Opinion Piece: The Booing of Adam Goodes

Discussion in 'Blog' started by Iain, Jul 28, 2015.

By Iain on Jul 28, 2015 at 10:00 AM
  1. Iain

    Iain Moderator Staff Member

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    There is no place for racism in the AFL.

    It is as simple as that.

    The booing controversy surrounding Adam Goodes currently, however, isn't quite as simple.

    Goodes is an undisputed legend of the game; he has played 365 games (most ever at Sydney, 9th most in the AFL), kicked 454 goals (5th most at Sydney, 67th most in the AFL), won 2 premierships, 2 Brownlow medals and has been an All-Australian 4 times.

    Those numbers stack up with anyone who has ever played this great game.

    So why is he being incessantly booed at away games across the country this year? Racism appears to be the general consensus among the media and AFL luminaries, and even Goodes himself, but from what I have personally seen it's a lot less sinister than that.

    The fact that Goodes has been racially vilified also cannot be disputed, there have been well documented cases of this happening repeatedly in the last couple of years, but to label the constant booing as racist in its entirety is simply not correct.

    Take Sunday's game against West Coast as an example. Goodes was booed by what seemed to be the majority of the crowd whenever he touched the ball, and two spectators were ejected over racial abuse. Any more than zero incidents of racism is too many, but when there is a crowd of almost 40,000 people with a large number of them booing and only two cases of racism emerge it has to be evident that there is a separate issue at play here as well.

    Again, racism should not be tolerated at any level of sport or society, but commentators also need to be careful when labelling things such as this as it can often be a case of adding more fuel to the fire.

    I have talked to several people about Goodes' case, primarily people who have themselves booed Goodes this season, and the consensus I have received is vastly different to the one being portrayed by the AFL and media. The most common reason given for the booing? Goodes is a bit of a sook.”

    Simply put, the more Goodes complains about his treatment, the more booing he receives. When he stands in front of the media and states that he is being booed and that it upsets him, opposition fans take note and will then boo him more the next time that they are at one of his games. When AFL executives, club coaches and even players stand up for Goodes, it is seen as akin to dobbing”.

    Remember when you were in high school and that kid who was getting picked on complained to the teacher, who then told everyone to stop picking on them? What happened? Inevitably, that poor kid got picked on even more. I'm not condoning this sort of thing, for the record, but it is something that I feel really needs considering here.

    ]Coupled with this is the fact that those members of the crowd that have booed Goodes are being called racists, and their only right of reply is essentially through further booing next time they see Goodes at a game. If someone called you a racist, would you respond positively?
    ]


    Ryan Crowley, Hayden Ballantyne, Lindsey Thomas, Jordan Lewis, Sam Mitchell, Jobe Watson. These are just some of the names that have been repeatedly booed by AFL fans either this year or in recent seasons past, so why is Goodes any different?

    In any team sport these days a hostile away crowd is part of the game. If you want proof, just take a look at the US. Crowds are often heard chanting you ****ed up” when (primarily) opposition players make mistakes, when an NFL team visits the Seattle Seahawks they are certain to have to waste valuable time-outs as the home crowd makes so much noise on defense that the offensive players can't even hear each other yell, and professional athletes such as LeBron James are the subject of chants ranging from MVP” at home games to arsehole” and you're a flopper” (accusing him of staging/diving) at away fixtures.

    By booing Goodes, the crowd are involving themselves in the game. If they can upset Goodes on the field, and in turn affect his performance, it will benefit their team and they most likely will do so. On the whole AFL spectators are an intelligent group but, like all groups of people, there are some that are ignorant, not very bright or simply racists. These people need to be informed that their behaviour is not acceptable and will not be tolerated, but calling on all fans to not boo any one player is in my mind a step too far.

    From my personal experiences, I have given Lindsey Thomas a huge spray while he was lining up for goal just last season. I informed him that I thought he has staged for free kicks in the past, that he wasn't capable of kicking the goal and that maybe he should consider retiring, just not in those exact words. The end result was Thomas slotting the goal to give North Melbourne the lead and then turning to me after the kick and with a big smile giving me a fist pump. For me, this is the perfect reaction and the appropriate one. Lewis Jetta's response to the West Coast crowd on Sunday is another example of what I would consider a perfect reaction, he kicked a goal and celebrated with a war dance aimed at the hostile crowd.

    In the last few days several figures in the AFL have offered their viewpoints on this matter, such as Melbourne coach Paul Roos being quoted as saying If Adam feels it's racist, well, it is racist”. I'm sorry Paul, but I really don't think it works like that. There is certainly an element of bullying involved, but if the majority of fans booing are booing for reasons that have nothing to do with race, how can it be racist? Sydney player Lewis Jetta also stood up for Goodes and stated that as a legend of the game he should be shown more respect. I would actually argue that he is being shown respect, if Goodes wasn't a great player and had no impact on the ground then no-one would bother with the booing. The fact that he is capable of turning a game single-handedly, coupled with the fact that he has admitted that the booing affects him, are the reasons opposition fans will continue to boo.

    I have to say here that I personally have never been the target of discrimination, other than the ordinary. I don't know what it is like to be racially vilified, and as such can never truly understand the issue from the perspective of the victim. I also don't claim to speak for everyone booing Goodes, as much as any other person I can only go by what I know and have personally observed. I can also appreciate that racism is a blight that needs to be eradicated, but labelling anything negative against someone of a different ethnicity as racist is an act of racism in itself. ‘You can't treat someone differently, just because they are different.' Why not? ‘Because they are different.' See the problem there?

    Obviously this is a complex issue, and almost every person will have their own opinions on the matter. Like all matters in the AFL this one will eventually be resolved in time, but in my mind this is an issue that will most likely go away as soon as everyone (now including me) stops talking about it so much.



    The opinions contained within this piece are those of the author and the author alone, and they do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of TooSerious.net.
     

Comments

Discussion in 'Blog' started by Iain, Jul 28, 2015.

    1. Len
      Len
      Me either, after Walesy posted that I went back to check my timeline, my issues revolved around his commentary on Utopia a few weeks later.
      Probably why I had the memory that I was originally happy with the call, but ended up disappointed.

      Not going to post them here as they are genuinely inflammatory.

      Hopefully he plays next week and the issue is dead.

    2. tAdmin
      tAdmin
    3. walesy
      walesy
      We have a brutal history, one that extended to as recently as Goodes' mother being stolen by the government.

      I kinda felt his comments were fair given the circumstances.

      As a nation, we've made great progress, but man, there's still a long way to go.
    4. Len
      Len
      Nah, this one I believe
      http://www.smh.com.au/national/with-utopia-john-pilger-wrings-the-heart-but-objectivity-is-not-his-forte-20140208-328wr.html

      There is no denying the past, but ours isn't all that unique.
      Throughout the time frame referred to the world was mired in slavery, war, invasion, piracy, genocide and all manner of other good stuff.

      Somewhere else, and it's not in this article, there was a reference or an interview where these events of the past were linked to the present. The inference I took, rightly or wrongly again it's just one opinion, was that he felt that I personally should be ashamed and sorry for what was done in the past, and that somehow because I wasn't (part) aboriginal myself I wasn't a real Australian.
      Bugger that, I have enough issues of my own to be atoned for without being burdened with the crap of ancestors I never met.

      It's definitely not a pleasant part of history, nor was the treatment of the Irish by the British, the virtual extinction of many American indian tribes, the treatment of the jews by Hitler, and countless other awful historical truths all of which I am just as much or just as little to blame for as the treatment of a people by people I've never met and don't miss.

      I'm Australian and I am happy to celebrate that with anyone else who calls themselves one, I don't care what race, colour, religion, sex or turtleneck they favour, they just have to love Australia, respect each other and be happy to be here.

      I'm also Bougainvillean and happy to celebrate that with anyone else who is, the people abandoned on the island over 20 years ago to fight alone against the PNG government and their hired mercenaries (funded by Australian aid) are also trying to come to terms with their past, I recommend 'Mr Pips' to anyone interested. That's a far more recent and real example to me than the stolen generation, I was born after that misguided bullshit ended, I've never knowingly been a racist in my life and so have no personal reference at all to it.

      I can read a history and feel sorrow for a people as I do with the Australian aborigines, but I have absolutely nothing to be sorry for and I don't really care who thinks I should. That was the bit that annoyed me, if I get a chance I'll look tonight and see if I can find the actual reference, it was only a couple of weeks after the one I have linked I'm sure.


      We are a long way off topic though, the central message should be stop booing without just cause you turds.

      If just cause applies to Goodes then boo him, but racists hiding behind a convenient excuse are pretty bloody low and cowardly.
    5. _turnitups_
      _turnitups_
      Adam Goodes is not about the past, he is about the future.

      Aboriginal children remain 10x more likely to be removed from their parents - 10x - this is not in the history, this is now, today, still happening, never stopped.

      Your entire post is a littered with ignorance.
    6. tAdmin
      tAdmin
      It's my opinion that a lot of inferences (and there's a lot of them) about things Goodes has said simply aren't warranted and are contradicted by things he's actually said.
    7. Len
      Len
      No doubt, he is a public figure and often quoted and probably just as often quoted incorrectly.
    8. Zander
      Zander
      Off topic - kind of, but racism is a funny thing. Funny isn't the right word, but bear with me... I live in Alice Springs and play sports regularly with lots of Aboriginals, after the game the usual beer and chat revolves around footy. Nearly every single black mate of mine absolutely hates the racism - ( their words) - coming out of the mouths of Bruce Macavaney etc with his comments of 'you can't teach that' about Cyril and co. They hate it mainly because to them it sounds like every aboriginal player who plays AFL at the highest level, just walked in and got a jumper without doing years of training or learning about the game. To my mates - even though Bruce was trying to be complimentary, they still find it to be racist. Will he stop saying it?
      I was talking to a friend who works high up in government ( about gender equality) and he said ' You can't treat someone differently just because they are different'. I said ' Why not?' His reply was ' Because they are different'
      I will admit it confuses me at times, so I just go with the motto - treat everyone as you would like to be treated by them. It isn't perfect, but pretty close. I wouldn't like to be booed, so I wouldn't boo anyone else.
    9. port_leschenault
      port_leschenault
      Long post incoming.

      Thing is as I see it, this article is at best naive and encouraging collective bullying. There's no delicate way to describe it.

      It's selfish to look at this solely through the scope of *I* and it's unrealistic and not feasible to talk or address the motives of 100,000's of fans specifically one by one who turn up every week so problems with generalisations again, come down to selfishness because it's taking the argument down to a personal level rather than looking at it at its broader context.

      There are things you just can't deny. If you do, then this conversation is pointless, as you've already closed your mind off to listening. Events that have happened (marked >>)

      >>Goodes was the one who stood out for pointing out a racist slur again him during a football match in 2013.

      What on earth is wrong with this? He didn't, nor could you expect him too, know the details of the person who did it. He called out something that deeply offended him (as it should), and affected him for the rest of the game. It's not a trivial matter and not one you can say should just be swept under the carpet.

      >>Goodes was awarded the Australian of the Year for what he's done outside of football and made comments about how he, and many other Indigenous Australians, view the way we celebrate Australia Day.

      Addressing bigger issues that affect our country than just sport - if anyone finds a problem with that then they are clearly the 'flog'. It has no relevancy on how people should conduct themselves in relation to what happens on the field.

      >>Goodes is the player who did a goal celebration inspired by the u/16 Boomerang kids and in tribute of - during Indigenous round

      Again, there is nothing in this that should upset any rational person, or be the cause of such backlash and widespread booing. Players have done worse things as goal celebrations and their infamy was either short-lived and certainly not never a constant stadium of boos.

      >>Goodes is the only player in the last 2 years to be booed at such a level in the aussie-rules State every time he gets the ball during games.

      That means EVERY player comparison people try to use is a false equivalency logical fallacy. Much in the same way the 'But I don't boo other aboriginal players' is a racial false equivalency argument. Because not even 'Player Y who dives' or Player X who's unsportsmanlike' gets the level of vitriol thrown at them for what they do as what is directed at Goodes so it doesn't hold up as an excuse.

      So can't you see how your article appears to be a list of excuses trying to rationalise why all the booing has now suddenly started up. All this type of talk does is help give everyone who's booing because of mob-mentality or naked racism the perfect means to hide behind. Because no one is going to suddenly exclaim that they're racist, not even the idiot who was evicted last week admits that - so why suddenly must an act of racism be defined by what the accused thinks is racism? That's exactly what Dawn Fraser tried to do after her comments on Kyrgios/Tomic. It just doesn't work like that, there's no sense to it. If it did we'd still be in the dark ages of early-colonialism mentalities.

      It's not about your right to boo, it never was to start with. If you're not booing Goodes because of racism, you're booing him to help racism. The end result right now is the same. That is why it has to stop. It's been explained to death. It doesn't matter if you're of a (very small percentage) that used to boo him because this or that, because there is no way that ALL the people who are doing it now WERE doing it BEFORE. It stopped being about anything football related when suddenly large amounts of the crowd decided to boo him over what is non-football related reasons.

      There is a part to this where you can blame 'everyone' in the crowd collectively as a group because it's the 'everyone' hive-mind/go-with-the-crowd/herd mentality etc that is fuelling all this and allowing those who harbour clear racist ideals to hide themselves amongst the ignorant. There's clear evidence of this, in the way the West Coast guy tried to palm it of by saying 'everyone' was saying stuff (or worse stuff). From the way those in the crowd acted against the person who reported the incident. If there really was no racial element involved then why was it only one person that reported? How is it acceptable that one person was the only one that did anything out of a whole stadium? How is it acceptable that the person not accepting racist insults being thrown at a player, then felt forced to leave because the crowd around turned onto them? What sort of mentality is that that victimises those who should be applauded? This is what we're dealing with, not just the act of an individual booing.

      The AFL here, have clearly also dropped the ball as well. This has built up like an avalanche for at least two years now, not overnight. Imagine if Leroy Jetta hadn't stood up in defence of Goodes last weekend, then we'd still have no action. How token indeed must 'Indigenous Round' be to the games administration, when it's clear the general populous seem to fail to grasp what it's all about and they have so many figureheads speaking out so freely against Goodes. For all their women-beating and scandals, even the Rugby codes don't have a problem like this.

      It should also be noted that racism isn’t just a simple thing that you can easily define by looking in the dictionary. It’s not just the overt obvious stuff that stands out, it’s complex and can be seemingly benign and be institutionalised and ingrained it a society. There is also a fundamental difference between being racist and being a racist. Which is sometimes lost when people rush in their attempts to be defensive.

      So in summary, try to not see the issue from your decision to boo, which leads doesn't address the problem at all. Try to see the issue with the context of what happened, the background of events, from how Goodes' feels, how other people who are affected may feel and try to understand. It's the only way football will get past this ugly situation.
    10. port_leschenault
      port_leschenault
      Easiest thing to do is just +1 Hornsy here.

      We all benefit in some way by getting to live in a country and making a living on the blood of thousands of people who died simply because they were in the way. We get to go to work, have fun, use public infrastructure, access services that a large percentage of the relatives of those involved in the genocides aren't able to get because of the legacy of these actions.

      You think it doesn't have any to do with you, or that you're not attached in any circumstance to those events of the past, then you're not accepting reality. If you don't feel any remorse, then you must be a very cold person.

      If you've never been racist in your whole life, then wow, you must be an amazing person that's completely above and beyond current day society. Because I've never met such a person, and I'm including the dude in the mirror in that.

      If you think the Stolen Generation was just something that happened in the past, then how do you explain the level of indigenous children taken into state custody that is a high as it's been since back then? That is very real.

      The NT Intervention (covered in detailed in Utopia) actually happened and it's affects are very real today.

      The imminent forced closure of indigenous communities by the WA government is very real.

      These things don't happen in a vacuum, we all play some part in affect the society we live in.
    11. walesy
      walesy
      'Treat everyone as you would like to be treated by them'.

      It just doesn't seem that hard, does it. Great post.
    12. Owen
      Owen
      Great post, all your points well explained and I agree with all of them.
    13. Lucas
      Lucas
      No I think it will be the spotlight turned to Jetta particularly in the absence of Goodes. If he doesn't get booed I'll be shocked.
    14. Iain
      Iain
      Similarly long reply.

      I'll try to respond to your points in order to reduce confusion about what exactly I'm referring to.

      You can make inferences and have differing interpretations of what I have said, as is your right, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they are correct. The vast majority of the points you make may well be right, but reading back through my article I can't see anywhere that I even mentioned anything about them.

      How is it selfish to look at this from a perspective of 'I'? I can't address it from the collective point of view as I am not the collective, I am simply me. The only perspective that I can have an honest and accurate position on is mine. Anything else would be pretentious at best. It's fine to look at the broader context but that's not something that I can accurately speak about, so I haven't.

      >> Yes Goodes was the person that pointed out a racist slur against him. Where did I either say that he wasn't, that there was something wrong with this, or that it should be swept under the carpet?

      >> Goodes was awarded AOTY yes, but where did I even mention that fact let alone how he addresses issues that aren't sporting? You are correct that it has no relevancy to how people should represent themselves on the field, but again I didn't say that it did.

      >> The goal celebration is again similar, I didn't mention it once. All of these issues have relevance to what has caused this situation to reach the point that it has but this article is not commenting on what has happened previously to escalate it, it is simply commenting on the reasons some people have given me for booing Goodes that aren't race related.

      >> Quite probably. Saying that every player comparison is wrong for every person though, is entirely subjective. I have repeatedly stated that I'm not trying to say that everyone who booed did it for reasons that aren't racially based, but that in people's own minds they will always have different reasons for everything. Whether you view these reasons as right or wrong doesn't change the fact that for some of the people that hold them they are legitimate.

      I can see that is how you have interpreted it yes, but that doesn't have any relation to my intentions, others have come to different conclusions and the only thing I can say is that your interpretation is not my intended meaning.
      Your comments on the accused defining racism are confusing for me, as racism has already been defined in general terms a decent time ago now. Yes it is a complex issue that can't be easily defined in detail but in general terms it can and has been and as the general terms are already defined, that leaves only the specific which again relates to the individuals involved. You stated previously that it is unreasonable and not feasible to address the motives of 100,000's of fans, then equally how is it reasonable to blanket them under one banner?

      'If you're not booing Goodes because of racism, you're booing him to help racism.' This is exactly what I am talking about. To say that the only two reasons people can have for booing is being a racist or supporting racism, is ridiculous and inflammatory at best. I do not and have not denied that other people booing as well has assisted some people to act in a racist manner, but saying that is the only possible reasoning for doing it is a gross misrepresentation and generalisation. I mentioned in other posts to turnitups one of the people that I talked to about this issue before writing the article, how can you possibly think that you can know without having even met them that they
      are either a racist or deliberately helping racism?
      Here I will also refer to a comment you made in a previous post 'There's a huge amount of victim blaming in your article. If people don't want to be labelled a racist, they shouldn't do or say racist things.' Can you honestly not see the hypocrisy there? I'm not saying that their treatment is in any way comparable to Goodes' except in that they are still a victim in some way and yet you blame them for it by saying they were being racist when they booed Goodes.

      (Refering to your summary here) Incidentally I am not seeing this issue from my decision to boo, as I haven't even attended a Sydney game in the last 2 years let alone booed anyone at one of them. If you are making these types of statements to the general football public then fair enough, but addressing them to me specifically undermines the points you are trying to make.

      In conclusion, in my opinion you make some good points and many that have merit in the overall discussion of this issue, but the majority do not directly relate to what I have said here or the specifics of what I have discussed. By all means if you want to voice your opinions on racism in the AFL or society go right ahead, but by addressing them to me specifically you are inferring that I somehow condone or support the things that you are speaking out against. I feel that your opinions on racism in general are clouding our discussion of what I am specifically talking about in this article.
      I have also stated previously in another post on this article that the booing needs to stop, and even more so now that the toll it is taking on Goodes has come to light.
    15. Lucas
      Lucas
      Come now, let's just be contextual about it. If you turn up to the match booing a person regardless of what they do on the park that match, then you're a sad individual.

      If Goodes whacked a player behind the play, I encourage the crowd to get stuck into him for the game.

      2 years of increasing abuse though? I'm sorry but if Adam Goodes is considered one of the dirtiest players in the league then someone's pissing on my coat and saying it's raining.

      Ryder brought on last weekend's boos by leaving, though I hope that the Bombers fans also boo Hird because he's the one in charge of the program that made him feel like there was no option but to leave.

      The concern here is not the right to boo or not, but the fact that sustained booing is being targeted at someone who has tried to shine a light on racial issues shows unfortunately systemic bullying by a sport that in general doesn't have a good track record in this area.

      So if Goodes does something silly, boo him. But if you boo him because you think he's a sook or petulant or 'can't take it' then you are willingly providing a cover for overt racist bullying, like it or not.
    16. Lucas
      Lucas
      farked if anyone can find that divisive.
    17. stripey
      stripey
      As an Eagles fan, I reserve the right to boo Ty Vickery.... but not Goodes!
    18. port_leschenault
      port_leschenault
      Going to post this, because I think it's an article like your but from the other side of the fence and it deconstructs a lot of the excuses: http://www.dailylife.com.au/news-and-views/dl-opinion/eight-things-racists-say-to-try-and-convince-people-theyre-not-being-racist-20150731-giohbl.html

      Things like trying to label booers victims, the false equivalency arguments, I have a friend who, reverse racism... etc. well I am happy to post more similar stuff on but with the literature out now and most public figureheads out there in support of Goodes, you should have no problem informing yourself on those matters .

      Two things I will respond to though are specific to your reply that I've think you've misinterpreted and it's where the discussion falls down.

      When I wrote about the key events of the Adam Goodes saga, it was providing a basis and context to the argument, the facts of where we are now that really can't be disputed. I never mentioned that it was specifically addressing points in your article.

      Broader context is key for everything, and if you choose not to consider it than you're being willfully ignorant on the very subject your opining on, regardless of what it is. The ability to stand back and take away your emotional perspective, or even try to understand what it's like for other people, is always something that's beneficial and at the core for understanding an issue that you may have only a limited experience or perspective personally on.

      The other thing that you are misrepresenting is when I claimed that you are either being racist or helping racism, two things that are not the same. If you accept the facts that this has happened based on the timeline of events posted before, then this is the only two outcomes available for the continued booing of Adam Goodes. Part of your reply seems to suggest you get this, so there should be any confusion?

      So it's not inflammatory it's reality. That statement doesn't have to address people's individual reasons that they may give, because it doesn't have any relevancy to those reason because they (the reasons) don't matter here. What matters it that Goodes has been booed at an increased level with huge racial undertones and it's spiralled out of control where even if you only had a football-related problem with him, or choose now to do so for another reason, the only thing you are doing is helping the racism. Helping the bullying. Helping push a two-time Brownlow medallist out of the game.

      It shouldn't have to come to that at all.
    19. Crafty Yarni
      Crafty Yarni
      As much as I would love this topic to go away, it just seems to be getting more fuel.

      None more so, than the stance by the players, AFL management and journalists over the matches played this round.

      I honestly feel that this is not about racism. I have seen polls on AFL websites and on a number of Media sites that suggest this is not about racism.

      As has been stated by other peoples comments on here, there are other aboriginal players that play and are not being booed.

      It has also been stated in above opinions that the discussion thread has moved towards how we have treated aboriginal people in the past and in the current.

      The last time I checked, when I switch on to watch the footy, I ONLY WANT TO WATCH A GAME OF FOOTY.

      If I want to listen to a debate on the underlying tones of booing, the way we treat each other in society or anything political, I will not watch the footy, I will switch to the ABC or any program which dedicates itself to such matters.

      For me it is quite simply, I believe the underlying tone in booing Adam Goodes is because people simply don't like his nature and personality. It has nothing to do with the color of his skin.

      'The above comments have been expressed by an 41 yr old Australian born male who's parents were born in Yugoslavia. Yep, the same country with the war atrocities. My father(passed) was Slovenian, my mother Croatian and my God Parents are Serbian'

      I will also state that I do like all Slovenian, Croatian and Serbian people.

      I don't like Adam Goodes as much as people don't like the antics of Jack Riewoldt. And yes, I follow Richmond.

    20. port_leschenault
      port_leschenault
      Sport is never apolitical. Never was. It doesn't exist in a vacuum, it's a bedrock of current human society and culture. You can't remove it from that.

      Whilst you may have the privileged of just turning off the tv or changing the channel when it comes to racism, other people don't. Like Adam Goodes.

      Adam Goodes doesn't have the privilege of turning up on a football field and it being just about playing football. It certainly never has been since 2013.

      You point to polls - just because a certain opinion is popular, doesn't make it correct. White Australia policy was certainly a popular one - was that right and just about a 'fair go'?

      You make your own opinion about the why's of booing, but you don't address anything about the broader context as to why he is being booed so much. There's no luxury in this conversation to do so.

      It is fact that it has risen to these levels since he pointed out clear-cut racist abuse towards him, since he became AOTY, since he did his goal celebration. Do you deny these events as having happened?

      Adam Goodes gets a level of booing and bullying towards him that no other player gets, not even Jack Riewoldt. That's what renders player comparisons pointless - there is no legitimate match here. It's a argument people keep trying to bring up.

      You can't have a discussion about the booing of Adam Goodes without bring the 'why' he is getting so much booing aimed at him in the first place into that discussion.

      No matter how much you may wish to not think about it.

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