Ollie Robinson/Twitter

[splott parker]

Re: Ollie Robinson/Twitter

Have I said that Robinson shouldn't be suspended?

Even though it’s your post it isn’t about you, it’s about those who, as you say, say he should not be suspended. They are the type who very often start a conversation with the sentence I mentioned.

[the other bob wilson]

Re: Ollie Robinson/Twitter

Wow
Who made you judge and jury over everyone.
What some are saying is that taking into consideration his age at the time and the fact that no other instances have surfaced for 9 years then maybe he can be given the benefit of the doubt.
You call him a racist but you don't know him anymore than I do.
I'm sure if I made a remark or accused you of being something you would take me to task over it but you seem to think you can
accuse people you don't know of being this and that.
Because somebody doesn't agree with you doesn't make them racist apologists it just means that in their opinion what action should be taken against him differs from yours.
Nobody on here has said its OK he's a racist because nobody knows if he is because we don't know him personally and that includes you.

Lots of words, so little to say. See my post at 15.18 yesterday, nothing in the above message changes any of that. On the subject of Ollie Robinson at least, you're an apologist for racism - unless you're claiming that what he tweeted wasn't racist?

[willo1927]

Re: Ollie Robinson/Twitter

Lots of words, so little to say. See my post at 15.18 yesterday, nothing in the above message changes any of that. On the subject of Ollie Robinson at least, you're an apologist for racism - unless you're claiming that what he tweeted wasn't racist?

Never said that at all
Making racist tweets 9 years ago doesn't make him a racist in my opinion.
It made him immature and nieve.
You seem to be on your high horse again in branding people who disagree with you.
There's a word for that but I don't brand people I don't know so I won't say it.
You on the otherhand call people sexist/racist/homophobic when you have never even met them
Maybe you should have a look at yourself before you accuse people of these things.
Talking of lots of words without saying anything reminds me of your match reports so pot kettle and all that.

[Elwood Blues]

Re: Ollie Robinson/Twitter

It seems pretty obvious to me. I’ve not seen anyone arguing that some of the things Ollie Robinson tweeted were not racist. Therefore, there seems to be general agreement that he did send out some racist messages and according to an online dictionary I’ve just looked at, an apologist is”a person who offers an argument in defence of something controversial”, so what’s there to argue about?

So you seem to agree that people weren't arguing that what Robinson wrote should be defended, indeed there seems general agreement that it was offensive and wrong.

What they were doing was saying that it was not necessarily the right thing to suspend him for saying these things when he was an immature teenager, who may have different views now (of course his views may not have changed, and if that was proved he should never play for England again).

I don't therefore think that anyone saying that they don't think suspending him in this case is a racist apologist unless at the same time they also defend what he said.

[blue matt]

Re: Ollie Robinson/Twitter

So you seem to agree that people weren't arguing that what Robinson wrote should be defended, indeed there seems general agreement that it was offensive and wrong.

What they were doing was saying that it was not necessarily the right thing to suspend him for saying these things when he was an immature teenager, who may have different views now (of course his views may not have changed, and if that was proved he should never play for England again).

I don't therefore think that anyone saying that they don't think suspending him in this case is a racist apologist unless at the same time they also defend what he said.

Well put you hit the nail on the head

[chrisp_1927]

Re: Ollie Robinson/Twitter

Someone's first reaction to Robinson playing well and achieving his dream, was to dig on his twitter. After doing so, they found comments from 9 years ago, presumably there was nothing in the last 9 years of tweets that they found unacceptable. He is now banned from playing. It's getting beyond a parody now

[Croesy Blue]

Re: Ollie Robinson/Twitter

Well put you hit the nail on the head

So anything done as an immature teenager should be forgiven then?

[Elwood Blues]

Re: Ollie Robinson/Twitter

Posted in error

[Elwood Blues]

Re: Ollie Robinson/Twitter

So anything done as an immature teenager should be forgiven then?

That is not what I said in the post Blue Matt was responding to.

[Croesy Blue]

Re: Ollie Robinson/Twitter

That is not what I said in the post Blue Matt was responding to.

not necessarily the right thing to suspend him for saying these things when he was an immature teenager

I don’t think his punishment needs to be any worse than it is but it’s crazy how many people seem to write off any wrong doing here because he’s an “immature teenager” using “learned behaviour” but go completely against that belief in other cases.

[the other bob wilson]

Re: Ollie Robinson/Twitter

So you seem to agree that people weren't arguing that what Robinson wrote should be defended, indeed there seems general agreement that it was offensive and wrong.

What they were doing was saying that it was not necessarily the right thing to suspend him for saying these things when he was an immature teenager, who may have different views now (of course his views may not have changed, and if that was proved he should never play for England again).

I don't therefore think that anyone saying that they don't think suspending him in this case is a racist apologist unless at the same time they also defend what he said.

I think you're tying yourself in knots a bit there Elwood - you agree that there were racist tweets, but then seek to excuse/defend Robinson, to me that means, by the definition of the word I posted on here, you're being an apologist for him.

What you say would have far more merit in my opinion if Robinson was, say, thirteen or fourteen when he made those tweets (that is, at an age where he could reasonably be expected not to fully understand the implications of what he was saying) - he wasn't though, he was eighteen.

In fact, off the top of my head, I'm struggling to come up with anything which precludes someone aged eighteen from being considered an adult. They are considered an adult for the purposes of the law, they can have legally have sex, they can marry, they can drink in a pub, gamble in a casino, watch "adult" films in a cinema, they can vote and they can become an MP. In short, eighteen appears to be the cut off age where someone is considered to be old enough to live with the consequences of their actions - they are thought to be an adult.

The England and Wales Cricket Board have found themselves in a very awkward position in the past week, they are in a situation where there are no easy answers, but just consider the consequences of them doing nothing to Robinson except slapping his wrist (which, effectively, is what you and others are arguing).

Robinson was the same age as the youngest player to ever be selected in a senior test match for England when he wrote those tweets. Bolton born Haseeb Hameed was one year older than Robinson was when he made a very impressive beginning to his test career in India in 2016. Since then Hameed has had a terrible time due to loss of form, but he's come back well enough to have earned a recall to the test squad this summer, so he was in the same dressing room as Robinson this week.

I can only guess as to what Hameed's reaction would have been if the suits had decided to take no further action against Robinson because he was "young and immature" when he said what he did. Similarly, what would Moeen Ali (who I think has been an absolute credit to the UK's Asian heritage population during his international cricket career) or Adil Rashid, or Robinson's Sussex team mate Joffra Archer have thought? Maybe they all would be fine with it, but very significant numbers of law abiding Britons who are not white would, I'm sure, not have been and could you really blame them?

What would Craig Overton, who served a two match ban in 2015 for racially insulting an opponent when he was twenty one (is that too young and immature for him to take full responsibility for what he said in your book?), and is another who shared the dressing room with Robinson this week have made of it if he had not been banned for at least one match? I'm going to be a bit of a racism apologist here myself now and say that I feel that there is an argument (albeit a weak one) to say that as Overton's offence was a spur of the moment thing borne out of frustration on the sporting field, his punishment should be lighter than Robinson's because there was an element of premeditation to what he did that is not present in the Overton case.

[blue matt]

Re: Ollie Robinson/Twitter

So anything done as an immature teenager should be forgiven then?

When it was discovered he issued a apology ( yes maybe it was to save face and his career ) he could not have done anything more

I think its safe to say the lad isnt the biggest racist in the world, afterall he might have made another racist tweet in the last 8 - 9 years, he hasnt

you say " I don’t think his punishment needs to be any worse than it is " but others do, what happens if the people who think that he should never play for england again get their way ?

[the other bob wilson]

Re: Ollie Robinson/Twitter

When it was discovered he issued a apology ( yes maybe it was to save face and his career ) he could not have done anything more

I think its safe to say the lad isnt the biggest racist in the world, afterall he might have made another racist tweet in the last 8 - 9 years, he hasnt

you say " I don’t think his punishment needs to be any worse than it is " but others do, what happens if the people who think that he should never play for england again get their way ?

Apart from Michael Carberry, a former England opener, I've not heard anyone arguing he should be banned for life - Craig Overton was banned for two games for what he did, that seems a fair precedent to use with Robinson. Someone like Carberry represents one side of the argument, whereas you and a few others in this thread represent the other, why not go for something in the middle of the two?

[Croesy Blue]

Re: Ollie Robinson/Twitter

When it was discovered he issued a apology ( yes maybe it was to save face and his career ) he could not have done anything more

I think its safe to say the lad isnt the biggest racist in the world, afterall he might have made another racist tweet in the last 8 - 9 years, he hasnt

you say " I don’t think his punishment needs to be any worse than it is " but others do, what happens if the people who think that he should never play for england again get their way ?

If anyone else made tweets like that they’d be sacked within a week so if people get their way he won’t be being treated differently because he’s good at a niche sport.

You must be furious about this lad going to prison for 10 weeks - https://www.manchestereveningnews.co...-teen-20644989

[chrisp_1927]

Re: Ollie Robinson/Twitter

In terms of the fact he was 18 at the time, for me the only reason that's important is in the context of him not having any 'form' over the next 9 years. I think an 18 year old should take full responsibility for their actions. I don't think a 27yr old should be punished for tweets made at 18, that haven't been followed up since. Ollie Robinson was a complete wanker at the age of 18, thats part of the reason he is 27 before getting into the test side. People don't mature at the same rate, his maturing process obviously came post 18.

If they were recent history I'd support a 2 game ban, but these tweets were 9 years ago