The Adam Goodes saga (29 July 2015)

I can’t believe the media hype around Adam Goodes’ war dance celebration following the goal he kicked against Carlton, and the booing that has followed.  If you haven’t seen the footage check it out: http://www.afl.com.au/video/2015-05-29/adam-goodes-unique-celebration or here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32PZWtjbtq0

The best example I can recall of something like what Goodes did is this:  www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fn83uDUle3o  It’s an inflammatory celebration, and no wonder people booed afterwards.

Goodes has acknowledged that it was a made up dance (not a traditional Aboriginal dance), and that it was directed at the Carlton fans.  I can certainly understand Carlton fans being offended, as it can easily be interpreted as an ‘up yours’ type of celebration, and not that different to showing Carlton fans his middle finger.

Goodes has been a great ambassador for the AFL, and well deserving of his two Brownlow Medals and Australian of the Year honours.  He also happens to be an Aboriginal who rightly stands up against racism.  But in my opinion these facts are unrelated to the booing he has been receiving.  Sure, some idiots might be booing Goodes for race related reasons, making them racists.  However tarring all those people booing with the same brush (as the Sydney Swans, and now the AFL have done in recent media releases) is unfair.  I believe the majority of those booing Goodes are doing so because they don’t like his actions, and feel the ‘war dance’ was unnecessary, and inflammatory.  It is a similar reason fans boo players after a behind the play hit.  Without booing, how else do fans show that they are unhappy?  Fans have been booing umpires after a poor decision for years, and we haven’t made a big deal out of that.  The umpires also haven’t complained or felt that they were being racially vilified.

Through all of this drama it has become clear that many people think that when a person does something that is incorrectly perceived as racist, then they are unquestionably a racist, simply because of the perception.  For example, if one person says to another ‘I like your hair’, and the recipient of the compliment is offended because they feel their hair is representative of their nationality/heritage then by their definition the person giving the compliment is a racist.  That is incorrect.  Racism is about the BELIEF and INTENT behind the action or a comment, and not how it is perceived.  Learn the facts people:

Racist - A person who shows or feels discrimination or prejudice against people of other races, or who believes that a particular race is superior to another. [Oxford Dictionary]

So not everyone who boos at the footy is a racist, even if the player or umpire perceives it that way.

Whether or not you believe the booing is unsportsmanlike or racially motivated, it is sad that it has become this big of an issue.  I can’t believe this has affected Goodes to the extent where he is considering not playing this week, or even retiring!  A tougher bloke would ignore the booing and play on, letting his actions on the field do the talking.  Goodes’ reaction to the booing and playing the race card has now made a mountain out of a mole hill, and may see one of the AFL’s great players leave the game early.  It has also changed many AFL fans opinion of him.  All in all it’s a bit sad really.

I hope that Adam Goodes gets the help he needs to deal with what he is going through.  I hope he continues playing, and standing up for what he believes in.  I also hope he gets some perspective.



1 August 2015
After posting the above on Facebook I copped a fair bit of flak, and several people commented and attached links to articles and videos to show why all people booing Adam Goodes are unquestionably racist.  I stand by my earlier comments that booing him doesn’t automatically make you a racist.  Booing the umpire after a poor decision, or booing a player that does something we don’t like is part of the Australian sporting culture.  How else do fans make their feelings known?  Showing a downturned thumb and calling out ‘I don’t like that’ just doesn’t cut it!  I love the roar of the crowd calling out ‘Ball!’ when a player is tackled, and the raucous ‘Yeah!’ or ‘Boo!’ that follows the umpire’s decision, depending on which way the call goes.  I also don’t think it’s a problem if people boo a player for the rest of the game after they’ve put a late hit on one of our favourite players.  Its our right as AFL fans to cheer or jeer as we see fit, and the AFL and clubs would be the first to complain if we all just sat there quietly.  Not that it will ever happen because of the passion so many of us feel for the great Australian game of football.

A great article from ‘The Black Steam Train’ - an Aboriginal man from Victoria that provides some perspective on the Adam Goodes’ issue is his blog titled 'The Wayland Smithers School of Journalism' (29 July 2015): http://theblacksteamtrain.blogspot.com.au

It has been interesting to see how this issue has polarised people.  So many have felt the need to label those booing as racist, and obviously feel the need be seen to take what they perceive to be as the righteous stance, or moral high ground.  It makes me wonder whether people now think that I am racist because I haven’t jumped on the Goodes’ defender’s bandwagon.  I have long been an advocate for equality and have always stood against racism.  In particular I’ve always had an interest in the land rights of Aboriginal people, maybe in part because I grew up listening to the songs of Midnight Oil and Paul Kelly.  Racism has no place in Australian culture, and that includes in sport, but PLEASE Australia, let’s not make this current issue into something it is not.

If all of this hype raises the awareness of what racism is and how we can combat it, then it is a good thing.  My good friend Rob posted this:

“Im not sure I fully comprehend the Adam Goodes situation or believe the booing has a direct link to his race, but I hope his story and stature as a successful indigenous Australian sporting figure pushes a positive political motive to make people more aware of racism in Australia.  More people in society need to be more considerate of other people's race, religion and wellbeing as a whole. I can say from experiencing racism first hand while growing up, there are a lot of inconsiderate people in this world that need to open there eyes and be more accepting of 'different' cultures and beliefs particularly in such a young and diverse country like Australia.  At times I would think I how bad it would be to bring my own kids into this world for the reason that they would look 'different' then the average Australian person and would not fit into this country that I love so much.  To fear seeing my own children exposed to racism as I did growing was always something I would never want to dream of. Thankfully a lot has improved since my young encounters, becoming an adult and being proud of your roots and differences should be something everyone should embrace and be able to express without division.  I hope the children of today can learn more about Australian culture and many other cultures which are united into the awesome country we live in today.  Now let's all eat molokhia”

Amen!