Smokin' I am in no way saying you shouldn't make an assessment of how you feel a player or coach is performing as an opinion. We all have that right. But its when we judge in a besmirching manner the underlying character and integrity of that person, we cross the line.
Let me put it this way. Lets say in fact I am Tom Wright and Bearfax is an alias. Or Tom is a close friend of mine. Thing is that may be the case. I'm not Tom obviously but you cant know if he's a friend of mine and I wont say if its true or false. I read things here being said behind his back putting him down. Different if I was just talking with friends, but this is not just talking with friends. This is a public forum. I read someone questioning his character, his personal efforts on the football field, stating he's a fraud, glory seeker etc or worse. Now what's to say I tell Tom to read some of these items. In law he would have the right to challenge someone denigrating him. Comes under the Deformation Act. Technically he could seek a legal injunction against such material and even demand the identity of those who are besmirching his name. Could even place restrictions on this very site.
I'm not saying that will happen. That's an extreme case. But it gives a sense of where we need to draw the line. To express an opinion (and ensuring its couched in such manner) about whether you think a players performance has been good or bad in a specific game, is fine. To generalise and besmirch his character by saying he's a dimwit or a glory seeker etc is not. Criticise the action, the performance, but not the integrity, commitment or character of the person.
Just as an example of how it can go, I indicated I attended a lot of court appearances. There was a rather interesting judge called Judge Knowblanche. Didn't put up with any nonsense in his court. Some people gave him a nick name called Nobby as in Nobby because he was considered nuts. Someone placed a packet of such nuts on his bench. He held up court for most of the day demanding to know who put it there. Whoever did, and no one admitted it, they would have been gaoled. Contempt of court and Defamation of character. Extreme case but gives a sense of how serious it can in the end be considered.
The thing is we sometimes forget these are people just like us. And because they are famous we think we can judge them. Yet rarely do we know more than a little about them and most from media sourses, which are generally there to titillate and create drama. An image is created which is often nothing like the real person, who is just like us, trying his best at what he does, supporting his family, with much the same concerns as we have. They just happen to be famous. I'm just suggesting we treat them like we treat those close to us, with respect.
