Sport should unite race and colour, not segregate
Columnist By Adrian Musolino, 14 Feb 2010 Adrian Musolino is a Roar Expert
- Tagged:
- Indigenous football, nba all stars, NRL, NRL All Stars, NRL Indigenous All Stars, Preston Campbell, Rugby League
267 Have your say
Indigenous All Stars player Wendell Sailor breaks throiugh during the Indigenous All Stars v NRL All Stars match at Skilled Park on the Gold Coast, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2010. (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)
For all the success of the NRL’s inaugural All Stars match – a bumper crowd and thrilling match – there’s a flaw in the concept that will blight our nation should it continue into the future. By pitting the best Indigenous players against the best of the rest, the NRL will continue to segregate race and colour – something sport shouldn’t stand for.
It is a difficult subject to broach, but one that deserved a proper public discourse (is the Australian ‘tabloid’ press capable of such a debate?) as part of the build-up to last night’s match – beyond just the sports pages.
With the future of the concept seemingly guaranteed beyond its initial three years thanks to the media traction it has attracted for the NRL on the eve of its season – particularly when compared with the AFL’s lacklustre NAB Cup – we need to ask the question whether it’s appropriate for the game to continue to segregate Indigenous and non-Indigenous players, particularly if the clash develops into an intense rivalry between the two.
While there was undoubtedly immense pride from the likes of Preston Campbell, who spoke eloquently about his pride in playing for the Indigenous team, it says a lot about Australia’s relationship with its Indigenous population that we continue to differentiate between Indigenous and non-Indigenous athletes.
As a celebration of the anniversary of the apology to the stolen generations, the game served a purpose. Going forward in years to come, the game and Australia as a whole should move forward under the one umbrella of a united Australian identity.
This doesn’t mean the All Stars game doesn’t have merit; just that it should move away from this racial divide.
There’s no concrete evidence to suggest the popularity of the All Stars match was solely the result of the Indigenous concept.
As my Roar colleague Steve Kaless noted, part of the reason for the popularity and fanfare caused by the match was its appeal to younger generations, particularly with the popularity of such concept matches in America, with Australian sport embracing more of the attributes that define their American counterparts.
Incidentally, the NRL’s All Stars match coincided on the same weekend as the NBA All Stars weekend.
One can only imagine the outcry if NBA commissioner David Stern announced his league was forgoing the West versus East conference battles for an All Stars match pitting the best African American players against the rest.
It reminds me of the controversy surrounding the opening of the Harvey Milk High School in New York, America’s first public school for gay and lesbian kids.
Rather than trying to educate younger generations about accepting those with different sexual orientation, it seems the creation of the school is, sadly, taking the easier option of dividing rather than accepting difference.
Positive discrimination is still discriminating by segregating.
The NRL All Stars match, by dividing the cream of League’s talent along racial lines, will do the same if the concept continues for years to come.
Sport, for all its commercial corruption, should be egalitarian at heart.
It should never create rivalry by dividing race and colour
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February 14th 2010 @ 8:01am
Dan Dresden said | February 14th 2010 @ 8:01am | Report comment
Adrian – in case you hadn’t noticed, we live in Australia and not in the USA. We have different ways of celebrating our cultures. Last night’s game was what the Indigenous community wanted. There’s nothing racist in giving them a means to celebrate their heritage while we all get a NRL All Stars team.
Get over it Adrian. You’re obviously just jealous that the round ball game means nothing to the Indigenous community. Nor do your words.
February 14th 2010 @ 8:04am
MyGeneration said | February 14th 2010 @ 8:04am | Report comment
you’re an expert on lies. Hope they find a cure for whatever you’ve got soon.
February 14th 2010 @ 8:15am
Norm said | February 14th 2010 @ 8:15am | Report comment
You’re a straw man Auckland reserves. To label you a lightweight would be an exaggeration.
February 14th 2010 @ 8:26am
vinay verma said | February 14th 2010 @ 8:26am | Report comment
Adrian,this is a brave article and worthy of debate. Some of the posters are missing the point. This is not about League or Union or Cricket. It is about Sport and society in Australia. It goes beyond Australia and is applicable to the USA, India,the UK and any multi racial society.
You are right that this segregation is not good for the longterm development of Australian society. It only emphasises the divide. Islanders,Aboriginals,Indians,Sri Lankans and other “ethnics” have to prove themselves not the equal of but better than. That they do so speaks volumes about their pride and dedication.
The crime rate,incarceration rate,child mortality rate for Aboriginals is an indictment of the apathy of past Governments.The present administration is making the right noises but there is a long way to go before the minorities feel they are part of an inclusive community. I know for a fact that a high ranking official of the Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement has to pay his own way to a conference for Indigineous Leaders in Honolulu. How many Government officials do we know of that go on Taxpayer funded junkets to study traffic flow in New York and Barcelona?
Let us not start accepting Window Dressing as reality. It is good the crowd felt good. They were out to enjoy the spectacle. But the point of Adrian’s article remains. It was a night of divide more than unification.
February 14th 2010 @ 8:30am
Dan Dresden said | February 14th 2010 @ 8:30am | Report comment
You’re correct except in regard to Aboriginals in Australia and Maoris in NZ and Indians in the USA. The original inhabitants have the right to be seen and heard in their own country.
February 14th 2010 @ 8:36am
Mick from Giralang said | February 14th 2010 @ 8:36am | Report comment
Vinay, I appreciate your points. But the fact is Aboriginal teams have competed proudly in any number of sports over the past century. It’s simply illogical to construe a celebration of the abilities of our indgenous folk as racism. For heavens sake, we dwell enough on the problems and challenges our aboriginal communities face — let’s not begrudge them recognition of their great achievements at the same time.
The black, white and brindle who came together joyously to celebrate Aboriginal culture last night would be astonished to learn this morning that they actually participated in a “night of divide”
February 14th 2010 @ 8:43am
vinay verma said | February 14th 2010 @ 8:43am | Report comment
Thanks for your studied response,Mick,but without pouring cold water on last night I throw up a poser for you: At the recent Australian Tennis Open Margaret Court was presented to the crowd and honoured,and so she should have been,but why not Evonne Goolagong Cawley?
Australia’s first touring Cricket team was an Aboriginal X! and Ian Chappell has championed their recognition. One hundred years later Jason Gillesspie remains our only Test player of Aboriginal heritage. Am I missing something here? One balmy summer evening does not a whole season make.
February 14th 2010 @ 8:49am
Mick from Giralang said | February 14th 2010 @ 8:49am | Report comment
Vinay you’re correct that we have a long way to go in terms of reconciliation. It’s hard not to see last night as a tentative step in the right direction.
By the way, the lack of aborigines in elite cricket has also puzzled me. I’ve seen the Imparja Cup and the skills on display are truly breathtaking. It’s easy to say racist attitudes have held indigenous players back, but they’ve still attained the elite level in the football codes. Why not cricket?
February 14th 2010 @ 11:44am
Tom said | February 14th 2010 @ 11:44am | Report comment
I think the reasons are that cricket isn’t especially popular amongst Aboriginal youth compared to league or AFL, and also perhaps this has to do with them being generally better suited physically to the football codes than cricket.
And the tennis point is a bit of a cheap shot, perhaps Goolagong Cawley simply wasn’t available. I don’t know the reason she wasn’t there, and I suspect you don’t either, so to suggest there is racism at play without evidence is a bit much.
And just on the NRL All Stars game, I think the fact that the support amongst Aboriginals and the players themselves was seemingly universally positive should count for something, as opposed to the criticism of the concept, which thus far has largely come from those of European origin. Additionally, the concept was Preston Campbell’s idea.
February 14th 2010 @ 11:53am
cosmos forever said | February 14th 2010 @ 11:53am | Report comment
Vinay – in answer to your Margaret Court question – I assume she was used because she is simply the greatest grand slam winning champion of all time and Evonne was not. I don’t think race played any part in that decision.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tennis_statistics#Women
the rugby league game was a celebration of the input to the code by indigenous Australians. I think Adrian’s ‘debate’ is gratuitous and ill conceived. There was nothing contrived or patronising about the game in my opinion.
February 14th 2010 @ 8:42am
Dogs Of War said | February 14th 2010 @ 8:42am | Report comment
Vinay, when the people who demand for the game are indigenous people, and the ALL the money the game makes goes back to helping those very same people? Adrian is just taking the AFL side of the fence, as the dreamtime game is just a slapped on label to a regular season game. I think Indigenous people need more to aspire to, and games like this can make them proud as race of people.
Anyway, I think if you have a look at some of the articles on Preston Campbell in the lead up to this game, and in todays paper, you can see how it came about, and if some as involved in the Indigenous community such as Preston thinks it’s worthwhile, then why would I doubt him? Very easy to criticise, much harder to put the hard yards in that make the difference.
Anyway, as the title of this article says “Sport should unite race and colour, not segregate”, it ignores the fact that every other game of League in Australia does exactly that. Sometimes the difference need to be celebrated just as much as the similarities.
February 14th 2010 @ 8:50am
vinay verma said | February 14th 2010 @ 8:50am | Report comment
Dogs of War,of course Preston Campbell is all for it and he along with other leaguies spends time in the bush helping Aboriginals to aspire to better. Mine is not so much as a criticism but more a debate to better understand the real need of the Aboriginal community and have an acceptance of them in the mainstream Australian Society. We have a smattering of Aboriginal MP’s but where is the Aboriginal PM or Deputy PM. Do we have a Nelson Mandela waiting to develope but unable to do so? We need to know more about the brilliant Actors,artists and singers. Not enough is heard from my perspective.
February 14th 2010 @ 8:45am
Rickety Knees said | February 14th 2010 @ 8:45am | Report comment
Great Post Adrian and Vinay I agree wholeheartedly
February 14th 2010 @ 8:47am
MyGeneration said | February 14th 2010 @ 8:47am | Report comment
Vinay, you’re right only in respect of the Window Dressing aspect. But that just means that a night like this should be seen as a starting point, not an end point. To call it a “night of divide more than unification” is a bit churlish. Apart from that, I don’t think it’s a brave article. I think it’s lazy and rather facile.
February 14th 2010 @ 8:52am
vinay verma said | February 14th 2010 @ 8:52am | Report comment
My Generation,I dont necessarily want to be right. I want reasoned debate and i accept it was a bit sensationalistic on my part to call it a “night of divide”. A bit of poetic liscence which I hope you will grant me.
February 14th 2010 @ 9:33am
MyGeneration said | February 14th 2010 @ 9:33am | Report comment
Vinay, we’ll be a much healthier society when we can have one-off events like this without people thinking it’s divisive rather than inclusive. In my area, there are clubs like the German club, the Portuguese club, the Cyprus club, to name just a few. All these clubs celebrate the places that people come from, without excluding others, and they do it every day of the year. I don’t see why we can welcome places like these as a community, and somehow a one-off celebration like last night is seen as a threat.
BTW, All these players are now returning to there normal clubs and hating eaching other based on the “normal” arbitrary divisions of a footy season. And then there’s State of Origin.
February 14th 2010 @ 9:42am
vinay verma said | February 14th 2010 @ 9:42am | Report comment
MyGeneration,I have been to the German Club and had a great evening. I’d like to see you lob up to the Kirribilli Yatch Squadron and feel “inclusive” Forget about an Aboriginal from the back of Bourke lobbing up. But in essence the match last night ,for me,did more to highlight the differences than anything else. I am all for celebrating a sporting spectacle but I question if the players are unsuspecting pawns in a PR excercise…window dressing to be precise.
February 14th 2010 @ 1:00pm
Shodan said | February 14th 2010 @ 1:00pm | Report comment
Well I realy feel sorry for you Vinay. Its people like you who consantly harp on the past and look for racism in every little aspect of society so you can hop on your moral high horse to try and point score to make yourself feel better.
Let me ask you a few questons. Have you ever been to an Aboriginal settlement to see the problems first hand? Have you given any input to the various organizations and forums relating to issues that affect indigenous Australians? Do you donate any time/money to help indigenous Australians? Have you even talked to an Indiganous Australian about these problems???
Like I said before I really feel sorry for you. When most people saw a celbration of a culture all your thought about was racism. And yet your the your the one who accuses an organization of just such a thing.
One last thing, have you even been to Kirribilli Yatch club to make a judgment like you did? Or did you make a judgement on a group of people based on your own preconcieved predjucies. Now where have I heard that before. Maybe the Kirribilli yacth Squadron would like to know you labled them racist without an ounce of proof.
February 14th 2010 @ 11:26am
James said | February 14th 2010 @ 11:26am | Report comment
Spot on. Great post.
February 14th 2010 @ 11:44am
oikee said | February 14th 2010 @ 11:44am | Report comment
Vinay, maybe you dont follow rugby league, but to say it was a divide, is absolute nonsense. Their is no divide in rugby league, we celebrate all players regardless of colour or nationality. Apart from that, your post is spot on.
cheers.
Maybe others who dont follow rugby league on the ground, need to get out more. Rugby league is like a family, once your under the umbrella, you are treated as a equal.
Thats not to say we dont have problems, it would be wrong for me to paint the code perfect.
February 14th 2010 @ 12:02pm
vinay verma said | February 14th 2010 @ 12:02pm | Report comment
oikee,I dont follow it as often as I did in the 1970′s when Artie was playing,and Ray Brannigan and Ron Cootes. I had a very close,may he rest in peace,mate ” Chicka” Cowie who played for Australia in the 1950′s and a Souths legend so I can understand the RL culture,perhaps,a bit better,than some of the current fans.And The Sea Eagles remain my favourite side,as you can see if you go to my profile. I celebrate all sport and its practioners. But I will not pay lip service to fairy floss.Whether it be in Cricket League or Union.
You are obviously astute enough to realise that League is not immune to the larger problems in our society. There are as many AFL and Union players that overstep the line as league. It is not a problem unique to any one sport. Sport is a reflection of society. It does not exist in a vacuum. It may well be that League is more inclusive than other sports and if this is the case it must be celebrated. But I am not one to speak with authority on this. Roy Masters would be someone who could answer this.
February 14th 2010 @ 3:35pm
Dan Dresden said | February 14th 2010 @ 3:35pm | Report comment
Vinay you are way in over your head with this one! You profess to know rugby league culture, yet you admit to having no interest or connection to the game since the early 1970s! Credibility = zero.
February 14th 2010 @ 3:43pm
James said | February 14th 2010 @ 3:43pm | Report comment
This issue of dividing race being discussed isn’t code specific. The same would apply if it was A-League, cricket, AFL, netball or whatever.
February 14th 2010 @ 3:44pm
Beast-A-Tron said | February 14th 2010 @ 3:44pm | Report comment
Got a source on those comments about Sheedy, Dan?
February 14th 2010 @ 3:49pm
Dan Dresden said | February 14th 2010 @ 3:49pm | Report comment
What comments about Sheedy?
February 14th 2010 @ 3:54pm
Beast-A-Tron said | February 14th 2010 @ 3:54pm | Report comment
I have you attention finally, fantastic! In the article “NRL goes on attack against AFL in western Sydney” you stated the following:
“Sheeds got fired up as he said he served in Vietnam. Only thing was Sheeds never left our shores!”
and
“…about his supposed service in Vietnam.”
I happen to think this is a straight out lie and I’m calling on you, to provide a source for these comments you attribute to Sheedy. It is quite an extraordinary claim, to fake wartime service for the country, so I do not believe I am out of line when I require you to provide evidence of your extraordinary claims.
Such a statement is borderline defamation you realise.
February 14th 2010 @ 3:57pm
elbusto said | February 14th 2010 @ 3:57pm | Report comment
Beast a tron – this is getting rather monotonous – nobody cares mate.
February 14th 2010 @ 3:59pm
elbusto said | February 14th 2010 @ 3:59pm | Report comment
what has this to do with the Indigenous All stars game Beast a tron – if you want to argue about something else do it some where else – how about the editors here controlling this rubbish?
February 14th 2010 @ 4:03pm
Beast-A-Tron said | February 14th 2010 @ 4:03pm | Report comment
It wouldn’t be monotonous, if the simple question was answered.
Like I told you in a previous thread, if you tell lies expect to be called out on it. Labeling it “monotonous” is a poor cop-out and does not excuse the untruths peddled.
Faking Vietnam veteran status is a serious accusation and a serious slight on one’s character.
“what has this to do with the Indigenous All stars game Beast a tron”
Absolutely nothing. But Dan has ran away from the previous thread and refuses to answer the question.
February 14th 2010 @ 4:06pm
elbusto said | February 14th 2010 @ 4:06pm | Report comment
Well a big ‘WHO CARES’ to you mate. Have your private scuffle somewhere else and stop trolling this thread.
February 14th 2010 @ 4:10pm
Beast-A-Tron said | February 14th 2010 @ 4:10pm | Report comment
Fair enough, I guess the next time you want evidence regarding a spurious claim a big ‘WHO CARES’ will suffice.
Duly noted.
February 14th 2010 @ 4:12pm
Dan Dresden said | February 14th 2010 @ 4:12pm | Report comment
http://74.125.155.132/search?q=cache:jf1Rpvx8KUYJ:infao5501.ag5.mpi-sb.mpg.de:8080/topx/archive%3Flink%3DWikipedia-Lip6-2/474865.xml%26style+%221969,+Sheedy+was+drafted+into+the+Australian+Army+and+served+for+two+years%22&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=au In 1969, Sheedy was drafted into the Australian Army and served for two years in a construction squadron. He was, however, not assigned to travel to Vietnam to fight in the Vietnam War .
http://www.leagueunlimited.com/forums/showthread.php?t=322855
“If the Nrl want a Vietnam War, well I was a soldier there, and will be ready to fight again
February 14th 2010 @ 4:13pm
elbusto said | February 14th 2010 @ 4:13pm | Report comment
Its obvious you cannot understand the bleeding obvious. This is a discussion about Rugby League not Kevin Sheedy.
February 14th 2010 @ 4:17pm
Beast-A-Tron said | February 14th 2010 @ 4:17pm | Report comment
You’re kidding me, a league unlimited forum post is your source.
This might help you out:
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/dubious
This may help you as well:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primary_source
In short, Sheedy never said that.
Edit:
“This is a discussion about Rugby League not Kevin Sheedy.”
Never stopped you from trolling AFL threads in the past elbusto. Pot, kettle, black.
February 14th 2010 @ 4:23pm
elbusto said | February 14th 2010 @ 4:23pm | Report comment
Well Beast I have not been near one for some time. And if I was I would be writing to the topic which you are not. All you are doing is trolling a Rugby League discussion arguing about that publicity tart Sheedy.
February 14th 2010 @ 4:32pm
bever fever said | February 14th 2010 @ 4:32pm | Report comment
You want to see anti Australian football posts BAT … have a look through LU and elbusto, the guy is fixated.
Glad you pulled him up, i have done the same in the past to other blatant liars.
The roar is a great site but expect a strong anti australian football bias from quite a few posters.
But in fairness it does take 2 to tango, but IMO their are quite a few RL posters who have no idea of facts.
February 14th 2010 @ 4:43pm
Beast-A-Tron said | February 14th 2010 @ 4:43pm | Report comment
“But in fairness it does take 2 to tango, but IMO their are quite a few RL posters who have no idea of facts.”
There is a LARGE difference between ignorance (which I tolerate) and willfully distorting the truth to pursue an agenda (which I don’t tolerate).
February 14th 2010 @ 4:49pm
elbusto said | February 14th 2010 @ 4:49pm | Report comment
Looks like its a tag team effort with Beast and Bever versus poor lil me.
Its obviously time the mods here took a serious approach to you two. You contribute nothing to this thread at all. You have been completely off point. If the mods were doing their jobs properly 90% of your postings on this thread, and other Rugby League threads, would not make it to these pages.
And as for calling me ‘fixated’. Bever, you are the one checking me out on League Unlimited. Now that is ‘fixated’.
February 14th 2010 @ 4:57pm
Brett McKay said | February 14th 2010 @ 4:57pm | Report comment
guys, I’m sure Adrian appreciates you getting his page reads up, but is there any danger of getting back on topic??
February 14th 2010 @ 4:59pm
elbusto said | February 14th 2010 @ 4:59pm | Report comment
Apparently not Brett. It appears this thread is actually about Kevin Sheedy and Bever’s infatuation with my posts on League Unlimited. Surprising but true,
February 14th 2010 @ 6:08pm
bever fever said | February 14th 2010 @ 6:08pm | Report comment
Well considering this is my 2nd post on this thread your accusations are as always thinly disguised spin.
As for your posts on LU, well its a bit hard to avoid them when the above links send me there.
Your mates been caught out telling porkies, the simple answer is … dont tell them, let that be a lesson.
February 14th 2010 @ 6:12pm
Dogs Of War said | February 14th 2010 @ 6:12pm | Report comment
What’s your account name on LU Beaver Fever? As you must have an account to be able to view that particular forum.
February 14th 2010 @ 6:20pm
bever fever said | February 14th 2010 @ 6:20pm | Report comment
I am not a member of LU, i went to the forum, then NRL and looked through some threads pertaining to the AFL, elbusto’s name came up quite a few times
February 14th 2010 @ 6:51pm
bever fever said | February 14th 2010 @ 6:51pm | Report comment
Wrong DOW, any one can go to the forum and check through threads/posts, as i did earlier.
BTW i am not, or have ever been or ever will be a member of LU.
February 14th 2010 @ 6:55pm
elbusto said | February 14th 2010 @ 6:55pm | Report comment
Not ‘The Fight Club’ Bever – caught red handed telling porkies my friend!
Now is it possible that you might post something relevant to this thread?
Its about our Indigenous athletes if I remember correctly.
February 14th 2010 @ 7:10pm
Rod said | February 14th 2010 @ 7:10pm | Report comment
You guys are more than welcomed to sign up to LU and post in TFC, at least our posts would show up and we could leave the threads here to the people who want to discuss them.
It’d be better than spying on people for a start eh?
February 14th 2010 @ 7:18pm
bever fever said | February 14th 2010 @ 7:18pm | Report comment
What are you talking about … “fight club” ?
Go to the main forum NRL… i see you started up at thread about the offsiders, within that thread amongst other things you call people victards etc.
Time to grow up.
February 15th 2010 @ 7:41am
elbusto said | February 15th 2010 @ 7:41am | Report comment
Dear Bever as you are off topic again (!!!!) I did start a discussion about the ‘Offsiders’ and commented what a hollow pathetic biased show it is and I stand by that. Its a shot a the Program on ABC not AFL.
February 14th 2010 @ 5:53pm
vinay verma said | February 14th 2010 @ 5:53pm | Report comment
You are only picking on comments in isolation,Dan and if you took the trouble to read the entiretyit says”the Sea Eagles remain my favourite team” I am comfortable with my credibility and at no stage have I resorted to questioning poster’s credibility. But if thats your go,good luck to you.
February 14th 2010 @ 6:05pm
elbusto said | February 14th 2010 @ 6:05pm | Report comment
Vinay I do not agree with the points you have made but I respect where you are coming from. I do disagree with the point you made about Margaret Court. She does not need Evonne tagging along with her each time she gets recognised for something and it would be patronising for Evonne for this to happen.
Evonne Goolagon Cawley is famous in her own right. I was in England when she won Wimbledon and since that time she has remained in my heart one of our greatest sports heroes.
The Indigenous game, in my view,, was played for all the right reasons and the win to the Indigenous Team is a timely reminder of how important indigenous culture is to this nation.
Its just a pity a couple of knuckleheads have invaded this forum discussing the totally irrelevant topic of Kevin Sheedy.
I cannot for the life of me work out some people. To be so obsessed with another code that they try to ruin a discussion like this is despicable in my view and insulting to our Indigenous population which is, after all, what we were meant to be discussing here.
February 14th 2010 @ 6:16pm
elbusto said | February 14th 2010 @ 6:16pm | Report comment
First of all Bever I think it is disgraceful that you show such disrespect for this Forum with your continuous rants against Rugby League. Find something else to do.
Secondly, your the one who owned up to going to League Unlimited checking my posts. Say what you like now but we have your own words and that is that.
Thirdly, this whole argument here has been caused by AFL trolls like you showing total disrespect to this topic about our Indigenous people in my opinion.
You want to have a whinge about me and what I write on League Unlimted – fair enough. But try doing it somewhere where it is relevant.
And as for who has been telling ‘porkies’ – get over it. Its nothing to do with this discussion.
This discussion is about our Indigenous Rugby League players.
See if you can contribute something meaningful to it. I have my doubts.
February 15th 2010 @ 12:39pm
bever fever said | February 15th 2010 @ 12:39pm | Report comment
First of all i have never derided RL.
Secondly you have shown yourself for the juvenile that you are, you have no credibility, your posts on LU show how much growing up you have to do.
February 14th 2010 @ 7:25pm
Rod said | February 14th 2010 @ 7:25pm | Report comment
lol @ victards, imagine if he went into TFC, he’d have a pink fit
Poor elbusto’s got a stalker or two.
February 14th 2010 @ 8:27am
Dan Dresden said | February 14th 2010 @ 8:27am | Report comment
Adrian – you’ve also erred in raising the choosing an all Negro team in the NBA. The Negros of the USA are not comparable to Indigenous Australians. The Negros were not the original landowners of the USA. The American Indians were.
You seem to be saying that there should be no all Aboriginal sports teams, or that if there must be such teams, that they should only play amongst themselves, or such games be kept low key and hidden from mainstream view.
Two seconds on google turned up many Native American sports teams, including a proposal for a basketball team in the ABA http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3043558
When the NZ Maoris play against the England rugby team in June I will await your next thoughtful article (not).
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby/news/article.cfm?c_id=80&objectid=10621974
February 14th 2010 @ 12:53pm
Savvas Tzionis said | February 14th 2010 @ 12:53pm | Report comment
Dan, that is the one thing about this issue that is certifiably true and should nto be forgotten.
Adrian has too much time on his hands what with all his articles here. Maybe he should make an effort to re-discover his Italian roots and language rather than spend all his time on sport.
February 14th 2010 @ 1:01pm
James said | February 14th 2010 @ 1:01pm | Report comment
Weirdest post yet, especially the second paragraph.
February 14th 2010 @ 8:36am
ilikelollies said | February 14th 2010 @ 8:36am | Report comment
I assume Adrian is getting his article ready about the Catalonian soccer team playing matches against international teams. Or how about the nation of Great Britain being split up into 4 teams based on heritage and taking part in international competitions.
Or is this only an issue when one team is made of black people.
February 14th 2010 @ 12:30pm
Mr cheese said | February 14th 2010 @ 12:30pm | Report comment
It’s not the same, though, is it ? England and Scotland are different countries. GB is a marriage of convenience. This RL match seems to have been set up according to racial groups. They’re different, aren’t they ?
The Catalonian soccer team ? Well, Barcelona do play in European football and they’re the best. But they have players from all over the place.
Catalonia, according to its citizens, is NOT Spain. In Australia, you have only one country. It’s on racial lines, rather than national ones.
February 14th 2010 @ 9:18am
KR said | February 14th 2010 @ 9:18am | Report comment
Adrian, there are many things that create rivalry in a negative way. You could extrapolate your point to include international sport, as pitting x against y may only serve to exacerbate any simmering conflict. I look forward to your petition to indefinitely ban all India vs Pakistan cricket matches.
Regardless, I treat your point at face value, and dare you to gaze into the blinding – and obviously white – glow of select NRL All Stars teammates:
Jarryd Hayne – Fijian
Israel Folau – Tongan
Michael Jennings – Tongan
Manu Vatuvei – Tongan
Benji Marshall – Maori
Adam Blair – Maori
Anthony Tupou – Tongan
Robbe Farah – Lebanese
February 14th 2010 @ 9:26am
oikee said | February 14th 2010 @ 9:26am | Report comment
That redhead kid playing last nite, reminded me of my good red headed mate who married a aboriginal girl. I did not see any issues last nite, as a matter of fact, i thought the nrl all stars were light on for white players. Marshal, Blair, Jennings, Folou, Hayne, where is the race issue, a red headed Aboriginal player? I think the game did more for multicultural issues than anything else.
Maybe the original post should be about “zealots wanting rugby league to fail”, because they have wonderful structure with player pool.
All i can say is, rugby league is a family, and all races are welcome.
The Indian community in Melbounre would be a nice addition to our family.
February 14th 2010 @ 9:33am
oikee said | February 14th 2010 @ 9:33am | Report comment
Surprised you flicked between channels, something i would never do when rugby league is played,. i might miss some action. But thanks for letting us know that their was a game played last nite in ru.
February 14th 2010 @ 1:07pm
Crazy Dave said | February 14th 2010 @ 1:07pm | Report comment
Think he was switching away from the Union game… weird…. why would you watch Union in the 1st place?
February 14th 2010 @ 9:50am
waterboy said | February 14th 2010 @ 9:50am | Report comment
How very predictable from Adrian. The soccer and AFL expert, from the international metropolis that is Adelaide. Never raises League in an article except to criticise it. The Roar’s readership expect this from fellow amateur posters, but you would think that the Roar’s powers at be would not allow it from one of their so called experts. You do yourself and your professional reputation, no credit.
As for for Vinay, well you might want to reflect on the discrimination perpetrated in Australian society, to those other society’s around the world. I am sick of left-wing agitators trying to continually convince all Australians what evil people we are. I will compare our tolerance, acceptance and intergration of minority groups into our society against those of any other Western society. And please Vinay, dont start me on the developing or third world nations.
Despite Ray Warren’s embarassing and devise comment relating to Blake Ferguson, last nights game was a fantastic celebration of the contribution of the indigineous culture to the great game of rugby league. It provided great entertainment, goodwill and hopefully a great deal of pride and inspiration to indigineous youth. Lets just enjoy it for what it was.
February 14th 2010 @ 10:09am
vinay verma said | February 14th 2010 @ 10:09am | Report comment
waterboy, I am unaware of any agenda or otherwise that Adrian may or may not have. That is upto him to elaborate on.
If you are aware of my writing on Race,corruption,sport(usually cricket) you would undersyand where I am coming from. I am probably the fiercest critic of corruption in India. I am aware of the blatant discrimination along caste lines.I am aware of the diviseness this can cause. There are film producers in India that are more than what Bollywood aspires to be. I recommend the movie trilogy Water,Fire and Earth to you. It is made by an Indian and exposes the religious,sexual and social bigotry of Modern India.
I live in Australia and am not exposed to any discrimination in my professional and social life. But this does not mean it does not exist. Read my feature in the Adelaide Advertiser on the racial underbelly of Australia. And stereotyping is the easiest defence against debate. I am not on a crusade. I am for reasoned debate. And this includes so called third world countries.