I don’t
think booing Adam Goodes is necessarily racist (a lot of it probably is), but
that doesn’t mean I like it.
If I worked for the media, I’d have probably have led with a punchy headline like, “It’s just not Goodes enough,” or something similar, but sadly (or perhaps luckily), I lack the journalistic skills to come up with such literary gold. As many of Goodes’ critics have been at pains to point out, you can dislike someone of another nationality or ethnicity for who they are. Goodes is not the first player to endure persistent crowd boos. Jobe Watson put up with similar for much of the ASADA scandal, although I don’t remember it being as sustained and passionate as the current case.
It’s pretty normal to have favourite players and to dislike other players for no better reason than that they have played a few good games against our team (as a Brisbane supporter, I dislike lots of players at the moment). That’s not always racist and being told it is will only cause defensiveness and heighten their antipathy towards the player in question.
The racist label is quick to be thrown these days and people are often just as quick to distance themselves with anything seen as such. For this reason, those who feel they have been unfairly characterised (no one will feel they have been fairly characterised either) generally don’t take it lightly.
But whether they are racist or not, those who are continuing to boo Goodes have probably bought into a social media campaign that has been, at least, abetted by the racist element of Australian society. They are also bullies who
are showing a distinct lack of empathy and delight in the kind of ‘pack mentality,’ that very rarely contributes anything positive for our society. It has certainly gone too far now. By all means hold your own opinion as to the man’s character, but when you perpetuate this hate campaign that is clearly causing someone distress, you would do better to look at your own character. So for those who do not consider themselves racists (and who does) why might they dislike Adam Goodes, a man they presumably have never met, so intensely that they boo him above all other AFL players?
It’s pretty normal to have favourite players and to dislike other players for no better reason than that they have played a few good games against our team (as a Brisbane supporter, I dislike lots of players at the moment). That’s not always racist and being told it is will only cause defensiveness and heighten their antipathy towards the player in question.
The racist label is quick to be thrown these days and people are often just as quick to distance themselves with anything seen as such. For this reason, those who feel they have been unfairly characterised (no one will feel they have been fairly characterised either) generally don’t take it lightly.
But whether they are racist or not, those who are continuing to boo Goodes have probably bought into a social media campaign that has been, at least, abetted by the racist element of Australian society. They are also bullies who
are showing a distinct lack of empathy and delight in the kind of ‘pack mentality,’ that very rarely contributes anything positive for our society. It has certainly gone too far now. By all means hold your own opinion as to the man’s character, but when you perpetuate this hate campaign that is clearly causing someone distress, you would do better to look at your own character. So for those who do not consider themselves racists (and who does) why might they dislike Adam Goodes, a man they presumably have never met, so intensely that they boo him above all other AFL players?
The Case against Adam Goodes, the
Player
As a player, Goodes enjoyed a pretty clean image for much of his career. His escaping of suspension on several charges no doubt raised the ire of opposition fans at times. In recent years, attention has been drawn more to the dirtier side of his game, particularly dropping his knees into players on the ground. But before we get carried away, consider the case of Chris Judd, who was recently farewelled from the game with such acclaim and fanfare. He was also found guilty of a number of pretty distasteful charges, including eye-gouging and wrenching a player’s arm behind their back, without ever becoming the target of the same kind of concerted hate campaign. Why? Because football is not a gentleman’s game and dirty play is common.
If you don’t like Goodes for the way he plays the game, fair enough, but I don’t see him as dirtier than Crowley, Lewis, Lake, Ballantyne, etc. The Hawks are even lauded for their ‘Unsociable footy,’ so what makes Goodes’ playing style so unique.
Another accusation of Goodes is that he plays for free kicks, a practice which is even more commonplace in the game than the late hits. It hardly would explain why he is the player the crowds are booing.
On its own, I can’t see much in Goodes’ playing history that separates him from most other players in relation to earning my hatred, so it is hard to avoid the conclusion that his off-field personality contributes to the level of vitriol directed towards him.
As a player, Goodes enjoyed a pretty clean image for much of his career. His escaping of suspension on several charges no doubt raised the ire of opposition fans at times. In recent years, attention has been drawn more to the dirtier side of his game, particularly dropping his knees into players on the ground. But before we get carried away, consider the case of Chris Judd, who was recently farewelled from the game with such acclaim and fanfare. He was also found guilty of a number of pretty distasteful charges, including eye-gouging and wrenching a player’s arm behind their back, without ever becoming the target of the same kind of concerted hate campaign. Why? Because football is not a gentleman’s game and dirty play is common.
If you don’t like Goodes for the way he plays the game, fair enough, but I don’t see him as dirtier than Crowley, Lewis, Lake, Ballantyne, etc. The Hawks are even lauded for their ‘Unsociable footy,’ so what makes Goodes’ playing style so unique.
Another accusation of Goodes is that he plays for free kicks, a practice which is even more commonplace in the game than the late hits. It hardly would explain why he is the player the crowds are booing.
On its own, I can’t see much in Goodes’ playing history that separates him from most other players in relation to earning my hatred, so it is hard to avoid the conclusion that his off-field personality contributes to the level of vitriol directed towards him.
The Case against Adam Goodes, the
Person
Goodes has been combative and uncompromising in his stance against racism. Several years ago he was widely applauded, but in some circles criticised for his actions in calling out a young Collingwood fan for racially abusing him. I actually remember Goodes handling himself pretty well through this incident. He was neither hateful nor hyperbolic in interviews afterwards.
He was more widely criticised following his acceptance speech of his Australian of the Year award in 2014. His focus on the continuing challenge of racism in Australia clearly upset much of white Australia, who felt it was a slap in the face to the national pride that Australia day usually celebrated. I wouldn’t have shared his choice of timing, perhaps using the opportunity to focus more on looking forward and breaking down differences, although for those that chose to look for it in the speech, there was clearly an attempt to do this to. Was it an opportunity missed? Maybe. Did it upset a few people? Clearly. But as Australian of the Year, perhaps Goodes had earned the right to share his opinion. More generally, don’t we live in a society that respects people’s right to hold and share differing opinions? It reminded me of those ugly T-shirts you expect to only see at Reclaim Australia rallies, but which are probably found in more households than we would like to admit. Others may disagree and say that they found his speech offensive, but I hope they have read or listened to the whole thing personally and are not relying on someone else’s cherry-picked interpretation when they make that judgement.
Here is a link to a full video of his speech. Worth watching, if that is what you hate him for.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EV-cLb_Ttg
This year, Goodes chose to celebrate a goal against Carlton with an indigenous war dance. Some of the hysteria that followed that was amazing and seems to be have been the catalyst for unfolding drama. I didn’t think anything of it at the time, but have thought about it a bit since then. In my view, the location and direction of the dance was poorly chosen- being close to the boundary and aimed straight at a section of opposition supporters. Now part of his heritage or not, this was clearly challenging to the supporters and whichever way you do it, inciting the crowd rarely wins new fans. That is where he has perhaps left himself a little open to people who claim he plays the victim. They would say he laid down the challenge and now has to accept the consequences. If it was mistake, it was a minor one and he is hardly the first footballer to make one.
Goodes has been combative and uncompromising in his stance against racism. Several years ago he was widely applauded, but in some circles criticised for his actions in calling out a young Collingwood fan for racially abusing him. I actually remember Goodes handling himself pretty well through this incident. He was neither hateful nor hyperbolic in interviews afterwards.
He was more widely criticised following his acceptance speech of his Australian of the Year award in 2014. His focus on the continuing challenge of racism in Australia clearly upset much of white Australia, who felt it was a slap in the face to the national pride that Australia day usually celebrated. I wouldn’t have shared his choice of timing, perhaps using the opportunity to focus more on looking forward and breaking down differences, although for those that chose to look for it in the speech, there was clearly an attempt to do this to. Was it an opportunity missed? Maybe. Did it upset a few people? Clearly. But as Australian of the Year, perhaps Goodes had earned the right to share his opinion. More generally, don’t we live in a society that respects people’s right to hold and share differing opinions? It reminded me of those ugly T-shirts you expect to only see at Reclaim Australia rallies, but which are probably found in more households than we would like to admit. Others may disagree and say that they found his speech offensive, but I hope they have read or listened to the whole thing personally and are not relying on someone else’s cherry-picked interpretation when they make that judgement.
Here is a link to a full video of his speech. Worth watching, if that is what you hate him for.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EV-cLb_Ttg
This year, Goodes chose to celebrate a goal against Carlton with an indigenous war dance. Some of the hysteria that followed that was amazing and seems to be have been the catalyst for unfolding drama. I didn’t think anything of it at the time, but have thought about it a bit since then. In my view, the location and direction of the dance was poorly chosen- being close to the boundary and aimed straight at a section of opposition supporters. Now part of his heritage or not, this was clearly challenging to the supporters and whichever way you do it, inciting the crowd rarely wins new fans. That is where he has perhaps left himself a little open to people who claim he plays the victim. They would say he laid down the challenge and now has to accept the consequences. If it was mistake, it was a minor one and he is hardly the first footballer to make one.
The Hate Campaign
It seems strange how a large number of the public weigh incidents such as these compared to drug abuse, sexual assault and various assaults committed by other players (and coaches) in recent years. Why is Goodes the one getting booed? Since delivering his speech, the Swans player has clearly been targeted through social media, drawing attention to any perceived flaw of his character or favourable treatment, as well as outright childish personal attacks against him. His speech itself has been frequently referenced, but only very selectively, ignoring the times he speaks of his pride in his country and his desire for people of all cultures to be proud of their heritage and proud to be Australian.
In the end you get to decide for yourself whether to hate the guy. You may not be racist if you decide you do, but you may have bought into the spin and hype generated by people that are, but that is still your right. I’ve personally never particularly liked him, but I can say that about many players in the AFL.
It seems strange how a large number of the public weigh incidents such as these compared to drug abuse, sexual assault and various assaults committed by other players (and coaches) in recent years. Why is Goodes the one getting booed? Since delivering his speech, the Swans player has clearly been targeted through social media, drawing attention to any perceived flaw of his character or favourable treatment, as well as outright childish personal attacks against him. His speech itself has been frequently referenced, but only very selectively, ignoring the times he speaks of his pride in his country and his desire for people of all cultures to be proud of their heritage and proud to be Australian.
In the end you get to decide for yourself whether to hate the guy. You may not be racist if you decide you do, but you may have bought into the spin and hype generated by people that are, but that is still your right. I’ve personally never particularly liked him, but I can say that about many players in the AFL.
The Case against Booing
The booing and taunting of the crowd when a player is kicking for goal or when a decision is given against them is a pretty common thing in football. The disingenuous witticisms (and I use that term pretty loosely here) about it not affecting other players, ignore the fact that this systematic and sustained derision every time Adam Goodes gets the ball is a qualitatively different situation. In another article I wrote about the fact that we don’t always fully understand the impact our actions have on others. But that’s not the case here. It is obvious that the booing is having a significant effect, not to his form, but to his wellbeing. Racist or not, I would be ashamed to be part of a campaign that was so distressing to someone that it drove them to give up their livelihood (although I would make an exception for Bronwyn Bishop). Whether you thought the booing was justified or not to begin with, it has clearly gone too far when we have reached this point.
Just because you don’t like someone, doesn’t give you the right to harass or intimidate them, especially when they have done nothing directly to you (hurting your feelings because he doesn’t share your pride in Australia’s history does not count). A couple of people booing here and there would probably be little problem, but the systematic and relentless campaign is nothing short of bullying.
If you really do have a problem with an aspect of Adam Goodes’ behaviour, what is your booing achieving? Are you delivering a message that you disagree with a particular statement or behaviour, or are you just joining a pack mentality that will interpreted by many as racist and is understandably distressing to the player? It is a form of bullying when you think about it. Why would you wish distress on someone you have never met?
The booing and taunting of the crowd when a player is kicking for goal or when a decision is given against them is a pretty common thing in football. The disingenuous witticisms (and I use that term pretty loosely here) about it not affecting other players, ignore the fact that this systematic and sustained derision every time Adam Goodes gets the ball is a qualitatively different situation. In another article I wrote about the fact that we don’t always fully understand the impact our actions have on others. But that’s not the case here. It is obvious that the booing is having a significant effect, not to his form, but to his wellbeing. Racist or not, I would be ashamed to be part of a campaign that was so distressing to someone that it drove them to give up their livelihood (although I would make an exception for Bronwyn Bishop). Whether you thought the booing was justified or not to begin with, it has clearly gone too far when we have reached this point.
Just because you don’t like someone, doesn’t give you the right to harass or intimidate them, especially when they have done nothing directly to you (hurting your feelings because he doesn’t share your pride in Australia’s history does not count). A couple of people booing here and there would probably be little problem, but the systematic and relentless campaign is nothing short of bullying.
If you really do have a problem with an aspect of Adam Goodes’ behaviour, what is your booing achieving? Are you delivering a message that you disagree with a particular statement or behaviour, or are you just joining a pack mentality that will interpreted by many as racist and is understandably distressing to the player? It is a form of bullying when you think about it. Why would you wish distress on someone you have never met?
So that’s what I reckon
You’re entitled to dislike someone. It doesn’t make you racist. Although if you are a Goodes hater, it wouldn’t hurt you to consider what it is about him you hate and whether you have bought into a hate campaign. Maybe you haven’t and you just don’t like him. But, when you consciously contribute to worsening the life of another person, that is worse than being racist in my view. Racism is a belief structure that may have been partially inculcated by your upbringing and does not always have to be acted on. Bullying and harassment are behavioural choices and you have complete control over whether you participate in them. For whatever reason you dislike him, it is time for the bullying of Adam Goodes to stop.
You’re entitled to dislike someone. It doesn’t make you racist. Although if you are a Goodes hater, it wouldn’t hurt you to consider what it is about him you hate and whether you have bought into a hate campaign. Maybe you haven’t and you just don’t like him. But, when you consciously contribute to worsening the life of another person, that is worse than being racist in my view. Racism is a belief structure that may have been partially inculcated by your upbringing and does not always have to be acted on. Bullying and harassment are behavioural choices and you have complete control over whether you participate in them. For whatever reason you dislike him, it is time for the bullying of Adam Goodes to stop.