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. martyg
      martyg
      An emotive topic and well worth the discussion. Not one person is condoning the actions and comments about 'Go back to the zoo', I too find that offensive and clearly racist.

      Booing, is something completely different and what I was trying to highlight in my previous response.
    2. Iain
      Iain
      Good points Chris.

      I'm certainly not saying that there is no racial element involved here, it has already been proven by some of the comments made to and about Goodes that there are some people who are acting in a racist manner. I just don't like the generalising around the issue that people on either extreme of this debate are saying that it is ALL racist or that NONE of it is racist. The vast majority of press I have read on the issue seems to be on the side that says it's all racist.

      I sometimes struggle to get my point across to other people, so maybe an example here would be of use.

      One of the people I spoke to about this is a West Coast supporter living in Perth, they also identify themselves as being Aboriginal. They stated that they were at the game on Sunday and that they themselves booed Goodes, saying that they didn't like some of the things he did on the field previously.

      My issue is how can anyone else say to this person that they are wrong and they did not boo Goodes because of the factors they stated, they were instead booing Goodes because they are a racist against aboriginal people?
    3. chris88
      chris88
      Of course there is a sub-section of people who feel the need to boo Goodes because of the way he has played on the field.

      I am not a fan of his on-field behaviour. The last straw for me was his acting job in Rd 23 last year against my Tigers. That was beyond the pale.

      But there's two comments on this:

      1 - If there is a racial element to the booing, and there are people booing due to a non-racial element, then perhaps it'd be good if they stopped lest they be grouped in with the racists and bottom feeders.

      2 - If you want to boo Goodes all game every game every time he touches the ball because of his on-field behaviour, then just to be consistent you better boo Lindsay Thomas, Joel Selwood, Dustin Fletcher, Brent Harvey, Ty Vickery, Sam Mitchell, Dylan Grimes, Luke Hodge, Buddy Franklin .... etc etc etc.

      Throw in Chris 'chicken wing eye-gouge' Judd as well. In fact, boo Carey, Matthews, Dermie, Hall, Lockett - hell, nearly anyone who committed any staging or violent act on the field on multiple occasions.

      Boo them all. And for the current players, boo them for a whole game, every game, every time they touch the ball.

      But if you do - well, geez, why would you even bother turning up to the football. If going to the football to spend your life booing guys gives you your jollies, then, well, I don't know what to say beyond this:

      My tip would be perhaps to spend all the time, energy and effort that you'd be booing and direct it towards cheering your own team on. You'll probably feel a bit better about things.
    4. Waldo666
      Waldo666
      Well said BB, racism certainly has no part in our great game or society as a whole for that matter but to say that is the sole motivating factor for all is ridiculous to the extreme.
    5. _turnitups_
      _turnitups_
      Aboriginal people do not need white people speculating on whether or not they can be racist against each other. Your question just demonstrates your complete lack of understanding.
      The point is that there is a racist element to the booing, whether it is some or all is not relevant, people now have a choice to stand up against it or not. The fact that you are now carrying on about insignificant baloney like what race the people booing were proves how divisive it is.
    6. JPK
      JPK
      Take it easy mate. Debate and discussion is fine. Personal attacks are not.
    7. tAdmin
      tAdmin
      Sorry, where's the personal attack here?
    8. _turnitups_
      _turnitups_
      Nothing personal I can see or intended?
    9. gnewitt
      gnewitt
      The consistent booing of Adam Goodes is an embarrassment to us all and if it doesn't stop says some sad things about us as people. I can't recall too many dual Brownlow medalists copping this sort of abuse. Context is important here, The odd boo can be explained, but what is going on is not the odd boo. As Chris88 notes, if we were consistent, there'd be a lot of players getting a lot of boos, not just Goodes.
    10. JPK
      JPK
      'Your question just demonstrates your complete lack of understanding.'

      I saw that as getting personal. If not intended that way, I apologise.
    11. Iain
      Iain
      I'm not speculating about whether or not aboriginal people can be racist towards one another, I'm questioning how some commentators can say without having even met a person or knowing their situation that they can know what their motivations are for anything.

      The reason I brought up this person is that they themselves told me how offended they are that people have labelled them as racist against a community that they are a proud member of. These are the dangers of generalising.

      Whether some of the booing is racist or all of it is entirely relevant, as that is what this article is specifically about.

      I have repeatedly stated that I feel the racist elements need to be removed and dealt with, and that racism should not be tolerated.
    12. Kreuzy
      Kreuzy
      Wow, that was a fair bit of reading, lots of excellent opinions.
      Time to stop the booing of Goodes, Ballantyne, Watson, Mitchell and all the rest. All have redeeming features and do community stuff which the clubs encourage.
      Unfortunately i admit to booing Ryder (albeit at my TV) as he has gone from one of my favourite Bombers to a detested turncoat! perhaps i was wrong to do that. Still be nice to meet him though and have a coffee perhaps. (Also loved his work with literacy programs)
      Perhaps its best the AFL ban booing from all games, all players, anyone found booing gets a life ban!
      Wouldn't it be nice to be able to sit in a crowd with everyone happy and cheering their team on.
    13. melbandy
      melbandy
      Now ur just being silly. We've already stopped booing umps when they walk onto the ground. We must draw the line somewhere.
    14. G-Train
      G-Train
      You won't hear 'boo' out of me on this topic.
    15. Len
      Len
      Funny, I was at the GWS v Saints game a couple of weeks ago, sitting with my family group of 8, all of us saints members and 4 of us also giants members.
      As the first quarter drew on my sister in law said to me 'Gee it's a quiet crowd here'. I replied 'That's normal here when the other team is doing well, we don't boo much...'
      I'm not sure why it's true, maybe because most of us have 2 teams, but just as likely, and it's my own reason, it's because we have all spent plenty of time at swans games as away supporters watching our team get boo'd incessantly.
      Slightly ironic.

      On Goodes personally I thought he was great player like a number of other great players, I lost a lot of respect for him when he was given the opportunity to be a voice of unity and he chose a path of division. Nothing to do with race, just not a call I agreed with.

      Never boo'd him and never will, in the light of this (wider) discussion that must prove I'm not racist ;)
    16. tAdmin
      tAdmin
      Assume you're referring to his AOTY speech; I surely can't be the only one thinks his comments were necessarily divisive.

      I recognise they could be taken that way, but I don't see how that's the only way you could take them.

      If speaking truths that make people uncomfortable is discouraged, then you're going to end up with a bullshit world that no one feels any attachment to.
    17. Len
      Len
      Yep, that's the one, I feel very strongly about racism as an issue, I grew up in New Guinea and all my good friends were locals.
      Personally I was disappointed when he took and then stayed on the path of division, I believed when he was named it was a good thing and that he could be a flag for unity, be able to use his high profile and prominence to get the public behind bettering the appalling state of aboriginal affairs in this country.
      Not much real point in banging on about first, second third or three millionth Australian now, we are all Australian, kind of hard for the palest of us to all get back on the boats and bugger off really.
      I'm firmly on the side of enough is enough re the booing and was after it was first raised as an issue, but if you decide to publicly take a divisive stance it's pretty clear you will make some people happy and others not, that's divisiveness on a plate.
      At the end of the day there is no anti-dickhead barrier at the turnstiles and footy crowds are somewhat representative of the nation, we have our fair share of all types.
    18. Kreuzy
      Kreuzy
      You are absolutely right melbrandy, its definitely silly. that being said i notice Chris scott has been quoted saying “The reality is now, whether we like it or not, booing indigenous players and specifically Adam Goodes has a racist overtone, so on that basis it should stop.” so in fairness to everyone, perhaps all booing needs to go, or will will need a list to know who we can, and who we cannot?
    19. walesy
      walesy
      'There was a lot of anger, a lot of sorrow, for this day and very much the feeling of invasion day,' he said.

      'But in the last five years, I've really changed my perception of what is Australia Day, of what it is to be Australian and for me, it's about celebrating the positives, that we are still here as indigenous people, our culture is one of the longest surviving cultures in the world, over 40,000 years.

      'That is something we need to celebrate and all Australians need to celebrate.

      'There are people out there thinking that today is a great day for Australia - well, it is.

      'It's a day we celebrate over 225 years of European settlement and right now, that's who we are as a nation but we also need to acknowledge our fantastic Aboriginal history of over 40,000 years and just know that some Aboriginal people out there today are feeling a little bit angry, a little bit soft in the heart today because of that, and that's OK as well.'

    20. tAdmin
      tAdmin
      See I don't find that divisive. Just makes me want to give those that are upset a hug.

      I am a bit soft in the heart and head though.

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