by sussexpob » Wed Feb 08, 2023 8:09 pm
Hoggard seems to be totally blind to the fact he has done anything wrong, even though he has basically admitted to every single charge he has had leveled against him. I guess in its own way there is something pretty depressing about that - that people lack the empathy or social awareness to understand that when you call someone "the Token black guy", they might laugh to your face and join in, but inside they are probably very upset. The fact that he then concludes the dressing room was a bad environment because this behaviour occurred, and no one fronted up about the pain it caused being the main indicator of a cultural problem.... well, its just utterly baffling. I am more inclined to believe that treating black players with respect and not using multiple racist terms as nicknames is the sign of a great dressing room....
In fact, I wanted to give Hoggard the benefit of the doubt and be inclined to consider him a decent man that behaved poorly - but at what stage do you have to say that being unapologetic or throwing weak excuses out for what seems to me like multiple cases of racism against multiple people, and then claiming that he is someway a victim, is what is very much looks like? He's either a very moronic decent man, or not a very decent man at all. Evidence points to the latter.
Its hard to really justify any of this in context. This didn't happen in 1976 either, a lot of this behaviour is in the last 15 years.... way past the point where there was any doubt that calling someone the South African "K word" would, in ANY situation, be acceptable. And he lived in South Africa for a while, so trying to argue he picked it up from Asian team mates calling Rafiq a muslim term for non-believers seems like a really crap argument.
Sorry Matthew, but you cant have 5 instances of racist language being aimed at various people, and expect me to believe in every single one it's not what it looks like.
In a way you have to at least respect Ballance.... at least he had the balls to admit he had been involved, apologise for what he had done, and taken his opportunity to leave the club voluntarily. Maybe some of the others could follow his lead.
2010 French Open fantasy league guru 2010 Wimbledon fantasy league guru 2014 Masters golf fantasy guru 2015 Players Championship FL Guru 2016 Masters Golf Fantasy Guru
And a hat and bra to you too, my good sirs!