tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5414570495613427122011-11-27T15:36:05.978-08:00Comments about news and issues on which I form an opinion.Scepticianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01296468777219826131noreply@blogger.comBlogger21100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-541457049561342712.post-90455419550479574202011-01-27T19:32:00.000-08:002011-01-27T19:35:59.075-08:00It seems to me that truth, legality and logic have been a victim of the embarrassment of the USA and other countries.<br /><br />As I understand it, Julian Assange did NOT personally extract the leaked documents from the US files. He was merely first in line to receive them from the US Serviceman who plundered the files, for his own reasons.<br /><br />As I see it, The publications around the world were second in line to receive the information. Surely, as one of many publicists of this, so called, SECRET(?) information, Mr Assange should be no more culpable than the many other recipients who have divulged this information to the general public.<br /><br />In regard to the charges being leveled at him. Surely, if he is guilty, then so are all other publicists.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/541457049561342712-9045541955047957420?l=sceptician.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Scepticianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01296468777219826131noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-541457049561342712.post-64007354378947233922010-07-13T16:37:00.000-07:002010-07-14T17:08:39.310-07:00The errors made by referees, with no technology to assist them in "making the right decisions", was bad enough, however, the bizarre and obviously exaggerated gestures, claims and playacting of players in their pitiful, lying attempts to simulate pain and anguish, made the Football World Cup a theatre of the damned, rather than arenas of heroes and ball artists.<div><br /></div><div>It was bad to see, so called, 'mature' players who had merely fallen over, more because of the law of gravity than broken laws of football, behaving in this way in front of billions of viewers and tens of thousands of paying customers. What is the game coming to? Grown men falling to the ground holding their FACES when their faces were far from any possible point of contact. Big babies and puny cheats! They should try Rugby to see just how to play a man's game. FOOTBALL IS A "CONTACT" GAME. Contact is inevitable and mature and honest players simply pick themselves up and get into position again. Some countries have a culture of cheating that ignores the simplest of rules in relation to the best of sports.</div><div><br /></div><div>I could not believe it when Kaka was sent off for naturally and inoffensively putting up his arm to fend off an Ivory Coast player who was deliberately running directly towards him though the ball was not in play! Everyone knows the teams and the players who cheated. Spain was NOT amongst them.<br /><br />I played against Spanish players when stationed with the RAF in Gibraltar in 1957 to 1959. They were hardy and tough without any tendency towards histrionics and fakery. Nothing has changed. However, Holland came to that final to disrupt, by any means fair or foul, this wonderfully pure footballing team. They should be ashamed of themselves and should be cited for bringing the game in to disrepute.</div><div><br /></div><div>It saddens me to see the depths to which honesty in football has sunk and how puny, disaffected and dishonest many players have become. Winning is all, it seems, and honesty and fair play is for losers. No wonder the English Premier League is the most entertaining of all, though I exclude some of the overseas players, playing there who cannot seem to understand that, in Britain, they play a MAN'S game, a CONTACT sport and NOT a theatrical simulation. Cheating is obvious and dishonourable. One way for the sport to improve is for technology to pick out the cheats, cite them and punish them severely. Technology is the only way in everyone's view, "exsepp" Mr. Blatter.</div><div><br /></div><div><ul><li>We cannot become negative in regard to the advent of technology in this important and, yes, beautiful game. In my view, no penalty or goal that is in any way doubtful should be awarded without checking a Video record. No player should be sent off without a review of the actions that led to it. No penalty should be given until justification is proven. Such things ruin the sport for spectators and viewers if they seem to be unjustified. In regard to yellow cards, I would send players off for 10 minutes (as they do in Rugby). For a red card, off for 20 minutes and banned for several games, either at the same competition and/or in their home league. To allow referees to reduce one of the teams to 10 players for almost the entire game or half of the game, as sometimes happens, is ridiculous and not only determines the result, but also disaffects and ruins the spectacle for the paying public. There are many competing sports that do not have such disadvantages.</li></ul></div><div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/541457049561342712-6400735437894723392?l=sceptician.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Scepticianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01296468777219826131noreply@blogger.com0