7 Days in Jail for Insulting Opposing Football Players
A Beijing fan organized an online forum for the purpose of creating a group whose mission in life was/is to insult the football players on opposing teams.
In his chat room he made arrangements for fans to meet at games so they could go together to insult players and referees – called "Jing Ma."
The 20-year old fan was arrested and thrown in jail for 7 days. He was also banned from watching live football games at all Beijing stadiums for 12 months.
(Something similar to this happened to me when I was in high school and took a snake to a basketball game.)
Some of the members of his fan club were also fined or warned.
Beijing wants to clean up its act for the Beijing 2008 Summer Games.
550,000 foreigners, 22,000 journalists and 4 billion TV watchers are expected to have their eyes on Beijing.
"Jing Ma" along with spitting, cussing, pollution and congestion are some of the major headaches that Olympic organizers and Beijing city officials face.
Perhaps the hooligan fans can be allowed to watch football games from prison cells and have the games turned off in the waning minutes so they don't know how the games turn out. That might be a fitting punishment, no?
Will you be watching the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games?
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