The U.S.-Mexico soccer game is a big deal south of the border. I'm not sure how big it is up here but Mexican fans get into it and display their passions. Over the years, Mexican fans scream a four-letter word that loosely translates to "male prostitute." It is not necessarily anti-gay but it refers to a man who is not being a full man, sort of like a sissy. Honestly, I've heard a hundred times and it just goes in one ear and out the other. They scream the slur at the player who isn't performing like he should. It's sports passion and nothing more.
The Mexican fans were in true form a couple of days ago. They displayed their passion, as ESPN points out:
The United States men's national team's 3-0 win over Mexico in the Concacaf Nations League semifinal on Thursday was halted before the completion of second-half stoppage time by the referee amid anti-gay chanting.
Referee Ivan Barton, who had already handed out four red cards in the game, paused the game in the 89th minute because of anti-gay chanting heard from the crowd at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Play resumed, and with four minutes left to go in injury time, Barton blew the final whistle after a goal kick by U.S. goalkeeper Matt Turner was once again greeted by the anti-gay chant.
Concacaf told ESPN after the match that the game was not abandoned because of federation protocols regarding the chant, but at the "referee's discretion."
The governing body said in a statement later on Friday: "Concacaf strongly condemns the discriminatory chanting by some fans during the CNL Semifinal match between Mexico and the United States.
"Chants heard during the game led to the activation of the anti-discrimination protocol by the match officials. Additionally, security staff ejected several fans for engaging in unacceptable behavior in the stadium," the organisation said.
"These incidents were extremely disappointing and tarnished what should have been a positive occasion to showcase high-quality football in our region.
CONCACAF, the so-called governing body, should cool down and move on. Mexican fans, in this case living in Las Vegas, have been doing this since Cortez showed up with the Spaniards. This is what they yell at the other team. It's like Red Sox fans calling Aaron Judge a bum or having Caribbean fans scream something about the pitcher's mother when he is beating the home team.
If you are offended, then shut down the volume and get a life. It's sports passion, not some rejection of the LGBT movement. So relax, laugh with the Mexican fans having a few too many beers watching the game.
Speaking of beer, don't expect the Mexican version of Dylan Mulvaney to be doing any commercials down there. I have no idea what the local fans will yell at the TV but it won't be pretty.
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Image: kirinqueen