poledriver
Bluelighter
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'DEVASTATED': McGuire sorry for Goodes gorilla gaffe
UPDATE: EDDIE McGuire has reiterated his apology for an on-air gaffe about Adam Goodes this morning, insisting that he meant the opposite of what he actually said.
McGuire provoked outrage after suggesting on his Triple M breakfast show that the Sydney star could be invited to promote King Kong - The Musical, just days after a 13-year-old Collingwood supporter racially vilified the Swans player by calling him an "ape'' at the MCG.
McGuire quickly apologised on-air for his comments, claiming he was "exhausted", before Goodes took to Twitter to send the message: "Morning Australia this is what I have woken up to".
In an afternoon press conference, McGuire said he "wasn't even thinking" when what he said "slipped out".
"I wasn’t racially vilifying anyone this morning, I made a comment," he said. "I was thinking the opposite.
"I made a slip today and it's one that I regret. It happens sometimes. I wasn't on my game.
"But there's no excuses. I put my foot in it and I stand here today to say I did the wrong. For that, I'm absolutely sorry.
"When I realised what had been said ... I made the appropriate phone calls to make sure everyone understood my position."
McGuire said he spoke to Goodes to apologise personally, as well as contacting Sports Minister Kate Lundy, AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou and Richard Collis, chairman of the Sydney Swans.
McGuire said he was sorry that Goodes had woken up "to a day he didn’t need to have" but that the Swan had "again showed the class that he has" by taking his phone call and accepting his apology.
He said Goodes was "really upset". When asked if he thought Goodes felt vilified by his comments, McGuire said no, "because he knows me".
McGuire pointed to numerous indigenous programmes at Collingwood that he had helped to implement as club president.
"I absolutely stand for equality. It is the absolute bedrock of everything I stand for," he insisted. "(Equality) is the hallmark of my presidency."
"It's everything I stand for, it's why my parents came out to this country in the first place. So it burns me to the core."
McGuire said he would be "eternally disappointed" that the incident happened.
When asked how his comments came about, McGuire said when the subject of the King King show came up, he was thinking "about the way that people used to promote these things and how things have changed".
"One of the things I take from all this, apart from the disappointment, is that you have to be on your guard all the time," he said. "I believe in zero tolerance on this situation."
When asked if he might resign over the incident, he said: "You don’t resign over the slip of the tongue."
"I understand my position in Australian society and in Australian sport," he said.
"It was unintentional, I’m a responsible and experienced broadcaster. I was tired this morning… Bad luck.
"Today was the abnormality … I was half-asleep when I did it. It was an indictment of the professionalism of my performance."
When he was asked about a comment he made on air in 2011 when he dubbed Sydney's west "the land of the falafel", while discussing the GWS Giants, he dismissed it as a "joke with Sheeds" (Kevin Sheedy) and compared it to the Irish jokes he used to cop in school.
Read more: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/nationa...al/story-fncynjr2-1226652776987#ixzz2UeqA79Zx
UPDATE: EDDIE McGuire has reiterated his apology for an on-air gaffe about Adam Goodes this morning, insisting that he meant the opposite of what he actually said.
McGuire provoked outrage after suggesting on his Triple M breakfast show that the Sydney star could be invited to promote King Kong - The Musical, just days after a 13-year-old Collingwood supporter racially vilified the Swans player by calling him an "ape'' at the MCG.
McGuire quickly apologised on-air for his comments, claiming he was "exhausted", before Goodes took to Twitter to send the message: "Morning Australia this is what I have woken up to".
In an afternoon press conference, McGuire said he "wasn't even thinking" when what he said "slipped out".
"I wasn’t racially vilifying anyone this morning, I made a comment," he said. "I was thinking the opposite.
"I made a slip today and it's one that I regret. It happens sometimes. I wasn't on my game.
"But there's no excuses. I put my foot in it and I stand here today to say I did the wrong. For that, I'm absolutely sorry.
"When I realised what had been said ... I made the appropriate phone calls to make sure everyone understood my position."
McGuire said he spoke to Goodes to apologise personally, as well as contacting Sports Minister Kate Lundy, AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou and Richard Collis, chairman of the Sydney Swans.
McGuire said he was sorry that Goodes had woken up "to a day he didn’t need to have" but that the Swan had "again showed the class that he has" by taking his phone call and accepting his apology.
He said Goodes was "really upset". When asked if he thought Goodes felt vilified by his comments, McGuire said no, "because he knows me".
McGuire pointed to numerous indigenous programmes at Collingwood that he had helped to implement as club president.
"I absolutely stand for equality. It is the absolute bedrock of everything I stand for," he insisted. "(Equality) is the hallmark of my presidency."
"It's everything I stand for, it's why my parents came out to this country in the first place. So it burns me to the core."
McGuire said he would be "eternally disappointed" that the incident happened.
When asked how his comments came about, McGuire said when the subject of the King King show came up, he was thinking "about the way that people used to promote these things and how things have changed".
"One of the things I take from all this, apart from the disappointment, is that you have to be on your guard all the time," he said. "I believe in zero tolerance on this situation."
When asked if he might resign over the incident, he said: "You don’t resign over the slip of the tongue."
"I understand my position in Australian society and in Australian sport," he said.
"It was unintentional, I’m a responsible and experienced broadcaster. I was tired this morning… Bad luck.
"Today was the abnormality … I was half-asleep when I did it. It was an indictment of the professionalism of my performance."
When he was asked about a comment he made on air in 2011 when he dubbed Sydney's west "the land of the falafel", while discussing the GWS Giants, he dismissed it as a "joke with Sheeds" (Kevin Sheedy) and compared it to the Irish jokes he used to cop in school.
Read more: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/nationa...al/story-fncynjr2-1226652776987#ixzz2UeqA79Zx
