Tabarez's speech today was absolutely pathetic.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/world-cup/10931746/World-Cup-2014-Uruguay-manager-Oscar-Tabarez-launches-impassioned-attack-on-Fifa-over-Luis-Suarez-ban.html
The sad part is that even if he had only been banned for the remainder of the WC, (1-4 games possible), morons like Tabarez, Maradona, Lugano, The Uruguayan FA, President, and Media would still be calling it excessive and braying conspiracy to anyone who would listen. Disgusting and trashy behaviour.
His suspension works out to about 22 games maximum. Considering his first offence was 7 games, the second 10. The absolute minimum he should have been banned for was about 15 games, as a repeat offender. If I were to assault someone while already having two priors, I could certainly expect a harsher sentence for a third. The US throws the book at repeat drug offenders. First time might be no jail time, second time might be a short sentence, but third time they throw away the key.
Intentional violence needs to be taken out of the game as well, a la malicious tackles with injurious intent, non-accidental elbows to the head, etc. Punishment needs to be stricter for certain types of violence. But this is totally separate from all that, and should be treated in isolation from such play that is considered a part of a contact sport (sometimes crossing over the line into illegality). Biting is grotesque and surreal to see happening in a professional sport, amongst professional athletes, who get paid millions of dollars per year, to not just play the sport, but to play in a respectful and sportsmanlike fashion, to behave like the role models they are, regardless of their desire. Biting people is the exact opposite of everything professional sport stands for. In the rule book you can slide in to make a tackle, however if it is deemed excessive, or dangerous, it's a yellow or red card, possibly a short suspension. It's subjective as to what constitutes a dangerous tackle, as to what is malicious intent, as to the level of such a thing and the punishment fitting. There is nowhere in the rule book that suggest biting is a part of the game. It does not say a little bite is okay. There is no subjectivity, no interpretation, no wiggle room, just a rule. You do not bite. Period. That is why it is worthy of a heftier ban than such dangerous, but borderline within the rules behaviour.
If you're losing the 100m race in the olympics, would it be okay to jump out of your lane and bite the guy next to you? I think not. You'd be banned for life, and likely sent for psychiatric treatment. In close quarters sports like MMA and Freestyle Wrestling, I've heard maybe once or twice ever, of someone biting an opponent. 3 times? That's unthinkable. He'd be banned for life, and in a sport where the impulse to bit someone when they wrap an arm around your neck, or across your face, would be a million times higher. And Suarez has done this 3 times in less than 4 years. WTF. He's lucky he hasn't been banned for life, or institutionalized.
To defend him is absurd. The behaviour of the nation of Uruguay in this matter is absolutely surreal. The fact that no one has yet apologized to Chiellini for this is disturbing. Suarez has not apologized. Lugano called Chiellini a snitch and a terrible person and said that he made it all up, and he has not apologized. The coach said much the same. The media too. Chiellini should be suing half of Uruguay for libel and slander and defamation of character at this point. Especially consider the lies that have been told from that side. Uruguay's FA should be heavily sanctioned by FIFA, including expulsion from this WC and likely the next international Cup. Such appalling behaviour. It's disgraceful really.