Chappell fingering fans

[Buddhmaster]

Make that one more person. Gosh, what I've seen in delhi schools is that little kids not even in class 6th (about 11 yrs) pop up their middle fingers when irritated at someone. With wrestling and all, middle finger has inculcated itself into the neo indian culture, at least in the metros.

I think the middle finger gesture is so meaningless now, that no one in Australia even does it anymore.

 

[Pratters]

I doubt if being booed for doing well by your own countrymen was ever part of the job description.

Its a fact that Indian fans are very extreme in their reactions. Past experiences of the fans does show you have to be very professional (as you said) in reacting to crowds, media.

 

[sqwerty]

Isn't this all being taken out of context?

I heard someone yelled out to Chappell "how far do you think you can take this Indian side?"

.........to which he responded "Number 1"

 

[shankar]

I doubt if being booed for doing well by your own countrymen was ever part of the job description. I agree he didn't show much professionalism, but neither did the Kolkata crowd deserve any.

First of all, note that I'm not saying that what Chappell did was a big crime and that he should apologise for it or any such nonsense. But saying that the crowd behaviour excuses his act is not right - The crowd doesnt get paid by the BCCI and is free to act as poorly as it wants. But Chappell is and hence should behave in a professional manner as required by the post he's occupying and shouldn't go down to the levels of the crowd.

 

[JASON]

Isn't this all being taken out of context?

I heard someone yelled out to Chappell "how far do you think you can take this Indian side?"

.........to which he responded "Number 1"

Brilliant !!!

 

[honestbharani]

What if his finger was actually injured and he was attending to it? I didn't see the clip, but from the pic, it seems he wasn't deliberately putting it out for people to see.

 

[Fusion]

First of all, note that I'm not saying that what Chappell did was a big crime and that he should apologise for it or any such nonsense. But saying that the crowd behaviour excuses his act is not right - The crowd doesnt get paid by the BCCI and is free to act as poorly as it wants. But Chappell is and hence should behave in a professional manner as required by the post he's occupying and shouldn't go down to the levels of the crowd.

Well said. The Indian coaching job is perhaps the most high-profile coaching job in the world. It pays well, and gives the Coach world-wide recognition (if the team performs well of course). Greg knew what the job entailed. He knew that Indian fans can be very passionate about the game, sometimes going to the extreme. That does NOT excuse his behavior. The coach is a representative of the team, just like the players. Indian players' effigies are burned when the team doesn't do well. Their houses are pelted by stones! That's not to say it's ). right. However, it doesn't mean the players can give the finger to the fans either! I live in the United States and professional coaches/managers here are regularly booed and criticized (sometimes viciously) by fans when teams don't do well (any Yankees, Redsox, Redskins, Cowboys, Eagles coach/manager would testify to this). But they don't react the way Greg did. In fact, I would argue that it would be a VERY big deal in the States if they did. Greg needs to get himself some PR classes.

 

[Fusion]

What if his finger was actually injured and he was attending to it? I didn't see the clip, but from the pic, it seems he wasn't deliberately putting it out for people to see.

Indiatimes is reporting that Greg has admitted to giving the finger to the crowd. When asked why, he said he didn't have to justify it.

 

[honestbharani]

Indiatimes is not something that can be believed to be authentic. WE will have to wait and see.

 

[Pratters]

From Telegraph Calcutta

Calcutta, Nov. 26: It was 4.45 am at the front desk of Taj Bengal when Team India coach Greg Chappell arrived to sign out and head for the airport.

The Telegraph approached him to check on the ‘middle-finger’ controversy raging in the city since the Indian batting collapse at the Eden Gardens on Friday. [The gesture, captured on camera by a local TV production company, was traced back to when Chappell was boarding the team bus after the pre-match practice session at the Eden on Thursday afternoon.

The Telegraph: Mr Chappell, did you make that gesture with your finger?

Chappell: Yes, I did.

TT: You mean to say the image is not doctored?

Chappell: No, it is not doctored.

TT: Was it made at the media?

Chappell: No, never. It was not aimed at the media.

TT: Was it towards the crowd? Would you please specify?

Chappell: I do not think I need to specify the reason to you.

TT: Has the behaviour of the Calcutta crowd disappointed you?

Chappell: It was bizarre.

The incident occured on Thursday and not after the match on Friday as is believed. Because when I came home on Friday the match was already going on and was a good one hour to go when Aaj Tak started showing the pictures.

 

[honestbharani]

He has only said that he did make the gesture, but even then, his explanation of attending to an injured finger still stands, right?

 

[Maison]

er, doing stuff like that isnt going to please 'supporters'.....


soo dumb, especially in these bad times for the team

 

[Smudge]

er, doing stuff like that isnt going to please 'supporters'.....


soo dumb, especially in these bad times for the team

Bad times? They had just thrashed Sri Lanka a couple of weeks back... South Africa are a good team.

 

[Slow Love™]

Perhaps a more salient question, other than "how offensive is being given the finger in India?" is "Why is Chappell so inept at handling the media?"

I mean seriously... "I do not think I need to specify the reason to you."

 

[C_C]

If you want someone to respected under the eyes of Indian culture, then you should pick an Indian coach.

They appointed Chappell because they thought they had the most chance of improving under him, not because they thought he would be a PR man or because they thought his actions would be viewed in good light by Indian culture. They appointed an Australian coach, and he is going to act Australian.

So the next time your arab co-worker calls your wife/mum a whore for dressing scantily relative to his culture, i am sure you wont mind.

When you are hired for a job- doesnt matter whats the job- you have an obligation to blend in with the philosophy of the organisation- or you shouldnt be applying in the first place.

You seem to think that its okay to flip the bird in the general direction of the populace and that only shows your rather narrowminded understanding of world cultures.

 

[C_C]

Must say, I also agree with that. Flipping the bird in India is just as bad as flipping it in Australia..

I doubt an Indian crowd would be much more offended then an Australian one..

I find it hard to believe that you think that yet you say you go to India regularly. Flipping the bird in India in a largely adult and/or social gathering is taken much harshly than in the western societies.
You should know that or if you dont, maybe you should get out into the country more often and not just stick to metropolitan areas - to most of those in India who understand what flipping the bird means, its deeply offensive.

 

[C_C]

Im simply defending his actions based on the fact that he was not hired to live by Indian culture.

He isnt hired to live by the Indian culture when he is not at work - when you are at work, you are expected to live up to the culture of the institution- be it 'tie only and no smoking' corporate culture or 'sneakers and jeans' corporate culture. Greg was at work and i dont care if he flipped the bird off duty but on duty he most certainly is responsible for his conduct defined by the organisation hiring him.

 

[C_C]

If it was really as offensive to Indian culture as some contributors are making out Chappell would have been sacked by now. The fact that he hasn't suggests that maybe this has more to do with their dislike of Chappell than anything else.

So you are telling me that one does not owe an apology for minor infringement ( minor but still an infringement) of protocol ? As long as one isnt fired, it is okay ? Have you EVER been up for review by your boss ? Or being disciplined at work ?Or even heard of those processes ?

 

[C_C]

Perhaps my awareness of Indian culture is not as acute as yours... or perhaps this "culture" is really a myth because there is no one, single culture that defines this nation as a whole. Then again, as I said, maybe I'm just ignorant. The public reaction to this diabolical act will make it pretty clear what our culture really is, as far as such matters are concerned...

There is no 'singular' culture in India as a whole like you see in Australia or most of the western world. But India has an overall cultural tilt- just like western Europe has an overall cultural tilt or Central Africa has an overall cultural tilt- all that means is there is a fundamental commonality present to a degree significantly greater than that between any one indian culture and European clture.

 

[C_C]

I think both countries audiences would see it as a lack of control and upbringing on GC's part, rather then be offended or take it as a blow to their culture..

I think the whole cultural thing is irrelevant when discussing GC's actions..

Do you think it is fair to say that Canadians in general would feel offended if a Saudi Football Coach likened Canadian women to hookers for dressing scantily ?
You should travel a bit more before you form any notions about what constitutes respecting a culture and what doesnt.