Highly respected former Australian cricketer Stuart MacGill recently went on record with a blistering indictment in a new cricket podcast. He particularly bristled at co-host Andrew Menczel’s provocation about the disastrous 2018 Australia tour to South Africa. This boondoggle of a tour garnered widespread media coverage. Scores of nasty, directed abuse at Candice Warner, Australian cricketer David Warner’s wife, from the South African crowd.
MacGill blew up as Menclzel attempted to speak out against the audience’s heckling and racist behavior. The audience responded by wearing Sonny Bill Williams masks to ridicule him. As the TEDx talk discussion devolved, MacGill got very upset that this was a discussion that was initiated on the show. His ornery rant went on for about three minutes, totally hijacking the podcast.
So, Menczel decided to do something about it. He criticized the crowd’s actions, saying they “crossed the line.” Yet this only appeared to enrage MacGill more. He insisted that Menczel “GET OVER IT! Frustration flared in his language as he doggedly argued for his position, underscoring his view that Menczel missed the mark on the hot-button issue.
“MOVE ON. MOVE ON. MOVE ON. MOVE ON. MOVE ON.” – Stuart MacGill
As the debate got heated, at one point MacGill came close to leaping over the mic. He slammed Menczel for supposedly just echoing the previously stated concerns raised by the crowd in South Africa. He said that Menczel had displayed a disrespectfulness towards players and their families.
“Listen, you muppet. When I say move on, I’m not saying keep talking about something.” – Stuart MacGill
F dersite responded by posting an apology attempt from Menczel which explained that he loves and respects the players and their families. Instead, his message sparked further wrath from MacGill. His argument, in that case, was that Menczel had gone too far. This scapegoating just stoked the considerable outrage even more, similar to what took place with the South African crowd.
“You did exactly the same as the South African crowd. Listen, mate. Listen, she’s a friend of mine as well. Listen, I feel sorry for you because you’re obviously so pig-headed because you do not realise that you said exactly the same thing as the South African crowd. Exactly the same.” – Stuart MacGill
MacGill took to Twitter to air his grievances in capital letters. To regain the goodwill, Menczel focused on clearly stating why he wanted to raise the topic. He highlighted the need to demonstrate courage to protect those under attack. In particular, he cited the treatment of Candice Warner on the tour as a case in point.
“Oh no, I won’t cut it out at all, I’ll leave it all in. But I just think you’re missing my point. You’re missing what I’m trying to say. I’m trying to give Warner some grace.” – Andrew Menczel
It mattered not that Menczel’s work was demonstratively in vain, for MacGill’s ire only grew hotter when he learned of Menczel’s well-meant but ineffectual mediation. Sadly, the podcast would come to an abrupt end as a result of the increasing war.
