Monday Cannon Fodder: behave

Why is it that I’m doing one of these posts a week? Or at least it feels that way. Last week it was “fans” abusing Aaron Ramsdale before he’d even been officially announced. This week, it’s morons accosting Mikel Arteta in his car after the Chelsea match to abuse him.

This behavior is completely beyond the pale. It isn’t just a bit of banter. It isn’t funny. Don’t do it “for the content” so you can get meaningless upvotes from the two people not related to you who watch your channel. It’s utterly inappropriate and unacceptable.

Think about it this way: you’re on your way home from a tough day at work when a bunch of strangers who don’t know anything about the in’s and out’s of your job (but think they know everything) stop your car / bus / bike to harass and mock you about how you’re doing it.

Doesn’t sound fun, does it? Not something you’d like to have happen to you. Well then, don’t do it to other people you buffoons.

Footballers, managers, and staff shouldn’t be treated any differently than you’d like to be treated. Live by the Golden Rule. They didn’t “sign up” for anything by getting paid a lot or being in sports. It’s not okay just because they’re in public-facing jobs. There is really no justification or explanation for it.

How hard is it to be a decent human being? Be kind to others. And if you can’t do that for whatever reason, just be neutral to them. If you can’t put good into the world around you, at least don’t actively leave it worse-off than you found it.

This kind of off-field nonsense will always get me way more fired up than Mikel Arteta picking this player over that one, or a horrendous call from a referee, or anything that happens as part of the GAME could ever possibly do. Because at the end of the day, that’s what football is - a game. On the other hand, we’re talking about life and being a good person. Apples to oranges. Do better, everyone.