next »

[elmono311]

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (CP) - Bananas were thrown by spectators when Worldstars forward Anson Carter was on the ice Sunday.

Twice during a 5-4 win over a Russian all-star team, the game officials had to retrieve a banana or a banana peel from the ice.

"It's no big deal," said Carter, who is black. "I'm not surprised - look around."

Carter, 30, who is from Toronto, is under contract to the NHL's Los Angeles Kings.

The incidents occurred on a day when the English-language St. Petersburg Times had a front page story about attacks on ethnic minorities in the city.

Such racial taunts have plagued European soccer in recent months.

In Spain, an anti-violence commission has asked the country's soccer federation to begin urgent disciplinary proceedings against national coach Luis Aragones, who made a racist comment about Arsenal's French striker Thierry Henry in October.

There was also racist abuse by Spanish fans at a Champions League game between Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen in late November, and black English players were jeered by Spanish fans in a friendly between the two countries in Madrid on Nov. 17.

In England, three men appeared in court last Thursday accused of racially taunting black soccer star Dwight Yorke during a Blackburn-Birmingham game last month.

Also last month, a man was fined 1,000 pounds ($2,220 Cdn) and banned from soccer grounds for the maximum five years for also racially taunting Yorke.

[Catfish]

Also last month, a man was fined 1,000 pounds ($2,220 Cdn) and banned from soccer grounds for the maximum five years for also racially taunting Yorke.

At least they had the decency to act... now if only others would follow suit

[RichN]

Doesn't really surprise me.  Eastern Europe, especially, can be racist based on language or religion, let alone race.  I'm not saying it's right, and their sports need to step in and act on the fan's behavior.

[elmono311]

Silly Eastern Europe. They're lucky they weren't nuked during the Cold War