Matt Rendell situation thread # 4

[Deaneus!]

I'm religious... Does Footy Park have one, and where is it? I might have some quiet time with the big man upstairs on Saturday before the game.

 

[jenny61_99]

Not sure what the big deal is - this would first and foremost be a marketing decision by the AFL to increase the patronage by a whole new potential market.

It's probably as much a gesture of inclusiveness than anything else .One of the smarter things the AFL have done recently.

Ah yes, "Inclusiveness". So I guess then if the prayer room is a generic prayer room, it will welcome Muslims, Jews, Catholics, Buddhists, Mormons, Baptists, Prodestants, extremists of all faiths and any other denomination, to pray together in peace and harmony. Interesting times ahead me thinks!

To be fair, the AFL introduced to Colonial Stadium (Ethihad now) when they built it, rooms for parents which allowed mums/dads to feed their bubs and change them in a clean environment albeit completely walled. Even had little TVs with live feeds to the game so you didn't miss anything. Vast improvement on the G, Gabba, Aami (any other ground for that matter!) where you were forced to change the kid either on the toilet floor or on the seat of the loo!. But I see this as more a common sense thing. Every ethnic and non-ethnic group have kids, as well as elderly people who are not as mobile as they once were, and people with disabilities, so here you are catering to the general masses and not just the few. Prayer rooms are one step too far IMO.

 

[Huntercrow]

I am a devout follower of a very obscure religion, the Hari Spacklers.

Not too many demands - all I require to worship during matches is a glass-fronted room with a view of the ground, a well-stocked mini bar, some snacks and a few comfy chairs for me and my brethren. The worshipping ceremony takes approximately 4 x 20 minutes plus time on.

Hopefully AD can come up with the goods.

Yes to this! Footy is my religion!

 

[Godallblighty]

Corporates pay for that privilege. Who funds the prayer room?

A prayer room will cost sod-all. It'll be a converted broom closet. If you don't use every facility at a ground, you should have the cost deducted from your ticket?

To be fair, the AFL introduced to Colonial Stadium (Ethihad now) when they built it, rooms for parents which allowed mums/dads to feed their bubs and change them in a clean environment albeit completely walled. Even had little TVs with live feeds to the game so you didn't miss anything. Vast improvement on the G, Gabba, Aami (any other ground for that matter!) where you were forced to change the kid either on the toilet floor or on the seat of the loo!. But I see this as more a common sense thing.

Parents with babies in nappies would be a pretty small percentage of footy-goers. Is this pandering to a minority then?

 

[RocknRoll]

A prayer room will cost sod-all. It'll be a converted broom closet. If you don't use every facility at a ground, you should have the cost deducted from your ticket?

People dont understand the necessity for Muslims to pray at very specific times throughout the day. If there is no facility to pray they will not attend matches - simple as that. The AFL will bear the cost who will presumably get greater earnings from increased ticket sales.
Its no skin off your nose peeps - stop being so intolerant. Will the introduction of prayer rooms affect your enjoyment of the game in any form? If the answer is no - just **** off and mind your own business.

 

[Peter Doherty]

I was just watching ESPN, there was an African American woman making claims that an unnamed NFL scout who criticised a potential African American draftee (in a newspaper article) was racially motivated.

Interesting.

 

[Mattrox]

Islam requires prayer at specific times. Outside those times, punters can drop in and send a message upstairs to increase their luck.

 

[jenny61_99]

A prayer room will cost sod-all. It'll be a converted broom closet. If you don't use every facility at a ground, you should have the cost deducted from your ticket?




Parents with babies in nappies would be a pretty small percentage of footy-goers. Is this pandering to a minority then?

Not sure that mothers were complaining or demanding of it? I just know it was most appreciated when I had a 2 week old!

 

[jenny61_99]

People dont understand the necessity for Muslims to pray at very specific times throughout the day. If there is no facility to pray they will not attend matches - simple as that. The AFL will bear the cost who will presumably get greater earnings from increased ticket sales.
Its no skin off your nose peeps - stop being so intolerant. Will the introduction of prayer rooms affect your enjoyment of the game in any form? If the answer is no - just **** off and mind your own business.

So can we cater for Jews who can't come out on the Sabbath? How about the food we provide - will our pies be kosher? Our hot dogs halal? Perhaps we can provide some REAL dog for the people who prefer it?

Prayer time for Muslims (and there are 6 times a day) will mostly only affect day and twighlight games with the last prayer time falling before a night game kicks off. So we are catering for one or two games a week. There are also other requirements for islamic prayer (wudu) that would mean the prayer rooms will need to be much more than a broom closet.

And no, it's no skin off everyone's noses at the moment. But if we are providing amenities for one religion, we must do it for all surely?

 

[chigwidden]

So can we cater for Jews who can't come out on the Sabbath? How about the food we provide - will our pies be kosher? Our hot dogs halal? Perhaps we can provide some REAL dog for the people who prefer it?

And no, it's no skin off everyone's noses at the moment. But if we are providing amenities for one religion, we must do it for all surely?

Since orthodox Jews don't travel on the sabbath, they're not likely to come to the footy. Having said that, I attend most Swans games with a Jewish friend.

Halal food is already available at the venues I attend. Sydney is great like that.

The prayer room is available to any denomination, as with the prayer rooms at airports. So there is an amenity for all. It causes no more problems having mixed denominations there than it does having opposing team members sitting next to each other in the stands, so it's hard to imagine it would cause any problems, and it solves at least one for the AFLs longer term plans and growth.

I notice that there's no banning of alcohol, for example, because the current patrons not being inconvenienced is a major factor. That's why sabbath games will continue despite orthodox Jews being unable to attend, and why alcohol will be served, despite Muslim strictures against it. The prayer room inconveniences absolutely no existing patrons, hence it's a suitable option.

 

[Adelaide Cows]

So can we cater for Jews who can't come out on the Sabbath? How about the food we provide - will our pies be kosher? Our hot dogs halal? Perhaps we can provide some REAL dog for the people who prefer it?quote]

This is where your aruguement goes astray, they are not stopping anyone from watching the footy whilst the prayers are taking place. And no one will change the the contents of the food whilst the majority still buy. But if alongside our footy favourites they did offer other choices and they sold what is the problem.

Why the paranoia

 

[jenny61_99]

Not paranoid at all. If you go back to the meaning of this thread, we are talking about a situation where things have gotten way out of hand. Where one person took offense (apparently) at some well meaning (but poorly worded) ideas from Matt Rendell. Where Rendell - a good guy (and apparent mate!), with 30 something years in the game - gets shafted because of some politically correct directive from the AFL, while someone else - the person who took offense at Rendells comments in the first place - breaks a confidence with people he is supposed to represent, and spreads incorrect information to the media and gets nothing but a slap on the wrist.

You say these changes aren't stopping anyone from watching footy. But footy as we all knew it, is constantly changing. It is being sanitised at every opportunity. We can't have drunk fans, so we limit where and how much they can drink. You certainly can't smoke anywhere. Our grand final is all about corporate $$$, **** the two teams that are playing in it and their fans. The tribunal has all but eliminated the biff. Corporate expectations and responsibilities has removed most of the 'character' from our game. And now we cater for "religion". It won't be long before there are calls for other changes within our sport, to appease yet another group. In isolation, no problems really. When considered as a whole, it has changed our game incredibly. Are you happy with the way our game is headed? Really?

 

[Allefgib]

The game is simply keeping up with society.

 

[jenny61_99]

Your predictive text (that or your typing) needs some work!

If you try to please all of the people all of the time, you get a far lesser product in the end.

 

[Allefgib]

No idea how a prayer room impacts the game tbh. Footy is fantastic.

 

[cmndstab]

Yeah, I don't really see the problem with a prayer room. It's one room. If you don't want to use it, you don't have to. It's not as though the AFL is banning people who don't want to use it.

Nothing issue for mine. I can't even believe it's become a topic of debate.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Yeah, I don't really see the problem with a prayer room. It's one room. If you don't want to use it, you don't have to. It's not as though the AFL is banning people who don't want to use it.

Nothing issue for mine. I can't even believe it's become a topic of debate.

The reason it's a topic is because 'us Aussies' just cannot believe how religion can have such a strong hold over anyone to the point that they can't even go and watch a game of footy without contravening some rule.

"No offense Apu, but when they were handing out religions, you must have been out taking a whizz"

 

[Wood_Duck]

It's mostly the 'what next' factor that is the reason its become an issue. What happens when the modified broom closet is no longer sufficient to cater for the masses of multi religious brethren that will now flood the gates of AFL venues across Australia.

 

[cmndstab]

I think people see this as a huge change, how we're bending to religion, but prayer rooms already exist almost everywhere in football. I know the Westpac Centre has one, for example.

 

[twentydollarnote]

I am a devout follower of a very obscure religion, the Hari Spacklers.

Not too many demands - all I require to worship during matches is a glass-fronted room with a view of the ground, a well-stocked mini bar, some snacks and a few comfy chairs for me and my brethren. The worshipping ceremony takes approximately 4 x 20 minutes plus time on.

Hopefully AD can come up with the goods.

lol good stuff

 

[SydCrow]

anybody know what Matt's status is? Has he found another job? Freddy do you know?

Can we quietly re-employ him in some capacity now that he has been "re-educated"?

 

[Freddy Bassett]

anybody know what Matt's status is? Has he found another job? Freddy do you know?

Can we quietly re-employ him in some capacity now that he has been "re-educated"?

Spoke to him for 45 minutes over Easter.... All he spoke of was how the club is in good hands. He spoke also of how Hamish is constantly in contact with him, how he doesn't blame the club at all, he will not take legal action.. He gave me his official Crows gear, which is all 17 sizes to big...
He did not utter a bad word about the club... Said the club had no other option...He did mention he went on too long, was over it...

After the conversation I probably realised Jenny and Fatoomsch had solid points... Jenny with her defence of Trigg, which I was totally against at the time and Fatoomsch with the fact he was totally over it

The club has lost a great man...

 

[Allefgib]

Good on you Freddy - appreciate the update and specifically Matty R's views on the club options etc.

I'm still bitterly disappointed we couldn't create a different outcome, but will have to let the situation rest as it is, esp given Matt's own views.

I reckon the gear might be jsut right for me if you want to donate...

 

[Freddy Bassett]

Good on you Freddy - appreciate the update and specifically Matty R's views on the club options etc.

I'm still bitterly disappointed we couldn't create a different outcome, but will have to let the situation rest as it is, esp given Matt's own views.I reckon the gear might be jsut right for me if you want to donate...

Very true.....

 

[Allefgib]

and the gear...