Aaron Smith's Aerial Adventure

[Leonormous Boozer]

I'm with Bluemoon.
Has he broken any laws or breached any contractual obligations?

The "role model" argument is quite hypocritical.

He may have broken a code of conduct set by the team, possibly the law too.

 

[TRF_heineken]

Hi Guys. Long time lurker first time poster. I was actually at the airport lounge where the alleged "incident" occurred yesterday. Thought I'd write up my thoughts to provide a bit of balance to the ridiculously biased accounts appearing in the media over the last few hours.

https://allblackreport.wordpress.com/2016/10/06/airport-snitching-condemned/

I'd appreciate if you could give it a bit of a Kieran Read guys, it should clear up a bit of the controversy.

Hahaha... Very funny.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

I find it brilliant that NZ PM talked about it.

I mean doesn't NZ have bigger problems. (Guessing it is an election year or something.

 

[die_mole]

Well, if Smith was a South African, with our relatively large contingent of conservative fans, and he did this, he would have had a torrid time going forward. It's about the message he's sending to the youth to look up to him.

Now me, personally, would never have sex in a public bathroom. It's one of the most disgusting places a guy will ever visit, and it's one of the few places you can catch a o lot of bacteria.

And the girl that went in with him, says to me that she doesn't have very high standards, and it seems like she doesn't care who heard her or know what she did in the bathrooms. This brings me to conclude that she is a tramp.

So the message that this escapade is sending through is that if you're a big name rugby player, you can have a one-night-stand anywhere you want with whoever you want.

Now we all know what kind of ramifications there can be from this. A fan might not have the suave that Smith has, and could lead to abuse or even rape...

I have a big problem with this kind of behaviour. I know a lot won't agree with me here, but this is just terrible.

so when a springbok comes out of the closet should that player be dropped because conservative fans don't like him?

also, just another reminder that some people don't like to blame rapists for their rapes... it's always someone else's fault

 

[Cruz_del_Sur]

He may have broken a code of conduct set by the team, possibly the law too.

Let me be crystal clear: the problem is not what he did. The problem is he got caught.

I do not have a shred of evidence naturally, but i don't really believe he's the first All Black to do something like this. It has happened, it happened and it will continue to happen. Rich 20 year olds with girls throwing themselves at them.
If the code of conduct is of such paramount importance, the question becomes why aren't other ABs, out of respect for such a code, outed previous that weren't caught on camera. I'm being extreme, of course, but i am doing so to test the point.
They can't have it both ways. Again, hypocrisy all over the place. His own private life.

If he broke the law while representing the ABs, that's a completely different matter.

 

[Crazy Horse]

This has even made news out here in the rugby wilderness that is the USA. For the first time, I have seen a rugby-related new item on the front page of CNN. I don't think even the ABs winning the WC made it to the front page! I guess salaciousness sells much more than actual athletic achievement!

 

[ratsapprentice]

If he broke the law while representing the ABs, that's a completely different matter.

I'd imagine it's entirely possible that's the case.

 

[TRF_heineken]

so when a springbok comes out of the closet should that player be dropped because conservative fans don't like him?

also, just another reminder that some people don't like to blame rapists for their rapes... it's always someone else's fault

Clearly you don't read much into what is going on in South Africa, and that rape, woman and child abuse are something that is a very big problem in SA. We don't care about sexual orientation, and you can't compare homosexuality with rape or sexual abuse...

Anyway, if Smith did what he did in SA, it would have been a crime, as any sexual act in a public area is a criminal offence and he could go to prison for up to 5 years...

 

[die_mole]

Clearly you don't read much into what is going on in South Africa, and that rape, woman and child abuse are something that is a very big problem in SA. We don't care about sexual orientation, and you can't compare homosexuality with rape or sexual abuse...

Anyway, if Smith did what he did in SA, it would have been a crime, as any sexual act in a public area is a criminal offence and he could go to prison for up to 5 years...

Rape is a big problem everywhere... I just think for you to say smith's behaviour will lead to rapes gives an excuse to the men who commit rapes
They are **** people and I honestly don't get how seeing a story about someone having sex will influence you to rape someone

I also never compared homosexuality to rape or sexual abuse

I compared homosexuality to a consensual act of sex between two adults and when you mention that conservative fans may not like what smith did, I think it's fair to ask if these conservative fans would feel the same way about a gay player... therefore leading to him being dropped

And a quick google search shows that although LGBT people have legal rights in South Africa (and were well ahead of other counties, in particular the United States) the acceptance of gays by the general public is lacking and in 2013 61% of South Africans said that the country should not accept any type of homosexuality

 

[TRF_heineken]

Rape is a big problem everywhere... I just think for you to say smith's behaviour will lead to rapes gives an excuse to the men who commit rapes
They are **** people and I honestly don't get how seeing a story about someone having sex will influence you to rape someone

I also never compared homosexuality to rape or sexual abuse

I compared homosexuality to a consensual act of sex between two adults and when you mention that conservative fans may not like what smith did, I think it's fair to ask if these conservative fans would feel the same way about a gay player... therefore leading to him being dropped

And a quick google search shows that although LGBT people have legal rights in South Africa (and were well ahead of other counties, in particular the United States) the acceptance of gays by the general public is lacking and in 2013 61% of South Africans said that the country should not accept any type of homosexuality

Of course every country will have an issue with regard to homosexuality or any other controversial topic. But I think you are taking my response out of context.

What I meant with conservative fans, is that the conservative fans don't like to hear or talk or see anything of a sexual nature. I know a lot of adults who still look away when boobies are shown on tv, or they'll even turn off the tv.

Anyway, This is just another sex scandal. And my suspicion is that it will have it's periodic time in the limelight and then quickly dissolve into oblivion.

I don't condone what he has done, and his actions speaks a lot about his disrespect towards his partner and his family and hers. I think he's a poor role model and I hope his fans don't see infidelity as something that is okay, as it usually has serious consequences.

 

[Cruz_del_Sur]

I'd imagine it's entirely possible that's the case.

Well, i can see two potential cases for this, one being adultery, the other having sex in a public space. Kindly let me know if i am missing something.

Adultery is illegal in only a handful of industrialized nations (US comes to mind, clearly not in most Europe). Is it ilegal in NZ? I do not know.
Sex in a public place, behind close doors as it is in this case, has to be a misdemeanor at best. Half the planet would have to be sentenced otherwise.
And if you tell me that he is the only AB who's had sex on a public space i won't believe you.
If we are judging him not because of what he did but because he got caught then i'd say we're a bunch of hypocrites.

This opens a door i'm not sure you want to open. Where do you draw the line? Any action that breaks the law would result in a player being suspended? How about jay walking? Speeding? How about littering?
Again extreme, but the principle is exactly the same and illustrates how hypocritical we are when it comes to judging these things. We are judge, jury and executioner and hold him to a standard that we would never judge ourselves with. Why? Because he is a good rugby player...

Clinton has cheated on Hillary and did not lose his job, his wife nor, to be honest, much of his credibility. And then we have his wife giving big speeches about values and morals.
But we lay the smack on A. Smith.

I can understand and even agree with him being suspended because, well, lets say he broke the law. But getting outraged about it is simply ridiculous. A sex scandal? FFS! He had consensual sex on a toilet. If that outrages you avoid going to most pubs/bars/clubs, world wide, thu-sun. Avoid places near the beach at all cost.

 

[TRF_heineken]

Well, i can see two potential cases for this, one being adultery, the other having sex in a public space. Kindly let me know if i am missing something.

Adultery is illegal in only a handful of industrialized nations (US comes to mind, clearly not in most Europe). Is it ilegal in NZ? I do not know.
Sex in a public place, behind close doors as it is in this case, has to be a misdemeanor at best. Half the planet would have to be sentenced otherwise.
And if you tell me that he is the only AB who's had sex on a public space i won't believe you.
If we are judging him not because of what he did but because he got caught then i'd say we're a bunch of hypocrites.

This opens a door i'm not sure you want to open. Where do you draw the line? Any action that breaks the law would result in a player being suspended? How about jay walking? Speeding? How about littering?
Again extreme, but the principle is exactly the same and illustrates how hypocritical we are when it comes to judging these things. We are judge, jury and executioner and hold him to a standard that we would never judge ourselves with. Why? Because he is a good rugby player...

Clinton has cheated on Hillary and did not lose his job, his wife nor, to be honest, much of his credibility. And then we have his wife giving big speeches about values and morals.
But we lay the smack on A. Smith.

I can understand and even agree with him being suspended because, well, lets say he broke the law. But getting outraged about it is simply ridiculous. A sex scandal? FFS! He had consensual sex on a toilet. If that outrages you avoid going to most pubs/bars/clubs, world wide, thu-sun. Avoid places near the beach at all cost.

Well again that is your opinion, and this is a bit more of a liberal approach to the situation. But others will just not see it the same as you and others. For some, adultery/infidelity is a very big offence, it's after all one of the 10 Commandments! My grandfather who was a minister at our church made it very clear to us that this is very serious, and to this day I still believe that if you do commit adultery, you will go to hell. That is just my religious viewpoint on this matter.

So what if we judge him? Everybody does it anyways. You are judging him too, you are giving him the benefit of the doubt, but nonetheless you are still judging him. That's just how society works.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Well, i can see two potential cases for this, one being adultery, the other having sex in a public space. Kindly let me know if i am missing something.

Adultery is illegal in only a handful of industrialized nations (US comes to mind, clearly not in most Europe). Is it ilegal in NZ? I do not know.
Sex in a public place, behind close doors as it is in this case, has to be a misdemeanor at best. Half the planet would have to be sentenced otherwise.
And if you tell me that he is the only AB who's had sex on a public space i won't believe you.
If we are judging him not because of what he did but because he got caught then i'd say we're a bunch of hypocrites.

This opens a door i'm not sure you want to open. Where do you draw the line? Any action that breaks the law would result in a player being suspended? How about jay walking? Speeding? How about littering?
Again extreme, but the principle is exactly the same and illustrates how hypocritical we are when it comes to judging these things. We are judge, jury and executioner and hold him to a standard that we would never judge ourselves with. Why? Because he is a good rugby player...

Clinton has cheated on Hillary and did not lose his job, his wife nor, to be honest, much of his credibility. And then we have his wife giving big speeches about values and morals.
But we lay the smack on A. Smith.

I can understand and even agree with him being suspended because, well, lets say he broke the law. But getting outraged about it is simply ridiculous. A sex scandal? FFS! He had consensual sex on a toilet. If that outrages you avoid going to most pubs/bars/clubs, world wide, thu-sun. Avoid places near the beach at all cost.

If you're caught having sex in a club bathroom you'll be kicked out, if you're caught having sex on the beach you could face charges of public indecency, the issue is of course being caught. He took a risk by doing something that he knew could land him in hot water and paid the price, it'd be the same if you or I were to do it but it wouldn't attract public attention. I'm in no way offended by his act but the fact he did get caught left the NZRFU with two options, cover it up quickly or teach the guy who has missed training to play pokemon and probably a **** load of other stupid things that could tarnish both parties images a lesson and that's what happened.

The one area I'm a little bit judgy is that I hope the partner has the strength to leave him, if he's riding in an airport toilet you can be damn sure he's a serial cheater, don't have too much respect for that but as I said earlier I'm judging a guy who is in no way similar to me by my standards which isn't totally fair. Most stories I've heard of pros haven't portrayed good character.

 

[ratsapprentice]

I'm not really "offended" by people having sex in a toilet, but I'm assuming it's of questionable legality at best in NZ.

 

[McTallshort]

the 2 questions are:

1.Did he break the law? if yes then its up to the authorities to deal with it as they see fit.
2. Was he on all black duty at the time? if yes then its up to the NZRFU to deal with it as they see fit.

If the answer is no to both these questions then cut the lad some slack, who here has never had a quick knee trembler in a public place?

 

[TRF_heineken]

1.Did he break the law? if yes then its up to the authorities to deal with it as they see fit.

Well according to this website: http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1961/0043/latest/whole.html#DLM329045 ,there is a public indecency offence under section 125, but it doesn't clearly stipulate if what Smith has done, falls under the idea of public indecency...

2. Was he on all black duty at the time? if yes then its up to the NZRFU to deal with it as they see fit.

Well according to reports, he was in his All Black travelling apparel and was having breakfast with the rest of the team, when he slipped off to the bathrooms...

 

[nickdnz]

I don't understand why anyone reacts so badly to this. The only person this really should outrage is Smith's partner, and maybe the NZRU should slap him on the wrist for indiscretion in AB uniform.

Otherwise it's no body elses damn business. What has got me is the number of feminist outlets who claim this incident is a sordid part of rugby culture - and yet if it was a female athlete they would accuse the media of 'slut shaming'. Bunch of hypocrites.

To me the idea that sports people need to act to a higher standard than others because they are role models, is laughable.

 

[Cruz_del_Sur]

Tall short expressed my views more eloquently than i ever could. Thanks.

So what if we judge him? Everybody does it anyways. You are judging him too, you are giving him the benefit of the doubt, but nonetheless you are still judging him. That's just how society works.

I am 100% in favor of judging others. It is in our nature to have a view (right, wrong, neutral or irrelevant) on pretty much everything we see. I see nothing wrong with that.
What i do have a problem with is when people judge a sportman's personal life to a higher standard than their owns or their friends.

A lot of people have installed this idea that sportspersons have to be a role model on non-sport related things. You have people asking them about fashion, politics, economics, climate change, the lot. And people believe them as if they had some sort of expertise on the subject.
Lunacy.
I do not watch A. Smith nor the ABs because of how they behave on airports. If they misbehave, let the authorities handle it.
Again, if you extend this logic a bit further, the consequences are simply ridiculous. Where do you draw the line? Taking it to the extreme is a simple but powerful tool to test an argument. Lets do that for a second: if say, Dan Carter got filmed jaywalking before the world cup final in a place where that was illegal, would you be ok with him being suspended for that game?
Same principle, just a more extreme example. Lets see how consistent we are with our answers.

I don't allow my employers to meddle with my personal life and i think most people shouldn't either. Obvious exceptions are politicians, etc.

 

[TheOvalBall]

I don't understand why anyone reacts so badly to this. The only person this really should outrage is Smith's partner, and maybe the NZRU should slap him on the wrist for indiscretion in AB uniform.

Otherwise it's no body elses damn business. What has got me is the number of feminist outlets who claim this incident is a sordid part of rugby culture - and yet if it was a female athlete they would accuse the media of 'slut shaming'. Bunch of hypocrites.

To me the idea that sports people need to act to a higher standard than others because they are role models, is laughable.

True. People hold celebrities in a more higher esteem than others, and when celebrities do something questionable, then their expectations are shattered. It's funny if you think about it.

 

[ALJ]

He may have broken a code of conduct set by the team, possibly the law too.

That was my understanding of it - not about morals so must as what amounts to breaking a contract or sorts.

You might also argue that he's going to struggle to focus when he knows what awaits on his return home.