To sledge or not to sledge?

[Slatts]

Recently there has been much controversy over the
sledging issue. The tribunal indicated that it wasn't
going to take any crap from players who attacked
other players verbally.(Libba vs Gehrig)
But isn't it all just words? Do words mean anything at
all to footy players?
Sam Newman and D Brereton believe that whats said
on the field should stay on the field but is this view
reasonable? It's all in the name of the game they say
but shouldn't we clean up the game to make it all
based on skill?
We don't allow racial slurs on the field but is that
where the buck stops, should it keep on going to keep
the game clean? Aren't these words just tactics used
to put people off their games? The sledgers don't really
mean what they say but does that still make it okay?

Footballers are grown men and this should roll off their
backs. On 3aw, I actually listened to rex as he
explained the day he played footy after his father's
death and was sledged by his opponent who said
something like "I hope your father rots in hell".
According to rex, this cut him to the bone and he had
to go off the field. Is this fair? the sledger succeeded
in his tactic but is there a line we shouldn't cross
between a person's ability and their personal life?

I believe sledging is fine as long as it is focussed on
what players do on the field rather than their
personal lives. But there are many conflicting issues
here?

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

 

[S. Warne]

I think your mother swims out to meet troop ships and you sit down to piss.

 

[Dave]

Personally, racial stuff aside, I reckon anything goes. If you can't handle being sledged you shouldn't be out there. Is there any difference between being called a rapist, a w***er, fatboy or dickhead?

 

[Eagle_Fan]

Yes. Being called a rapist attacks the players character, whereas most insults just attack their ability or lack of it.

What convinced me that Brown & Libba deserved their fines was that they were warned during the first half of the game. The officiating umpires drew the line at what they were saying, and told them so. Then Brown did it again. --> $$$$ Libba apologised before the incident, so was a bit unlucky I guess.

Anyway, I don't believe that sledging should be outlawed, it would be a shame. But it would also be nice for players to have a level of integrity that stopped them from going too far (which unfortunately the Bulldogs don't seem to). Just leave it up to the umpires on the ground. If they recieve a complaint they deem warrented, warn the perpetrator. If they repeat, then make a post-game report. Just one opinion anyway....

 

[Grendel]

Maybe mouthguards coded to react to certain words which when said, would give an electric chargeto offender.
You know the old pavlov's dog trick. After a while the fear of the shock would trigger an automatic impulse to repress the utterance.

Its a PC world gone mad.

 

[Dave]

Originally posted by Eagle_Fan:
Yes. Being called a rapist attacks the players character, whereas most insults just attack their ability or lack of it.

And being called a w***er/****ter/shit for brains *doesn't* attack your character???

 

[Slatts]

It's interesting to speculate on why Gehrig responded the way he did on the field. He wasn't involved in the off-field investigations in any way and yet was affected by it. Could be that maybe he has a skeleton in the closet. That suggestion also could be a load of crap as well.

However, I don't see why playing football gives you the right to say such abusive things about their personal life when you wouldn't even contemplate it in real life.
Clean up the game I say!

 

[cc]

Is there such a thing as footballer's privilege ? I do not think so. Footballers as members of the community are entitled to protect their reputations. The football feild does not offer an excuse for slander.