11/05/24
August 28, 2009
Italian Soccer Player Benched for Fasting During Ramadan: Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho has caused controversy by telling the media why he benched player Sulley Muntari. "He was clearly struggling," Mourinho said of the 25-year-old midfielder from Ghana. "It's the month of Ramadan, and that's what affected his performance, which is why I took him out." Muntari observes the daytime fast that is a part of the holy month and refused water before Sunday's match.
Yeah, I think this is one of those inflammatory headlines that does more harm than good. I would bench a Christian who ate too much Easter dinner and wasn't performing too. It's wonderful that he's respecting his religion but if it affects his play on the soccer field, he deserves to come out.
posted by dfleming at 11:00 AM on August 28, 2009
Um, this is Time Magazine. Typical American hysteria over nothing.
The big story in Europe RE Muntari is that he has been linked with a move to Spurs.
posted by The_Special_Juan at 12:48 PM on August 28, 2009
I think it's a perfectly fair reason to bench him. If you're engaging in something which makes you incapable of doing your job correctly, you deal with the consequences of your decision.
posted by Drood at 03:55 PM on August 28, 2009
And Koufax didn't pitch on the Sabbath (or something like that). If he's willing to face the consequences for his observance, then what's the problem?
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 05:15 PM on August 28, 2009
Typical American hysteria over nothing.
Yeah, those stupid Americans and their inconsequential hysteria. I wish they would mind their own business and completely remove themselves from the rest of the world.
posted by THX-1138 at 05:42 PM on August 28, 2009
Um, this is Time Magazine. Typical American hysteria over nothing.
The story broke in the foreign media first and only got to U.S. outlets like Time a couple days later.
posted by rcade at 09:06 PM on August 28, 2009
Surely the bigger story contained in the article is that Claudio Lotito has engaged in discriminatory hiring practices:
"I've never bought players that have this problem."
posted by JJ at 05:09 AM on August 29, 2009
Surely the bigger story contained in the article is that Claudio Lotito has engaged in discriminatory hiring practices:
I bet he doesn't hire people who run slowly or can't kick a ball accurately, either.
posted by rodgerd at 06:13 PM on August 30, 2009
Typical American hysteria over nothing.
The article does not indicate hysteria in any way, shape or fashion. Actually, the typical American doesn't give a damn about anything in the article.
posted by mjkredliner at 06:42 PM on August 30, 2009
The article does not indicate hysteria in any way, shape or fashion. Actually, the typical American doesn't give a damn about anything in the article.
Time Magazine is not based in the U.S.?
posted by The_Special_Juan at 09:25 PM on August 30, 2009
Time Magazine is not based in the U.S.?
Yes, it is. (You will notice that they also publish People Magazine, which is only slightly less credible as a news source. Lots of fluff, though.)
A meager number of Americans know or care enough about the subject(s) in the article to get hysterical about them, though. A few immigrants might, however.
posted by mjkredliner at 01:58 AM on August 31, 2009
I don't know why you keep harping on Time magazine, Juan, but the story was written by Jeff Israely, correspondent based in Rome.
posted by rcade at 12:05 PM on August 31, 2009
I don't know why you keep harping on Time magazine, Juan, but the story was written by Jeff Israely, correspondent based in Rome.
I don't think it's Time Magazine he's harping on, rcade. It's more of a general harping on Americans, and the U.S.A.
posted by tommybiden at 01:27 PM on August 31, 2009
Many years ago the saying was, "If you can't think, read Time; if you can't read, look at the pictures in Life."
I lived in Egypt for nearly 4 years, and Ramadan was a time when you counted on getting nothing done. Since fasting and abstinence during the daytime was the rule, the Egyptians would sleep as much as possible during the day and indulge themselves in food and drink all night. For me, it was a good time. I'd show up for work only to be told by a sleepy Egyptian colleague that nothing was to be done that day. After I made sure that the Colonel in command of the facility knew I had showed up, I went home for the day. I don't wonder that Muntari was not at the peak of his form, and the coach is certainly justified for benching him.
posted by Howard_T at 04:35 PM on August 31, 2009
And Koufax didn't pitch on the Sabbath (or something like that). If he's willing to face the consequences for his observance, then what's the problem?
It sounds like Koufax had an accommodation for his religious observance.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 01:40 PM on September 01, 2009
"Italian Soccer Player Benched for Sucking Because He Hadn't Eaten" just doesn't have the same ring to it, huh?