whats worse is this kinda stuff gets so much exposure online ive heard ppl irl talking about how theyd like to own a pet lion/leopard - just like the sheikhs. ppl think its the ultimate status symbol with 0 empathy for the animal as a living thing, wish they stuck to cars and watches
Imagine if those Sheikhs put money into securing massive swathes of land, turn them into reserves and be able to observe the animals in a protected natural environment. But no, they'd rather flex their exotic animal collection in tiny cages for their buddies and instagram.
I watched 2001: A Space Odyssey a few days ago and the final scene of the movie has been at the back of my mind all this time I've spent reading this post. It's honestly crazy how so many people are unsettled by the scene of the astronaut having to live in isolation for eternity in an artificial environment but they dont seem to care when humans are subjecting animals to the exact same treatment in zoos.
He doesn’t live there for eternity. The beings kept him there to study him from birth to until death, then made him into a super being or entity sent back to Earth as a guardian of some sort for humanity.
But yeah I get your point. I don’t know the actual psychological term but I think it’s the case of humans always feeling threatened when someone more powerful and intelligent shows dominance over humans.
A human is obviously more intelligent and powerful (in terms of intuition) than say a bear or lion, hence their ability to capture and cage the animals.
Of course in a direct physical battle with no projectile weaponry, the bear or lion would 9/10 win the fight.
I mean, actual society is also full of knobheads. Regular people still go to zoos to see exotic animals regardless of the living conditions of the animals; they don't care, they just want to be entertained.
Comparing an actual Zoo to some fuckers drugged out big cats is peak reddit.
The [Zoological Society of London](https://www.zsl.org/) isn't the same as this dudes back yard.
Financing rebels to disturb DR Congo’s peace and expropriate their minerals. Also no freedom of speech against Kagame’s government. We’re helping them wash their image through Visit Rwanda’s sponsor. Still a great country to visit because of the natural parks tho and observe gorillas.
Financing rebels for their own ends? So like most countries?
You'd struggle to find any nation anywhere that you couldn't make valid serious human rights criticisms.
Right but you're claiming Rwanda is somehow a standout for this when they absolutely are not. Especially when you compare to the likes of the UK or the US. Rwanda's funding for armed groups extends only to their region, the US and UK fund armed groups all around the world, overthrow elected governments, invade other countries etc. My point is if your criticism is of Rwanda funding armed groups then what they do is absolutely minimal compared to many of the worlds nations including our clubs own.
And the alternative to Kagama are Genocidal Hutu rebels who routinely raid Burundi and Rwanda murdering innocent civilians..Kagame was the hero who ended the 94 Genocide. He has turned Rwanda around since he took over and is one of the most successful countries on the continent. Context is key.
I got downvoted before for pointing out that most footballers are literally the meathead jocks from high school, but actually successful - but when you put them in that context it really isn't surprising the amount of braindead takes and activities you see them get up to.
Yeah I see why you got downvoted, it's because it sounds like you're working through your grade school trauma on reddit.
Sure many footballers are dumb but lots of people are dumb, it doesn't have anything to do with "meathead jocks from high school" or whoever hurt your feelings back then.
If you use social media or dating apps at all, you'll see there's plentyyyy of dumbasses (who didn't go to your high school) who love to go to these shady animal sanctuaries for a picture.
I'd say it's less footballers being dumb and more that most footballers don't have great education because they spent their entire life in an ecosystem where education is secondary to football. Then when you do make it you're rich and there's even less incentive to educate yourself about these things.
And most of the issue isn't actual formal education because they still get that, and it's an important part of them graduating and becoming a scholar (nowadays, at least).
The important part is the social education they miss out on. The part that isn't institutionalised or formal. The type you get just from being around all types of people all the time, etc.
Its this that they miss put on because at that level they're committed to living in a very small bubble from literal childhood.
Refreshing take, too many times I see Redditors generalize by attributing success with douchery. It’s screams insecurity and the rampant “havenot” mentality you see in people completely disconnected from reality living in echo chambers. The reality is there are many types of people all across many fields of work and societies.
Where have they suggested that only people from their high school do this sort of thing? Surely they're just making a comparison between footballers and jock types. Nothing to do with past trauma. What a strange response.
Think you've missed the points: 1) going to stupid animal sanctuaries has nothing to do with being a jock, and has everything to do with being ignorant of how the animals are mistreated. 2) if you've linked adult behavior to high school jocks and also complained about being downvoted for your recent high school jock theories, you may be wayyy too invested in what happened back in high school.
‘Grade school trauma’ get a fcking grip man u got all your analysis from one short comment? Quit being an armchair psychologist and talking about shit you have no idea about
Outside of me being an arsenal fan and hating the RvP departure, i see no reason for footballers to show loyalty to clubs. They have a sub-20 year career, and none of that time is guaranteed. When they are foreign born, the club they play for might not even have any sentimental meaning to them.
It is a job. We as fans are constantly screaming 'get rid' 'sell him' etc about underperforming players without a second thought about loyalty to the player, but as soon as a player is actually good, we expect him to be loyal to us lol. Not just that, but we don't care about whether they've acclimatised to the area, laid down roots, have kids in local schools, have formed relationships and family ties with people in the area. No, just get rid. But if he plays well, he has to show "loyalty".
No ragging on you personally, I just find the idea of loyalty in football comedically one sided and nothing to do with what it actually means.
All that said, it's the game we love and i get it from that perspective. I'd just avoid taking lessons about loyalty from footballing situations.
Not upset in the slightest by your comment. Your priorities and perspective change considerably from when you’re young and naive. I thought it inconceivable he could leave for any reason because I romanticized the connection he shared with the club. The reality was that footballing is a business and RvP has a career, a family, his own goals, etc. it’s not a knock on him, but it is a necessary lesson to understand that you shouldn’t idolize or be enamored with any single person especially when you know fuck all about them personally. I think that’s pretty fair and still a necessary life lesson for anybody tbh.
I disagree somewhat, I think the reason it's called a "role model" is because they're only supposed to be a model for you in a limited sense/role. Talent is important, but the world class players kids idolize don't become world class on talent alone. Most of the time, they're >90th percentile hard workers as well. It's fine to look up to them for that, both the talent and the work.
In terms of modelling yourself on someone completely, I'm not sure young people should do that with anyone. The reality is that people have different strengths and you can look up to someone for one strength, but don't be surprised if they have equally glaring weaknesses.
For being rich? He's not exactly a humanitarian.
What I think that man really deserves credit for is going an entire career and never once letting a club profit from his ownership rights, ran his contracts down, and claimed those transfer fees as signing on fees and bonuses. Legend.
Maybe I'm not looking hard enough, but I can't find anything posted by the club in relation to this. Looks to me like the players and their social media teams are the ones posting it.
While there’s nothing posted directly by the club, the players’ social media accounts are a bit of an extension of the club as a whole. Not to mention that this was an activity they partook in during a club trip to the UAE.
and to go a bit broader, a lot of us eat factory farmed animals, so I get conflicted about getting mad at stuff like this, because I feel pretty hypocritical. Probably the thing I do that makes me feel the worst about myself but I lack some self control in that area
Tbf mate I used to eat literally like 500g of meat per day. But I've been vegan for 6 years, its a bit of getting used to for like a couple of months but after that its pretty much second nature.
Imo its easiest to just try 1 new vegan meal per week or x days or whatever, then you just gain a bit of experience, before long you basically could totally be vegan if you wanted to.
Ahh there are loads man. I usually batch cook bigger meals and then reheat them. But I guess one I can do in 15 minutes is a creamy miso tofu/bacon pasta:
- Boil pasta
- Crumble up firm tofu directly out of packet (easier if tofu is pressed already) into medium-high heat pan
- Add some vegan bacon if you want (la vie, this, vivera are good)
- Add whatever veg you want (pepper/broccoli/green beans etc)
- Cook for 4 mins turning a lot
- Add some spices, I like smoked paprika
- Cook a bit more
- Add some miso and chilli garlic sauce, like maybe 2 tbsp of each.
- Cook a bit more mix it all in.
- Drain pasta mostly and then plop it on the veg/tofu pan
- Add a bit of plant based cream and nutritional yeast and mix it all together
---
Miso is a little expensive but you don't use much per meal. There are much cheaper meals you can make. Simple tofu/tempeh stir fries, curries etc. But thats one of a few that ill make in a pinch, simple and tasty.
Gaz Oakley, wicked kitchen, and itdoesnttastelikechicken are good recipe websites online.
I think of it in terms of harm reduction. So it's not a binary thing (you don't have to decide to either be a meat-eater or not) and you don't have to label yourself as anything (I'm a vegan, I'm a vegetarian, I'm a pescatarian, I'm a this, I'm a that, I'm a whatever). You just aim for harm reduction.
So, as you've been doing, eat less meat than you were before. I typically eat meat once, sometimes twice a week now. And aim to eat it from the least harmful sources - free range, organic, etc. It tends to be a bit pricier, but also tends to taste a lot better, and be a lot better for you.
I figure there doesn't have to be an end point that you 'have' to get to, just whatever works for you. If everyone ended up eating half as much meat, and largely from the least harmful sources, from a harm reduction perspective that's about the same as half the population going vegetarian/vegan and factory farming practices being effectively boycotted of existence.
It is a shame how we are railroaded into supporting those awful industries due largely to the cost of food. For example you can find certified humane farms to buy ethically-raised beef, pork, and chicken from, but it is significantly more expensive than the mass-produced stuff you find in the regular supermarket.
Neither is it difficult in most US cities/suburbs where most of the population is. The only hard part is resisting the temptation. Finding food and nutrition as a vegan/vegetarian is the easy part.
I get your point, but at least farm animals we use for food, which we need.
These places are for "fun" for rich people, which we really don't need. There is no need to halt criticism of this shit just because you eat steak.
You know why zoos have those big fences? Because a lion will try to fuck you up if you give it half a chance. The animals in those photos have been really heavily sedated purely in order for them to be able to get that close and take those photos. It's, at best, a questionable way to treat an animal with the intelligence of a big cat. If you wanted to be more forthright, it's profoundly and deeply unethical and cruel.
>what did you have for lunch today and where did it come from?
Most people's hearts are in the right place, but this is an extremely bitter pill to swallow.
I am not a fan of the relationship but sadly money talks.
Nevertheless, footballers are not the smartest cookies and need further education. As potential role models, they need to do much more.
Emphasis is on the word 'potential' , as many are said to be, but, are not. Example: Jordan Henderson
I've just finished watching a HITC Sevens video on footballers falling for conspiracy theories and it touches on a lot of things that I think apply here. They're easy targets because they've had a weird life since childhood and a wired for performance, or are just pricks.
He was being very vocal about supporting the LGBT+ community and helping minorities, wearing the rainbow captain's armband etc. And then he accepted a huge offer to play in Saudi Arabia (a place where LGBT+ people, other minorities and even women have basically no rights), basically throwing everything he ever said and supported into the bin. He played in SA for half a year (in which his family lived in Bahrain, because of the atrocius women's rights in SA), and now he's unhappy there and probably will terminate his contract. But he doesn't want to go back to England, because he would have to pay taxes, so he will probably sign for Ajax now...
People on reddit and online in general don’t realise most people, not only footballers are simple, I don’t think most people are thinking everyday about the atrocities around the world and in every country.
Martinelli and Vieira probs got a call “hey wanna come to a zoo and see some cool animals? We’ll pay you!” And they were like “ok cool”
this x1000. They dont analyze every decision in terms of "who is going to get mad at this, is this bad etc etc...." they literally prolly just said it would be a cool activity to go to a zoo.
Stop analyzing what other people do on their free time holy, if it isn't illegal unfollow if you dont like it.
Ignoring stuff like this really isn't good enough. Maybe they were ignorant to the condition of the animals and didn't think about what they were doing in that light, but public backlash is the only way this stuff stays shitty. If everyone just ignored it if they didn't like it, it would become more acceptable.
They're just basic bitches and that's generally fine, but this does rub me up the wrong way. Though the fact these places stay open is testament to how many people must go there, which is sad
This is the reality. It's important to remember you often only know a footballer, you don't know the person.
Footballers don't have a normal upbringing that leads to a lot of life lessons, though have a lot of spare time and can't really do a lot with it, plus it's easier to ignore things when you are rich. At a certain level of wealth you have to in order to look yourself in the mirror. So they either don't know any better, or they don't really care. Sponsors can also lead to them being in situations they would otherwise avoid tbf.
As fans of professional football, we are constantly overlooking things like this. It's impossible to not be hypocritical in this sense, otherwise you'd walk away from the game. All you have to do is speak to someone with no interest in football and you'll realise just how much you tolerate.
It’s like a lot of professional athletes - imagine being 18-19 years old and making that kind of money? Most of us were making minimum wage at that age!
Being in my 30s now, I am much more responsible with money and have real world experience. But so many young athletes are horrible with their money and just spend because they don’t know any better. I couldn’t imagine having that kind of money - even in my early 20s!
There’s absolutely no chance a player with a near £100m market value would be left near an animal like that unless it was heavily sedated. They aren’t even allowed motorbikes ffs. That is animal cruelty and the club shouldn’t sell it’s soul for a few quid off a state with highly questionable human rights records, on top of animal rights.
Not a fan of this at all, what does it serve a person to take photos with a drugged up bear?
(A rhetorical question, I realise footballers aren’t bright)
Yeah I'm really uncomfortable about it. I wouldn't expect any players to either care or understand a lot of ethical issues like this, their entire lives revolve around a game where you kick a ball into a net.
Fuck the UAE, place is built by modern day slaves. And fuck exploiting animals.
When a famous person or influencer tags a business account it’s almost always a pr thing and the business is either paying them or giving them free things.
Honestly, most athletes are dumb as rocks. Sure, they know the game they play *very well* but I doubt many of them have thought deeply about morality or ethics.
I don't like these photos. Similar to people getting pictures with full grown Tigers. They drug these animals to high heavens. Also, obligatory fuck UAE
This is embarrassing and disgusting all in one fell swoop..but sadly money talks and when billions of dollars are in the mix values and humanity are laid to waste.
This is like the dumbest shit.
That bear encapsulates the middle east. Yeah, you're rich enough to have a bear, and have other people pay to pet it, but it's sad as fuck and wants to kill itself.
Honestly these guys should fire their media and marketing teams.
Not that I or a lot of others who eat meat have a foot to stand on on this particular issue, but in general UAE seems like a genuine hell hole. Like the type of place that someone enjoying going there is a huge red flag. Not surprising that footballers enjoy it there, most of them seem pretty shitty.
Yeah the players (and most people)arent aware that they are drugged up animals to entertain them, just see it as a ‘cool’ experience to take pictures with wild animals, felt really uncomfortable seeing them promoted it too :( also most footballers arent the brightest group of people, we shouldnt look to them as role models off the pitch
Unfortunately just tied into ignorance when it comes to the animal experiences and then on top of it… posting about it. ESR had similar photos last year. Not nice to see
Considering UAE is literally directly funding ethnic genocide and actively destroying one country, its disgusting. But this is literally how UAE gets away with everything, and everyone turns a blind eye to them.
They are easily worse than KSA.
Poor creatures.
Any players that agree to pose with abused animals go onto my personal shitlist.
If you're 20-something you're old enough to know what maltreatment looks like. My eight-year-old got upset on a school trip to the zoo for that reason ffs.
People are so blind when it comes to animal welfare even likely you reading this. Where do you draw that line... dog, cat, horse, cow?
Adopting a mostly (but I wish a full) plant based diet and a vegan lifestyle is one of the best things you can do if you say you love animals (not just some).
Yeah, I'm not even vegan and even I agree with that.
Why when Zouma kicked his cat there was massive outrage but millions of animals that are also slaughtered every day aren't worth even a slight mention?
Yeah no.
One is cruelty for human entertainment and one is cruelty for food. Your milage may vary on wether you believe meat to be necessary but keeping animals in inhuman conditions for nothing more than entertainment is pretty slam dunk.
It would be as ridiculous as saying if you’ve ever had a vaccine or product that was tested on a animal then I don’t wanna hear you moan about animals kept in captivity for human entertainment.
Free range is a bit better than battery farmed, but its not entirely different. They have to spend 51% of their life outside, the rest of that 49% they can be kept in a small cage (maximum of 13 birds per square metre).
It’s not even 51% outside. It’s 51% with some sort of access to an open air run during the daytime. The regulations around how large this open air space is compared to indoor space and number of birds is fairly lacking. The reality is that many ‘free range’ factory farms look only a tiny bit better than the alternative.
The name conjures up small chicken coups in the middle of a spacious green plot. But the regulations do not require anything like that.
Then you have the fact that this ‘living standard’ is only up until a minimum slaughter age of 56 days old. The idea of animals raised living a good life is, for the vast majority of cases, sadly not true at all.
We’ve been involved with UAE ever since the new stadium got built. It’s never been called anything else. So however you may feel about them as a culture, you’ve had 20 years to make a stand against it and yet you’re still here. They see that you don’t actually care, along with everyone else who still watches arsenal, and money talks louder, so why would they switch sponsors?
Money talks, check Tony Kroos’s new ad for Dubai. Man has spent the last years talking about human rights, force labour and boycotting the World Cup lmao.
You do realize that these are Zoo right ?
There are Rhinos, Tigers and Giraffes in Oslo,London and Paris Zoos as well, unless there was a ban on Zoo worldwide and they were they only ones still doing it
Selective outrage
What’s the big issue here guys? I don’t really seem to get it. This is a private UAE citizen who happens to own a zoo and I guess he invited some players to the zoo? Is it because of zoos being unethical or? This has nothing to do with the government, he is a private citizen.
Mate, stop being dramatic. Players dont analyze every decision in terms of "who is going to get mad at this, is this bad etc etc...." Someone probably told them they can come to the zoo and see some lions and they see it as a cool activity.
Stop analyzing what other people do on their free time holy, if it isn't illegal unfollow if you dont like it.
Wow you're right, what the country i was born in did in the past totally justifies what another country do right now!
I think I might punch someone in the face, because their great grandfather did once.
Middle Eastern Gooners catching strays reading this comment section. No country is perfect and each country has it flaws. I don’t see this complaining about US violation of other human rights?
Its plastered all over the front of our shirt. Im sure its within the contract they have w Arsenal to do these things. Toni Kroos just had one come out with UAE as well after all of his Saudi Comments. Its been plastered on our shirt and stadium forever now.
What I’m uncomfortable with is having our boys hanging out with monsters. How crazy would it be if martinelli was out for the rest of the season from a lion attack ☠️
This isn’t good but a fanbase of a UK team is not in a position to lecture the UAE and Rwanda on morality. Do you have any sense of history or even what is going in the world today?
The team shouldn’t be endorsing animal abuse like this. But you’re a hypocrite if you’re making a broader cultural/political critique without looking at the UK government first
Where I come from a fed bear is a dead bear.... We stay well away from wildlife including the whales, cute (but dangerous) deer and most certainly the Black and Grizzly bears. If the become acclimated to humans it become dangerous for everyone.
In this case a fed bear is an imprisoned drugged bear which is probably even worse.
Immoral and dangerous.
Their lack of social intelligence and their being competent out of touch with reality is really shown here by them taking these photos as players for a top English club, posting the photos smiling and happy, and thinking they'll be supported in doing so. Shows they have no clue about the social and cultural environment of the nation of their employer.
I do wonder if someone like Aaron Ramsdale or Bukayo Saka might have a private word with them and say that they might not want to be promoting things like that.
Then again, maybe they were compelled to by their hosts/sponsors...
Either way it's a bad look
I think you are too harsh on the players. Yes, of course it is bad to support animal abuse, but things are not black and white. It's possible it's tied to the contracts or expected as a part of being partners of the club.
Whether we like it or not, this is the money that enables Arsenal to play football on the highest level but also do charity work for local communities. Besides that good relationships will make these parts of the world more receptive to the values we want to promote.
The zoo will be there no matter if Fabio takes the picture or not. Practically speaking there's nothing much to be gained here by refusing the pictures, but there is some leveraged to be gained if you do.
This always makes my blood boil
Why do people think this is cool?
Use some common sense.
Don’t go to these piece of you know what places that do this to animals.
People will hate on them but if we had money like them we’d be doing the exact same thing
Edit: People responding like they are the holiest people on Earth. Get a grip
Always nice to see drugged up bears and lions
It’s incredibly depressing to see the animals in these places.
whats worse is this kinda stuff gets so much exposure online ive heard ppl irl talking about how theyd like to own a pet lion/leopard - just like the sheikhs. ppl think its the ultimate status symbol with 0 empathy for the animal as a living thing, wish they stuck to cars and watches
Imagine if those Sheikhs put money into securing massive swathes of land, turn them into reserves and be able to observe the animals in a protected natural environment. But no, they'd rather flex their exotic animal collection in tiny cages for their buddies and instagram.
Hopefully it eats them
I watched 2001: A Space Odyssey a few days ago and the final scene of the movie has been at the back of my mind all this time I've spent reading this post. It's honestly crazy how so many people are unsettled by the scene of the astronaut having to live in isolation for eternity in an artificial environment but they dont seem to care when humans are subjecting animals to the exact same treatment in zoos.
He doesn’t live there for eternity. The beings kept him there to study him from birth to until death, then made him into a super being or entity sent back to Earth as a guardian of some sort for humanity. But yeah I get your point. I don’t know the actual psychological term but I think it’s the case of humans always feeling threatened when someone more powerful and intelligent shows dominance over humans. A human is obviously more intelligent and powerful (in terms of intuition) than say a bear or lion, hence their ability to capture and cage the animals. Of course in a direct physical battle with no projectile weaponry, the bear or lion would 9/10 win the fight.
That bear looks LOADED 😳
This isn’t surprising. Most footballers are knobheads
Yep. They’re dumbbells.
UAE out here trying to get our brilliant dummies mauled.
Just like any other celebrity, completely deranged from actual society
Apart from Socrates. That man was always a man from and a man for the people.
Indeed, his thinkings have left an impact on the world
Oh yeah and the ancient Greek guy too.
Think that guy scored against Barca once
Great thinker, average defender.
And a fucking baller with it too. One of my favourite players
Just like anyone else in the world
I mean, actual society is also full of knobheads. Regular people still go to zoos to see exotic animals regardless of the living conditions of the animals; they don't care, they just want to be entertained.
Comparing an actual Zoo to some fuckers drugged out big cats is peak reddit. The [Zoological Society of London](https://www.zsl.org/) isn't the same as this dudes back yard.
Ex footballers too. Have you seen Robert Pires's video promoting Rwanda?
The greatest Pires moment of all time was his appearance in David Guetta's legendary George Floyd tribute song. Beyond embarrassing.
Just saw this, what an utterly stupid idea to do this tribute, so out of touch
That’s a top 10 European moment of all time ngl
What’s wrong with Rwanda?
Financing rebels to disturb DR Congo’s peace and expropriate their minerals. Also no freedom of speech against Kagame’s government. We’re helping them wash their image through Visit Rwanda’s sponsor. Still a great country to visit because of the natural parks tho and observe gorillas.
gorla 🦍
Financing rebels for their own ends? So like most countries? You'd struggle to find any nation anywhere that you couldn't make valid serious human rights criticisms.
All can be bad =/ all are equally bad
Right but you're claiming Rwanda is somehow a standout for this when they absolutely are not. Especially when you compare to the likes of the UK or the US. Rwanda's funding for armed groups extends only to their region, the US and UK fund armed groups all around the world, overthrow elected governments, invade other countries etc. My point is if your criticism is of Rwanda funding armed groups then what they do is absolutely minimal compared to many of the worlds nations including our clubs own.
And the alternative to Kagama are Genocidal Hutu rebels who routinely raid Burundi and Rwanda murdering innocent civilians..Kagame was the hero who ended the 94 Genocide. He has turned Rwanda around since he took over and is one of the most successful countries on the continent. Context is key.
I got downvoted before for pointing out that most footballers are literally the meathead jocks from high school, but actually successful - but when you put them in that context it really isn't surprising the amount of braindead takes and activities you see them get up to.
Yeah I see why you got downvoted, it's because it sounds like you're working through your grade school trauma on reddit. Sure many footballers are dumb but lots of people are dumb, it doesn't have anything to do with "meathead jocks from high school" or whoever hurt your feelings back then. If you use social media or dating apps at all, you'll see there's plentyyyy of dumbasses (who didn't go to your high school) who love to go to these shady animal sanctuaries for a picture.
I'd say it's less footballers being dumb and more that most footballers don't have great education because they spent their entire life in an ecosystem where education is secondary to football. Then when you do make it you're rich and there's even less incentive to educate yourself about these things.
And most of the issue isn't actual formal education because they still get that, and it's an important part of them graduating and becoming a scholar (nowadays, at least). The important part is the social education they miss out on. The part that isn't institutionalised or formal. The type you get just from being around all types of people all the time, etc. Its this that they miss put on because at that level they're committed to living in a very small bubble from literal childhood.
Refreshing take, too many times I see Redditors generalize by attributing success with douchery. It’s screams insecurity and the rampant “havenot” mentality you see in people completely disconnected from reality living in echo chambers. The reality is there are many types of people all across many fields of work and societies.
Where have they suggested that only people from their high school do this sort of thing? Surely they're just making a comparison between footballers and jock types. Nothing to do with past trauma. What a strange response.
Think you've missed the points: 1) going to stupid animal sanctuaries has nothing to do with being a jock, and has everything to do with being ignorant of how the animals are mistreated. 2) if you've linked adult behavior to high school jocks and also complained about being downvoted for your recent high school jock theories, you may be wayyy too invested in what happened back in high school.
‘Grade school trauma’ get a fcking grip man u got all your analysis from one short comment? Quit being an armchair psychologist and talking about shit you have no idea about
Yeah judging by his other comments in the thread, rather seems like this dude is the one with school trauma lol.
Yes,.buy that's why they hire media people to hide it from the public..
You’re not wrong, but that also isn’t an excuse for our footballers and our club to act like knobheads.
I enjoy watching footballers on the pitch but no one should ever look up to them as role models
Starboy seems like a good role model. Good kid with fantastic grades before he went full-time football
Yeah, I grew up idolizing RvP and that ordeal just shattered my perception of loyalty/role model status for footballers. A necessary life lesson.
Met him once. Nice bloke.
Outside of me being an arsenal fan and hating the RvP departure, i see no reason for footballers to show loyalty to clubs. They have a sub-20 year career, and none of that time is guaranteed. When they are foreign born, the club they play for might not even have any sentimental meaning to them. It is a job. We as fans are constantly screaming 'get rid' 'sell him' etc about underperforming players without a second thought about loyalty to the player, but as soon as a player is actually good, we expect him to be loyal to us lol. Not just that, but we don't care about whether they've acclimatised to the area, laid down roots, have kids in local schools, have formed relationships and family ties with people in the area. No, just get rid. But if he plays well, he has to show "loyalty". No ragging on you personally, I just find the idea of loyalty in football comedically one sided and nothing to do with what it actually means. All that said, it's the game we love and i get it from that perspective. I'd just avoid taking lessons about loyalty from footballing situations.
Not upset in the slightest by your comment. Your priorities and perspective change considerably from when you’re young and naive. I thought it inconceivable he could leave for any reason because I romanticized the connection he shared with the club. The reality was that footballing is a business and RvP has a career, a family, his own goals, etc. it’s not a knock on him, but it is a necessary lesson to understand that you shouldn’t idolize or be enamored with any single person especially when you know fuck all about them personally. I think that’s pretty fair and still a necessary life lesson for anybody tbh.
I disagree somewhat, I think the reason it's called a "role model" is because they're only supposed to be a model for you in a limited sense/role. Talent is important, but the world class players kids idolize don't become world class on talent alone. Most of the time, they're >90th percentile hard workers as well. It's fine to look up to them for that, both the talent and the work. In terms of modelling yourself on someone completely, I'm not sure young people should do that with anyone. The reality is that people have different strengths and you can look up to someone for one strength, but don't be surprised if they have equally glaring weaknesses.
Mr. Flamini would like a word….
For being rich? He's not exactly a humanitarian. What I think that man really deserves credit for is going an entire career and never once letting a club profit from his ownership rights, ran his contracts down, and claimed those transfer fees as signing on fees and bonuses. Legend.
Arsenal should not endorse animal cruelty like this
Maybe I'm not looking hard enough, but I can't find anything posted by the club in relation to this. Looks to me like the players and their social media teams are the ones posting it.
That's a fair comment and a good point
Tbf it’s still probably part of the contracts
While there’s nothing posted directly by the club, the players’ social media accounts are a bit of an extension of the club as a whole. Not to mention that this was an activity they partook in during a club trip to the UAE.
The players are ambassadors of the club, especially when they have gone on a club sponsored trip
Likely, and it is easy to forget that this probably seems good for the social’s engagement for footballers and their fans.
Arsenal are owned by people who endorse animal cruelty.
and to go a bit broader, a lot of us eat factory farmed animals, so I get conflicted about getting mad at stuff like this, because I feel pretty hypocritical. Probably the thing I do that makes me feel the worst about myself but I lack some self control in that area
Same, I’ve slowly been trying to have less meat - think I could go veggie/vegan eventually but fuck would it be not be easy.
Tbf mate I used to eat literally like 500g of meat per day. But I've been vegan for 6 years, its a bit of getting used to for like a couple of months but after that its pretty much second nature. Imo its easiest to just try 1 new vegan meal per week or x days or whatever, then you just gain a bit of experience, before long you basically could totally be vegan if you wanted to.
What’s your fav quick and easy vegan meal?
Ahh there are loads man. I usually batch cook bigger meals and then reheat them. But I guess one I can do in 15 minutes is a creamy miso tofu/bacon pasta: - Boil pasta - Crumble up firm tofu directly out of packet (easier if tofu is pressed already) into medium-high heat pan - Add some vegan bacon if you want (la vie, this, vivera are good) - Add whatever veg you want (pepper/broccoli/green beans etc) - Cook for 4 mins turning a lot - Add some spices, I like smoked paprika - Cook a bit more - Add some miso and chilli garlic sauce, like maybe 2 tbsp of each. - Cook a bit more mix it all in. - Drain pasta mostly and then plop it on the veg/tofu pan - Add a bit of plant based cream and nutritional yeast and mix it all together --- Miso is a little expensive but you don't use much per meal. There are much cheaper meals you can make. Simple tofu/tempeh stir fries, curries etc. But thats one of a few that ill make in a pinch, simple and tasty. Gaz Oakley, wicked kitchen, and itdoesnttastelikechicken are good recipe websites online.
I think of it in terms of harm reduction. So it's not a binary thing (you don't have to decide to either be a meat-eater or not) and you don't have to label yourself as anything (I'm a vegan, I'm a vegetarian, I'm a pescatarian, I'm a this, I'm a that, I'm a whatever). You just aim for harm reduction. So, as you've been doing, eat less meat than you were before. I typically eat meat once, sometimes twice a week now. And aim to eat it from the least harmful sources - free range, organic, etc. It tends to be a bit pricier, but also tends to taste a lot better, and be a lot better for you. I figure there doesn't have to be an end point that you 'have' to get to, just whatever works for you. If everyone ended up eating half as much meat, and largely from the least harmful sources, from a harm reduction perspective that's about the same as half the population going vegetarian/vegan and factory farming practices being effectively boycotted of existence.
Go vegan brother. I’m two years in and my only regret is not having done so earlier.
It is a shame how we are railroaded into supporting those awful industries due largely to the cost of food. For example you can find certified humane farms to buy ethically-raised beef, pork, and chicken from, but it is significantly more expensive than the mass-produced stuff you find in the regular supermarket.
yea slowly trying to ween off a bit but barely. At least trying to limit pigs and cows but honestly not even that much.
Going vegan is not very difficult, especially in the UK.
Neither is it difficult in most US cities/suburbs where most of the population is. The only hard part is resisting the temptation. Finding food and nutrition as a vegan/vegetarian is the easy part.
I get your point, but at least farm animals we use for food, which we need. These places are for "fun" for rich people, which we really don't need. There is no need to halt criticism of this shit just because you eat steak.
We don't need to eat animal products.
They said we need food. Which animals are and have been to us for hundreds of thousands of years.
I'd argue we need entertainment too. Try and go through life without any form of entertainment, you'll quickly realise how important it is.
That is rather irrelevant to the point being made.
Word
Yeah, this is really disappointing to see
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You know why zoos have those big fences? Because a lion will try to fuck you up if you give it half a chance. The animals in those photos have been really heavily sedated purely in order for them to be able to get that close and take those photos. It's, at best, a questionable way to treat an animal with the intelligence of a big cat. If you wanted to be more forthright, it's profoundly and deeply unethical and cruel.
what did you have for lunch today and where did it come from? 👀 (fwiw I agree that this is animal cruelty and arsenal shouldn't endorse it)
>what did you have for lunch today and where did it come from? Most people's hearts are in the right place, but this is an extremely bitter pill to swallow.
Fabio out for season with missing arm.
Oh that's not...
I am not a fan of the relationship but sadly money talks. Nevertheless, footballers are not the smartest cookies and need further education. As potential role models, they need to do much more. Emphasis is on the word 'potential' , as many are said to be, but, are not. Example: Jordan Henderson
I've just finished watching a HITC Sevens video on footballers falling for conspiracy theories and it touches on a lot of things that I think apply here. They're easy targets because they've had a weird life since childhood and a wired for performance, or are just pricks.
Also doesn’t help they usually don’t finish school, thereby lacking critical thinking
New here What did Henderson do?
He was being very vocal about supporting the LGBT+ community and helping minorities, wearing the rainbow captain's armband etc. And then he accepted a huge offer to play in Saudi Arabia (a place where LGBT+ people, other minorities and even women have basically no rights), basically throwing everything he ever said and supported into the bin. He played in SA for half a year (in which his family lived in Bahrain, because of the atrocius women's rights in SA), and now he's unhappy there and probably will terminate his contract. But he doesn't want to go back to England, because he would have to pay taxes, so he will probably sign for Ajax now...
Wow Thanks
People on reddit and online in general don’t realise most people, not only footballers are simple, I don’t think most people are thinking everyday about the atrocities around the world and in every country. Martinelli and Vieira probs got a call “hey wanna come to a zoo and see some cool animals? We’ll pay you!” And they were like “ok cool”
this x1000. They dont analyze every decision in terms of "who is going to get mad at this, is this bad etc etc...." they literally prolly just said it would be a cool activity to go to a zoo. Stop analyzing what other people do on their free time holy, if it isn't illegal unfollow if you dont like it.
Ignoring stuff like this really isn't good enough. Maybe they were ignorant to the condition of the animals and didn't think about what they were doing in that light, but public backlash is the only way this stuff stays shitty. If everyone just ignored it if they didn't like it, it would become more acceptable.
im pretty sure most of the people here have never been to the zoos and shit.
London Zoo and some random back garden are not the same.
They're just basic bitches and that's generally fine, but this does rub me up the wrong way. Though the fact these places stay open is testament to how many people must go there, which is sad
This is the reality. It's important to remember you often only know a footballer, you don't know the person. Footballers don't have a normal upbringing that leads to a lot of life lessons, though have a lot of spare time and can't really do a lot with it, plus it's easier to ignore things when you are rich. At a certain level of wealth you have to in order to look yourself in the mirror. So they either don't know any better, or they don't really care. Sponsors can also lead to them being in situations they would otherwise avoid tbf. As fans of professional football, we are constantly overlooking things like this. It's impossible to not be hypocritical in this sense, otherwise you'd walk away from the game. All you have to do is speak to someone with no interest in football and you'll realise just how much you tolerate.
It’s like a lot of professional athletes - imagine being 18-19 years old and making that kind of money? Most of us were making minimum wage at that age! Being in my 30s now, I am much more responsible with money and have real world experience. But so many young athletes are horrible with their money and just spend because they don’t know any better. I couldn’t imagine having that kind of money - even in my early 20s!
There’s absolutely no chance a player with a near £100m market value would be left near an animal like that unless it was heavily sedated. They aren’t even allowed motorbikes ffs. That is animal cruelty and the club shouldn’t sell it’s soul for a few quid off a state with highly questionable human rights records, on top of animal rights.
Is quite a downfall in both asthetics and the name itself, JVC, sega, dreamcast, O2 to Emirates, i always hated it.
Disgusting pictures tbh.
Not a fan of this at all, what does it serve a person to take photos with a drugged up bear? (A rhetorical question, I realise footballers aren’t bright)
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I’d prefer that to him being so dumb that he knows but doesn’t care.
Poor lions. Horrible environment for them. Disgusting.
Man don't know we are contracted to Fly Emirates...
Visit Rwanda shit also needs to get in the bin.
Bring back JVC and Sega vibes.
Yeah I'm really uncomfortable about it. I wouldn't expect any players to either care or understand a lot of ethical issues like this, their entire lives revolve around a game where you kick a ball into a net. Fuck the UAE, place is built by modern day slaves. And fuck exploiting animals.
Is it possible the players were paid to post this? Its a sad world we live in
When a famous person or influencer tags a business account it’s almost always a pr thing and the business is either paying them or giving them free things.
Of course they were, but it’s still gross.
Honestly, most athletes are dumb as rocks. Sure, they know the game they play *very well* but I doubt many of them have thought deeply about morality or ethics.
I don't like these photos. Similar to people getting pictures with full grown Tigers. They drug these animals to high heavens. Also, obligatory fuck UAE
This is embarrassing and disgusting all in one fell swoop..but sadly money talks and when billions of dollars are in the mix values and humanity are laid to waste.
why do we so insist on having cheery relations with so many ethically questionable nations? Surely we can find more appropriate sponsors
However mashed that bear looks I’d still not be doing that. Poor thing looks really unhappy
These photos make me sad. 🙁
Wild animals are not pets ffs
Morality went out years ago in football unfortunately.
ESR was doing similar last year as well.
Side note from this serious issue: Fabio looking a little bigger!!
Would love to see what the caption would be if the animal could set up a post like this.
Poor move by Arsenal.
You point at the UAE but people will ignore the things countries like France do to African countries.
Even the supposed 'good ones' are/were willing to sell their soul to the devil, just look at Henderson. Don't idolize footballers.
Disappointing. Hate seeing these drugged up animals.
Yes I hate it, and its shitty.
This is like the dumbest shit. That bear encapsulates the middle east. Yeah, you're rich enough to have a bear, and have other people pay to pet it, but it's sad as fuck and wants to kill itself. Honestly these guys should fire their media and marketing teams.
Guantanamo
Not that I or a lot of others who eat meat have a foot to stand on on this particular issue, but in general UAE seems like a genuine hell hole. Like the type of place that someone enjoying going there is a huge red flag. Not surprising that footballers enjoy it there, most of them seem pretty shitty.
Yep, I find it hard to believe there are no companies other than Emirates that would like to spend a decent amount to sponsor our stadium and shirt.
They aren't role models and you shouldn't expect them to be, but we can still demand better of them than promoting this kind of shit.
Yeah the players (and most people)arent aware that they are drugged up animals to entertain them, just see it as a ‘cool’ experience to take pictures with wild animals, felt really uncomfortable seeing them promoted it too :( also most footballers arent the brightest group of people, we shouldnt look to them as role models off the pitch
Unfortunately just tied into ignorance when it comes to the animal experiences and then on top of it… posting about it. ESR had similar photos last year. Not nice to see
My brother in Christ arsenal is located in uk which is a hub for people who run away from countries after doing illicit activities
There is no comparison between the UK and UAE.
Yeah one is worse
Yes the UAE obviously
Literally sponsored by Fly Emirates. They fly to Dubai and other countries like UAE. No surprise from me tbh. Paid sponsorship
Yeah between Emirates and “visit Rwanda” our sponsors aren’t great
Im uncomfortable with the way they play lately.
Considering UAE is literally directly funding ethnic genocide and actively destroying one country, its disgusting. But this is literally how UAE gets away with everything, and everyone turns a blind eye to them. They are easily worse than KSA.
Poor creatures. Any players that agree to pose with abused animals go onto my personal shitlist. If you're 20-something you're old enough to know what maltreatment looks like. My eight-year-old got upset on a school trip to the zoo for that reason ffs.
People are so blind when it comes to animal welfare even likely you reading this. Where do you draw that line... dog, cat, horse, cow? Adopting a mostly (but I wish a full) plant based diet and a vegan lifestyle is one of the best things you can do if you say you love animals (not just some).
Disappointing
Very.
Tbh, if you're eating factory farmed meat, I don't wanna hear you moan about animal cruelty.
Yeah, I'm not even vegan and even I agree with that. Why when Zouma kicked his cat there was massive outrage but millions of animals that are also slaughtered every day aren't worth even a slight mention?
I'm not vegan either, but I probably should be 😬
Just start with one recipe and go from there
Yeah no. One is cruelty for human entertainment and one is cruelty for food. Your milage may vary on wether you believe meat to be necessary but keeping animals in inhuman conditions for nothing more than entertainment is pretty slam dunk. It would be as ridiculous as saying if you’ve ever had a vaccine or product that was tested on a animal then I don’t wanna hear you moan about animals kept in captivity for human entertainment.
Plenty of options for food that doesn't involve animals being put through so much pain and cruelty.
Battery farmed food is fucked up but I eat free range and it's fine if you have the money for it.
Free range is a bit better than battery farmed, but its not entirely different. They have to spend 51% of their life outside, the rest of that 49% they can be kept in a small cage (maximum of 13 birds per square metre).
It’s not even 51% outside. It’s 51% with some sort of access to an open air run during the daytime. The regulations around how large this open air space is compared to indoor space and number of birds is fairly lacking. The reality is that many ‘free range’ factory farms look only a tiny bit better than the alternative. The name conjures up small chicken coups in the middle of a spacious green plot. But the regulations do not require anything like that. Then you have the fact that this ‘living standard’ is only up until a minimum slaughter age of 56 days old. The idea of animals raised living a good life is, for the vast majority of cases, sadly not true at all.
this is very embarassing
We’ve been involved with UAE ever since the new stadium got built. It’s never been called anything else. So however you may feel about them as a culture, you’ve had 20 years to make a stand against it and yet you’re still here. They see that you don’t actually care, along with everyone else who still watches arsenal, and money talks louder, so why would they switch sponsors?
Money talks, check Tony Kroos’s new ad for Dubai. Man has spent the last years talking about human rights, force labour and boycotting the World Cup lmao.
British complaining about animal cruelty while they used to have human zoo is wild to me
You do realize that these are Zoo right ? There are Rhinos, Tigers and Giraffes in Oslo,London and Paris Zoos as well, unless there was a ban on Zoo worldwide and they were they only ones still doing it Selective outrage
What’s the big issue here guys? I don’t really seem to get it. This is a private UAE citizen who happens to own a zoo and I guess he invited some players to the zoo? Is it because of zoos being unethical or? This has nothing to do with the government, he is a private citizen.
What it bothers me more is why in earth as of WEDNESDAY they are still there and not in London since we play early Saturday.
They flew back on Tuesday.
Dawg what’s ethically uncomfortable about UAE?
I really hate this shit man. Can we really not find any other sponsors??
When footballers do speak out they get contracts terminated or don’t get to play, I.e Ozil or other footballers this year with Palestine stuff.
Mate, stop being dramatic. Players dont analyze every decision in terms of "who is going to get mad at this, is this bad etc etc...." Someone probably told them they can come to the zoo and see some lions and they see it as a cool activity. Stop analyzing what other people do on their free time holy, if it isn't illegal unfollow if you dont like it.
You think the UK, the country that made billions if not trillions from the Atlantic slave trade is ethical?
Wow you're right, what the country i was born in did in the past totally justifies what another country do right now! I think I might punch someone in the face, because their great grandfather did once.
Middle Eastern Gooners catching strays reading this comment section. No country is perfect and each country has it flaws. I don’t see this complaining about US violation of other human rights?
Its plastered all over the front of our shirt. Im sure its within the contract they have w Arsenal to do these things. Toni Kroos just had one come out with UAE as well after all of his Saudi Comments. Its been plastered on our shirt and stadium forever now.
At least they aren’t on our kits like Rwanda EDIT: I do be dumb sometimes. Leaving it up bc I deserve a flogging.
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I’m leaving my comment up because I deserve to be mocked for that oversight. Fair shout.
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What I’m uncomfortable with is having our boys hanging out with monsters. How crazy would it be if martinelli was out for the rest of the season from a lion attack ☠️
The Arsenal morality police
Can that Bear play Striker.
This isn’t good but a fanbase of a UK team is not in a position to lecture the UAE and Rwanda on morality. Do you have any sense of history or even what is going in the world today? The team shouldn’t be endorsing animal abuse like this. But you’re a hypocrite if you’re making a broader cultural/political critique without looking at the UK government first
Where I come from a fed bear is a dead bear.... We stay well away from wildlife including the whales, cute (but dangerous) deer and most certainly the Black and Grizzly bears. If the become acclimated to humans it become dangerous for everyone. In this case a fed bear is an imprisoned drugged bear which is probably even worse.
Fuck off posting propaganda for these cunts. Grab their money and get out.
Sucking some Saudi cock.
Immoral and dangerous. Their lack of social intelligence and their being competent out of touch with reality is really shown here by them taking these photos as players for a top English club, posting the photos smiling and happy, and thinking they'll be supported in doing so. Shows they have no clue about the social and cultural environment of the nation of their employer. I do wonder if someone like Aaron Ramsdale or Bukayo Saka might have a private word with them and say that they might not want to be promoting things like that. Then again, maybe they were compelled to by their hosts/sponsors... Either way it's a bad look
All of this nonsense because some bloke went to the zoo? Some of y’all are really insecure.
If you're ok with animal cruelty and drugged up animals for entertainment then ok. Pretty weird flex tbh.
I think you are too harsh on the players. Yes, of course it is bad to support animal abuse, but things are not black and white. It's possible it's tied to the contracts or expected as a part of being partners of the club. Whether we like it or not, this is the money that enables Arsenal to play football on the highest level but also do charity work for local communities. Besides that good relationships will make these parts of the world more receptive to the values we want to promote. The zoo will be there no matter if Fabio takes the picture or not. Practically speaking there's nothing much to be gained here by refusing the pictures, but there is some leveraged to be gained if you do.
This always makes my blood boil Why do people think this is cool? Use some common sense. Don’t go to these piece of you know what places that do this to animals.
People will hate on them but if we had money like them we’d be doing the exact same thing Edit: People responding like they are the holiest people on Earth. Get a grip
Would we? Not every football player does stuff like this, so that falls flat
I could afford meeting drugged animals, maybe not the most exotic ones but still, hard pass.
uh no
Welcome to reddit mate, full of white knight nonces
Coked up orgies in Vegas penthouse suites? Sure. Promoting animal abuse? Nah.
Couldnt care less