Andrew Johns’ ugly comments bleed deep
Roar Rookie By Knuckles, 16 Jun 2010 Knuckles is a Roar Rookie
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AAP Image/Dave Hunt - Andrew Johns in action
On this Andrew Johns racism thing, people in the city don’t realise what the effect these comments have done to communities like Cunnamulla and Charleville, who have a 50/50 white and black community, as well as hard working Asian migrants working in our meat works.
All of the past years of trying to get rid of the differences between us racially has somewhat gone out the window.
After only one stupid celebrity comment, all the trust and goodwill has turned back to paranoia and mistrust between community groups of different cultures. People all of a sudden are thinking that if Andrew Johns thinks like that, so do all the other white fellas in town.
Walking downtown the other day, after the story was released, was very uncomfortable. People wouldn’t look each other in the eye like they used too. Conversation in the pubs became racist, with people saying things like, “just another excuse for the black fellas to complain”.
And “there is nothing in it, they just want more money”.
To think this idiot will keep his job and hope it all blows over is a joke. He must pay for his actions, get out of the public eye, and sell carpets or something.
He is dividing our great country.
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June 16th 2010 @ 10:10am
Elizabeth Nolan said | June 16th 2010 @ 10:10am | Report comment
I am bitterly dissapointed that Andrew Johns has not been sacked by Channel 9. The treatment of Matthew Johns by Channel 9 was savage…Andrew Johns is a self confessed (had to be …got busted) drug user all through his football career…all those amazing things he did…he was probably “off his dial”…great role model then this latest disaster…more than half the NRL teams are from Indigenous heritage plus all the islanders etc etc etc…this man needs to be held responsible for his actions…GET RID OF HIM…let him feel some of the pain his brother experienced…or this guy will never learn!!!! Good on Timana Tahu…good to see such courage & conviction in one so young…these are the people Channel 9 should be employing not idiots like Andrew Johns
June 16th 2010 @ 12:51pm
MattS said | June 16th 2010 @ 12:51pm | Report comment
Oh please, agree on Johns shouldn’t be in the media but dividing the country? This is a problem on the surface of many Australians. In fact, the Johns incident has brought it out in the open and can be debated, addressed, whatever.
Adam Goodes says he has been the target of racist coments over the last 5 years in AFL. Why didn’t he come out? Why is rugby league the convenient scapegoat again? Sure it’s happened, sure we must deal with it appropriately but keep the anti rugby league agendas to the side. Rugby league’s paticipation rates for indigenous players is still significantly higher than most other areas of society-employment, education, etc. You couldn’t give a stuff about racism otherwise.
June 16th 2010 @ 1:48pm
ScottWoodward.me said | June 16th 2010 @ 1:48pm | Report comment
MattS
Agree with you.
What Joey did was wrong no doubt and yes he DID make a racist comment but that does NOT brand him a racists.
Tamana Tahu had every right to be hurt, but by walking out on his team mates and his State camp, who are literally playing there their lives in a sudden death game, would not have gone down well within the camp.
Dont know if I would want him in my trench.
June 17th 2010 @ 8:15am
mushi said | June 17th 2010 @ 8:15am | Report comment
Yep don’t want someone in my trench that is willing to sacrifice something dear to him because of the principle.
After all going to war isn’t about sacrifice for principles.
Much rather at non racist bloke that makes racist comments…
June 17th 2010 @ 1:44pm
clipper said | June 17th 2010 @ 1:44pm | Report comment
Well, it does make him a racist. If he is regretful and changes his thinking and actions he won’t be a racist. Did you ever think Tahu is standing by his race so they won’t have to endure these taunts and in the scheme of things will leave a more lasting legacy than one game and a few hurt feelings of some team mates.
June 18th 2010 @ 7:23pm
NY said | June 18th 2010 @ 7:23pm | Report comment
“he DID make a racist comment but that does NOT brand him a racists.”
The whole problem exists with this attitude. A bit like saying I am not a thug even though I commit thuggish acts very weekend. So I’ll go out and keep on doing the same thing because my victims will get over it, and it is an Aussie thing to do mate.
You’re too smart by half my friend. A racist is a racist. A thug is a thug. No matter how you want to dress it up.
June 19th 2010 @ 7:02am
Garry said | June 19th 2010 @ 7:02am | Report comment
NY, This is a ridiculous example to use, and only emphasizes my point that there are radicals who will say anything to score cheap points, and while everyone agrees that what he said was stupid, there are a few stirrers that want to turn this from a ripple into a Tsunami. What an insult to Aboriginals when we have people wanting their 15mins of fame at their expense, making them look so delicate, fragile and insecure. I have asked some indigenous people for their opinion and they have laughed it off. The point has been made, John’s has apologized, everyone is aware, It won’t be said again, so what more do you want, money ?
June 19th 2010 @ 9:40am
clipper said | June 19th 2010 @ 9:40am | Report comment
I agree with NY. What more do we want? Most people would want some action on this, and it has happened – the Eels have stood Johns down. I have spoken to ‘a few’ indigenous people and they certainly have not laughed it off, but I would never claim to be a spokesman for indigenous people. Ingilis hasn’t laughed it off as he said in his comment “I’m just fed up with it and it’s definitely not fair”
June 16th 2010 @ 9:55pm
AJ said | June 16th 2010 @ 9:55pm | Report comment
To MattS & ScottWoodward.me – don’t you think that many children look up to these players and will follow their lead?? Is it right for Andrew Johns to (yet again) be let off easily and not take any responsibility for his actions? Is that what you want your kids to grow up doing: thinking they can get away with anything, covering up with lies and half truths, not facing any demons they have (so Andrew Johns has been diagnosed with BiPolar & depression – I know MANY others who have as well, but instead of denying it have accepted it and helped shed public light on it) and be a reactor to any circumstances that they find themselves in instead of admitting maybe they did do something not so smart, not so nice, not so understanding (yet Johns still expects others to understand his mental condition).
This isn’t about a one-off mistake by a newbie: Johns must be held accountable for all the mistakes he has made over his career and Nine & the NRL Board need to realise enough is enough – some time you have to let things go that are damaging to the health of the sport and think about what you are teaching those kids who look up to these role models.
June 17th 2010 @ 5:11pm
Garry said | June 17th 2010 @ 5:11pm | Report comment
So now Tahu is letting his home team down too, and not turning up to eel’s training, because of the greatest beat up media story of all time, pushed along by some radical people. When is Tahu going to grow up !
The best thing with this emotionally fragile guy is to wrap him in cotton wool and get him some bleeding heart counselor. John’s stupid comment was not even directed at him anyway, god forbid if it had been. Parramatta management need to get some intestinal fortitude and stop acting like they want to appear like “Mother Theresa”, enough is enough and this is turning into a ridiculous radical indigenous point scoring session.
John’s has tried to put his” stupidity ” right by apologizing to a long time friend, but even that is not good enough for Tahu who certainly destabilized the blues by his actions, so what else can John’s do, even Inglis brushed the comment aside, it appears that everyone else wants to move on except a brooding and emotionally insecure Tahu who want’s to live in a Utopian society , and who still wants some more time to get over this catastrophic trauma, for god’s sake give me a break ! strangely his aggressive playing style does not seem to match his appearance of this super sensitive personality, WHY ?
Grow up Tahu, and do what you are paid to do and play football not politics !
June 17th 2010 @ 9:32pm
Fly on the Wall said | June 17th 2010 @ 9:32pm | Report comment
Hey, Garry, it’s white trash like you who vote for One Nation – you’re the ones holding back this country. Bet you’ll vote for Abbott, too. Maybe I should not say that – you might be emotionally fragile and need a bleeding heart counsellor.
Yes, Andrew Johns is dumber than a sheep. But given that he has a son with autism (and has moved him around many schools in Newcastle and Sydney), I would have thought he might be a little bit sensitive towards minorities and people who could do with a little extra love.
If you taped last night’s Origin broadcast and transcribed what Johns, Wally Lewis and Brad Fittler said in their ‘special comments’ you would not have one sentence actually worth paying anything for.
That’s what this country is about – blokes putting their bodies on the line in the name of sport – and meatheads calling the shots all around them.
June 21st 2010 @ 5:55pm
Ronnie the Eel said | June 21st 2010 @ 5:55pm | Report comment
Yeah, and good comment made on the “white trash’ effort, you tosswad.
June 18th 2010 @ 7:05am
Garry said | June 18th 2010 @ 7:05am | Report comment
Right of reply :
To ” Fly speck on the wall “, how do you know I am white, sorry, it’s probably bleeders like you who vote for the lunatic Greens who know everything. I stand by my comments, but especially now when it’s people like you who want to blow everything out of proportion, just to play trendy PC politics.
Now what if this comment had been made about a white guy, would you be so savage with your comment then, I bet not, because there is no such thing as racism against whites, right, just ask the dictator Robert Mugabe.
You have a radical opinion that is dividing this country, we have already had a radical stirrer come out and lie about what John’s said, so what does that tell you, and we have people like you, who will verbally attack anyone who will not agree with the unstable radicals who want their 15mins of publicity. Are you so delicate that you fall apart over a stupid comment, well whites cop these comments from other races and don’t take any notice, remember ” Sticks & Stones ” , so just grow up.
Wendell Sailor, Loti Tuqiri, Benji Marshall, Jarryd Hayne and Scott Prince all agreed that John’s is not a Racist, and strange that Hayne never got offended. Just like your Rudd/ Bobbi Brown heroes you really have nothing to say but RACIST to anything, and all this over exaggerating is just making indigenous people look so insecure and emotionally pathetic, which 99.9% are not.
June 18th 2010 @ 10:42am
clipper said | June 18th 2010 @ 10:42am | Report comment
What Robert Mugabe has done certainly is disgusting. He has not only discriminated against the whites, but has his destroyed his country with his myopic views. He was allowed to get away with it to a degree because other African states did nothing and stood by and watched it happen – sort of parellels Andrew Johns getting away with it because no one did anything. Now someone has, and hopefully it will stop. So Wendell, Loti, Benju, Jarryd and Scott who all get paid by the NRL say he’s not a racist and this holds more weight than any other group?
June 18th 2010 @ 2:27pm
Garry said | June 18th 2010 @ 2:27pm | Report comment
No clipper they don’t hold any more weight than any other group, my point in naming these players was to illustrate that they are all indigenous players who are involved in indigenous programs and so has Andrew Johns. You must also remember that Tamana Tahu is paid by an NRL club too, but I was under the impression that this issue was on Tahu’s principle, not money.
The point that is sadly missed over this whole episode is that Tahu never brought the issue to a head at the time it was said, he could have sorted this stupid comment out there and then, as prevention is better than cure, and if nothing was done he could have then taken the issue to the media. Tahu instead decided to turn this into a Tsunami of cataclysmic proportions, now everyone is running around as if the sky is falling. I have copped much worse than this from ethnic groups but I don’t fall apart and cause such a commotion as this. I agree it should never have been said, but let’s not be turned into emotional cream puffs like the PC brigade want.
June 18th 2010 @ 3:16pm
clipper said | June 18th 2010 @ 3:16pm | Report comment
What happens if he had said something and the the same language was used again? (if this didn’t already happened). At what point would you say his actions would be justified – twice, ten times?
June 18th 2010 @ 4:17pm
Garry said | June 18th 2010 @ 4:17pm | Report comment
Clipper, I said sort it out at the time it was said, and if no acceptable action was taken at that exact moment, then Tahu could have taken it further, but we will never know as Tahu elected to put the cart before the horse. I am sorry but I can not make my meaning any simpler than that. So I don’t know what your point is with ( twice, ten times? )
June 18th 2010 @ 5:53pm
clipper said | June 18th 2010 @ 5:53pm | Report comment
What I meant to say is how do we know that he hasn’t said something before and nothing was done? He may have mentioned it to the culprit at the time (perhaps not Johns) and nothing was done, and this may have been the final straw – he may have tried several times and each time it was swept under the carpet. I see you said that if no acceptable action was taken he could have taken it further – if this has been the case do you think what he did was acceptable?
June 18th 2010 @ 6:17pm
Garry said | June 18th 2010 @ 6:17pm | Report comment
Clipper, what you are saying is purely supposition, just like other people claiming to know what John’s really meant, was he being racist or was he trying to fire up a team that was desperate to win, just using words that were crass. So the point is unless you have the facts, don’t use fiction, unlike a lying indigenous radical who claimed Tahu told him John’s went on a tirade of racial abuse, only to have Tahu say he had never spoken to this idiot.
June 18th 2010 @ 2:35pm
True Tah said | June 18th 2010 @ 2:35pm | Report comment
I never thought I’d see the day Andrew Johns and Robert Mugabe would be likened to one another.
June 18th 2010 @ 2:59pm
Garry said | June 18th 2010 @ 2:59pm | Report comment
True Tah, sorry you could not comprehend the point.
June 18th 2010 @ 9:15am
Garry said | June 18th 2010 @ 9:15am | Report comment
To ” Fly speck on the wall ” I forgot to mention one extremely important point. That is that you just called me “White Trash ” , now if I play by your rules, that would make you a “Racist ” just like you have accused John’s.
Now I am profoundly traumatized by your hurtful and insensitive racist remarks, that I have told my boss I will need the week off even though they need me, I have also contacted the media and everyone else for help, but they have told me I am ineligible for any assistance because I am white, and they are not interested in my nothing story, so I have just laughed it off and gone back to work, knowing stupid people make stupid comments and we will never live in a Utopian society.
June 19th 2010 @ 6:11pm
Fly on the Wall said | June 19th 2010 @ 6:11pm | Report comment
Garry, try to guess which part of my comment was sarcasm and which was intended as a barb. You seem to have as thin a skin as Tahu, as you might say.
I, and probably a few others, would like to know what would motivate someone like Johns to use the ‘black c…’ term? Forget all the other waffle surrounding this issue – Joey, please tell us what your reasoning was for using such terminology and why you thought it was appropriate / fair / okay / not racist. Unless it was having a go at women (the second word) then it must have been deliberating targeting Inglis’ race (the first word). QED (look it up, Garry).
Garry, there can never be any reconciliation and understanding and true brotherhood anywhere until the oppressive majority apologises for past wrongs and ceases to act / speak in such ways. Your Mugabe remark was silly – the man is clearly nuts and exacting what he sees as revenge for past inequalities of the colonial days. But that does not excuse him. (On another tangent, the same argument could be applied to the way Israel treats the Palestinians. Did they learn nothing from the Holocaust?) Johns’ comments reinforced the bad old days of ignorant whites rounding up aboriginals and shooting them, refusing to pay them, not counting them in the census, not allowing them to vote, introducing grog and STDs to their communities and so on and so on.
Nicky Winmar was no saint, but his gesture at Vilification Park back in 1993 was an incredible stand and helped change the culture of racism in the AFL.
Tahu’s might just spark the same kind of culture change in league circles.
June 19th 2010 @ 7:16pm
Dogs Of War said | June 19th 2010 @ 7:16pm | Report comment
“Tahu’s might just spark the same kind of culture change in league circles.”
Do you really think that the NRL is that far behind the AFL in this respect? Given that 2 former AFL’s have shown ignorance in this regards? And the NRL has a much more cultural mix that the AFL does?
Get off your high horse, it’s a problem in society, and sport is just a reflection of that. If you don’t believe me, just ask that Indian cab driver in Melbourne how he feels. Oh that’s right, it’s an AFL player, all is forgiven.
I am sure Tahu will fire up if select for next years Indigenous Players vs NRL All stars match next year, where it’s not just a token gesture like the AFL’s one, but rather one selected with all Indigenous players.
June 19th 2010 @ 7:28pm
Garry said | June 19th 2010 @ 7:28pm | Report comment
I just love it when radical hypocrites attempt to justify themselves and never address a question. Now by your logic it would have been OK for John’s to call Inglis a piece of ” Black Trash “, because it was OK for you to call me “White Trash” without any evidence, and you being so pure you would never be a racist would you ? or is reverse racism OK ( look it up ).
It can only appear you have never played a contact sport, so therefore it would be understandable that you could never understand the type of talk that goes on in the men’s sheds, be it right or wrong, anyone with an ounce of sense would know these players were not going to rush out and join the KKK after John’s gaffe ( look it up ).
It is only people like you who want to blame the past onto the present continuously, well taxpayers of all ethnic backgrounds have been donating billions to indigenous people for years, and know even politicians are asking where it all went, so don’t try and place your whinging campaign onto a brain explosion by John’s, or whining onto a generation that had nothing to do with the murders of both whites & aboriginals.
You talk about reconciliation, well we had Rudd leap to say “Sorry” and divided a nation, and what did this change, nothing, because there would have been natural attrition anyway (look it up) until people like you and your supporters keep rehashing, and blowing everything out of proportion, congratulations for giving this the enormous amount media attention it did not require.
June 21st 2010 @ 6:01pm
Ronnie the Eel said | June 21st 2010 @ 6:01pm | Report comment
Well said, Garry, very well said indeed. Specific points in there that these people either cannot, or will not get. According to their logic, they would label someone who drinks one glass of alcohol as an “alcoholic” – because that’s what alcoholics do don’t they – drink alcohol? They also love to label us bigot apologists or whatever other trendy holier than thou label they can next come up with. A serious dose of reality would do these pollyanna’s who live in the hope of a utopian la-la land the world of good.
June 21st 2010 @ 6:12pm
Ronnie the Eel said | June 21st 2010 @ 6:12pm | Report comment
One comment reinforcing the shooting and rounding up of Aboriginals way back when? Yet another joke. What is more relevant, the fact that there are miles more positives than negatives in the current cllimate for people of all races? Doesn’t everyone suffer from alcohol related-problems and STD’s?
You forget that the average age of Indigenous life-span has actually improved over time as the result of access to better health-care and not being speared by others for violating their rules. Instead of your STD’s read – beri-beri, tuberculosis and serious infections, just to name a few that would affect a population without the wonders of modern medicine. Or are you now going to argue that modern medicine and antibiotics were developed by Indigenous people or would have been? my lord… instead of whining about the negatives look for the positives… I’m sure if present day Indigenous people were to have the choice as living like they did before white settlement and living as they do now, they would choose the latter with an awareness of both options – especially the likes of GI and Timmy Tahu on their hundreds of thousands of dollars a year they are paid a season for playing a game….
June 21st 2010 @ 9:38pm
Garry said | June 21st 2010 @ 9:38pm | Report comment
The problem Ronnie is that when you ask the white bleeding hearts, the black radicals and the Greens some hard questions, you never get an answer, they just either lie or rant and rave, or keep quoting something that happened centuries ago, then have the effrontery to talk about reconciliation and moving on, so how contradictory is that. I have posed the question here, as to what do they want to happen to John’s after he has admitted it was a very poor choice of words and has apologized, but don’t be amazed that the blowhards here have still not responded, because their argument is so pathetically flawed. I believe Tahu and friends have milked this incident for every ounce they can get, even the Eels have caved in to Tahu’s pressure, sorry about that.
June 21st 2010 @ 10:17pm
Ronnie the Eel said | June 21st 2010 @ 10:17pm | Report comment
Not to worry, Garry, You are correct, they won’t come back with anything much at all, besides puritanical comments such as “it is unacceptable, and sacking him is not enough” and “I won’t stand for it!”. The Eels hierarchy are, just like most people in positions of power, too scared to do anything less than sack Johns, or else be forever labelled with the now all encroaching, bleeding heart cry of ‘you are a racist!”. Walking on eggshells for fear of having that tag dumped on you is what it is coming to – and for any action deemed by these radicals to be racist because it negatively affects anyone from another race is what they are out to do. I would not believe they would really know what ‘reconcilliation’ is, even if it jumped up and bit them.
June 22nd 2010 @ 7:06am
Garry said | June 22nd 2010 @ 7:06am | Report comment
Ronnie, your comment is spot on, hitting the mindless few who just follow political correctness blindly because they can not think for themselves . Unfortunately for John’s is that he has a high and somewhat tarnished reputation which makes good publicity for the one eyed PC brigade. If Tahu was a true friend he would have approached John’s and explained his concerns, but no he decided to bolt and seek media attention. Would Tahu and his supporters here have taken the same ridiculous action if John’s had used the words “White **** “, referring to an opposition player, definitely not, because they would have accepted that as being part and parcel of the game, and most importantly because they believe that there is no such thing as racism against whites or reverse racism. Basically their pathetic ultra sensitive psychic natures wanted to believe that John’s statement was “RACIST”, coming from a man who has indigenous players and friends sitting in front of him while he is trying to hype them up for a great performance, well that makes as much sense as some of the stupid comments posted here by the destructive PC boys, if they want to see real racism causing death and destruction look at the middle east, then they would see how insignificant their bleating is here.
June 21st 2010 @ 10:34pm
NY said | June 21st 2010 @ 10:34pm | Report comment
Well it tells people that if you make racist comments like Andrew Johns has, you will be branded a racist and feel humiliated. A good deterrent not to do it. No compensation is needed. Just humiliation for the aggressor, so he thinks twice about doing it again and becomes educated on how to act like a civilized human being.
June 22nd 2010 @ 8:16am
Clipper said | June 22nd 2010 @ 8:16am | Report comment
The Eels caved in to public pressure, the majority of whom were outraged. If most people thought like you then Johns would still be there. As I mentioned before, I thought Johns should be banned from all NRL activity for a period of at least 6 months and cited the example of Bryan Klien, who was banned for 6 months from Tennis for using those same words in a match.
June 22nd 2010 @ 9:14am
Garry said | June 22nd 2010 @ 9:14am | Report comment
“The Eels caved in to public pressure, the majority of whom were outraged”
It did not sound like too many were outraged when Tahu was booed last night at the football, and where do you get your statistics from Clipper ? This is not one of those broad sweeping statements that just materialize from you ultra super sensitive beat up specialists is it ? Maybe, just maybe you might look at the fact that TAHU is a Parramatta player under contract to play when he is not being offended when comments are directed at other players, and if John’s was still there, his sensitive nature might have traumatized him so much he would have not played for Parra too. Now come on, if you were Parramatta who would you sack, it’s not a hard question, but for people like you it might be one that you don’t want to answer.
June 22nd 2010 @ 9:30am
clipper said | June 22nd 2010 @ 9:30am | Report comment
I said the majority of the public, not parramatta rugby league fans. There were several polls, running 65-35 in Tahus favour – even in the Telegraph – thats what I’m basing my statements on.
June 22nd 2010 @ 3:22pm
Garry said | June 22nd 2010 @ 3:22pm | Report comment
Oh Clipper, you still have not told us what you would have done if….” John’s had used the words “White **** “, referring to an opposition player ” ? or, if it had been said by an indigenous player against a white player ?, or if John’s had used the words ” Black trash ” ?
Your comments are eagerly awaited.
June 22nd 2010 @ 3:53pm
clipper said | June 22nd 2010 @ 3:53pm | Report comment
Gary, if Johns had used the words White **** referring to an opposition player it would not have the same connotations as he is white. Black trash would’ve been just as bad, as it is derogatory. White **** said by a indigenous player, is again, derogatory and unacceptable, but would hardly justify Johns comments, but as you’ve said before this is purely supposition as this has not been reported as having been said. I still would like to know why you think this is political correctness and not just plain racist language.
June 22nd 2010 @ 9:29am
Ronnie the Eel said | June 22nd 2010 @ 9:29am | Report comment
Correct, those who are paid to do a job and have signed a binding legal contract must fulfill it’s terms – else they either should not be paid for the services they did not render, or be sacked if the offence is serious enough.
By the way, I believe we are talking about comments that were directed toward one Mr Greg Inglis. This is the man who lists his hobbies outside of football as using his girlfriend as a punching bag when he got home on one saturday night. Where were all you moralists and outraged radicals when that happened? Hiding behind your fear of making any comments that may be defined as being racially directed and speaking out, that’s where you were….