This is one of those instances in which the subject touches on soccer, but the sport itself is incidental to the larger question here. Today, I read an article that caused me to ponder where the line is as far as how grievous of a mistake do you have to make - in general - before you just aren't allowed back in whatever section of society happens to be affected.
Here, the story is that a struggling second-division team in England called Wigan Athletic - a side that was up with the big boys in the Premier League not too long ago, just hired a guy named Malky Mackay to try and get them back up to that division.
On the face of it, the Latics have made themselves a brilliant hire. Mackay straight up worked miracles with Cardiff City a few years back, taking that team from the perpetual gloom of underachievement all the way to the Premier League for the first time.
Awesome, right?
Well, the problem is that Mackay is a bit of a homophobic, racist, sexist bigot. If you don't end up clicking on the link, here's two examples...taken from a lengthy dossier compiled by Cardiff's owner, Vincent Tan.
Et cetera, et cetera, and so on. Real great guy, huh?
As you might imagine, Mackay made a big show of penitence directly after the incident starting blowing up Fleet Street, and there's been another round now that he's been hired by Wigan. That said, for some reason the only thing my brain keeps giving me here is the South Park version of Saddam Hussein doing his "Relax, guy! I can change!" routine.
Perhaps this is unfair of me, but my general philosophy is that once you get past the dipshit teenager/young adult stage, you pretty much are what you are. Sure, there are individual instances of people tripping and falling over some revelation that drastically alters their internal landscape. But, on the whole? I don't buy the idea that people change their stripes all that often - especially when they are 42 years old like Mackay is.
However, I also fully realize that this is the opinion of one guy who, let's be honest, is no expert on human psychology. I also fully subscribe to the idea that knowledge comes when you understand that you know nothing at all, so the planet-sized caveat here is that I fully admit that I could be wrong. Maybe Mackay really is a good guy, and maybe he does deserve another chance.
It's funny, actually. If you phrased this in the context of a prisoner serving their sentence and leaving prison, then my default setting is "Of COURSE they deserve a chance to show why they have been rehabilitated!". Hell, that's the theory behind incarceration in the first place - serious reservations about the execution of that practice in this country aside.
I'm not sure how to square that circle in comparison to this, though.
In my defense, I think some of this is just soccer-specific. The game has become so globalized now, I'm not certain it's a good idea to have guys like this around when the skill set of a modern manager has to include the ability to handle players from all over the world. Most sides will have to integrate South Americans, Africans, Europeans...sometimes the occasional player from Asia or North America as well. My own team, Arsenal, is on the low end of things these days and we still have players from: Poland, England, France, Wales, Germany, Spain, Costa Rica, Argentina, Czech Republic, Colombia, and Chile. Of course, the team also has a significant black contingent among that number.
Call me crazy, but as badly as I'd love for the Arsenal manager to be fired like 10,000 times over at this point, I'd rather keep him forever than have a guy like Mackay anywhere near us.
I suppose that defense withers in the face of other scenarios, though. I ask myself this question: Say I'm an HR person at a company, and Mackay has left soccer and applied to my company. He interviews well, and is qualified for the job. But, there is another candidate that has the same qualifications and general ability. I'll tell you this now, this is a literal 0% chance that I'd hire Mackay in that situation.
So, that leads me back to my original point. Let's say a guy like this genuinely has changed, for argument's sake. Doesn't it make sense to incorporate them back into the herd to ensure that they don't slip back to old habits? But, on the other hand, how can you be sure that said change truly is genuine?
Personally, I don't know. I'm glad it's a call I don't have to make, I'll tell you that much.
Here, the story is that a struggling second-division team in England called Wigan Athletic - a side that was up with the big boys in the Premier League not too long ago, just hired a guy named Malky Mackay to try and get them back up to that division.
On the face of it, the Latics have made themselves a brilliant hire. Mackay straight up worked miracles with Cardiff City a few years back, taking that team from the perpetual gloom of underachievement all the way to the Premier League for the first time.
Awesome, right?
Well, the problem is that Mackay is a bit of a homophobic, racist, sexist bigot. If you don't end up clicking on the link, here's two examples...taken from a lengthy dossier compiled by Cardiff's owner, Vincent Tan.
On the arrival of South Korean international Kim Bo-Kyung:
'Fkn chinkys. Fk it. There's enough dogs in Cardiff for us all to go around.'
On a player's female agent:
'I hope she's looking after your needs. I bet you'd love a bounce on her falsies.'
On a player's female agent:
'I hope she's looking after your needs. I bet you'd love a bounce on her falsies.'
Et cetera, et cetera, and so on. Real great guy, huh?
As you might imagine, Mackay made a big show of penitence directly after the incident starting blowing up Fleet Street, and there's been another round now that he's been hired by Wigan. That said, for some reason the only thing my brain keeps giving me here is the South Park version of Saddam Hussein doing his "Relax, guy! I can change!" routine.
Perhaps this is unfair of me, but my general philosophy is that once you get past the dipshit teenager/young adult stage, you pretty much are what you are. Sure, there are individual instances of people tripping and falling over some revelation that drastically alters their internal landscape. But, on the whole? I don't buy the idea that people change their stripes all that often - especially when they are 42 years old like Mackay is.
However, I also fully realize that this is the opinion of one guy who, let's be honest, is no expert on human psychology. I also fully subscribe to the idea that knowledge comes when you understand that you know nothing at all, so the planet-sized caveat here is that I fully admit that I could be wrong. Maybe Mackay really is a good guy, and maybe he does deserve another chance.
It's funny, actually. If you phrased this in the context of a prisoner serving their sentence and leaving prison, then my default setting is "Of COURSE they deserve a chance to show why they have been rehabilitated!". Hell, that's the theory behind incarceration in the first place - serious reservations about the execution of that practice in this country aside.
I'm not sure how to square that circle in comparison to this, though.
In my defense, I think some of this is just soccer-specific. The game has become so globalized now, I'm not certain it's a good idea to have guys like this around when the skill set of a modern manager has to include the ability to handle players from all over the world. Most sides will have to integrate South Americans, Africans, Europeans...sometimes the occasional player from Asia or North America as well. My own team, Arsenal, is on the low end of things these days and we still have players from: Poland, England, France, Wales, Germany, Spain, Costa Rica, Argentina, Czech Republic, Colombia, and Chile. Of course, the team also has a significant black contingent among that number.
Call me crazy, but as badly as I'd love for the Arsenal manager to be fired like 10,000 times over at this point, I'd rather keep him forever than have a guy like Mackay anywhere near us.
I suppose that defense withers in the face of other scenarios, though. I ask myself this question: Say I'm an HR person at a company, and Mackay has left soccer and applied to my company. He interviews well, and is qualified for the job. But, there is another candidate that has the same qualifications and general ability. I'll tell you this now, this is a literal 0% chance that I'd hire Mackay in that situation.
So, that leads me back to my original point. Let's say a guy like this genuinely has changed, for argument's sake. Doesn't it make sense to incorporate them back into the herd to ensure that they don't slip back to old habits? But, on the other hand, how can you be sure that said change truly is genuine?
Personally, I don't know. I'm glad it's a call I don't have to make, I'll tell you that much.
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