michchamp said:

No biting. that's a lesson we've already taught our 9-month-old. He doesn't bite any more, though he still slaps and grabs.

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dubbsco said:

Tigers, the dude has bit someone three times. Biting another human being is ridiculous enough in regular day-to-day life. For it to happen on a soccer pitch from the same guy three times over is asinine. I'm surprised at how light the penalty was.

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tigersofjustice said:

1. FIFA shouldn't have the power to extend bans to club season, where they have absolutely no power. They are the 'official governing body of the sport' which basically means 'hey leagues, you should just listen to me even though I can't really make you do anything'.

2. Yes he bit someone. Did any of those bites injure anyone in any way or even break the skin? No. There are more dangerous acts that have happened in this very world cup that are not dealt with so severely. Things that are far worse than biting include leg breaking tackles, elbows/punches to the head, really just about any violent conduct that can result in an actual injury. Heck even Chiellini agreed the punishment was insanely harsh.

Bottom line, I have a real problem with this faux outrage over 'biting' because it is treated as if he did break someone's leg intentionally really only because its weird and not because it is particularly dangerous.

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lgolfer said:

The reason it was dealt with so harshly is because biting someone is not a normal thing to do in soccer and he's done it 3 times now! Injury-inducing slide tackles and elbows to the head are a common occurrence in soccer because they can occur through normal actions during a game. Slide tackling is part of the game and when you go up for a header, it's difficult to keep your arms down and still be aggressive.

Bottom line, if a grown man is biting people, he needs to get psychological help.

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tigersofjustice said:

I hate that 'normal part of the game' argument for elbows and slide tackles.

Sometimes you inadvertently catch someone in the face trying to protect yourself. That's one thing. That is NOT an elbow to the head. Daniele De Rossi for example, in 2006, threw an elbow. That is not something that just happens, there was every bit as much intent as the bit.

Slide tackles same thing. You can be reckless to the point where you put people at risk for injury and as someone who has played at a reasonably high level, I'll tell you that myself and every other player does not regard those tackles as 'part of the game'. You get too reckless where you endanger someone it is just as bad as doing something intentionally in the mind of all the players.

The 'biting' overreaction almost invariably comes from non player/media types while many of the players tend to side with the overreaction side. That happens for the same reasons I've just given, because there are a ton of things that either warrant a lot more punishment, or biting requires a lot less punishment. It is not proportional.

Heck, 2006 one of the world's best players headbutted a guy directly in the chest, intentionally. He got a 3 game ban.

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lgolfer said:

I agree that very reckless slide tackles shouldn't be a part of the game. But those are punished, often with red cards. In the case of De Rossi, he was suspended for 4 games for that elbow to McBride. If that was his 2nd or 3rd time, I'm sure he would've been suspended longer.

I'd like you to give me an example of a player who has severely injured an opponent 3 times. I'm not saying that Suarez's bites severely injured someone, but they are dangerous and not human. What made it even worse is that he completely denied doing it, saying that he "lost his balance" and tried to catch himself with his teeth. And then he came out today and said he was sorry, since an apology is the only way he has a chance of making it to Barcelona. To me it seems like you're just defending him since you're a Liverpool fan.

Lastly, headbutting a guy in the chest deserves a red, which Zidane got when he headbutted Materazzi, but it can't inflict much pain or damage. A bite is more damaging than a headbutt because it can break the skin and draw blood.

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dubbsco said:

Tigers, you cannot compare Zidane headbutting the guy in the chest (and the guy did a great acting job by the way to pretend like he was shot with a bullet) and Suarez biting someone. The guy opened his mouth, and chowed him in the shoulder. And not only that, it was his third freaking time doing it. He deserves to be banished for a long time. It's not acceptable. It's an unnatural act. It's cannibal-type stuff.

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