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Its been the World Cup that keeps on giving...that was until Uruguays Luis Suarez took a bite out of it and gnawed away at the competition. It wasnt quite a Zinedine Zidane moment, but it was against Italy and a bite, not a headbutt. They both leave indelible images that equally disgrace and puzzle on the biggest stage of all - the FIFA World Cup. The evidence is irrefutable: in the 79th minute of a scoreless match against Italy, Suarez did what hes done twice before on a soccer field. Suarez bit his opponent. At least, thats how the vast majority see it. Sure, an argument can be made it was a headbutt gone wrong and Suarezs teeth went first into his opponent. Although, Im not sure how believable that narrative is or what kind of methods of convincing would be necessary for one to buy that argument. A grown man biting another human being - let that sink in. This is Mike Tyson, now times three. This time the meal was Giorgio Chiellinis left shoulder. As previously mentioned, at first glance it looked as though the Uruguayan headbutted the Italian. From Suarez sitting on the field grabbing his front teeth, to the replays showing the motion of his head to shoulder and the marks left on Chiellinis body, adjudication of the crime should be elementary. Suarez is a serial biter. Requisite action and severe punishment is required. Uruguay scored the match winner less than two minutes later, sending them through to the round of 16. All Italy has is the marks from their battle. Suarezs disgraceful track record is as pronounced as his bite. The striker was banned seven matches by the Dutch Football Federation in 2010 after his team, Ajax, had suspended him for two matches for biting PSV Eindhoven midfielder Otman Bakkal. It was an in-your-face, lashing out kind of moment that ended in a munch. Much like Tuesday, the referee didnt see the incident and ignored the player pulling down his shirt to show the bite marks. Last April, Suarez was back at his biting ways, chomping down on the arm of Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic. The FA handed Suarez a 10-game suspension. Message thought to be sent. Biting isnt where the dirty laundry list starts or ends. Suarez drew international headlines in 2011 for racial remarks made towards Manchester United defender Patrice Evra during a match. These were disgusting words from a shameful individual. Liverpool FC stood by Suarez, excusing his unbecoming behaviour simply because he was their best and most important player. A safe haven was created inside Anfield. It was a backward step by the club in an era when the game is staunchly trying to stomp out racism in the stands and on the field. The FA suspended him eight matches and levied a fine. The message not sent as Suarez refused to shake the hand of Evra before a 2012 match at Old Trafford. Liverpool has been rewarded for their loyalty to Suarez by the player staying at the club, although threatening to leave along the way, and leading them to Champions League qualification this past season for the first time since 2009-10. Where is the motivation to punish internally when the rewards of appeasement are so great? The lesser of Suarezs crimes against the game came at the 2010 World Cup, soiling the quarterfinal match with a game-saving handball off the goal line denying Ghana a place in the semi-final. It was a sure goal Suarez saved like a goalkeeper; afterwards excusing himself by explaining it was his sacrifice for the greater good of the country. He was sent off and suspended for the semi-final. Asamoah Gyan missed the ensuing penalty and Uruguay advanced through penalties. Call it gamesmanship if you may and there is certainly an argument to be made Suarez did the right thing. Win at all costs, correct? Perhaps. The "cheater" tag does not easily wipe away. A noted lack of integrity and poor sportsmanship continue to haunt the player. The handball at the time looked bad on the sport, yet Uruguay was rewarded. No justice. Over the years, Suarez has been labeled a cheat, a diver, an irritator and an undesirable. He has been in locker-room spats and fan incidents. For all his talents, he is a stain on the game. Being the centre of talking points is one thing, biting and bringing the game into disrepute are other altogether. "Theyre things that happen in football, but it was nothing,” explained Suarez post-match. "Were all footballers." The fact he cannot acknowledge wrongdoing is troubling. Biting is not normal behaviour on the field or anywhere. Its primitive. Its disrespectful. This lame excuse comes from the same individual who claims he doesnt garner respect from those in the British media. “Too many people in England laughed about my attitude,” Suarez proclaimed after his two-goal performance against England. Character counts. He has none. Empowering and/or sheltering this individual simply make matters worse. He must continue to be exposed as the misfit he is. Excuse-mongering has ensued by individuals, including the media, saying Suarezs actions are no worse than high, dangerous tackles in the game. Those who are saying such drivel need to understand the injustice they are doing by downplaying the moment. A blasé attitude towards Suarez biting deserves a blasé response to their work. Suarez as three-times-a-biter cannot be defended. Attempting to defend shows a lack of understanding of the sport and, even worse, the human condition. Comparing likewise inexcusable acts is an exercise of misdirection and speaks to the contrarian approach many utilize to garner attention or a reaction from their following. The industry is suffering through this: its an infliction that comes from market competition. “Suarez is a sneak and he gets away with it because FIFA want their stars to play in the World Cup,” said Chiellini on the bite. In fairness, its difficult to put this on Mexican referee Marco Rodriguez. One man on a field cannot see everything. The pressures of the moment make it understandable why he couldnt comprehend and react to what happened when a player pulls down his shirt to claim he was bitten. Its been said in this space before, two officials are needed on the field to properly officiate a game that has become too fast on a field too big with too many flashpoints. Same goes for the other controversial calls on the day: Claudio Marchisios sending off and Greeces late penalty. These two calls will be hotly debated, rightly or not. Two referees, rather than one, have a better shot at getting it right. Four eyeballs rather than two have a better chance of catching a biter. Chiellini does raise the point about star treatment. Simply because one can score or save, jump or run better than most should not mean preferential treatment. This will be a test for FIFA to act swiftly and appropriately. FIFA already fails to have the confidence of the consuming public. Most watch despite dysfunction and mistrust. Failing to punish Suarez would continue to perpetuate the sentiment that FIFA does as FIFA pleases. There is a public relations element to this as much as it is about throwing the book at a serial degenerate. What is an acceptable punishment? How do your come up with a rational response to an irrational situation? No more Suarez this tournament should be a given. How about a suspension for a two-year international cycle? It sounds about right. But what changes? Many will continue to excuse his behaviour because hes really good. Suarez will continue to live in a bubble of denial. And there will be those around him like Uruguayan teammate Diego Lugano who said “You couldnt have seen (the bite) today because nothing happened.” Ignorance is bliss. The footballing world will not ignore. Brazil 2014 has captured the imagination with the goals, the dramatics and overall exceptional play. Suarez in Natal will trump all and thats not right, nor good for those individuals the game has captivated like never before. Suarez is not needed at this World Cup. He is not needed in football. We are worse off suffering through his petulance. The problem is, because he is an exceptional talent and can score, this petulance will be continued to be accepted as collateral to success. He will continue to be coveted. Liverpool will celebrate his play, as will his native Uruguay. The rest of the world will shudder. A villain in sports is a good thing when the venom comes from a place of competition, not shameful acts. There will be other great players. There are others right now to be celebrated. Enough of this Suarez. Weve had enough. . Kevin Durant certainly played like there was on Sunday night, scoring 36 points and grabbing 10 rebounds as the Thunder made quick work of the visiting Pacers with a 118-94 win. . The Canadian Luge Association officially named seven athletes to the 2014 Olympic team Tuesday. Edney, will lead teenagers John Fennell and Mitchel Malyk into their first Games in mens singles. Tristan Walker and Justin Snith will represent Canada in doubles, while Gough, will be joined by Kimberley McRae in womens singles. . 1 Caroline Wozniacki and three-time champion Serena Williams cruised into the semifinals, while last years runner-up Vera Zvonareva succumbed to Aussie Samantha Stosur in Thursdays womens quarterfinal action at the U. . You can, too, Clay Buchholz, if we ignore the sixth inning of Game 2. Doug Fister and Jake Peavy, youre up next in Game 4 and theres a lot to live up to. . Johan Franzen had two goals and two assists, Gustav Nyquist a goal and three assists and David Legwand a goal and two assists in the Red Wings 7-4 win over the New Jersey Devils.MINNEAPOLIS -- A few key made things a lot easier for Kevin Correia and the Minnesota Twins. Joe Mauer and Brian Dozier both homered, Correia earned his first win of the season and the Twins ended their four-game losing streak by beating the Baltimore Orioles 6-1 Saturday. Mauer entered the game batting .136 with runners in scoring position, but had three hits and four RBIs. His three-run shot in the seventh off reliever Brad Brach to break open the game. Mauers RBI single with Dozier on second in the fifth inning broke a 1-for-30 team slump with men in scoring position. "You can go back and make us look as bad as you want to and then I can throw more numbers at you and make us look better," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "But yes, lately we have been struggling, but were facing pretty good pitching. We went through a little bit of a dry spell, but Ill take my chances." A day after failing to score a run in starter Ricky Nolascos nine-inning performance, Minnesotas batters took a more-aggressive approach against Orioles starter Wei-Yin Chen (3-2). Chen threw a season-high 108 pitches in five innings, watching Twins hitters foul off several pitches to keep him on the mound for some long at-bats. "Were still being aggressive, we lost that in the past couple of days," Dozier said. "We let a lot of fastballs go by, especially with men in scoring position and were not that type of team and thats not what were taught." Doziers eighth homer, a solo shot off Chen in the third, gave the Twins the lead for good. "I was able to get ahead in the count a lot of times," Chen said through a translator. "I tried to make a good pitch to get hitters out and I couldnt do it like in my previous outing. So I was kind of having trouble." Correia (1-3), meanwhile, worked efficiently through Baltimores lineup, allowing five hits in seven innings. He won for the first time since last Sept. 1, a span of nine starts. Correia walked none, struck out three and retired 13 of his final 14 batters. Casey Fien and Jared Burton combined for two innings of sscoreless relief.dddddddddddd "Like Ive always said, thats what Im here to do," Correia said. "I felt like Ive thrown some games where Ive had a good chance to win a game and to go a month without getting one is hard, it just puts more pressure on you every time you go out there so its nice to get that first one." Adam Jones scored Baltimores only run in the second after reaching base despite striking out. He fanned, but the wild pitch got past catcher Kurt Suzuki, allowing Jones to make it to first. J.J. Hardys single tied it at 1. But Minnesota regained the lead when Dozier led off the third by hitting a full-count pitch from Chen into the left-field seats. "Especially with the performance last night by Nolasco and Correia today, you want to get runs in for your guy and you know I was happy was able to do that today," Mauer said. "Yeah, its been a little frustrating trying to get runners in, but today we got enough for our guy, which was good." NOTES: Mauer has two homers and 11 RBIs this season -- all at home. ... Orioles manager Buck Showalter plans to get a look at LHP Johan Santana next week in extended spring training before the team begins a series with Tampa Bay. Santana was supposed to make his spring training debut in Sarasota, Florida, on Saturday, but the game was rained out. The two-time Cy Young winner recovering from shoulder surgery is expected to throw Monday instead. "Its still a little early, but hes had no setbacks and his velocitys inching up," Showalter said. ... Twins slugger Josh Willingham is still experiencing soreness in his recovery from a broken left wrist, and is backing off from taking infield swings, Gardenhire said. Gardenhire also said OF Aaron Hicks is still feeling the effects from a concussion suffered Thursday night. "I dont know how long its going to be," Gardenhire said. ... The two teams finish their three-game series Sunday when RHP Miguel Gonzalez (1-2) makes his sixth start of the season for Baltimore. Minnesotas Phil Hughes (2-1) will try for his third straight win. ' ' '
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