So What?

Emmanuel Adebayor has been criticised for wearing a T-shirt spotting a gun to a 50 Cent/G Unit concert. Further, the critics bring up the Angola incident early this year when he and Togo team mates were attacked by gunmen in Cabinda on the way to the Africa Cup of Nations. My word to the critics is "So what? Get off his back!". If anyone has listened to G Unit lyrics, then don't be surprised by a fan came wearing such a T-Shirt to their concert. Surprisingly, one of the loudmouths took her children along to the same concert. Double standards or what? Read on...

City star Adebayor in gun t-shirt row

Mike Keegan

March 27, 2010

City star Emmanuel Adebayor has been condemned after he attended a rap concert wearing a t-shirt featuring a picture of a gun. The Blues ace was snapped wearing the shirt, which shows a white revolver on a black background, at gangster rapper 50 Cent's gig at the M.E.N. Arena. Adebayor, 26, went to the concert with team-mate Kolo Toure.

Leading anti-gun campaigner Ermina Bell, who took two of her children to the concert, hit out at Adebayor, saying he 'should know better'.

The striker was on the Togo team bus at the African Nations Cup in Angola just weeks ago when it was ambushed by gunmen. At the time he spoke emotionally about how he cradled the team's press officer in his arms as he lay dying. The team's driver and assistant coach also died.

Mrs Bell, who was awarded the MBE for her campaigning work, hit out at Adebayor's t-shirt. She said: "He more than most should be aware of this. Whether he thinks it or not he is a role model and kids do look up to him. If they see him dressed like this then they will think it is appropriate and copy it.

"Maybe he thought it was an appropriate thing to wear. But he should ask himself: What is this saying to people?"

Mrs Bell also hit out at 50 Cent. She said: "Lots of people were making gun stances and it wasn't nice. The lyrics he was using were clearly promoting being a gangster."

Patsy McKie, from Manchester-based Mothers Against Violence, said Adebayor should explain himself. She said: "It's a difficult one because nobody knows why he was wearing it. "I think he shold come forward and make a statement about what it meant, but it could have been for justifiable reasons."

Adebayor was unavailable for comment.
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1201987_city_star_adebayor_in_gun_tshirt_row