Moment Aboriginal Australian footballer confronted girl, 13, who called him an 'ape' and had her escorted from the stands
Goodes does not look all that Aboriginal. He is clearly more white than black
An Australian Rules footballer has been praised for his uncompromising reaction after a 13-year-old girl shouted out a racist remark to him during a game on Friday night.
Sydney Swans forward Adam Goodes - who is an Aboriginal Australian - was called an 'ape' by the girl as he ran past her and responded by turning around and pointing out the girl to security who escorted her from the Melbourne stadium.
Goodes, 33, is the star player for the Sydney Swans but said that the racial abuse he received at the hands of the girl rendered his sides win 'meaningless' - such was his disappointment.
'To come to the boundary line and hear a 13 year old girl call me an 'ape', and it's not the first time on a footy field that I've been referred to as a 'monkey' or an 'ape', it was shattering,' he told the ABC.
Goodes and the Sydney Swans were playing Collingwood, at their home of the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The 13-year-old girl was a Collingwood fan.
In the aftermath of the racial abuse that was directed his way, Goodes told the Melbourne Herald Sun that, 'Racism had a face...and it was a 13-year-old girl. - but it's not her fault,' said Goodes.
'That's what hurt me so bad...when I turned around, I just saw this young face and...it was just sad. 'That's why I had to leave the arena, it just broke my heart.'
Early on Saturday morning, Goodes took to his Twitter feed to announce that the girl had been in touch with him, apologizing for her actions.
Goodes added that the police in Melbourne had asked him if he wanted to press charges, but that he did not want to - preferring the girl instead undergoes an education program instead.
Source
The footballer was insightful in realizing that the girl would have just been repeating what she had heard in her family
Racial abuse from spectators is common in sport. Once upon a time sportsmen had to learn to ignore it.
Some people were critical that the girl was harassed over a childish remark. She said she didn't know it was racist. And she may not have known that he had some Aboriginal ancestry
9 comments:
What a poor, wilting wallflower. He's so easily distraught, I don't know how he handles the pressure of professional....uhm, what sport is this again? Must not be a very hard one.....
Once again, we see the price society pays for being addicted to the insidious virus known as political correctness. It has caused people to become overly sensitive to everything and anything. In fact, if this had happened in the US, there would be an army of lawyers getting ready to make more money.
"make more money"
The conservative mantra.
It's sad that a 13 year-old child is exposed to picking up insulting language and to yell it at players in the sporting event she's been taken to. It says a lot for spectator sports today. However, it was clearly an over-reaction for the authorities to take any action against such a girl, but no doubt she'll be very careful for the rest of her life!
The young girl was a Collingwood supporter, member of Australia's single most ridiculed faction. If people are to be prosecuted for the word "ape", the authorities will be very busy through the year, and especially through the footy season, prosecuting those of us who delight in calling Collingwood supporters names far worse than "ape".
Okay, Adam Goodes, who is a towering figure in Australian sport, is clearly sensitive about such things. So now we know. He is himself a gentleman, so he deserves understanding, even if he over-reacted to one commonly heard rude word.
Sadly, it does not end with Goodes' over-reaction and the possibly illegal treatment dished out to this young girl. The president of Collingwood, the tedious Eddie McGuire, after making much of the young girl's "offense" and issuing gushing apologies on behalf of the club, went on air today and made a crack about conscripting Adam Goodes to promote King Kong. Really.
Safe to call Eddie McGuire an ape?
Commercial sport becomes more risible by the day, in seemingly every country. If it's not insulting behavior by either supporters or players, it's financial corruption or drug scandals. Would be better to go back to purely local and amateur sport, especially where people are taking part as much as spectating
So all those times my older brothers called me an ape when we were growing up??? That was racist???
Sorry LCB - its only racist if you are black.
Just like it is ok to call GWB a monkey but you can't use it for Obama.
What is really funny is that reports today are saying Goodesy might be too upset from the whole thing to play this weekend!
Princess!
1:24 AM
"take more money"
the liberal mantra
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