Category: Sports Page 1 of 2

Mark van Bommel is a Dutch football player who plays for Bayern Munich. He is also a bit of a drama queen, who already supplied us with a decent little gesture scandal before. After already being fined 6200 euro for making a ‘fuck you’ gesture (forearem jerk) to the crowds at Real Madrid’s Bernabeu stadium, he repeated the gesture (now dubbed ‘doing a Van Bommel’) in the final minutes against Hamburg, this time insulting the referee. This time he got an extra two match ban and a 15000 euro fine (compare other fines) What sort of fine would be enough to stop him?

Van Bommel’s little theatrical performance includes some sarcastic clapping. There is an interesting piece by Steve Tomkins on the correct and incorrect application of sarcasm. He also has some cases of football players clapping sarcastically. In a lovely cool sarcastic style Tomkins sets out to explain why sarcasm is not necessarily rude. If done correctly sarcasm can deliver venomous bites. The key lies in not overdoing what you say or how you gesture, and in the inclusion of a pinch of humour. Obviously, if your victim really did or said something stupid it will make sarcasm succeed easily (your victim can’t get angry because he is too busy being ashamed).

In this case, Van Bommel overdoes the sarcasm. First, the referee is always right, so he is free to get angry, and indeed he responds by showing the red card. In such a case one must leave room for innocent interpretations to hide behind. If one simply keeps a straight face and claps twice it can always be explained as saying ‘good call, ref!’. The fans in the stadium will understand the sarcasm but there will not be enough evidence to punish you. I think that in most cases even the slightest hint of sarcasm will be enough for other people to pick up the message. We humans are so sensitive to insults. Often the mere context will make a straightforward interpretation of an innocent phrase that is intended as sarcasm very unlikely.

Him: “did you watch the game yesterday?” (your team lost 2-0 to his, the bastard)
You: “yes, great game for the neutral spectators” (it was a teeth-grinding muddy fight)
Him: “we gave your lot a good whipping, hey?” (obnoxious little fella, everyone could tell the ref wrongly sent a man off after ten minutes)
You: “yes, a victory well deserved. They are really on fire these last few weeks aren’t they?” (they only had one win against a second division club and three losses)

Every knowledgeable bystander (or at least those you care about) will get your point from the context. But in comparison to your obnoxious colleague you appear to be gracious about it all. He may or may not spot your sarcasm but he has no good option to respond. He can either take your words literally and be a fool, or he can acknowledge your sarcasm and respond to the unspoken allegations (that it was an ugly match, an undeserved victory and a team that sucks anyway). The latter choice will have him on the defensive (“I thought it was a proper red card for hands”) in which case you can turn up the sarcasm (“of course, he should have stopped the ball with his genitals”).

ps. Thanks to Elif for the link to Tomkin’s piece

I agree with some of the comments on YouTube that the Americans have a strange fear of the finger. They will not even show it unscrambled in this video clip. In general US media do not show pictures of people flipping the bird or making what they feel are insulting or obscene gestures.

I believe that the finger is not really obscene, but in most cases a gesture of defiance. It can also be a playful gesture of outsmarting someone or being smug to the competition, as it is in this case, which is related to defiance.

But there is hardly ever any sexual connotation at all. Nor is there always an insult. Unless you feel insulted by the open defiance. Perhaps some people simply cannot stand other people showing their defiance. Do they have difficulty accepting gestures of defiance? Somehow this is turning into something alltogether too much political and too close to current events.

Lyon striker Milan Baros will face a disciplinary inquiry about his “go away, you stink” gestures to Rennes defender Stephane M’Bia with during a Ligue 1 match.

Was it racist or just obnoxious on a personal level?

My friend Gael said that if you make reference to an existing racist or discriminating stereotype, such as “all grubbers (fictional race or country inhabitants) stink” then this should be considered racism or discrimination. I agree with Gael (don’t tell him though), and find that this gesture is as much a reference to stinking as any words you could use.