Saints to investigate Mo Tweet

Saints are investigating a tweet made South African hooker Brett Sharman about (Sir) Mo Farah.

Why do sportsman keep making silly comments on Twitter etc.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/19356648

I do feel a bit sorry for professional sports people (and anyone in the public eye) with all the twitter and facebook and whatever every comment that would be a throw away comment to a mate in the pub is now public and as such able to be used as evidence.

Just think of how much hot water the common bloke would be in if every racist/sexist/homophobic/etc comment we made to our mates at work or in the pub (or even on facebook/twitter/here and so on) were to be scrutinied half as much. I have a feeling I would have been branded as the next Hitler or something.

It's not at all the equivalent of chatting to your mates in the pub SS. Unfortunately if people cannot understand how Twitter works, perhaps they shouldn't sign up to it.

chris_501 wrote:It's not at all the equivalent of chatting to your mates in the pub SS. Unfortunately if people cannot understand how Twitter works, perhaps they shouldn't sign up to it.

The problem is that people do use the social media stuff as though they were chatting to their mates, and even if they did start off by trying to be 'professional' it is easy enough to slip into bad habits of thinking nobody really takes notice of what you say etc (Have a look at the Random Factor Like A Tractor thread on the general Rugby Union page, and see how that cand descend into boarderline comments). The problem is that if someone were to make the same comment to their buddy in a pub whilst watch the olymics it would have been unnoticed, and most likely if a nonbody had said it on twit-book nobody would have noticed. If Sharman had said it in the pub it probably would have gone unnoitced, but because it was online he will probably be dragged over ht coals for it.

P.S. I will have to report the first person who says anything about Sharman being South African.

But he is

HERSH wrote:Why do sportsman keep making silly comments on Twitter etc.

Because, as in every walk of life there are the clever, the bright, the dim, the deluded, the bigoted, the well informed, the misinformed, the wilfully ignorant, the unconsciously ignorant, the attention seekers and the gormless and every now and then all of us make a very rash error in judgement. George Orwell was on to something when he wrote about the “thought police”.
Who would have guessed all they had to do was invent the internet and the proles would willingly publish their thoughtcrimes for all to see.

I don't agree, I use social media and have never put myself in a position where I could get into trouble. I agree that as a professional sports person Sharman is far more high profile, but there have been a sucassion of cases from 'normal' people who have been arrested following their tweets. Look at the Olympics and that guy who tweeted to Tom Daley.

There are also lots of other ways where 'nobodys' as you put them can get into trouble, I know teachers that tweet, they can easily broadcast something that can put their careers at risk, however none of them are as dense as someone like Sharman who believe it doesn't have consequences.

What a fool, it's a crap joke and it's racist. I have no sympathy and hope the RFU come down on him like a ton of bricks. None of the pointless FA slap on the wrist stuff, his ban should be measured in terms of months. Racism is unacceptable and voicing those views in public is tarnishing the reputation of rugby.

If he was a Tigers player and thank god he is not, I'd want him turfed out of the club but I'll leave that for Saints fans to decide.

Chris - the other thing to consider is that on the internet the feel of a comment can not be judged. When talking the general tone of voice etc gives away a joke or a dig. I know I have upset a fair few people with an innocent bit of banter, that was read and taken as an insult. Social medai allows things like Jonathan Thomas' joke with Nigel Owens about Nigel Owens being a homosexual to become a big issue. Nigel OWens had no issue with the comment, howevr due to the outside world seeing th emessage JT had to publicly apologise.

I ain't arguing the case for Sharman, but just defending why celebs/pro-sports folk tweet some stupid things.

Agree with Chris.

I am a police officer and I have a facebook and twitter account. I am well aware of what I can and cannot say publicly and I ensure that I stick to that. it always amazes me at work when people are disciplined for inappropriate comments on there. I don't understand what possesses some people to put daft things.

Ozzy3213 wrote:Agree with Chris.

I am a police officer and I have a facebook and twitter account. I am well aware of what I can and cannot say publicly and I ensure that I stick to that. it always amazes me at work when people are disciplined for inappropriate comments on there. I don't understand what possesses some people to put daft things.

People don't realise that it make your whole life public, and also it makes what your say/think as something that is there for the world to see. My wife's mate was pulled up infront of his boss for putting on his facebook account that 'work sucks, had enough of working for those muppets'. The bosses made him withdraw the comment. He removed htem as friends and was pulled up in front of them for not having them as facebook friends, and he made some comment about not wanting to be spied on at home.

When you put something on the internet, you're publishing it, just as if you wrote something and got it printed and bound and sent to bookshops. It's much easier when all you're doing is pressing 'enter', but it's still publication. (The clue is in the 'public' bit.)

If you aren't prepared to stand by what you write, don't write it!

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:When you put something on the internet, you're publishing it, just as if you wrote something and got it printed and bound and sent to bookshops. It's much easier when all you're doing is pressing 'enter', but it's still publication. (The clue is in the 'public' bit.)

If you aren't prepared to stand by what you write, don't write it!

+1. The thing is with mobile internet it is easy to forget how quickly the world has gotten so small, and how what used to be a text to your mate is now a tweet to the whole world.

The way any comment or post from a social media site can go viral means that players should assume that what they are writing is for the front page of the newspaper instead of thinking about it like a flippant comment in a pub among mates.

thebandwagonsociety wrote:The way any comment or post from a social media site can go viral means that players should assume that what they are writing is for the front page of the newspaper instead of thinking about it like a flippant comment in a pub among mates.

But thats the point isn't it? Why should players be less stupid than anyone else? Given the amount of head injuries they sustain it's a wonder they don't make a horlicks of it more often. Do you believe they should be more careful because they are in the public eye? We are all in the public eye because of social media.
Try this. Google yourself. you will probably find some public figures with your name at the top of the page but your personal facebook page will also be suggested. If someone is looking for your famous namesake and clicks into your virtual world you will be surprised at how much of your life they will be able to access.
There is a famous artist in Ireland with the same name as me and if I was of a mind I am sure I could steal his entre identity and clear out his accounts.

ScarletSpiderman wrote:
P.S. I will have to report the first person who says anything about Sharman being South African.

Funny isn't it. We can talk all day about (the White) South Africans playing for England but when it comes to a Black man running for them the rules change.

Sharman was just tweeting the obvious although the running is from Somalia and not Pakistan.

Sharman was just tweeting the obvious although the running is from Somalia and not Pakistan.

It's a massively insensitive comment about a person who came to this country fleeing war and who has been brought up as a Brit and is now a national hero.

How is making a crass and moronically racist comment, stating the obvious?

formerly known as Sam wrote:

Sharman was just tweeting the obvious although the running is from Somalia and not Pakistan.

It's a massively insensitive comment about a person who came to this country fleeing war and who has been brought up as a Brit and is now a national hero.

How is making a crass and moronically racist comment, stating the obvious?

Couldn't agree more FKAS.

For an "economic immigrant" to be taking the pish out of a war refugee is pretty disingenuous, to be so ignorant as to not even know where Farah came from and why he is here is pretty damning in my opinion.

Regardless of how this came about, his attempt at regaling his followers with his wit has done nothing more than to give me, and many other people, the impression that he's a "thick as mince" bigot.

I may be wrong; but he definitely was.

formerly known as Sam wrote:

Sharman was just tweeting the obvious although the running is from Somalia and not Pakistan.

It's a massively insensitive comment about a person who came to this country fleeing war and who has been brought up as a Brit and is now a national hero.

How is making a crass and moronically racist comment, stating the obvious?

Well you see him as a Brit while others see him as Somalian who happens to be living in Britain.

And how was it a racist comment? You're just assuming. What about people who question all the White South Africans playing for England. I never heard them being called racist.

Let people have opinions without the name calling. Its (supposed to be) a free society after all.

profitius wrote:

formerly known as Sam wrote:

Sharman was just tweeting the obvious although the running is from Somalia and not Pakistan.

It's a massively insensitive comment about a person who came to this country fleeing war and who has been brought up as a Brit and is now a national hero.

How is making a crass and moronically racist comment, stating the obvious?

Well you see him as a Brit while others see him as Somalian who happens to be living in Britain.

And how was it a racist comment? You're just assuming. What about people who question all the White South Africans playing for England. I never heard them being called racist.

Let people have opinions without the name calling. Its (supposed to be) a free society after all.

Well, I'm pretty certain Farah has adopted Britain as his own country, and you're right, some will see him as British, some will see him as a Somali living in Britain, the clowns that see him as a Pakistani would be the bigots though.

It's not that difficult really.

He came to Britain aged eight. He's British.

I don't think anyone other than a racist or someone trying to make a racist point would se Mo Farah as anything other than British, he lives here when he's not training, his wife is British as are his kids, and he competes proudly for Great Britain, I suppose it's colour of his skin that makes some people think he's not British.
It's a world of difference from questioning the "Britishness" of white South African sportsmen who come here to play cricket and rugby and end up representing England or one of the other home countries - the general impression would be that they are here for the money and/or because they were not good enough to play for their home nation.
Whilst I appreciate and understand the amazing efforts that have been made to bring about real social change in South Africa maybe sometimes "You can the the boy out of South Africa but maybe you can't take South Africa out of the boy".
Go ahead and report me or mod me if you like I think that the bloke is a first class richard cranium at best and at worst just racist - maybe we can merge this thread with Portnoy's about the lack of minority participation in rugby and in particualy Asians given that he's in Leicester just up the road from Northamption.

And how was it a racist comment?

Well for starters that 4 letter abbreviation of Pakistani is just about as bad as using the N word as it is a comon insult hurled against any one from the Asian community by the far right scum bags.

There's also the fact that he is labelling anyone of colour as Pakistani which is frankly embarrassing.

I think a lot of people are being way too sensitive.

For all the foreign players in the English team jibes on here, how is it any different at all.

Sherman is joking that Mo Farah isn't really british because he was born in moggadishu, raised there and came to Britain as a child, trains outside of the UK most of the time and called Mohammed, a typically non british name.

Irish for your record your comment regard SA is just as bad and I hope your investigated.

Is the big issue here that someone questioned a gold winning olympians nationality? or that that person got the nation he was born in wrong? Or the bad blood of the word person of Asian descent (of where he cut off) or the bigotted opinions the brits still hold of white South Africans?

Sam, the term person of Asian descent is a british thing, it doesn't really mean anything in SA, just an abreviation of Pakistan.

PS he wasn't calling Mo a Pakistani, just saying he was running for Pakistan.

Just to whoever adjusted my post, I understand if noone wants the term on this board, sorry if it was offensive to anyone.

But can you reall call it 'person of asian decent'???

thebluesmancometh wrote:Sam, the term person of Asian descent is a british thing, it doesn't really mean anything in SA, just an abreviation of Pakistan.

ah, I wondered how long before somebody came up with the Luis Suarez defence!!! Genius

Ozzy3213 wrote:Agree with Chris.

I am a police officer and I have a facebook and twitter account. I am well aware of what I can and cannot say publicly and I ensure that I stick to that. it always amazes me at work when people are disciplined for inappropriate comments on there. I don't understand what possesses some people to put daft things.

I think what you 'can and can't' post on social media is a grey area actually. I would be so bold as to suggest that unless you are publicly denegrating the comapny/organisation you work for - or, are giving away intellectual property, then what you write is non of your emplyer's business. It should be recognised that outside of work, people have lives (although reading some of the stuff on here, that's questionable) and what they do with them is nothing to do with their life inside work, providing it does not interfere with their work productivity. Unless you've signed a specific agreement with your employer NOT to engage in social media, then really, they havent a leg to stand on - in my opinion.

formerly known as Sam wrote:

And how was it a racist comment?

Well for starters that 4 letter abbreviation of Pakistani is just about as bad as using the N word as it is a comon insult hurled against any one from the Asian community by the far right scum bags.

There's also the fact that he is labelling anyone of colour as Pakistani which is frankly embarrassing.

I know Asian people who talk about themselves and use the P word, and I also know black guys who talk about themselves using the N word. I think the problem is that we're becoming outraged on their behalf, when actually, most of them couldn't care less it would seem.

I hope your kidding me?! There is a massive difference between words in regards to how they are, were and used to be used, where they originated and how renowned they are.

Your happy to prosecute someone who has joked about the nationality of an athlete? How many on here are guilty of that? I'd suggest 99%!!

Now is it morally wrong to suggest that people are criticising this more because Mo Farah is black?

I don't think you are getting my point, I'm not saying Sherman is right and did nothing wrong, I'm just not hypocritical enough to judge him from the outset, especially when what he WROTE (key word) can be taken in so many differing ways depending on evey persons differing bias and opinions!

Jimpy

I would suggest that it depends on the field you work in. I have to sign the official secrets act, I also have a responsibility not to do anything that puts people or cases I am working on at risk. If I tweet stuff about that clearly I am being negligent in my duty. I am also covered by police regulations as opposed to employment law.

I would imagine that those employed by private companies have somewhere in their contracts where it says that they must not bring the company name into disrepute by their actions and if they do disciplinary procedures would ensue.

Jimpy

I see your point, and I have used the N word plenty with freinds who are black and call me names back. It is definately a personal thing, and with all opinions personal there is a huge amount of hypocracy. If a randomer called any of my black mates the N word they'd throw a hissy fit.

Theres a massive amount of sensitivity out there, from every ethnicities side, include certain ethnicities for anothers, in part thats good but my god it doesnt half roll over into the crazy sometimes!

Ozzy3213 wrote:Jimpy

I would suggest that it depends on the field you work in. I have to sign the official secrets act, I also have a responsibility not to do anything that puts people or cases I am working on at risk. If I tweet stuff about that clearly I am being negligent in my duty. I am also covered by police regulations as opposed to employment law.

I would imagine that those employed by private companies have somewhere in their contracts where it says that they must not bring the company name into disrepute by their actions and if they do disciplinary procedures would ensue.

I think we're in agreement then?

formerly known as Sam wrote:

And how was it a racist comment?

Well for starters that 4 letter abbreviation of Pakistani is just about as bad as using the N word as it is a comon insult hurled against any one from the Asian community by the far right scum bags.

There's also the fact that he is labelling anyone of colour as Pakistani which is frankly embarrassing.

But the thing is if you area going to start to say pakistan, and then change our mind halfway through you would probably say it as just four leters. Also seeing as it is an abreviated version of a nationality then would that make it racist to call someone a Scot or Brit? As for the N word how is that racist, yet Cracker, Honkey etc are not? I believe officially that all of those are technically racist terms (Like Taff, so remember that next time any of you use it!).

What is deemed to be racist to one person is different to another, and unfortunately some people are more relaxed as to how they take 'racial' abuse and others are not. Also how is it acceptable to mock, and discriminate, someone for being a fat lump, or lanky (which we do on here all the time), but not about their place or origin. And even there, why is it acceptable for people to call George North English, when he clearly thinks of himself as welsh, surely that is wrong.

thebluesmancometh wrote:I hope your kidding me?! There is a massive difference between words in regards to how they are, were and used to be used, where they originated and how renowned they are.

Your happy to prosecute someone who has joked about the nationality of an athlete? How many on here are guilty of that? I'd suggest 99%!!

Bluesman, take the colour of the skin out, and I would say over 99.9% of posters have at some point commented of the All Blacks feilding Islanders in their team, or England feilding South Africans, or the Welsh feilding English etc. But if those athletes, like Geroge North, have liked in their respective nations for long enough (and from an earlier age than Mo) then surely they are being abused, and the posters should be named and shamed!

Ozzy3213 wrote:

thebluesmancometh wrote:Sam, the term person of Asian descent is a british thing, it doesn't really mean anything in SA, just an abreviation of Pakistan.

ah, I wondered how long before somebody came up with the Luis Suarez defence!!! Genius

Suarez, no video evidence got banned and fined. Terry, video evidence got let off. Suarez is not British, Terry is. Hhhhhmmmm

Thats the problem SS, you can't take the colour of the skin out. That is essentially the problem on all fronts, if Sherman had commented on the Murray issue and said...

There goes Murray winning gold for Scot... sorry great britain

Thats a non issue.

ScarletSpiderman wrote:

Ozzy3213 wrote:

thebluesmancometh wrote:Sam, the term person of Asian descent is a british thing, it doesn't really mean anything in SA, just an abreviation of Pakistan.

ah, I wondered how long before somebody came up with the Luis Suarez defence!!! Genius

Suarez, no video evidence got banned and fined. Terry, video evidence got let off. Suarez is not British, Terry is. Hhhhhmmmm

Not technically correct SS.

Suarez never faced criminal charges, Terry did and was found not guilty in a court of law. He still faces FA disciplinary procedures which are what Suarez was subject to.

Ozzy3213 wrote:

ScarletSpiderman wrote:

Ozzy3213 wrote:

thebluesmancometh wrote:Sam, the term person of Asian descent is a british thing, it doesn't really mean anything in SA, just an abreviation of Pakistan.

ah, I wondered how long before somebody came up with the Luis Suarez defence!!! Genius

Suarez, no video evidence got banned and fined. Terry, video evidence got let off. Suarez is not British, Terry is. Hhhhhmmmm

Not technically correct SS.

Suarez never faced criminal charges, Terry did and was found not guilty in a court of law. He still faces FA disciplinary procedures which are what Suarez was subject to.

This.

Not to mention that Suarez admitted to calling Evra 'Negrito' because in Uruguay that is a term that is accepted and commonly used much like calling someone fat or ugly etc. Terry, however, was on camera saying what he said but his defense was that although he said it, he was responding to Ferdinand saying that he didn't say it.

This is completely different to those two, this is just some guy being an absolute idiot to the point where he doesn't even get the right country in Somalia. And i highly doubt it's down to ignorance, it's more likely him being a racist toolbag.

Well Saints obviously were not happy with the comment, they have apparently just terminated Sharmans contract.

So they should

Boorish comment from Sharman. If you are going to make a stupid comment like that at least get the country right - it's Somalia!

It's also the timing of this comment - Mo Farah's popularity is at an all time high for obvious reasons.

Personally I see Mo Farah as British. He won two gold medals. If he didn't win those on the other hand.........

We British do love our underdogs but compared to a winner.......

Murray is British when he wins. Scottish when he loses.

Press release says terminated due to injury/fitness issue.

http://www.northamptonsaints.co.uk/news/6359.php

HERSH... really have to hand it to you. The timing and placement of your greandes are always spot on.

Saints must be a little relieved. At least it wasn't Foden,Hartley,Lawes,Wood etc. They never would have heard the end of it......

Don't worry guys it was just one of the back up hookers......

Blues

Why is he a racist toolbag? Because he got the country wrong? Because he is white? or because he is S african?

Your comment makes you a bit ignorant IMO as you don't know him or what context the tweet was sent!

Bluesman most people would see:
"There goes Murray winning gold for Scot... sorry great britain"
and "There goes Farah winning gold for Somal... sorry great britain", as reasonable if lame "jokes" in the same vein as "There goes Piertersen getting another 100 for South... sorry great britain".

There goes Farah winning gold for P47i... sorry great britain", whatever the intention reads as:
"He's called Mohammned therefore he's a P47i"
"He's a Muslim therefore he's a P47i"
"He's some random foreign black guy therefore P47i will do".
That's the difference between an issue and a non issue.

Interesting to see that at Northampton Saints posting an idiotic tweet is treated much more seriously than deliberately breaking an opponents arm... *cough* Calum Clark *cough*

beshocked wrote:Boorish comment from Sharman. If you are going to make a stupid comment like that at least get the country right - it's Somalia!

That is a racist comment in itself is it not? (based on him being a white South African, possibly of Boor decent?)

Irish Londoner wrote:Bluesman most people would see:
"There goes Murray winning gold for Scot... sorry great britain"
and "There goes Farah winning gold for Somal... sorry great britain", as reasonable if lame "jokes" in the same vein as "There goes Piertersen getting another 100 for South... sorry great britain".

There goes Farah winning gold for P47i... sorry great britain", whatever the intention reads as:
"He's called Mohammned therefore he's a P47i"
"He's a Muslim therefore he's a P47i"
"He's some random foreign black guy therefore P47i will do".
That's the difference between an issue and a non issue.

LI so what you mean is that you read it, and added your own take to it. The tweet did not say anything about religion or race (well bar the 5,000m) at all, it mentioned nationality. Can you prove that the intention was to read otherwise? This SHarman may just be a unaware that Mo was not from Pakistan, in which case his comment was not racist. Much like, as much is it annoys me, when there are American tourists walking around my county and they say to me how Wales is a lovely part of England, they are not being racist just goddam thick. Two different things, unless you are able to prove this was meant to be abusive (which you can't) then your are actually discriminating the bloke for being ignorant.