The world has certainly changed since I was growing up.
As a child I was encouraged to ask questions. The theory being that by asking questions you would acquire knowledge and be able to form opinions of your own based on the information that you collected.
Watching sport we marvelled at the players given the freedom to express themselves on the field of play in their given sport. Names such as Gareth Edwards, JPR Williams, George Best, Johan Cruyff and to a lesser extent the likes of Alan Hudson and Tony Currie. In almost every sport there were individuals who were frequently referred to as “characters” who were given the freedom of expressing themselves on the pitch. The freedom to back themselves and turn a game.
We have seen that freedom of expression stifled on the pitch as teams look to play ‘systems’ and ‘set structures.’ If you are not prepared to be a part of those systems and structures as a player you find yourself on the sidelines. Yet still two of the biggest drawcords in football are players whose individual skill-levels stand out, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Go figure.
Now we are seeing the control cross the white line and start to take over players personal lives. No longer are they treated as individuals with their own thoughts and emotions, but they are part of a product, that is far bigger than them. They are told what to say at press conferences and briefed to always thank the crowd post game. No longer can they think for themselves. They must ‘buy in’ or ‘sign up’ to the views and beliefs of their employer. Why?
How many teams feature players from different ethnic backgrounds, or religions? How many of the players in that team have different religious beliefs? Or have cultural events that are not necessarily the norm?
No club or sporting organisation that I can find insists that all players have to be from a certain background, have gone to a certain school, be a member of a set religion, or only allowed to wear certain clothes.
So how and why can it be alright for sporting bodies to insist that players adhere to a set of values that they deem correct?
By all means have a code of conduct whereby you advise players of how they are expected to behave while wearing the club colours, and an expectation as to how they conduct themselves in public, but what right does a club or sporting body have to foist its values on every individual that it employs?
I for one do not share the views of Israel Folau, however is he not entitled to have those views? Should he have chosen social media to air them? Many would not have, but in today’s world that is where many feel they will be heard. Has be broken any law by stating what he thinks and believes?
Other players who share the sentiment of his views, but maybe not as vehemently have come out in support of Folau. England’s Billy Vunipola is one. They are now facing censure from their clubs and the Rugby Football Union for what is seen as a breach of the RFU’s code of conduct.
The gay marriage issue was a hotly debated topic. A vast number of people had very strong opinions on the issue, some in favour and some against. No matter how the vote went in various countries, neither of those groups with strong opinions were likely to change their point of view, for reasons that only they know. Many of these people continued to work together, many continued to be friends and simply respected the fact that their friend had an opinion that differed from their’s, even if they did not agree with it.
What honestly gives an employer the right to dictate the views of its staff?
How many people reading this know how their CEO or the Board Members of their companies feel about key issues affecting society today? How many have those fews forced upon them and have to sign a document stating that they agree with those views, and will not make comments opposing them? How many are told if you do not sign you will not have a job? Or if you have different views they can be sacked?
How many athletes across the globe have signed such agreements without believing in what they are signing, simply because they love the game they play and want to play at the highest level, and in some cases crave the fame and rewards that success brings?
How many once established have come out and railed against these views? We are seeing this happen more and more frequently, and can expect that number to increase even more in the coming years.
Nobody has the right to prevent another individual from forming their own opinions on issues. Neither should they be allowed to gag that individual.
Whereas the organisation or club may see this as going against the beliefs they have opted to adopt, what about the thought process that by allowing someone to have a differing opinion you may well attract fans who share that player’s view, rather than alienating that section of the community?
Of course coming out and stating a clear position on contentious issues is always risky, and most wise businesses would not enforce such behaviour, as it results in resentment and factionalism.
It is time for Sporting organisations and clubs to stop trying to be our moral compass. Do what you are supposed to do best, administer the game for ALL, help it to grow and safeguard its future.
When it comes to players, encourage players to form opinions, give them as much information as possible to help them make what you hope will be the right decisions. Educate and inform, guide and coach, teach them to listen watch and learn, and help them fulfil their potential as athletes and as individuals. All can be an asset to you in their own individual way.
Players may be a commodity to you, but never ever forget that they are individuals, some flawed, some brilliant. All are different, and just like a coach moulds players of different ability into a team on the pitch, it is up to clubs and associations to mould different people to fit their organisation, and to respect those differences.
After all is said and done Rugby in Australia and the UK is sitting there claiming it is all about “inclusion,” yet we see these organisations and clubs quick to step away from and punish individuals whose views and beliefs are different from their own. What is Inclusive about that? It smacks of hypocrisy.
Here is the statement made by Saracens, England International Billy Vunipola’s club, “Saracens proudly embraces diversity and warmly welcomes everyone to the club regardless of race, gender, religion and sexual orientation. Our sport is open to all and we strive for it to be free from all forms of discrimination. We recognise that people have different belief systems and we expect everyone to be treated equally with respect and humility.”
The club clearly embraces diversity when it suits, but not a diversity of opinion. It welcomes all at the club, but not those who have a different opinion to theirs, They strive to be free from discrimination, but if your views differ then we will discriminate against you. Finally, do they really recognise that people have different belief systems and are they treating those people equally and with respect?
If ever there was en example as to how Sporting clubs and bodies have strayed from their key purposes this is it.
Thank you as always All White for your support and commenting. Had to laugh re your comment on Twitter and news, I must say that is one of my pet hates in the media at the moment, fill have the story up with Tweets from people show opinion I could not give a damn about and call that writing!
Thank you Jez.
As usual a very well written article taking the sting out of a very contentious subject.
I personally loved the fact that their own code of conduct clearly is only brought into play when it suits and it shows that they Saracens club does not comply by its own standards.
I agree with Aubrey, freedom of speech does not mean that you can say anything. But I agree with your reply that clubs need to educate these young men and women what is OK to be said and what isn’t.
If we banned social media the world would be a much better place. No Twitter? OMG our journalists may actually have to write a story!
Great article well said!
What is the world coming to? People stand up for each other and being allowed to have your own views.
Thank you for your comment, I guess the question I am asking is why have we all become so happy to be dictated to in terms of what we think?
Aubrey, Thank you for your comment. I totally agree with you. The last part of your comment especially. This is where I believe if Sporting Bodies and clubs want their assets to work for them they should educate their players about public civility and empathy. Educate and empower them to make better decisions and how to put their point across in a less confrontational way. Sadly some of these same organisations opt to delete the comments of fans if they are negative, an issue we covered in a podcast with guest David Mitchell.
I agree that there needs to be more accountability for comments made on Social media, especially ones that are hurtful or simply untruthful. Yet when our “leaders” use this platform to spout untruths it is going to be hard to claw back that ground and make people accountable.
I totally agree with you in relation to interviews post match.
I still do not believe that it is the place of a sporting club or association to force its employees to have to share a set of beliefs that they have put in place. I do however believe they have a right to enforce behavioural standards, and should work with the athletes and staff to make sure that they know how to enact those standards and carry them out in public. In any job you have to accept that you are representing that company, a company that pays your wages, so you have to adhere to certain standards of behaviour and appearance.
This is a very vexed situation
First, freedom of speech does not mean that you can say anything that you feel like with impunity. There are always consequences.
Then there is always the context, manner, and medium.
What Folau said (Tweeted) may be ok at a backyard barbecue (or in his case, at his Assembly of God Bible group) amongst likeminded people in private. But as a deliberate strong public statement/directive by a well-known person on a global platform knowing that it would draw commentary is something else again.
Then there’s the manner, this wasn’t the expression of an opinion, it was a direct condemnation of a certain group of people. Personally, the words mean nothing to me, but to others who may be particularly vulnerable and susceptible to these supposed articles of faith then the condemnation could be very real. (As an aside, the Bible passage that Folau quotes from also has a similar exhortation about those who have tattoos, but I’ll leave aside that hypocrisy.)
As you say, rightly or wrongly the use of social media platforms to publish whatever one likes is the apparent norm these days. But again, that doesn’t preclude responsibility for the consequences of that action. We’ve all seen the “a paleo diet cures cancer”, “vaccinations cause autism”, type of messages that pervade these media; and like Folau’s, they all should be brought to account.
But should it be his employer who does this, or the general community? Some employers now regularly check out the social media activities of perspective employees before deciding whether to hire them and impose restrictions of the use social media once they are employed. Is this reasonable?
This coupled with the need for sportpersons s to behave as seasoned media “personalities”, puts them in situations that at times are totally wrong. Who knows what they may say, for example, Chris Gayle; or what if Folau has made his statement in a post-game interview? Also, the 16-year-old swimmer being interviewed as soon as they climb out the pool after a race is completely unreasonable; but I would say that standard sports contracts these days include a “presser” participation clause – something that shows a severe failure of athlete’s agents/managers in my view. Athletes should be able to opt out of this requirement even if it means less renumeration.
Then finally, there’s the 21st century phenomenon of the general severe decline in public civility and empathy. The worst examples are our so-called “leaders” which results in anyone with a barrow to push to shout long and loud without caring who they “offend”. These people are proud of not caring who they offend, which in my view means that that they really have nothing worthwhile to say; and should be told so. And I figure that Folau clearly fits this case.
One of the best articles Ashley , it’s true , these days if we want to live , work , play we have to be all the same , think the same and agree with we are told . But then i ask who is this entity that tells the world what’s normal and what’s not and when and how 95% of human race had been tricked in to submission. In school we have been teached to always ask questions and always look for different options and that will lead to discoveries, inventions, make the world a better place. These days, everyone tells you to think outside the box, and then if you do you are cast as outside the box. This world is an amazing place.