Luis Suarez ... love him or hate him

"Imagine the tabloid fodder of Lindsay Lohan's life with Jennifer Lawrence's acting chops."

-- Wright Thompson, "Portrait of a serial winner"

Wright Thompson's wonderful piece for ESPN about Luis Suarez, from which the line above was taken, is actually one of three excellent sports stories I read today, the others being Alyson Footer's about the integration of Houston and the role the Astrodome played in it and Will Leitch's on ESPN's soccer coverage, which in its explanation of how both ESPN and NBC Sports Network cover soccer presents a guide that all sports television executives should heed.

I don't think I can both quickly and properly sum up Thompson's Suarez story, particularly without spoilers, so I'll suffice by saying that he builds around the search for details on an incident that may or may not have happened in Suarez's youth into an attempt to explain what makes him who he is, good and bad.

Seriously, read it, along with Footer and Leitch. You can thank me later.

But even before I read the piece, I've been thinking about how Suarez, as few others I can think of in sports, with the possible exceptions of Ray Lewis or Michael Vick, embodies the guiding principle of this blog ... that we are all hypocrites, that we are willing to forgive (or at least understand) people we like while condemning in those we don't. It applies in life as well as sports.

If the worst thing you could say about Luis Suarez was that he's a serial diver (another trait he shares with Lawrence ... falling down in public), that would be one thing. It's unsporting as hell, and I think it has given him a reputation as The Striker Who Cried Wolf, but diving isn't exactly committing assault on the pitch.

Except Suarez has done that ... twice. And not fists-or-feet-flying assault, but biting. Along with spitting, is there any nastier thing you can do.

And oh yeah ... he was also suspended for racially abusing Patrice Evra. I'm actually surprised that in the Suarez ledger, the biting, and not this, seems to be the first thing people think of.

I don't know if it's because the soccer world still doesn't get the problem of racism (this is only a clip, but I would recommend the "Real Sports" story about it on HBO if you can catch a replay), the argument in some quarters that "negrito" is not actually a racial slur in South America, because talking too much about it would also force an uncomfortable discussion of how the John Terry-Anton Ferdinand situation was handled or something else, but that's how it seems.

Yet much in the same way Ravens fans cheered for Lewis, Eagles fans cheered for Vick (and Jets fans may now) and Chelsea fans cheer for Terry, Liverpool fans (including myself) cheer for Suarez, even if we know in our heart of hearts that maybe we shouldn't.

Why?

Do you really have to ask?

Liverpool's suspension of intelligence

Learning about Luis Suarez's eight-game suspension for racially abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra (no pressure Andy Carroll, but goals are going to have to come from somewhere for Liverpool), and I came across this from Grant Wahl:

"Who wrote that Liverpool statement? Dan Gilbert?"

Given that Gilbert tossed off a rather epic nutter after LeBron James had the temerity to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers for Miami, I had to check it out.

"We find it extraordinary that Luis can be found guilty on the word of Patrice Evra alone when no one else on the field of play heard the alleged conversation between the two players in a crowded Kop goalmouth while a corner-kick was about to be taken."

Question the evidence, typical for someone who disagrees with a decision. OK.

"LFC considers racism in any form to be unacceptable – without compromise. It is our strong-held belief, having gone over the facts of the case, that Luis Suárez did not commit any racist act. It is also our opinion that the accusation by this particular player was not credible – certainly no more credible than his prior unfounded accusations."

We're against racism ... and Patrice Evra is a habitual liar?

"It is key to note that Patrice Evra himself in his written statement in this case said: 'I don't think that Luis Suárez is racist.'"

Nice, the "victim" even backs him up. (Ignore the "unfounded accusations" stuff.)

"Luis himself is of a mixed race family background as his grandfather was black. He has played with black players and mixed with their families whilst with the Uruguay national side and was captain at Ajax Amsterdam of a team with a proud multicultural profile," ...

 Not sure I'm crazy about where this is going.

... "many of whom became good friends."

NO!!!! THEY WENT WITH THE "HE'S NOT RACIST BECAUSE HE HAS BLACK FRIENDS" LINE!!! WHAT ARE THEY THINKING!!!

"We would also like to know when the FA intend to charge Patrice Evra with making abusive remarks to an opponent after he admitted in his evidence to insulting Luis Suárez in Spanish in the most objectionable of terms."

Sorry, too late for that one. I just hope you don't lose too many games while Suarez is gone.