Louis Smith: British Gymnastics bans four-time Olympic medallist over video.

A Little Pony · 02-11-2016 02:05PM #1

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/gymnastics/37832754

[font=Arial, Helvetica, freesans, sans-serif]The video, filmed by the 27-year-old Smith but leaked to the media in September, showed him laughing while retired gymnast Luke Carson mimicked Islamic prayer practices.[/font]

Didn't know British Athletics had a blasphemy law. Sounds utterly ludicrous to me.

Flint Fredstone · 02-11-2016 02:07PM

I'd say a gymnastics ban is the least of his worries now...

A Little Pony · 02-11-2016 02:11PM

Flint Fredstone wrote: »

I'd say a gymnastics ban is the least of his worries now...

Why? Maajid Nawaz who is outspoken on Islamism is speaking out against this disgraceful ban.

Mardy Bum · 02-11-2016 02:13PM

They better start banning the Life of Brian again for athletes. There must be more to this.

lertsnim · 02-11-2016 02:13PM

A Little Pony wrote: »

Why? Maajid Nawaz who is outspoken on Islamism is speaking out against this disgraceful ban.

Unfortunately he doesn't represent all of the lunatics.

Flint Fredstone · 02-11-2016 02:25PM

A Little Pony wrote: »

Why? Maajid Nawaz who is outspoken on Islamism is speaking out against this disgraceful ban.

Ah well that's that sorted. I'm sure he can have a nice quiet word with the extremists. Good to know.

The King of Moo · 02-11-2016 02:28PM

A Little Pony wrote: »

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/gymnastics/37832754

Didn't know British Athletics had a blasphemy law. Sounds utterly ludicrous to me.

They don't, they're free to make judgement on individual cases.

I think this is a perfectly reasonable decision. It was very stupid of Smith to take part in the video given his profile, though at least he didn't publish it himself.

Given the PR damage this will cause for him and British Gymnastics, and he's been in trouble before for questionable social media, I think a mere two-month ban is entirely appropriate.

It's a pity you didn't mention in your original post that the ban is only for TWO MONTHS.

SnakePlissken · 02-11-2016 02:32PM

The King of Moo wrote: »

It's a pity you didn't mention in your original post that the ban is only for TWO MONTHS.

Banned for laughing at someone make a religious joke... You believe this is a sensible response in an enlightened secular society?

Perhaps we should round up everyone who's ever laughed whilst watching Father Ted and throw them in a cell... Oh but that's catholicism, that's fair game for satire and outright mockery, Islam, well not so much.

A Little Pony · 02-11-2016 02:33PM

The King of Moo wrote: »

A Little Pony wrote: »

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/gymnastics/37832754

Didn't know British Athletics had a blasphemy law. Sounds utterly ludicrous to me.

They don't, they're free to make judgement on individual cases.

I think this is a perfectly reasonable decision. It was very stupid of Smith to take part in the video given his profile, though at least he didn't publish it himself.

Given the PR damage this will cause for him and British Gymnastics, and he's been in trouble before for questionable social media, I think a mere two-month ban is entirely appropriate.

It's a pity you didn't mention in your original post that the ban is only for TWO MONTHS.

So you can't mock Islam now? Or any religion for that matter? Some ideas are protected? Are you fine with that?

The King of Moo · 02-11-2016 02:39PM

SnakePlissken wrote: »

Banned for laughing at someone make a religious joke... You believe this is a sensible response in an enlightened secular society?

Perhaps we should round up everyone who's ever laughed whilst watching Father Ted and throw them in a cell... Oh but that's catholicism, that's fair game for satire and outright mockery, Islam, well not so much.

Banned for two months for again damaging his image and that of British Gymnastics?
A perfectly sensible response.

A Little Pony wrote: »

So you can't mock Islam now? Or any religion for that matter? Some ideas are protected? Are you fine with that?

You can, I'm fine with the mocking of any religion.
But if doing so provides negative publicity for you and the organisation you, as an Olympic gold-medallist, work for, then you can expect them to take action to punish you.
Especially when you've already been in trouble for publicly posting a close up of a 16-year old gymnast's arse with the caption "My sport has its moments."

HellSquirrel · 02-11-2016 02:41PM

Meh.

Two months isn't the end of the world and hopefully he'll learn some cop on. Mind you, I doubt he'd like his Muslim fellow athletes (assuming he has any) seeing him mock them.

Basically, don't be a dick. Or if you're going to be a dick, don't be caught on camera being a dick while being famous in your field, because your dickishness will get you rapidly recognised and not in a good way. At least he's learning it young, if not as young as most normal people do. I'd say the same if he got a two-month ban for wandering around dressed as a priest with one of those baby dolls on the groin too. One of the downsides of being famous.

Although, looking at it from the other direction, it -is- rather strange how many people get outraged at not being allowed to be dicks to minorities. I mean...is this really affecting your lives? Are you physically hurting from disapproval when you're rude to other people? I don't get it.

suicide_circus · 02-11-2016 02:43PM

Can't be offending Islam, they're fierce sensitive

HellSquirrel · 02-11-2016 02:44PM

Lol, just saw the OP. No wonder pertinent info was left out!

Okay, enjoy the thread.

Mortpourvelo · 02-11-2016 02:45PM

If anything was begging to be mocked, it's Islam.

A Little Pony · 02-11-2016 02:47PM

HellSquirrel wrote: »

Meh.

Two months isn't the end of the world and hopefully he'll learn some cop on. Mind you, I doubt he'd like his Muslim fellow athletes (assuming he has any) seeing him mock them.

Basically, don't be a dick. Or if you're going to be a dick, don't be caught on camera being a dick while being famous in your field, because your dickishness will get you rapidly recognised and not in a good way. At least he's learning it young, if not as young as most normal people do. I'd say the same if he got a two-month ban for wandering around dressed as a priest with one of those baby dolls on the groin too. One of the downsides of being famous.

Although, looking at it from the other direction, it -is- rather strange how many people get outraged at not being allowed to be dicks to minorities. I mean...is this really affecting your lives? Are you physically hurting from disapproval when you're rude to other people? I don't get it.

You should see how Islamic countries treat minorities. Saudi Arabia being just one. The fact you think it is wrong to mock Islam is rather concerning. It would be like saying mocking Christianity is wrong, it isn't wrong and people should be entitled to do so without facing internal persecution.

Billy86 · 02-11-2016 02:49PM

Surprise surprise, op decided to leave out this part from their very own link...

British Gymnastics said Smith's ban was a "cumulative penalty" because of a previous breach of its rules on conduct.

He was reprimanded in June for posting an image on social media of an American gymnast, who was 16 when the photograph as taken, accompanied by a comment British Gymnastics said was "unbefitting to a participant".

In April, he apologised for questioning the judging at the British Championships, where he was beaten to pommel gold by Max Whitlock.

The Briton missed last month's Olympic and Paralympic celebrations to visit two London mosques "to learn more about the Muslim community".

Smith said he had previously been "ignorant to people's religion" and added on Facebook that it was his responsibility "as someone of sporting influence" to exercise freedom of speech "in good taste".

HellSquirrel · 02-11-2016 02:50PM

Billy86 wrote: »

Surprise surprise, op decided to leave out this part from their very own link...

Yep. :pac: It's like they don't expect people to notice or something.

pickarooney · 02-11-2016 02:53PM

Banned for two months while he's on sabbatical.

HellSquirrel · 02-11-2016 02:55PM

Basically, he sounds like a bit of a dip****, and I really don't care if he's gotten a little smack on his poor diddum wrist.

A Little Pony · 02-11-2016 02:56PM

Billy86 wrote: »

Surprise surprise, op decided to leave out this part from their very own link...

British Gymnastics said Smith's ban was a "cumulative penalty" because of a previous breach of its rules on conduct.

He was reprimanded in June for posting an image on social media of an American gymnast, who was 16 when the photograph as taken, accompanied by a comment British Gymnastics said was "unbefitting to a participant".

In April, he apologised for questioning the judging at the British Championships, where he was beaten to pommel gold by Max Whitlock.

The Briton missed last month's Olympic and Paralympic celebrations to visit two London mosques "to learn more about the Muslim community".

Smith said he had previously been "ignorant to people's religion" and added on Facebook that it was his responsibility "as someone of sporting influence" to exercise freedom of speech "in good taste".

He didn't do anything wrong, Islam has no special status and is allowed to be criticized or mocked. The fact they suspended him for two months because of this is further legitimate proof as to why secularism is important and no religion should be free from ridicule. We are being forced down a very dark path bordering on authoritarianism.

HellSquirrel · 02-11-2016 02:59PM

A Little Pony wrote: »

He didn't do anything wrong, Islam has no special status and is allowed to be criticized or mocked. The fact they suspended him for two months because of this is further legitimate proof as to why secularism is important and no religion should be free from ridicule. We are being forced down a very dark path bordering on authoritarianism.

Oh Pony, you've been debunked in the first page. He wasn't banned for two months just for that, he was banned for a series of incidents of being a moron. He was on a warning before that, he showed that he hadn't taken it on board, they smacked him. They've hardly ended his career, just told him to bugger off for two months and think about how not to be a repeated bad example of British Athletics.

Don't be so triggerable. And I say that as a firm secularist with no particular love of Islam (or Catholicism, or any of the rest of them either).

ohnonotgmail · 02-11-2016 02:59PM

A Little Pony wrote: »

He didn't do anything wrong, Islam has no special status and is allowed to be criticized or mocked. The fact they suspended him for two months because of this is further legitimate proof as to why secularism is important and no religion should be free from ridicule. We are being forced down a very dark path bordering on authoritarianism.

he was banned for being a dick and drawing unwanted attention to his sport. and not for the first time. This was not a court of law. the decision has no bearing on the outside world

A Little Pony · 02-11-2016 03:14PM

HellSquirrel wrote: »

A Little Pony wrote: »

He didn't do anything wrong, Islam has no special status and is allowed to be criticized or mocked. The fact they suspended him for two months because of this is further legitimate proof as to why secularism is important and no religion should be free from ridicule. We are being forced down a very dark path bordering on authoritarianism.

Oh Pony, you've been debunked in the first page. He wasn't banned for two months just for that, he was banned for a series of incidents of being a moron. He was on a warning before that, he showed that he hadn't taken it on board, they smacked him. They've hardly ended his career, just told him to bugger off for two months and think about how not to be a repeated bad example of British Athletics.

Don't be so triggerable. And I say that as a firm secularist with no particular love of Islam (or Catholicism, or any of the rest of them either).

The other incidents of bad behaviour are irrelevant. This incident should not warrant him needing a 'slap on the hand' as he didn't do anything wrong. Freedom FROM religion is as important as freedom of religion. Like I said, it doesn't have a special status and neither should it ever have.

ohnonotgmail · 02-11-2016 03:16PM

A Little Pony wrote: »

The other incidents of bad behaviour are irrelevant. This incident should not warrant him needing a 'slap on the hand' as he didn't do anything wrong. Freedom FROM religion is as important as freedom of religion. Like I said, it doesn't have a special status and neither should it ever have.

well they are relevant. this incident on its own would not have warranted a ban

learn_more · 02-11-2016 03:34PM

Off all traditions I've seen in any and all religions I think Muslim style of Prayer is the NO. 1 thing begging to be mocked. I thought the video was quite funny.

dirtyden · 02-11-2016 03:51PM

I think most companies who value inclusiveness and respect would have behaved similarly. I know where I work if I was reprimanded for posting public sexist material a further incident showing religious disrepect would warrant more serious action. I would be surprised if that is not the case in most working environments where there are diverse employees or customers.

Billy86 · 02-11-2016 04:05PM

A Little Pony wrote: »

He didn't do anything wrong, Islam has no special status and is allowed to be criticized or mocked. The fact they suspended him for two months because of this is further legitimate proof as to why secularism is important and no religion should be free from ridicule. We are being forced down a very dark path bordering on authoritarianism.

They didn't suspend him for just this though, so stop trying to pretend otherwise. You literally quoted the part of the article you decided to omit for obvious reasons that explicitly states they were completely relevant. This is like complaining about a soccer player being booked for a niggly foul, while ignoring all his other fouls leading up to it. Very straightforward stuff that you're well aware of.

DEFTLEFTHAND · 02-11-2016 05:13PM

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

he was banned for being a dick and drawing unwanted attention to his sport. and not for the first time. This was not a court of law. the decision has no bearing on the outside world

Say idiot or something.

Dick is sexist.

ohnonotgmail · 02-11-2016 05:17PM

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

Say idiot or something.

Dick is sexist.

certainly not. if a man can be a pussy a woman can be a dick

Ferrari3600 · 02-11-2016 05:19PM

A Tory MP asked a question about this yesterday, seemingly Teresa May gave a waffly non-answer.

Ferrari3600 · 02-11-2016 05:26PM

The King of Moo wrote: »

Especially when you've already been in trouble for publicly posting a close up of a 16-year old gymnast's arse with the caption "My sport has its moments."

So he did something really that a lot of red-blooded young males would be tempted to do in the circumstances, probably the more intelligent ones would rein themselves in. Athletes aren't necessarily candidates for Nobel Prizes in astrophysics. Some of them are, frankly, a bit thick. But it's not a hanging offence to be a bit thick.

This whole idea that athletes are supposed to be models of decorum, "ambassadors for Britain" or whatever, seems highly questionable to me. And I speak as not only a firm secularist but someone that has no great interest in sport.

Louis Smith: British Gymnastics bans four-time Olympic medallist over video.

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