were plenty of worried teammates in the home locker-room after a defeat that dropped the Leafs three points behind the Lightning in the Atlantic Division. With that came a notion of missing an opportunity to make something out of the impossibly difficult situation of seeing Ranger go down. "You try to use that as motivation to go out there and give yourself the best opportunity to get a chance and try to use the player, Range, get it for him," Carlyle said. "And we fell short, for sure." Against the Lightning (38-24-7), falling short meant starting terribly with a goal against 59 seconds in, taking too many penalties and giving Stamkos far too much room to operate. But Killorns hit on Ranger understandably took the lions share of the attention. Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper called it "probably the turning point in the game" as his team killed off the five-minute major, while the Leafs (36-27-8) just struggled to pick their game up after watching him get wheeled off the ice on a stretcher. "We say our jobs to get ready and prepare for the next period, but thats scary," winger Joffrey Lupul said. "He obviously didnt look great when he was leaving the ice. So youre trying to clear your head and focus on the next period. But you cant lie -- obviously part of you is wondering whats going on with him." When Ranger went down, the Leafs were trailing 3-2 after Radko Gudas beat Reimer in the games first minute with a seemingly innocent shot from just inside the blue-line. Reimer didnt see the shot, and long after his Leafs came back to take the lead on goals by Phil Kessel and Nikolai Kulemin, Carlyle didnt blame his goalie for that one. "The first goals kind of (a) fluke," Carlyle said. "What do you do? Its a seeing-eye shot, theres a screen, it hits a post and goes in. So you cant get too unravelled by that." Reimer, who gave up five goals on 30 shots, didnt unravel, but a lack of discipline and the Leafs defence was to blame for Stamkos scoring twice in the first period and then completing the hat trick early in the second. An interference penalty on David Clarkson led to the first goal, and there were missed assignments on all three. For Stamkos, who was playing in just his seventh game since returning from a four-month absence after breaking his right leg, called getting the natural hat trick in front of family and friends the highlight of his season. "I was a little disappointed there was no hats on the ice," the Markham, Ont., native said. "I guess Ill take it anyway." Though he couldnt be blamed for any of the three goals Stamkos scored, Reimer couldnt take many positives out of his performance. Because Jonathan Bernier remains out with a groin injury, Reimer became the first Toronto goalie to start on back-to-back days this season, and this wasnt the result he wanted when thrust into that situation. "I just want to come out and play well and kind of be a difference-maker, and unfortunately it wasnt the case," Reimer said. Sam Darnold Jets Jersey. "I thought I made some good saves, but it definitely wasnt the performance I was looking for. I wanted to come out and be big and keep your team in it, and that didnt happen tonight." Reimers failings, notably on the first goal, paled in comparison to the other drama and blunders that tormented the Leafs against the Lightning. Six minor penalties led to two power-play goals by the Lightning -- the first by Stamkos and the second one in the third from linemate Tyler Johnson -- which wound up being enough to make the difference. "A lot of things come down to special teams," Cooper said. "Weve had our ups and downs all year. For us to kill off all those penalties, especially the five minutes and then get two power-play goals. Thats how youre going to win. Thats how youre going to win down the stretch and get into the playoffs." With the victory, the Lightning, who got 36 saves on 39 shots from Vezina Trophy candidate Ben Bishop, moved ahead of the Montreal Canadiens for second place in the Atlantic Division. The Leafs, who at 71 games have played the most of any team in the Eastern Conference, held onto the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference but lost a major opportunity to pick up points. Reimer lamented not doing that more than being unable to cover up the fire storm that surrounded him. "It doesnt really matter how you play or how people talk about how you play as long as you get points," he said. "As tough as things go or as good as things go, you can play a great game and still lose. The big thing is points, so as far as statement games or whatnot, I think really at this time of year its just about your team and about getting your team points, not necessarily about you making a statement." Stamkos, who scored his three goals on his only three shots of the night, made a statement that hes back and capable of carrying the Lightning. Cooper was looking forward to seeing how the 24-year-old would fare in his "backyard," and he didnt disappoint. "Theres special players out there that find a way, they have that innate ability to rise to the occasion," Cooper said. "For Stammer to come back in here to his hometown and do what he did tonight, basically put the team on his shoulders, I cant say enough about (him)." And the Leafs couldnt say enough about how things went wrong, especially when it came to not containing one of the leagues best in Stamkos. "We were getting exposed," Lupul said. "There were times today where we were good, other times we made some errors getting the puck out of our zone, once by me and then a couple times we let their best player get the puck in an area where we cant do that." And then there was a lack of desperation early on that only came in the second half of the game and showed up when Jake Gardiner cut the deficit to one with 12:40 left. Giving half of what was necessary was not enough. "I felt that our desperation level went up for the last 30 minutes of the game," Carlyle said. "Weve got to do a better job than that." NOTES -- Kessels goal was his 35th of the season, two short of his career high. ... Gardiners goal was his fifth in the past seven games and 10th of the season. ... Killorn was given a game misconduct along with the five-minute major for boarding Ranger, whom the Leafs said was taken to a hospital for a "precautionary assessment." ... Toronto goaltender Jonathan Bernier skated Wednesday morning for the first time since suffering a groin injury almost a week earlier in Los Angeles. Carlyle said Bernier was "coming along" and he expected the injured netminder to take shots during practice Friday. Cheap NFL Jerseys Throwback Cheap Jerseys Discount NFL Jerseys Wholesale Authentic Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Discount Jerseys Wholesale Stitched Jerseys ' ' '