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In this modern world in which ethnicities amalgamate, thus making individuals more diverse than ever before in human history there has been one aspect that has remained- the close-mindedness of our past.
Seeing and following Mario Balotelli, I can sympathize with him. Although I was born in New Jersey and speak with no hint of a Latin accent I am not considered "American" (whatever that means) by many people that have read or dealt with me in the past. Super Mario plays the game the way he feels. Despite tearing up defenses in Europe and in Serie A, there is a chip on his shoulder that both drives him to be the best, yet hampers him personally.
On the other hand, he has dealt with the type of rejection very few stars have. I can sympathize with Mario, albeit on a much smaller scale. Being portrayed as the one in the family that did not know about their culture because I was not "one of them". As much as I felt Colombian, knew the national anthem, and assimilated my family's culture because of language barriers and, in some cases, old-fashioned hardheadedness, it was not enough. That is why I understand him for the most part. That is what is going on with Mario.
Outside of the glitz and glamour of being the striker for Inter, Balotelli is part of that social phenomenon where he is not accepted in one culture and would probably not fit in the other. Not from here not from there. For many Italians he is not one of them
Although he is currently tearing up Serie A and one of the primary contributors to Inter's success in Europe, he is having trouble being called up to Marcello Lippi's Azzurri. While other would be accepted by the Ghanian national team with open arms, it would take a while for him to adapt to his new surroundings.
Let's face it he's Italian through and through. He speaks with an Italian accent, and a Sicilian one to boot. He feels the game like an Italian. He lives and dies for the game like an Italian does. We all know that he was brought up by a family in Palermo since he was two years old.
The Other Factor
As much as I love fellow New Jersey native Giuseppe Rossi as a player, he never endured what Balotelli had to endure in order to gain acceptance on the national team and by the fans. They were both brought up by Italian families with the same Italian customs. Don't get me wrong, Rossi deserves to be considered among
What upsets me most is the fact that the people that talk about the Balotelli situation have never gone through 1/1,000,000-th of the racism that he has gone through. My partner George Metéllus said it best when talking about most of the people that wrote about Balotelli's situation is like "a baby talking about astrophysics."
It takes a very mature person to deal with the insults hurled at him by tifosi in several stadia all over the Italian peninsula. The issue here is that he is not mature-yet. He has handled the situation well- for a 19-year-old. He has defended himself the only way he knows how- by lashing out. So far Balotelli learned how to deal this by himself, which is usually a recipe for disaster for any kid. Jose Mourinho, much like Roberto Mancini are not the bastions of guiding a young player, either. With the former, Balotelli has gone through his share of run-ins. It's difficult to tell a kid how to do things when he himself is improvising as he goes.
Now, is his attitude the right one? In the long run, no. For all he run-ins he has had with Mourinho during that past year and a half, it has not cost Inter. There will be a point where it will. He is just too talented a player to go to waste because of his fiery temper.
Samuel Eto'o, a player that is also known for similar reactions has apparently simmered down and realizes that he has grown up as a player and as a person. This is why he extended his hand to the young Italian, even though the youngster is gathering up steam in order to take the Cameroonian international's spot with the neroazzurri.
Well, George will follow up in part two.
Newsodrome
El Octagono
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