Neil Francis

M three

So Neil makes extremely dumb and rascist remarks about Marcus Smith on an Irish Independent linked podcast hosted by Luke Fitzgerald and is only fired after the un-edited version is made public.

https://www.the42.ie/neil-francis-comments-marcus-smith-5504172-Jul2021/

Surely this raises major questions about Luke Fitzgerald also, who saw nothing wrong with the comments at the time. Going by one of Luke's tweets he seems to think some sports people are there for his "enjoyment"

https://twitter.com/lukefitz11/status/1416430220450598914

does beg the question who released the unedited version and why

seems more stupid than racist I would say and that Francis didn't know of Smith's ethnicity

also seems like the Indo weren't trying too hard to keep Francis tbh - maybe wanted shut of him anyways.

lawred2

Going by one of Luke's tweets he seems to think some sports people are there for his "enjoyment"

Jaysus.

Teferi

People dragging Fitzgerald into this situation by trying to pin Franno's comments on him because they seem to have a personal axe to grind with Luke are something else. The only worse take I've seen than this is the lad who actually believes Fitzgerald personally edits the podcast and should have edited it out.

Larbre34

Fitzgerald's useless punditry should take him out of the game ordinarily, but as the old saying goes, 'a podcast never refuses bullshyt'.

it has made the bbc

https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/57946171

Ugo Moyne weighs in the prick!

He should be more worried that tomorrow brings back memories when he single-handedly butchered the first test and effectively the 2009 series

Francis was having a cut off pretty boy types rather than being racist. Loads piled in delighted to be seen as woke.

It's a shame, we'll end up with a very prescribed, sanitised language, dare I say it, devoid of colour.

AND, as for the OP taking umbrage at the word 'enjoyment'. Jesus wept!

SqueakyKneecap

This is what happens when people share articles they disagree with or publicly vent their disgust in modern life. It gives gutter rags like the Indo more clicks and a situation like this was always going to end badly for a wind up merchant like Franno.

The Indo are getting no blame for leaving that comment in initially which is either careless or intentional. Either of which they hung him out to dry.

ebbsy

I would know Neil well, the Mrs is asian and knows him also.

We both think he is not a racist.

Too many people at home during the virus with nothing else to do.

Darc19

The Indo has been trying to get rid of some of their highly paid columnists.

Instead of paying a severance for curtailment of their contract, they just wait until the slightest controversial comments even if they are out of context

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117654851#Comment_117654851

That's ok then.

Francis doesn't really deserve the benefit of the doubt at this stage and I certainly won't miss him.

As for the tweet in the first post - WTF is that supposed to demonstrate?

The Nal

Going by one of Luke's tweets he seems to think some sports people are there for his "enjoyment"

What is this supposed to mean?!

More PC/wokeness gone amuck. In the context of the conversation, he was talking about pretty boys more interested in image than in the physical attrition that no doubt is going to play a part in deciding the tests. If it was Beckham he probably would have referred to his hairstyles and tattoos skin, in this case it was his hairstyle and tan. Just shows how easy it is to offend, if the Lions players/staff are upset about this, God help them.

in relation to his articles in the Indo, I liked it because it wasn’t PC, he calls it as he sees it.

Shelflife

Heres my opinion.

Based on the podcast its not a racist comment, its a comment born out of ignorance , lack of knowledge of his subject matter and his lack of research.

I believe that he simply didnt know that Smith was Filipino and he thought that he was another flash outhalf who loved the tanning bed.

Im not defending him, I think hes a fool who thinks hes edgy in his thoughts.

I cant for the life of me understand why hes employed as a pundit on the last word or the Indo, his knowledge of the game outside of Leinster is appalling, he doesnt even know players names half the time and im pretty sure he was in the LW giving his opinion on Connacht and admitted that he hadnt seen them play yet (half way through the season)

He should have been sacked for not knowing his subject matter and not bothering to even do some basic and I mean basic research.

His comments in the past on Irelands project players left a lot to be desired and his opinion on Gays in pro sport were cavemanlike.

Whoever booked NF on the podcast knew this and knew what they were getting and they too should face sanctions for their lazy attitude towards standards. (im aware of the irony of expecting standards from the Indo)

Hes no loss to journalism or to media in general, I never respected his opinion and his lack of work ethic was never called out.

Loafing Oaf

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117654866#Comment_117654866

Maybe Franno and Eoghan Harris could team up with a podcast of their own as the Irish Richard Keys & Andy Gray

Ash.J.Williams

I didn’t know Filipinos were people of colour , every day is a learning day .

what about the Spanish?

Faugheen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117655122#Comment_117655122

Mocking someone because of their skin colour is ‘PC/wokeness’ gone amuck.

He didn’t bother his arse looking into Marcus Smith and decided to mock his skin colour. If you’re going to do that then you better be sure of what you’re doing. He didn’t, made a stupid remark (on top of many other stupid remarks he’s made in the past) and he has rightly got what he deserved.

You play with fire, you’re going to get burned.

Ash.J.Williams

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117655126#Comment_117655126

every line of text he’s ever written is to stir ****

ClanofLams

It’s a really poor reflection on the Indo. Luke Fitzgerald and two of their main rugby journalists sitting there listening to it and nobody had the cop on to say ah we better cut that.

I would think it was ignorance more than anything else from Francis but he’s been an ass**le for a long time so who cares.

I see it caused Ewan Mackenna, the simpleton, to have an absolute meltdown on twitter slating Paul Kimmage, Alan English, etc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117655221#Comment_117655221

He wasn’t talking about his skin colour though, he was talking about his haircut and tan, the ignorance as I see it, is that some cannot see the difference between a racist comment and one about image, they do not have to be mutually exclusive. Is it wrong to comment on a sallow skinned person who laps up the sun to get a tan, just because it might be construed as a racist comment? No it should not be, so yes, PC shite gone amuck.

Clegg

I see the free speech warriors have made it here.

RamonD3

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117654866#Comment_117654866

Looks like a bit of a setup to me, would be shocked if he knew about Smith's heritage or indeed commented based on that.

stephen_n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117655299#Comment_117655299

The Indo live in that territory, constantly on the edge or just over it clickbait. They are perfectly happy to publish or produce this stuff. They will sacrifice a contributor (wouldn’t call Francis a journalist), because they will hire someone similar to replace him. Why would they care what it comes out like, look how much interest they have gained in their sh1tty media now.

expectationlost

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117655467#Comment_117655467

a setup? all he had to do was not make comments on peoples look and concentrate on discussing sport.

Loafing Oaf

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117655467#Comment_117655467

So Fitzgerald must have been in on the plot, laying a trap for Franno by bringing up Smith in the confident expectation yer man would start on about Oompa Loompas?

Beechwoodspark

I’ve been in the company of Frano in a handful of occassions

a pure unadulterated gent.

Not a racist or mean bone in his body. I enjoy his punditry. He tells it like it is. I’d take him over lukey fitz any day.

I hope this all blows over and Frano stays on.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117655519#Comment_117655519

The Indo have sacked him so probably won't be doing a u-turn on that.

Faugheen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117655519#Comment_117655519

Well except for the time he referred to the colour of a mixed race man as an ‘Oompa Loompa tan’.

If you’re going to slag off someone’s skin colour you better make sure you know what you’re talking about, otherwise you deserve everything you get.

stephen_n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117655519#Comment_117655519

Nope those xenophobic and homophobic comments he made weren’t intended in a mean way at all. He’s just a poor misunderstood gent.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117655579#Comment_117655579

The ignorance of it. If he slagged David Beecham, or the permanent-tanned Ronaldo for their tan, would it be xenophobic/homophobic/racist? No it wouldn’t, it would just be slagging him for being so image conscious. It’s only the PC/woke brigade that are making an issue of this, unfortunately the Indo caved to this rubbish.

Faugheen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117655629#Comment_117655629

Why do you keep trotting this out?

Marcus Smith is mixed race. He was slagged off because of the natural colour of his skin, being compared to an Oompa Loompa tan.

Thats why it’s racist.

Why is it whenever someone makes a stupid statement and pays the price do the free speech brigade make it out that it’s everyone else’s fault but them?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117655681#Comment_117655681

Did you listen to the podcast? He was being slagged about his interest in his appearance.

Ronaldo is sallow skinned, is it racism to comment on his very obvious interest in his own appearance?

Why is it snowflakes are so easily offended?

Sorry, flakes of any colour, they don't have to be white, just in case you take offence.

Buddy Bubs

If someone was slagged about their pale skin would there be trouble?

Dave_The_Sheep

I suspect ignore lists are getting a f*cking hammering today.

Faugheen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117655721#Comment_117655721

I did listen to the podcast. It’s widely available online.

You keep thinking it’s ok to mock a mixed-race man’s skin colour there and blaming everyone else but the idiot who made the statement.

I’m done here.

bennyl10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117655721#Comment_117655721

There was no need to bring up his skin tone

in doing so he was either an idiot who hadn’t bothered to do his research

or

knowingly made a remark slagging a mans skin colour, which is borderline racist and thought he’d get away with it.

neither are good! And with priors he has, and with what the indo rugby section had published previously in relation to project players the second option is far more likely

touts

Francis has been making a living from being a fairly unpleasant individual for a long time. Far longer than most unpleasant people have been making a living from it. He pioneered the niche.

Ironically what got him cancelled was a quote taken out of context. He was making a comment on Smith and the pretty boy lifestyle. I'd say he didn't even realize Smith's asian heritage. And he certainly didn't realize that Smith belongs to the powerful Permanently Outraged Generation who all aspire to be Pretty Boys and Girls.

He was like player from the amateur age of unpleasantness suddenly finding himself standing alone against the modern all blacks of unpleasantness.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117655765#Comment_117655765

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117655734#Comment_117655734

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117655769#Comment_117655769

A fair point by Buddy Bubs, would you two be offended if NF made a comment about Owen Farrell's hair/tan? If not why not?

bennyl10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117655784#Comment_117655784

I imagine there would be trouble if Francis said “he’s not really pale, it’s all cosmetic”

it also wouldn’t have been made

what Has happened is a journalist made a comment saying a mixed race person wasn’t really mixed race and made a joke about it.

a journalist who has priors of making xenophobic comments.

this result isn’t out of the blue

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117655791#Comment_117655791

Wow, if Farrell lashed on the white makeup, there would be trouble. How do you go through your day without constantly being upset?

Faugheen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117655802#Comment_117655802

The only one upset here is you, mate.

Augme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117655784#Comment_117655784

It really not a complex situation. I am struggling to grasp why you are finding it so difficult to understand.

He slagged some for their skin colour. A person is born with their skin colour and it is not feature you can easily alter(and you shouldn't have to alter it to avoid getting slagged). The fact Francis seems to think there is something wrong with Smith's natural born skin colour is racist. He is basically saying there is something wrong hon because of something he was born with.

Francis should have been sacked along time ago for incompetence. How he lasted this long is only because the Indo are themselves fairly incompetent.

M three

Lets remember Luke had some pretty questionable views in this area before..

https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/rugby/arid-20427545.html

“I think it’s wrong… I deliberately have given a short answer, I think it’s wrong,” said Fitzgerald before elaborating on his point.

“I know that’s controversial [his opinion], but... and it’s no reflection on those [foreign-born] guys, they’re doing everything within the rules, I’d like to see Irish guys in there.

blueser

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117655519#Comment_117655519

Clearly two faced, then.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117655844#Comment_117655844

What is questionable about an Irish rugby player/commentator saying that the policy of taking in foreign players and giving them caps, should not be to the detriment of home grown talent? Are you claiming that is racist/xenophobic?

Ash.J.Williams

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117655734#Comment_117655734

Why would anyone get in trouble for that ?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117655944#Comment_117655944

Are only certain comments worthy of woke outrage? Can you give a definition?

Ash.J.Williams

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117655956#Comment_117655956

First of all woke is made up silly word used by idiots to discredit others

secondly it is impossible to be racist in the western world to pale skinned people , I say western world because it is possible to be racist to pale skinned people in the east

Michael Zozimus Moran

Look, it’s not very nice thing to do to insult someone. Do coaches do it to get the upper hand over their players ? Yes. Does it work in the long run? No. Should journalists be allowed to perpetuate this macho oneupmanship or slagging? Absolutely not.

But sledging has happened in rugby for ages. Look at Marler and Samson Lee. Just because it happens doesn’t mean it should be perpetuated. But using it gain the upper hand on someone or a nation is part of the international rugby game.

The press in Australia are expert at softening up the opposition and exposing their mental weaknesses before they ever set foot on the field.

Franno was doing his job for Ireland which the Aussies are expert at. I can understand people taking the moral high ground on the matter - it is unchristian.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117656126#Comment_117656126

It is impossible to be racist in the western world to pale skinned people? So, I get hopped by going down into the wrong part of London because I am white, isn't racist. What is it? Justified retribution. Such BS.