Mega Thread Matt Rendell situation thread #2

[afc1991]

Nah.. it is dying out. Albeit slowly.

Between midnight & 2:45pm yesterday there were 126 posts in this thread. Today we've had just 111 posts in the same period. Most of today's posts have been stirred up by the news of Mifsud's interview, I'd say the count would have been less than 50 if he had opted to remain silent. While I haven't bothered counting them, I'd also guess that there have been considerably fewer people posting in this thread in the same period.

Well, we will see it misfud flames it tonight.

 

[mulz]

Given that he's been tried & convicted of the crime, I don't think it's too rash of them to tweet using language implying his guilt.

I'm hoping Mifsud tells us what Rendell had to say and explains why he found it so offensive.

I'm beyond considering that there's even a possibility of Rendell's innocence. Anyone still believing that needs to open both eyes.. and stop believing in Father Christmas, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy.

I want to know what he said - and why it was so bad that he had to be sacked, a penalty far exceeding the precedents set by others who made racist comments?

unfortunately i have to agree with you here vader, there no doubt something offensive was said in my mind.
the answers im looking for is why has this been dealt in such an unproffessional manner?
how an informal conversation can lead to a man being branded a rascist in such a public way?


some of the ppl tweeting mifsud have to ask themselves are they helping the matter or making it worse? He is not gonna answer questions over twitter. Seems to me it could be doing MR more hurt than good. wait till the mangrook interview is aired. Then you can fire away.

 

[Vader]

the answers im looking for is why has this been dealt in such an unproffessional manner?

A good question.. but I don't think Mifsud would be able to answer it. The true answer lies with his boss...

how an informal conversation can lead to a man being branded a rascist in such a public way?

It wasn't informal. It was an official meeting between the 3 of them. That doesn't invalidate the rest of your question though.

some of the ppl tweeting mifsud have to ask themselves are they helping the matter or making it worse? He is not gonna answer questions over twitter. Seems to me it could be doing MR more hurt than good. wait till the mangrook interview is aired. Then you can fire away.

I've said it before.. and I'll say it again.. Only twits twitter.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Has anyone else lost their job in the AFL due to racism?

 

[mulz]

It wasn't informal. It was an official meeting between the 3 of them. That doesn't invalidate the rest of your question though.

fair call, i read it as sort of informal because i thought MR said he "happened" to be in the office when they were there and they asked for a chat. I could of heard that wrong.

 

[Truck Rutten]

A good question.. but I don't think Mifsud would be able to answer it. The true answer lies with his boss...

It wasn't informal. It was an official meeting between the 3 of them. That doesn't invalidate the rest of your question though.

I've said it before.. and I'll say it again.. Only twits twitter.

Source? Rendell specifically said he was on holidays, but just happened to be in the office on the day Mifsud came by.

 

[Huntercrow]

On holidays and he called in at work!

He should have been sacked just for that!

 

[Truck Rutten]

Given that he's been tried & convicted of the crime, I don't think it's too rash of them to tweet using language implying his guilt.

I'm hoping Mifsud tells us what Rendell had to say and explains why he found it so offensive.

I'm beyond considering that there's even a possibility of Rendell's innocence. Anyone still believing that needs to open both eyes.. and stop believing in Father Christmas, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy.

I want to know what he said - and why it was so bad that he had to be sacked, a penalty far exceeding the precedents set by others who made racist comments?

Tried and convicted? What, by a kangaroo court, with Vlad publicly calling for the head of whoever made the comments, knowing full well who it was. How can you argue with due process like that

Anybody who puts much stock in what Mifsud says tonight, and who thinks this isn't a carefully stagemanaged PR exercise, needs to wake up to the fact that the current AFL regime is a better exponent of spin than Shane Warne ever was, and to stop believing in unicorns too.

I doubt we'll ever know exactly what happened now.

 

[Truck Rutten]

On holidays and he called in at work!

He should have been sacked just for that!

Dropped in for Friday knockoff drinks?

He did say why, but I can't remember for sure. Might have been to watch the AIS boys train or something like that.

 

[Vader]

Source? Rendell specifically said he was on holidays, but just happened to be in the office on the day Mifsud came by.

Searching, searching, searching. I know I read the word "official" in an article this morning.. But I'm blowed if I can find the article now.

Fairly sure it was the article in which Rob Chapman backed Trigg's actions.. but I can't find the paragraph I was looking for in the versions currently online.

 

[Vader]

Tried and convicted? What, by a kangaroo court, with Vlad publicly calling for the head of whoever made the comments, knowing full well who it was. How can you argue with due process like that

I think he was given fair process as far as being found guilty. The real issue lies with determining his punishment.

Here's an interesting comment, coming from a Rucci article on Chapman's comments:

Rendell's warning AFL clubs ultimately would draft only Aborigines if they had one white parent was not the major point of indignation from Mifsud.

Rather, Rendell's call for 30 under-16 indigenous players to be sent to Melbourne on scholarships two years before they could be drafted is what offended him.

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/afl/matt-rendell-sacking-right-thing-to-do-says-adelaide-boss/story-e6freck3-1226306585091
That pretty much backs up what I've been saying for the last 36hrs, about it being the academy concept which was the problematic part of the discussion.

Even Rendell has admitted that he was in the wrong. How can you persist in believing that he is innocent?

 

[Truck Rutten]

IMO this article is the most balanced media commentary we have seen on this issue so far:

Football race row really is not that black and white

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport...-black-and-white/story-e6frecoc-1226306688820

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport...-black-and-white/story-e6frecoc-1226306688820

Yep, I think that sums things up well. Rendell may have expressed his good intentions in a flawed manner, but the way this has been subsequently handled by a supposedly professional organisation, is just deplorable. This Mifsud guy needs to at the very least be demoted. If he was truly offended but didn't object, then proceeded to sit on it for weeks and weeks, then he's clearly a shithouse communicator who's inadequately skilled to hold the position he currently does. But the AFL will ensure that he and his sidekick come out of this smelling like roses, with Rendell being totally at fault.

 

[Vader]

Source? Rendell specifically said he was on holidays, but just happened to be in the office on the day Mifsud came by.

Found the quote at last. It's in an article from yesterday's The Age, written by Michael Gleeson:

The meeting between Rendell and the AFL's Jason Mifsud that caused the controversy occurred at the Crows' offices on February 6. Mifsud and Rendell were friends and former colleagues from St Kilda, so Mifsud contacted him while on business in Adelaide with his colleague, Ali Fahour, and organised to meet. It was an unscheduled but official meeting.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/rendells-fate-sends-right-message-20120320-1vi0z.html?rand=1332247284552

 

[Mattrox]

I think he was given fair process as far as being found guilty. The real issue lies with determining his punishment.

Here's an interesting comment, coming from a Rucci article on Chapman's comments:

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport...ys-adelaide-boss/story-e6freck3-1226306585091
That pretty much backs up what I've been saying for the last 36hrs, about it being the academy concept which was the problematic part of the discussion.

Even Rendell has admitted that he was in the wrong. How can you persist in believing that he is innocent?

JM's tweets about assimilation also backs up this as the part he is offened about. I can only think that MR must have communicated very ineffectively and casually, given that scolarships are already offered and football academys are already on the agenda.

But I gather that the "meeting" was impromptu as well because on FC MR said he had dropped in to see AIS boys train and he was on holidays at the time. Something you say in a relaxed converstion would be entirely different than a formal proposal. MR used the wrong language to communicate his ideas and caused offence.

I disagree with fair process because he was not told until after the FC interview (before the MMM interview) what has actually caused offence. This is the bit that needed mediation but AD had shot his mouth off about "looking for another job" and was on the war path already. This is not due process.

I agree with the punishment not fitting the offence committed. And I am worried about the inconsistency of consequences of racially devicive remarks.

 

[afc1991]

Even Rendell has admitted that he was in the wrong. How can you persist in believing that he is innocent?

He has no choice. Misfud and ali say they are offended, so he cant say they are not. He also wants it to go away. How many times in life do you disagree with someone but just concde, because the argument is more trouble than what its worth, and theres nothing to be gained by going around in circles?

Misfuds actions are not consistant with the story, and his comments are full of contradictions.. like on twitter... 'a white australia policy cant be tolerated', "i never said rendell was racist." Genius.

 

[ruscy002]

I think he was given fair process as far as being found guilty. The real issue lies with determining his punishment.

Here's an interesting comment, coming from a Rucci article on Chapman's comments:

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport...ys-adelaide-boss/story-e6freck3-1226306585091
That pretty much backs up what I've been saying for the last 36hrs, about it being the academy concept which was the problematic part of the discussion.

Even Rendell has admitted that he was in the wrong. How can you persist in believing that he is innocent?

I call bullshit on the bolded part. This whole shit storm started because Mifsud brought up the comments from a recruiter that they would only draft Aboriginal players with one white parent. Then Vlad made the comment about the phantom recruiter who was peddling the white parent comment, and said they should be looking for a new job.

It was this "one white parent" comment that caused the itchy trigger fingers at AFL House and West Lakes - the offense caused by the academy proposal was used as supplementary evidence to justify the swift and unjust punishment.

 

[Thylacinus]

I would say there has been some behind the scenes work going on. Rendell has apologised. It will be interesting to see how things pan out and whether reinstatement is a possibility.

 

[afc1991]

I call bullshit on the bolded part. This whole shit storm started because Mifsud brought up the comments from a recruiter that they would only draft Aboriginal players with one white parent. Then Vlad made the comment about the phantom recruiter who was peddling the white parent comment, and said they should be looking for a new job.

It was this "one white parent" comment that caused the itchy trigger fingers at AFL House and West Lakes - the offense caused by the academy proposal was used as supplementary evidence to justify the swift and unjust punishment.

Indeed.

 

[Wood_Duck]

Can you be offended retrospectively? Sounds like there is a lot of this going on.

 

[Truck Rutten]

I think he was given fair process as far as being found guilty. The real issue lies with determining his punishment.

Here's an interesting comment, coming from a Rucci article on Chapman's comments:

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/afl/matt-rendell-sacking-right-thing-to-do-says-adelaide-boss/story-e6freck3-1226306585091
That pretty much backs up what I've been saying for the last 36hrs, about it being the academy concept which was the problematic part of the discussion.

Even Rendell has admitted that he was in the wrong. How can you persist in believing that he is innocent?

Guilty of what? Of not expressing himself as well as he could have? Of desperately wanting to help find a way to keep indigenous kids in the game. As others have pointed out there are already acadamies in place, and there are god knows how many programs in society offering assistance to indigenous people, acknowledging the challenges they often face. All racist too then I guess.

If Mifsud took offence (which is still a great mystery given that Rendell was absolutely oblivious to it as recently as during the FC interview, and the whole thing only came to light because of a casual comment to a journalist from The Age some 6 weeks later) and didn't challenge his mate on it at the time, or over the ensuing 6 weeks, then he's just not up to the job he holds.

FWIW Cornesy who unlike us has spoken with MR, believes just as much as he may have expressed himself poorly, Matt also put noses out of joint with the way he implored Mifsud and co to not stuff around and wait to make changes, and with the passion and intensity he delivered the message with. Nothing offends/hurts people more than being told they're not good enough/doing a good enough job.

 

[Mattrox]

I would say there has been some behind the scenes work going on. Rendell has apologised. It will be interesting to see how things pan out and whether reinstatement is a possibility.

From my impression of MR'S interviews I don't think he wants that. Vlad wouldn't allow it anyway now. That would be embarrassing for him.

 

[johnnypanther]

The AFL spin machine is rewriting history here and they are most fortunate that their victim is such a nice guy and so magnanimous.
If i was Rendell - i would be fighting tooth and nail to destroy the AFL, Vlad, Ali Baba, Soapsud.......
and f*** the AFC too - limp-wristed subservient responses.

I could write a proper and thoroughly researched PhD thesis on this matter - this goes far beyond simple allegations of racist comments...

 

[ruscy002]

From my impression of MR'S interviews I don't think he wants that. Vlad wouldn't allow it anyway now. That would be embarrassing for him.

Demetriou did say that was possible if Rendell had "learned his lesson". In public that sounds like "don't be such a naughty little racist" when we all know it really means "don't **** with me, there's a reason why people call me Vlad".

 

[The_Wookie]

From my impression of MR'S interviews I don't think he wants that. Vlad wouldn't allow it anyway now. That would be embarrassing for him.

What a crock. Demetriou stated On the Couch on Monday that he believes in second chances and that Rendell isnt finished. The man was fired by the Crows, after a suitable time off he'll be back somewhere when the heat dies down.

 

[SydCrow]

I call bullshit on the bolded part. This whole shit storm started because Mifsud brought up the comments from a recruiter that they would only draft Aboriginal players with one white parent. Then Vlad made the comment about the phantom recruiter who was peddling the white parent comment, and said they should be looking for a new job.

It was this "one white parent" comment that caused the itchy trigger fingers at AFL House and West Lakes - the offense caused by the academy proposal was used as supplementary evidence to justify the swift and unjust punishment.

agreed - some massive revisionism seems to be going on here