The offensive chants during the final series of the Lebanese Basketball Championship between Al-Riyadi and Al-Hikma raised a question that goes beyond the two clubs: Can insults be considered part of the enthusiasm of the matches, or does their use mean crossing the acceptable limits in the competition?
The answer first requires distinguishing between “provocative speech” and personal insults. In basketball specifically, what is known as…“Trash Talk” Between players to influence the opponent’s concentration. A player may make fun of his opponent’s performance or remind him of the score, or he may utter an obscene word under pressure. These behaviors are present in the largest tournaments, and some of them can be considered a lapse related to the speed of the match and the high level of tension.
But the unwritten rule in the NBA is clear: Talk stays on the court and doesn’t reach family, race, gender or personal life. Stephen Curry previously described verbal provocation as part of the game, but stressed the need for it not to turn into personal abuse. This issue appeared clearly in the 2016 American League final, when Draymond Green’s words angered LeBron James and almost pushed the confrontation to greater escalation..
The problem becomes greater when the insult moves from an excited player to an entire stadium chanting it collectively. Here we are not talking about a momentary lapse, but rather about organized behavior targeting a player, a coach, or an entire family. Also, the player on the field does not have the freedom to respond to hundreds of fans, because any reaction from him may lead to a technical error or suspension, as happened with the referee player Sekou Doumbouya, who was financially punished after making gestures to the audience..
To put an end to any of these matters, the Lebanese Federation imposed a fine of $25,000 on the athlete and $10,000 on Al-Hikma, and suspended a number of fans for an entire season, in addition to punishing coaches and players due to the events of the two matches. Thus, he considered that what happened was no longer just public enthusiasm that could be overlooked. The details of the Lebanese Basketball Federation’s decision were detailed:
-1Punishing the fans of the two clubs and replacing the arrest with a financial fine in support of Articles 149, 208 and 209, by fining the Beirut Sports Club 250 units (twenty-five thousand US dollars) and fining the Beirut Al-Hikma Club 100 units (ten thousand US dollars) and arresting the invitees Mustafa Al-Daouk, Ahmed Khazal, Walid Daibes, Omar Itani, Rabih Abi Atah and Mahmoud Mazboudi from Sports club fans for an entire season, because of the insults, insults and defamation that occurred in both matches. 2- Coach Ahmed Farran was punished and fined 40 units (four thousand US dollars) and coach Joe Ghattas 20 units (two thousand US dollars) in support of Article 148 due to the first’s exposure to the referees and the second to the first of them. 3- Punishing the player Sekou Duboya and replacing the suspension with a fine of 40 units (four thousand US dollars) based on Articles 153, 208 and 209, due to him directing hand movements to the opposing team’s fans..
Globally, federations no longer treat collective insults as a normal part of the stands.
The American League prohibits obscene and offensive language and obscene gestures, and allows violators to be removed from the halls. As for FIFA, it imposed fines and closed stands due to discriminatory chants, including penalties against the national teams of Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Peru, and Uruguay..
Even the 2006 World Cup final provided the most famous example of the danger of personal provocation, when a verbal altercation between Marco Materazzi and Zinedine Zidane ended with a headbutt and the expulsion of the French captain in the last match of his career, as a “word” changed the course of the most important match in the world..
Sports enthusiasm, pressure, and provocation are normal things, and individual lapses may occur during them. But targeting families and dignitaries or chanting insults en masse does not add anything to the power of the public.
