Lou Dibella Letter to Mundine

[Willow]

Thanks Albatross. I missed that bit.
I think it would have been more accurate for the media to say he's gone and shoved a foot inhis mouth... a shoe store full in fact. He's coments were insensitive no doubt about that. But I think we're splitting hairs here.

Back to the TV interview though, I beginning to feel that not many people actually saw it live.
There were a number technical hassles going on during the live interview where Mundine was at a remote location and the questions were being asked by Richard Wilkins in the studio. He was being asked about the fight but the questions were getting repeated due to the audio problems. At one point, Wilkins was yelling into his vest mic because the audio was breaking up at Mundine's end.
Loudly, Wilkins asked, 'As a prominent member of the Muslim Community (Is he? I thought), Anthony, what is your opinion on the situation in Afghanistan?' ... I almost dropped my toast in my coffee when I heard the question ('Don't mention the war', I thought). Mundine said he didn't hear the question and the interview was looking like it was about to be ditched. But Wilkins persisted and asked the question again... even louder. This time Mundine said those words, 'America has brought this upon themselves...etc"... I almost choked because I knew he'd really stuffed up this time.
By design or technical error, the interview was mercifully disconnected and the screen went fuzzy.... hardly a great television moment.
I understand thatan edited version was replayed on the news a short time later without the embarrassing technical hassles and repeating of the questions but with the offensive quotes kept in.

 

[imported_Reservoir Dog]

The below link is an article written by Pete Fitzsimons on www.smh.com.au about the Mundine affair.

I thought some may find it interesting as it seems to be a forgotten perspective of the arguement.


If anyone is wondering MO, I don't condone what he said either, but of course once our unforgiving Oz media gets their hands on it....

http://www.smh.com.au/news/0110/24/sport/sport2.html

 

[Willow]

Thanks for that Reservoir Dog. There are a few members of the media who are attempting to step out of the frenzy and it looks like PF is one of them.

I cut the actual quote from the article in question:
"They call it an act of terrorism," he said, "but if you can understand religion and our way of life it's not about terrorism. It's about fighting for God's laws, and America brought it upon themselves for what they've done in the history of time."
Now let's look at that.
If anything Mundine has failed to articulate his point. IMO, it's always been one of his failings.
This is an insensitive statement but not one which is too far different from a number posts made in the 'Plane Crashes in World Trade Centre' thread in this very forum.I dare say that a number of forummers here are better speakers than Anthony Mundine.

The suggestion that US foreign policy has a lot to answer for will always create controversy and when making such statements, it pays to take a deep breath and choose your words carefully.
However, at the end of the day, all we have here is one man's opinion and whether we agree with him or not, it is important that we preserve an individual's right to speak their mind.

 

[El Duque]

from www.fightnews.com

<table cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" border=0> <tbody> <tr> <td> WBC drops Mundine from rankings!
</td></tr> <tr> <td>In the first official fallout from super middleweight Anthony Mundine's remarks on the terrorist attack on America, WBC President Jose Sulaiman said today, "The WBC read with stupeficaction the statements made recently by Australian boxer Anthony Mundine justifying the terrorist attacks and the consequent deaths of so many innocent victims that occurred on September 11 in New York. Mundine is currently rated in the super middleweight division and, therefore, the WBC announces that he will be sanctioned by dropping him indefinitely from the WBC ratings, since such statements are unbelievable and intolerable and seriously hurt world society and boxing. The WBC will not tolorate the utilization of a position in boxing to make such absurd and denigrating public statements." </td></tr></tbody></table>

 

[legend]

Willow, I agree entirely with the last paragraph of your post. Right or wrong, everyone has the right to express their opinion but only Mundine will have to live with the consequences of his remarks as is detailed in El Duques last post. He expressed his opinion and will pay a very heavy price for it. Aint freedom of speech grand? Poetic justice if you ask me.

 

[imported_T.B]

Legend, that is a disguting perversion on the idea of freedom of speech, - as far as I know the freedom of speech is the right to speak an opinion WITHOUT fear of discrimination or punishment based on those views.

According to your definition, the entire world has 'the right to free speech', even thought in saome places (eg Afghanistan) the exercise of that right is pusnishable by death -ie the capital punishment for preaching christianity.

It is sad to see people so willing to jump on the anti-Mundine bandwagon that they abandon good sense and the idea of liberty.

Another thing that bugs me is that many others, of more academic merit, have come out with similar views to Mundine but have not been treated with such public scorn. To me this suggests cowardice, Attacking not the ideas, but the 'weakest public speaker' in the arena.

TB

 

[legend]

T.B, Mundine made his own bed and now he must lie in it. Like I said, he can dribble all he wants, but at the end of the day he must be accountable for his actions, like the rest of us.

 

[imported_T.B]

I take it you stand behind your definition of freedom of speech,

I hope anti-Mundine sentiment isn't blinding you to to the implications of what you are approving.

TB

 

[El Duque]

Funny how people are talking about freedom of speach.

If there were a few threads her saying "Girds is sexy" or "Braith is a babe" how long would they last?

 

[legend]

T.B, not at all mate. I don't have to like what he said(and I dont) but that would never meanI would want Anthony Mundine(or anyone for that matter) to keep quiet because he thinks he would be howled down for what he said or has a fear of reprisal. He may be criticised by all and sundry but that ismerely the wheel turning and someone else speaking their mind and so on..... History will judge Mundine by his actions. At the end of the day Mundine will suffer the consequences of his actions by exercising his right to freedom of speech.

 

[imported_T.B]

But it has gone beyond opinions into punishments - ie withdrawal of ranking ,threats to abandon fights and banning from US - and that was where the question stemmed from: when you appeasred to approve of what had happened (post 25)
TB

 

[Willow]

"If there were a few threads her saying "Girds is sexy" or "Braith is a babe" how long would they last?"

LOL. ...very funny El Duque.
There's actually one of these threads floating around in the archives somewhere... it died through lack of interest.
If you knew whatis common knowledge now, you'd be laughing too. Put this way, your aforementioned example(s) have a sense of humour... something which is sadly lacking amongst our more cynical contributors.

Perhaps you need to set mestraight... are you suggesting that LWOS suppresses freedom of speech?

 

[ozbash]

t b, maybe its more like human nature than repression of speech.
everyone is free to say what they want,,as long as it doesnt infringe somebody elses rights.
mundine hurt a lot of americans,now he,s paying for it.

 

[mud n blood]

Oh my - poor, poor little Anthony .... Aussie battler (yeah, right!) .... multi-sport legend (what a joke!) .... international affairs correspondent (mmmmmm, an expert!) .... the Australian media picks on me blah blah blah

If I was interviewing Nicole Kidman and popped a question in about Tommy, the answer would be something along the lines of "I don't think I'll comment on that".

Mundine on the other hand chooses .... and I stress, "chooses" .... to pass comment on everything, in a vain attempt to prove he has some level of intelligence above that of a dumb-as-dogshit non-achieving ex-footballer-cum-boxer. Why doesn't he simply say "I'd rather not comment on that - let's talk boxing" ??? No-one is holding a gun to his head. Let's face it .... every time he speaks now, the public simply sits back and watches self-destruction set in yet again.

Let's get down and dirty here .... since he wishes to comment on all things great and small .... his grammar and speech is attrocious and let's him down badly. During his interviews, he struggles with the most basic of questions and forces as many "big words" into his answers as possible, eventually losing the gist of it completely. He continually belittles true legends by putting himself alongside these people for comparison, with no justification at all. Hardly a great ambassador to Australia .... oh, that's right .... then again he's fighting for HIS peoples only, and not Australians.

As I've said before, he should just accept what he is - and gracefully, let his fists do the talking, and let public opinion decide if he is as good as he sprukes.

In this latest episode of Mundine foot-in-mouth, he must now accept the consequences, good or bad. There is no going back on this issue.

One thing I'll say for him though, he's a lucky lucky lad to be getting a shot at a major title when ranked 44th(?), and not having fought any of the top 40 previously. He wants to grab this opportunity with both hands and then keep his mouth shut on anything except boxing itself.

 

[Willow]

Legend:
My main concerns about this decision is that technically, it goes against the very things that America is supposedly defending.
TheWBC has said that it finds Mundine's comments 'unbelievable' and 'intolerable.'
There is no mention of his subsequent apology. This suggests that they will not accepthis apology. They have said that he is allowed to fight for the world title but they reserve the right to strip him of this title if he makes any further anti-american comments.
Mundine was insensitive and has since realised his gaffe. He has even said that he is not anti-american and but even if he was... why is it 'unbelievable and intolerable'?
Have we reached the stage where a person will be crucified and savaged for having an opposing opinion?
I'm not comparing Mundine to Ali but didn't Cassius Clay get savaged when he spoke out against the Vietnam war? History has shown that this was an injustice.
I'm sorry, but I simply cannot go along with the WBC on this one.

Previously, Mundine's biggestblunder was when he said that Melbourne didn't deserve to be premiers and Saints got flogged by the Storm a few days later. I say it was his biggestblunder because he was subsequently gagged by St George and his RL suddenly nose dived after that. He left RL just a few weeks later. (At the time I agreed with the club because RL is a team sport and Mundine needed to reeled in.)
I have no doubt that we are seeing a similar thing happeningagain and win, lose or draw, I expect Mundine to retire from boxing after December 1st.

 

[legend]

Willow, mate I can see where you are coming from but the question I have is would he have apologized if there was not the public backlash to this comments. I think we all know what the answer would be. He caved in to public pressure and failed to stand by his outlandish comments showing he really is'nt the man after all. As the saying goes, "those who forget history are condemned to repeat it". He will keep marching on thinking he is infallable and sure enough, he will stick his foot squarely in his gob once more to make sure he has alienated pretty much the entire world. I will be waiting for him to exercise his democratic right to speak his mind and the obscurely fade into oblivion. Anthony Mundine should try and be Anthony Mundine, not who everyone else thinks or wants him to be.

 

[ozbash]

mud, if you were interviewing nicole, you wouldnt know which pencil to use,,,,,

 

[El Duque]

As bigger dickhead as Mundine is the WBC are very hypocritical IMO.

Mike Tyson spent 3 years or so in jail for rape(which I don't believehe committedbut that's another story)and when he was released the WBC made him the No.1 contender for their belt.The guy hadn't even fought in 3 years so what the hell was doing there I'll never know.

"Perhaps you need to set mestraight... are you suggesting that LWOS suppresses freedom of speech?

"

I seem to remember a lot of people bitching on the WORL board about all these style of threads and MattO copped some flack for not deleting them and that's why some people migrated over to this board..
Didn't some similar threads get deleted from this site in the beginning?

 

[Willow]

El Duque. I think one post was deleted at the very beginning. I recall Legend posting the first ever 'Deletion Explanation' and it was pretty clear. It also had overwhelming support. The Gird's brigade have a place where they can post these things so it's not like they are without a home.
LWOS is by far the most diverse sporting forum I've ever seen. Where else can we talk about the war in Afghanistan, boxing, Rugby League, cricket, our favourite movies and the upcoming election all in the same building?
Whatsmore, at the end of the day, almost everything said is left on the field... no one bears a grudge for long and no one is worried about expressing their opinion. If we have a rule, then that would probably be it.

Believe me, deletions are not done lightly. No one has been banned and hopefully no one ever will be banned. It is simply not the culture of this forum.

The Girds thing has become self regulating now. Originally, I admit that we saw the eradication of Girds posts as pest control but apart from the example at the top of this post, I can't think of of any other that qualifies.
Take it from me, the GIS and BAB examples don't count.

 

[imported____]

Ppfff....all this fuss over one Anthony Mundine. I don't recall anyone expressing such a concern when Pauline Hanson talked about the asianation of Australia or her countless other efforts to sell "One Nation". I don't recall anyone expressing that much concern when Lleyton Hewitt made that comment which many inferred it to be of a racist nature at the US Open (which might I add did not in any way affect his rankings in the sport). Do you think Robbie Kearns' statement regarding the location of the Eiffel Tower was a reflection of what all Australians think?

I am most of all suprised at America's reaction because they have there fair share of idiots, does anyone recall Mariah Carey saying (regarding children in impoverished African countries) "while it would seem great to be like that, those flies would be really annoying"....did that lead to her songs being taken off the charts? did other countries see that as being the way America views things? oh and I can't help adding this one....Brooke Shields on smoking "smoking kills, and when you've been killed you have lost a very important part of your life".....did that see Brooke's movies not being screened? did other countries see that as how America sees it?

Besides since when is an athelete judged by what he says. The boxing world should take a leaf out of the tennis world's book....the current world number one has been branding other players with all sorts of insults and went sooking to mumsie after losing a grandslam final, did this affect her ranking? no! Should it? no not in my opinion because that has nothing to do with the quality of tennis she plays....the world number one should be the best player in the world and not just the best out of the politically correct. Rankings should be based on a competitor's prowess in their selective field and not how many points they score in media circles. By taking away Mundine's ranking they are suggesting that it isn't about boxing...well wtf is he 44th at then? I had imagined that a boxer's rank was measured by his actions in the ring and not by how eloquently he speaks. I wonder what would happen if he were to beat Ottke....would Ottke still be number one? what an inferior one would that be!!!