#WeAreAllMonkeys: A Fútbol Approach to Dealing with Racism

Bananas: Bringing People Together Since April 2014

In case you missed it, racism has become the hot topic in sports over the past week, thanks to some leaked comments from Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling. You've probably read plenty about that, so I don't need to say much there.

What you probably did not hear as much about is what happened that same weekend during a professional soccer/fútbol match in Spain. During a match between FC Barcelona and Villareal FC, Barcalona defender Dani Alves went to take a corner kick. As he was preparing to take a kick, a fan from the stands threw a banana at Alves. Yes, you read that right. Disgusting act of racism, right? Don't worry though, Alves reacted in arguably the best way possible.


His act quickly spread on social media from one soccer fan to another. Then, his teammate, young soccer starlet Neymar, posted the following photo on Instagram.


He included four hashtags with the photo: "#somostodosmacacos," "#weareallmonkeys," "#somostodosmonos" and "#totssommonos." All four hashtags translate to 'we are all monkeys.'

Suddenly, player after player and team after team began posting their own #weareallmonkeys photos on social media.

With my colleague Marta from Brazil we say #NoToRacism. We are all equal. pic.twitter.com/0kWLsaAgwP
— Sergio Aguero (@aguerosergiokun) April 28, 2014

With my mate @Phil_Coutinho #SayNoToRacism #WeAreAllMonkeys pic.twitter.com/mY3W4GogqZ
— Luis Suarez (@luis16suarez) April 28, 2014

#SomosTodosMacacos pic.twitter.com/lgxJLBa9X0
— Corinthians Paulista (@Corinthians) April 28, 2014

Juventus #SayNoToRacism con @danistone25 @Asabob20 #Pogba #Giovinco (1/2) pic.twitter.com/tj0qZ8XfAJ
— JuventusFC (@juventusfc) April 29, 2014

Even the Maldivian national team are going bananas pic.twitter.com/Wgi1rA3LFu
— 101 Great Goals (@102greatgoals) April 29, 2014

#SayNoToRacism #weareallmonkeys #Schalke #S04 pic.twitter.com/scY5vkZaC4
— FC Schalke 04 (@s04) April 29, 2014

The movement initially looked like a great success, particularly for something as spontaneous as it was.

But, just as with David Ortiz's viral selfie with President Obama, it turns out to was not as spontaneous as it seemed. Turns out that Neymar himself, who has dealt with racist acts this season, actually hatched the idea to eat a banana that was thrown at him, with the help of some advisors, including Neymar's father.

Alves had the opportunity before Neymar did, and did not think twice about eating the thrown fruit. Neymar then took to Instagram to launch the campaign, including with the photos the hashtags that were actually planned out by a Brazilian marketing firm.

Guga Ketzer, who works at the marketing firm, said:

"Actions speak louder than words. A gesture needs no translation and what we’re seeing is that this has gone viral, globally. The concept was for Neymar to eat the banana, but in the end it was Alves, and that works just the same.
The best way to beat prejudice is to take the sting out of the action so it is not racist repeated. We created #weareallmonkeys #somostodosmacacos, with the gesture of eating a banana, and it has been turned into a movement."

More information can be found here.

The fact that the act and movement was preplanned should not diminish what Neymar and Alves have been able to accomplish. They have brought worldwide attention to the racism that still exists overseas. Working with a marketing firm certainly helped with the success of the #weareallmonkeys movement and should be something athletes consider doing more often in the future.

If the racist acts of this past weekend have done nothing else, they have reminded us that A. unfortunately, racism still exists. B. just how powerful social media can be when used correctly by opinion leaders and those with massive followings.

And for those wondering, the fan suspected of throwing the banana has been found and arrested.

Sideline Scoop: Embracing Social Media

There are always those who embrace change and those who fear it, looking to avoid it at all costs. Today's Sideline Scoop will take a look at two coaches representing both views and adding a new dimension to an already classic rivalry, how the NCAA is adapting to new developments in technology and social media, and some interesting stats from social media around the world.

1. Pitino, Calipari on opposite ends of social media spectrum

Louisville and Kentucky is one of the best rivalries in all of college basketball, pitting two of the more successful teams in college basketball history against each other as they share a state. So it only make sense that coaches from both teams take completely opposite views of social media. Louisville's Rick Pitino (on the left in the above photo), who could be seen as the "old school" coach, has actually banned his players from using Twitter and says that social media "poisons their minds." Meanwhile, Kentucky's John Calipari (on the right in the above photo), the most "new school" of the two coaches, openly embraces social media and wants to teach his players how to "use it as a positive."

2. NCAA to allow coaches to use SnapChat for recruiting

SnapChat is one of the biggest up-and-coming apps on smartphones today, allowing users to "take photos or videos and add text or drawing, then set an expiration for the message once it is opened." SnapChat now has a new use: As of Aug. 1, college coaches will be able to use it for recruiting purposes.

3. Who are the ultimate social media winners and losers?

Judging from social media, soccer/fútbol and basketball are the two most popular sports in the world and two retired basketball players remain among the most popular in the world. Find out more - including how local and club teams use social media and who has the most retweeted sports tweet - in this infographic.

Sideline Scoop: Infidelity and Beyond

Welcome to take two of the Sideline Scoop. Today, we will be taking a look at an interesting Twitter confession and two articles from the website Sports Networker.

1. Oliver Giroud admits infidelity...via Twitter

Oliver Giroud was best known for being the best goal-scoring threat on Arsenal FC. Then came Feb. 16, 2014, when, hours before a key match, he posted on his Twitter account that he had cheated on his wife. Not only was the timing of the announcement odd, but so was the medium by which he choose to relay his message that made it so unique. This article, posted on Bleacher Report, shows one of the dangers of Twitter: instant reaction from others.

2. The Social Media Engagement Guide

The first of two articles from Sports Networker, Lewis Howes takes a look at guidelines for teams and athletes, as well as businesses in general, to follow. It is a solid list that everyone should read and consider before they take part in social media.

3. Social Media and Sports Contracts

This article looks at extreme sports athletes (Tony Hawk, Shaun White and company) and how companies signed these athletes to contracts to promote their contract via social media, and where things will go from here.