Hazem El Masri

[Stagger eel]

what is the go here.....it got nothing to do with him as a person.....its just that he is basically just a goal kicker and not much more?????

we will have plenty of goalkickers and plenty of better players who play wing a lot better, its nothing to do with ethics, morality or racism

just don't need that exact player...simple as that

there's no argument there true Eel!! the issue started with "Flatch"s of the cup comment about why he believes we shouldn't sign him.

 

[Hollywood Jesus]

while i dont know the bloke personally, i have heard nothing but good things of him as a person.

as a footballer, i believe he can be quite solid at times and of course everyone knows he is a 90% 4-into-6 man, which cannot be underestimated.

But I do not think we should sign him - I just do not see the need with us having several wingers as good or better than him, and several established goal kickers who have won us games from the sideline in the past.

Now, onto Flatch's comments. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say he might be partially right. El Masri deliberately holds himself up as a role model for Lebanese people in Australia. Good luck to him, and I hope he can set a good example and have others follow it. However, it may just be the case that this would cause current Canterbury supporters to follow him if he changed Clubs. If a bloke is your role mode, and someone you like up to and take inspiration from, its not unthinkable that a change of Clubs for him could lead to an overriding of your own Club loyalty. Personally, I have seen fans change Clubs for far less reasons (and this would actually be a reason with some true meaning to it).

So, I will say that should El Masri come to Parra, many of his Middle Eastern fans would follow. I won't go so far as to say that these fans are the ones who are responsible for all the crap that goes on at Bulldogs games, as I do not know those responsible personally and thus could not say that they are El Masri fans first and foremost.

 

[Hurriflatch]

At least HJ can see at least to a degree my point, ok maybe I went overboard saying ALL the trouble makers at Dogs games are El MAsri fans and will follow him but there is a very good chance at least some are and will follow El Masri if he was to change clubs.

I never said that El Masri did these things or even condoned those who did them. In fact as has been said he tries to prevent them and tires to be a positive role model on the Lebanse-Australians and good on him for it.

But I've copped enough sh** from Dogs fans and some of them obviously El Masri fans (one holding a El Magic sign at the time) for me not to want the chance of these people supporting the same team I do.

 

[sportive cupid]

I guess it is difficult to assess how good that chance is without having intimate knowledge of the fans in question.But it is generally known that racism and general prejudice is based on assumptions made-usually out of fear of some kind- without having any real knowledge

 

[Parraren]

El Masri apparently re-signed with the Dogs today. It's in the NRL forum. Hopefully that will be the end of that.

 

[Eels Dude]

That's a relief.

 

[Eelementary]

The whole concept of 'racism' has been scerely taken out of context in recent times.

It's gotten to the point where one cannot even state a point about certain groups of people without being named a 'racist'.

But mate - I see your point. It's not tremendously likely that every single one of the trouble-making Hazem fans would follow him to Parra, but there's a chance some would.

Like HJ said - Hazem is a Lebanese cult hero. They love him (as they should; he is a great human being).

Anyway, back onto the footy - great person, but all he really delivers is great goal-kicking.

 

[The Engineers Room]

I personally feel El Masri's game has become a hostage to his incredible kicking talent. He is a very good player and the argument of clubs picking him for his kicking is actually reducing his chances of getting a better offer.

 

[Maroubra Eel]

On the great racism debate. I agree not all Lebanese people are racist.

 

[Eelementary]

Mate, if that was directed at me - I never said ALL Lebanese people are racist or trouble-makers.

But it's not a secret that a lot are. Is all I'm saying.

 

[sportive cupid]

Well it's not only Lebanese people who are racists

 

[WA Eel]

I think what we can agree on though, is that the Bulldogs fans are probably some of a worst behaved fans in footy since before El Masri started playing and will probably remain so long after he's retired. The problem, therefore is with the Bulldog's fans, not El Masri.

I'm sure had he left, they would have turned on him the same way they turned on Pay, Smith, Dymock and McCracken and will probably turn on Price.

 

[Hollywood Jesus]

Well it's not only Lebanese people who are racists

Yeah, but minority are allowed to be discriminatory. It's the white, heterosexual, middle-class, middle-income, single male whos is not allowed to open his mouth, whereas anyone who can associate themselves with a minority group is allowed to say whatever they want.

It;s a blight on this great country. Whatever happened to true equality?

 

[Utey]

eelavation: There was this boy and they were wearing parra shirts and i saw Witty and some other reserve grader. And the little kid goes do you play for parra and he goes nah we play for manly. It upsetted the kid. I said wats rong mate bit angry your got dropped. I refused to ask for his signiture when i got my stuff signed. His a piece of shjit if he has the guts to do that to a 10 year old kid.

 

[Phillips]

im glad we didn't get El Masri....one shit winger (Petersen) is enough

 

[sportive cupid]

well really HJ , ideally no one should be making sweeping statements about groups of people based on limited experiences with them

 

[bartman]

to Sportive on this one. That's all I have to add.

 

[Suitman]

well really HJ , ideally no one should be making sweeping statements about groups of people based on limited experiences with them

I have had limited experiences with Lebanese people, but they have all been wonderful.
Does that mean that I can't say that I think all Lebanese people are wonderful?

Suity

 

[sportive cupid]

well maybe Suity but what you are saying doesn't cause any problems for people .

 

[fish eel]

well really HJ , ideally no one should be making sweeping statements about groups of people based on limited experiences with them

I've had some shocking experiences with white, anglo saxon Australians.