[Football] Raheem Sterling has an AK 47 tattoo on his thigh. Should he play for England?

[Hyperion]

A story about an unfinished tattoo designed for the easily offended. Worthless drivel designed to upset the apple cart. Any support they spout about the World Cup is null and void from here on in.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

I have to say, I do find his explanation difficult to believe. Having a machine gun tattooed on ones leg isn’t the obvious reaction to a family bereavement. I guess grief affects us in different ways though?

Yes, I agree. Grief can do strange things to a person but if my dad had been shot with a gun, a gun is the last thing I'd want tatooed as a reminder.

 

[Guinness Boy]

It's not the media, it's The Sun who ran it

Other coverage is now focusing on his response and, from what I've seen, is broadly sympathetic to him (although I haven't seen the Mail's yet)

But in a World Cup year, just as with an election, The Sun ARE the mass media, like it or not. Their natural populism leads them to alternately lead and follow the opinion of their brain dead readership. Thus the only time they have backed Labour was when it was obvious Blair was going to trounce the Tories. Thus they backed our teams in 1990 and 1996. But they've no doubt got people taking the pulse of their average readership through social media et al, and they've no doubt formed an opinion through their sports writers that we won't do that well, so they're already setting up their scapegoats. It's a most depressing vicious circle and I would even cynically say that their dream scenario involves Sterling or one of the other more "street" players screwing up while brave Harry Kane played fearlessly for the cross of St George only to have these gun tattooed clubbers let him down.

 

[Bakero]

It's not the media, it's The Sun who ran it

It's the Sun wot run it, surely?

 

[BadFish]

I have to say, I do find his explanation difficult to believe. Having a machine gun tattooed on ones leg isn’t the obvious reaction to a family bereavement. I guess grief affects us in different ways though?

He said it wasn't finished so perhaps he is going to have a big red X tattooed across the gun.



Too literal?

 

[BN9 BHA]

I have got a tattoo of a Lion on my arm, reminds me to never climb into the big cat enclosure when I visit a zoo.

 

[El Presidente]

Presumably those calling for Sterling to not play for England because of his tattoo also believe that no Arsenal players should play for the country either as they are nicknamed 'The Gunners' (as opposed to Jack Wilshere not being in the squad for being a bit bobbins)?

 

[knocky1]

I'm inclined to agree. If the gun were hidden, say under his shorts, then there would be no fuss.

Not if he were to whip them down and unleash a full volley of shot.

Now why did El Presidente make my mind think like that....?

 

[Thunder Bolt]

https://twitter.com/KieranMaguire/status/1001353154695483392

[tweet]1001353154695483392[/tweet]

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I have got a tattoo of a Lion on my arm, reminds me to never climb into the big cat enclosure when I visit a zoo.

Secret Millwall supporter?

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

https://twitter.com/KieranMaguire/status/1001353154695483392

[tweet]1001353154695483392[/tweet]

I was about to say that person nicked El Pres' quote.

 

[Mellotron]

Why the fck have the media decided NOW is a good time to run this story? He's been outstanding all season and very much in the public eye.

Oh yeah, England are at the WC and there's nothing else to write.

FFS

You know exactly why. Good news is this suggests they are really scraping the barrel this year in terms of shit slinging at the squad.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I was about to say that person nicked El Pres' quote.

When I copied it across, I hadn't noticed the earlier post.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

You know exactly why. Good news is this suggests they are really scraping the barrel this year in terms of shit slinging at the squad.

Don't underestimate the press' ability to surpass their previous sleazy efforts.

 

[happypig]

I miss the good old days when top footballers were regularly caught drink driving.

 

[Diablo]

His father was shot dead, so it reminds him of the horror of guns. Who are we to criticse that?

Thought he`d want to keep as far away as possible from guns..Not look at his leg every day and think "one of them killed my Dad"

 

[skipper734]

Should be one of these, Shirley.

 

[Gwylan]

But in a World Cup year, just as with an election, The Sun ARE the mass media, like it or not.

I think you're a bit out of date here. People don't read newspapers in the same way that they used to, according to an Ofcom survey, only 29% of the population get their news from newspapers ... and The Sun is just one part of that, It's not even the most widely-read newspaper in the UK any more, it got overtaken by the Mail a couple of years ago.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Thought he`d want to keep as far away as possible from guns..Not look at his leg every day and think "one of them killed my Dad"

Apparently a single rifle pointing downwards is a symbol of peace. I can't verify that, but have seen it mentioned a couple of times elsewhere.

 

[blue'n'white]

Giving the bloke the benefit of the doubt here - he says the tattoo isn't finished yet so there could well be an addition of a big red "STOP" sign tattooed over the gun to come