The world is a strange place. While people go hungry, militant groups try to take over the world, and politicians worry about how to hide their next helicopter trip, we in Australia sit at the dinner table and debate the merits and ethics of booing.
Booing has been around for a long time. Whether you hear it when a politician sets foot on stage or certain identities walk into a room, the art of booing has long been used by the Australian public.
Yet for the first time in a long time, a pastime which has always had a jovial undertone is being debated as a serious matter.
Unless you’ve been stuck in a helicopter high above Geelong, there is a national debate taking place over the justifications for booing one of the great champions of the AFL, Adam Goodes.
Conspiracy theories abound as to why the booing is taking place. Some think it’s for staging and acting for free kicks, others think it’s because he called out a 13-year-old girl in the crowd for a poor and uninformed remark about the player’s race.
The AFL thinks it might be to do with the colour of Adam’s skin.
The fact that is interesting in the whole debate is that no one knows why people are booing. I honestly don’t think Adam knows why people are booing, they just are.
What is clear in the debate is the seriousness with which booing is now be taken. It seems to have moved on from the jovial thing to do when you are watching the best player on the other team take your team apart. It seems to now being a representation of your opinion towards a players race, manner and personality.
Suddenly booing has become serious.
Booing does affect individuals. The King (Wally Lewis) has always said that it hurt a little bit when he, as Australian captain, would lead his team out onto the SCG to the sound of the crowd booing.
But Wally realised later in life that this booing wasn’t all that serious. He realised that the booing may indeed have been a compliment to the player and leader that he was for Queensland, rather then being anything judgemental about who he was as an individual.
The booing of Adam Goodes is interesting. It appears as though it began – or at least began to be noticed – after Adam established his views on the plights of Aboriginal people. And for many this has been established as the reason for the booing.
In becoming a higher profile athlete, Adam’s game was also more closely scrutinised. Through being scrutinised, certain people noticed Adam may have been exaggerating contact to draw free kicks.
Again, for many this has been put forward as the reason for the booing.
There are only two conclusions to draw on this debate. Firstly, for some reason people feel the need to boo Adam on the field of play and that need to boo will continue to be debated.
The second conclusion is a lot more serious. It appears that booing an individual – or at least this individual – is an ill-informed judgement call about someone based on what he does off the field and what he stands for on it.
Davo
Guest
So will the secrutity guards now holding golf signs "quiet please" when Adam Goodes gets the ball?
Rabbits
Guest
Hit the nail on the head Gyfox.
mick
Guest
The booing started when Goodes was staging for free kicks, but I think the truth is Adam has become the focus of Swans hating. Why does everyone hate the swans now? Its because they abused the rules to aquire 2 of the best forwards from a popular Melbourne team and the most popular Adelaide team. Simple. Nothing to do with racism. To those that boo, you are fools and must realize you are hassling a guy who's just out there doing his job. You are like the tossers who abuse parking inspectors or police.
Targa
Guest
He got booed after a 13 yearold girl called him a monkey. Of course it is driven by racism.
Targa
Guest
Maybe treat Aboriginals fairly and listen to their grievances. Maybe try to help. Try to get to make some more Aborigine friends. I'm a white Kiwi and I remember talking to some (white) Aussies who were surprised I had Maori mates - they didn't even know any Aborigines.
Mick Gold Coast QLD
Roar Guru
That is a fair summary Ads. I do disagree with your opening phrase though - I'd make a point of booing this palooka primarily because the thought police are demanding we do not. I am certain a mere sports administrator, a carpet bagging politician or an unelected official of any of the countless grievance pressure groups is not as well equipped as I am to determine what I can think or say. In my view he has brought the opprobrium on himself for his manner of play, for his off field sanctimony and for deliberately and publicly bullying a mere teenager to promote his self serving agenda. He doesn't like the consequences of his actions and is now sooking like a child about them. Too bad - he ought to have thought it through beforehand as an adult would. This bloke would do well to emulate what the Prime Minister has done quietly for years - spend part of his holidays living in northern aborigine "settlements" as a teacher, with not a television camera or media "reporter" anywhere in sight. He's busy in his important day job, I know, but there is a long break coming up for him which lasts until February 2016 during which he could spare a week to himself learn about conditions in Aurukun, Wadeye or Oombulgurri.
Anto
Guest
Wally was booed. Daly Cherry-Evans is booed. Stuart Broad is booed. Everyone accepts that for whatever reason, some players end up with that dubious "honour". Now, Goodes pulls out the racism card because he can't handle it. No other indigenous players are booed like that, yet because Goodes charges it as racism, every idiot just accepts as a given that this is the reason.
Targa
Guest
All we can do is be sorry, ask for forgiveness and offer our help, which all has been attempted. And treat them fairly and try to financially and socially recompense them for the 200 years of racist policies etc.
shirtfront
Guest
I couldn't have said it better myself Ads well done
Pope Paul VII
Guest
I'd like someone to put the BooOmeter retrospectively onto the often cited and celebrated villians - Aker, Carey, Dermie, Buckley and so on and determine exactly how persistant the booing of them was? I've followed footy for a long time and I can't recall sustained booing like this. So I'm challenging the ROAR gurus such as the mighty Ryan "Buckers" Buckland to get onto the level of Booing now compared to historical figure Booing. Every away game for Sydney encounters a parochial home crowd of course so it is amplified as the mob mentality takes hold but I want know where this stands. The umpy booing is impersonal and half the time they are cheered, albeit ironically.
George
Roar Rookie
BREAKING NEWS: AFL umpires taking indefinite leave after 100+ years of booing.
Alex L
Roar Rookie
Can someone please put a full transcript of Goodes Australia Day speech up on the front page of the AFL section of The Roar without alteration? I've read both that and his column regarding the film 'Utopia' and I don't really find anything objectionable or particularly divisive in there, though there are some strong words that I don't necessarily agree with in their entirety. I urge others to do the same. I think a lot of people have only seen partial quotes, many of which seem to be surrounded by commentary that is at best misinterpretation and at worst intentionally wrong -- this is especially common regarding his comments on 'Utopia' which indicate to me that he is upset that those who have benefited from the suffering of indigenous people refuse to acknowledge history, he's not calling for reparations in blood or trying to place blame but to hear some columnists tell it you'd think he was. With that said, I don't object to booing or presume to understand others motives, it's free expression and regardless of what motive you might attach to it, a boo is a racially neutral action.
Bob GOOCH
Guest
Mundine and Goodes a combo - look at Daniel Geale - love the guy, he's proud of his heritage and I have watched his every fight. Mundine is another matter and I reckon every Aussie would have loved him KOd - Poor victim Goodes - get over it
Bob GOOCH
Guest
We are not racists. Mundine has come out to support Goodes and we all know what Mundine is ! Comments can't be printed. Yet we love Daniel Geale and his heritage is aboriginal - I have watched every fight of Daniels and reckon he is a great guy who is proud of his heritage - Mundine and Goodes go hand in hand !
Pete
Guest
Did everybody else miss the fact that Lewis Jetta ended his Warrior dance with an up yours to the crowd. I am sure if any other player did this he would be fined or suspended. Oh that’s right his indigenous and different rules apply. I loved some of the quotes and headlines I have been reading. You can boo anybody but Adam Goodes or you can boo anybody but Adam Goodes and other indigenous players and my favorite tying indigenous players with the indigenous game (using that phrase to suggest some type of causal link. Now AFL is somehow an aboriginal sport that whites are allowed to play.
Don Freo
Guest
Two comments above are variations of the old, " I'm not racist but..." For those of us who are frustrated at the ugly, vocal 2%, why don't we (particularly at games) make a point of cheering vehemently for Goodsey every time he goes near a ball. What a statement that would be to the brainless few. What an even greater affirmation it would be for Goodsey and anyone who dares to advocate for a better world.
Gyfox
Guest
Ah, Gene, you don't get it. Adam Goodes is the only AFL player who has been chosen as Australian of the Year. He was chosen for that because he is aboriginal. And he took the position as an opportunity to draw attention to the problems facing the aboriginal people, past, present & in the future. That is why the other 70+ aboriginal players are different & have not been booed. They have not had the opportunity to speak & they have not confronted us with uncomfortable words.
Ads
Guest
I wouldnt boo Adam Goodes as its a childish thing to do, but I dont like Adam Goodes and his divisive opinions as I am simply sick of carrying the burden of guilt for the plight of aboriginal people. Im sick of being told how I have destroyed their lives. I am sick of being called a 'white dog c*nt' by aboriginal people, and then also a racist in the same breath. I am sick of aboriginals proudly celebrating their unique differences to the rest of us, but then roaring when they think they are being treated differently by the rest of us. I am sick of seeing generation after generation of aboriginal people failing to take responsibility for their own lives and use the sins of our history as the excuse they can not stand on their own legs now. We simply can not change history. All we can do is be sorry, ask for forgiveness and offer our help, which all has been attempted. Instead of blaming modern Australia for the sins of our dead ancestors, how about coming up with some real ideas for forgiveness, acceptance and change so 'your' people and 'my' people can become 'our' people. Stand up in spite of what has happened, not lay down because of it.
WhereIsGene
Guest
Fans hate Adam Goodes for a variety of reasons. Obviously the idea that everyone who boos Goodes is a racist is so mind numbingly stupid that it isn't even worth discussing, but to those people who genuinely believe that a sizable portion of Goodes booers are racists (say, 20% perhaps?) I would ask this question - why isn't this significant portion of every opposition club's supporters booing OTHER Aboriginal players every week? Do they simply keep their mouths shut whenever Lewis Jetta gets the ball for some inexplicable reason? There is a vacuum of logic in the arguments of left wingers screeching about racism whenever the booing of Goodes is discussed. These people are relying mostly on emotion to put their point across because their warped views simply don't stack up against any reasonable scrutiny. Its just "the vibe", right guys?
Jim
Guest
If whites don't like Aborigines, perhaps they should go back to England or wherever.