At the end of the day, we are football purists. We acknowledge Suárez's excellent body of work on the field. However, the moments that have been less than honorable are compartmentalized into a separate file, although surely neither forgotten nor forgiven.
Also, considering that Suárez has been embraced by Johnson, Sturridge, Sterling, Sakho et al for club, and has played with Abel Hernández, Álvaro Pereira, Egidio Arévalo Ríos et al on the national team ... In the absence of understanding his socialization, I think we're too distant from the situation to make a comprehensive condemnation of the player beyond what we know factually ... though there's no doubt he now suffers from a perception issue.
Aside from that, he's probably learned a lesson in spite of Kenny Dalglish's obstructionist conduct. Other than that, I think the way Bakes framed his response is almost spot-on. I would phrase it differently: he intended to abuse and/or harass Evra and he intended to use race as a way of riling him. However, he may not have construed his conduct as racist ... which it nonetheless was. Lesson for Suárez.
What I found despicable is the club's reaching into his genealogy to assert that because he had an ancestor of African descent, he couldn't have engaged in racist conduct. How absolutely absurd! ... and an exercise in clutching at straws that was not particularly dispositive.
I have to admit I have been curious about this topic, but I believe there's room for rehabilitation. As such, I continue to relish his movement with the ball until such time as subsequent conduct overrides his appeal with the ball.
Reminds me of a conversation I had with a Brazilian who found Pele's failure to acknowledge his daughter before she died as diminishing of his legacy.
