Crossing the line.

[Norm De Guerre]

I found it interesting that as part of a wider discussion on supporter/player interaction in relation to last weeks Alister Clarkson brouhaha during Peter Gordon's weekly spot on 774 this morning, he mentioned that he felt compelled to apologize on behalf of the club to an unnamed player who left at the end of last year for what was regularly written about him on places like Facebook and interestingly BigFooty. Gordon indicated that the player felt that they could no longer represent a club who's supporters expressed themselves about him in the way they did, safe in the knowledge that they were doing so in near complete anonymity. It wasn't clear to me as to whether this was a concern that the club was made aware of leading up to and thus a contributing factor in the players departure or whether it was mentioned on his way out of the door. Nevertheless, as I mentioned I found it interesting, though not at all surprising.

I understand that Facebook and twitter can be the wild west when it comes to these types of comments, but now that a little light has been shone into our collective basements. Do you think that this board regularly crosses the line too far into the personal when it comes to our critiques of the players that represent our club, or do you think that once they pull on the boots they become fair game?

 

[gangsta deluxe]

So - Jones or Tutt?

 

[Norm De Guerre]

So - Jones or Tutt?

Players name wasn't mentioned obviously. But I knew the first reply would be from a Sherlock Holmes type.

 

[mambavino]

I'm not a particularly prolific poster on here, but I didn't really think there was that many occasions where people crossed the line in their criticism of any of the players that left at the end of last year.

Social Media is another kettle of fish though, and I don't think there is anything anyone can do about it. If you're a public figure nothing good will ever come from reading what's written about you on BookFace.

 

[Doggies_13]

I think as long as the comments aren't personal and about their personal life, there is no issue. If the comments are about there football in general and their ability or lack thereof, or their work rate then it's fair game to critcise that, they are paid to perform on the field and supporter can comment on their on field performance without personally attacking a player. On another note no one forces them to come here and read this forum obviously some do through Peter Gordons comments and through Rougheads comments last year.

 

[Testekill]

I think that Tutt is probably the player in question.


But yes, posters on here and facebook (facebook being the bigger one because the people on there are ****ing ferals) have a tendency to unreasonably attack the player.

 

[BallaratBulldog]

There is not much you can do about the age of the internet and social media. You can only just ignore it with tougher skin.

 

[Wizard17]

There are one or two that go overboard in this forum but the vast majority of us stay reasonable.

There are a few on here who have a go at players because of a general dislike for that player/s we know who they are, that is when it goes too far.

 

[fargy]

Facebook can be brutal and more often than not completely uneducated. Part and parcel unfortunately, and I don't think changing clubs will help as every club has a bunch of tools that attack players personally because they get a preconceived idea of what they are like in person from their footy style.
Personally I prefer to support anyone within our club.

 

[gangsta deluxe]

I'm more inclined to think that it is here, at least a bit. Facebook isnt anonymous after all.

 

[LukasTheGreat]

Higgins you'd think.

 

[Norm De Guerre]

I think as long as the comments aren't personal and about their personal life, there is no issue. If the comments are about there football in general and their ability or lack thereof, or their work rate then it's fair game to critcise that, they are paid to perform on the field and supporter can comment on their on field performance without personally attacking a player. On another note no one forces them to come here and read this forum obviously some do through Peter Gordons comments and through Rougheads comments last year.

I have no doubt that Peter Gordon is a regular reader of this board. Hello Pete!

 

[maddog37]

Soft as butter. Seriously got to question why they would even read bigfooty etc. when you know people are just gonna drive the boots in.

 

[the dog's kennel]

Facebook can be brutal and more often than not completely uneducated. Part and parcel unfortunately, and I don't think changing clubs will help as every club has a bunch of tools that attack players personally because they get a preconceived idea of what they are like in person from their footy style.

This is what I think. I feel sorry for Tutt (I presume it's him). But he will discover soon that whatever made him attackable at the Dogs would make him just as attackable by the next pack of d$%Khead fans. He will basically stopped being attacked when he either gets good or when he falls out of contention.

This is especially the case seeing as the fans of the new club will know exactly what the fans of the old club had to say about him. So they will be that much more likely to say the same thing if he doesn't improve rapidly.

It's sad, and it's unfair. But it's life, i'm afraid.

 

[Wizard17]

I have no doubt that Peter Gordon is a regular reader of this board. Hello Pete!

I think there's a few that do. Hopefully they know who are good posters who speaks sense, who are the ones who are lacking in common sense and when people get emotional.

 

[Cori]

It's like the 'mean tweets' segment you see pop up on youtube every now and then. Anyone in the spotlight will cop constant criticism. Players have to understand that a great majority of the internet is a vapid wasteland of ignorant arseholes who are not worth the time it took to open a web browser. Keep to internal expectations, stick your fingers in your ears, or better yet, never go on facebook while you're employed at an AFL club.

 

[Bemoreboyddog]

I think it could be Tom Williams. He didn't say traded away, retired, or delisted. Think he and Jones probably copped the most, though I've heard Howard cop a bunch, even at VFL level from our fans.

 

[cammo78]

I'm sorry, but people have been bagging footballers since the dawn of time. I pay my money, and I will damn well critique their football performances as much as I please.

I've never seen anyone on this forum get personal, vindictive or what I'd consider to be "crossing the line". And I wouldn't condone that sort of thing.

But to suggest that people don't have the right to call out professional sportspeople on their performance is both laughable and naive, for mine.

 

[fargy]

I've never seen anyone on this forum get personal, vindictive or what I'd consider to be "crossing the line". And I'd condone that sort of thing.

Just out of curiosity is this a typo or would you really condone crossing the line?

 

[Super Hans]

Please, no one is making them go on a football website, what do they expect? I've hardly seen anything about race, sexuality etc on here.

If it's actually football related then the player is weak as piss.

 

[gangsta deluxe]

Lol Ayce Cordy would be traumatised if he came on here.

 

[Yojimbo]

The football industry is a tough existence in these modern
times of social media where a picture can condemn very
quickly. I watched the Steven Motlop episode at Geelong
where he had consumed alcohol 3 to 4 days before a
game and was suspended for a game and made to sit in
the box and every time the opposition scored they would
cross to a dejected Motlop in the box. A bit off topic i
know so yeah i guess we do cross the line at times, but
you have to call a spade a spade and it's hard to put
lipstick on a pig.

 

[threenewpadlocks]

Firsttly, honestly, it could be anyone player thag left. Every player who left have had their fair share of criticisms from this board. By trying to guess names people are guilty of exactly what Gordon was saying. And which player in particular doesn't matter. It's more the overall concern in general about stepping over the line irrespective of the player in question.

Sayinf "it wasn't me" doesn't achieve anything.

 

[gangsta deluxe]

It wasn't Griff or Cooney.

Griff never copped it, and Cooney wanted to stay. The others are all likely candidates though.

 

[dergert]

As long as it isn't directed at their family, or anything where it involves a realistic chance if violence i don't see the harm?