DENVER — Colorado Rapids midfielder Mark-Anthony Kaye is a really good soccer player. Kaye is also black, but that shouldn’t matter, right? Wrong, “apparently.”
While playing for the Canadian national team on Thursday in Canada’s World Cup qualifying match against Costa Rica, Kaye was issued a red card in the first half so he was sent off the field.
A tough moment in a big game but it happens from time to time. It’s what took place off the field that is the concerning part.
Kaye received multiple racist tweets, one of a picture of the Ku Klux Klan burning a cross, and another calling him a monkey with the monkey emojis saying Kaye has "Zero IQ."
Wait so let me get this straight: Kaye’s red card incident is a reflection of his black skin?
So does that mean if I make a mistake on air or on a broadcast, it’s because of my brown skin? That literally makes zero sense. People make mistakes. The actual color of their skin does not.
Racism and homophobic slurs and actions in soccer can be traced throughout its long history and it even hit here locally just last summer at the Mexico-Costa Rica game at Empower Field at Mile High with homophobic slurs being chanted and fans being thrown out for it.
So for people who think skin color affects results on a field in some messed-up equation should really re-think things.
Kaye loves his country and is really passionate about playing for Canada. Fans should zero in on that passion and that love for the game and reciprocate that back. It’s the least you can do for someone who puts it all on the line for their country.
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