'Sounds like racism to me': Outrage as Sam Newman compares the booing of Adam Goodes to crowds doing the same to Chinese drug cheat Sun Yang

  • Ex-Footy Show host Sam Newman has compared Adam Goodes and Sun Yang
  • Sun was booed after an extraordinary outburst at competitors at world champs
  • Rivals refused to share podium with Sun as they believe he is a drug cheat
  • Newman tweeted that booing of Sun was for similar reasons as Goodes

By Jackson Barron For Daily Mail Australia

Published: 21:44 EDT, 24 July 2019 | Updated: 22:38 EDT, 24 July 2019

Former Footy Show host Sam Newman has compared the booing of Chinese swimmer Sun Yang to that of ex-AFL star Adam Goodes. 

Sun was booed after his extraordinary outburst at the world championships in South Korea.

He berated British competitor Duncan Scott who refused to shake hands or share the podium with him, telling him he was 'winning' while his rival was a 'loser'. Sun also criticised Australian swimmer Mack Horton for a similar protest.

Crowds at the swimming world titles have been antagonistic to Sun, booing him after a controversial false start victory in the 200m freestyle final.

Newman took to Twitter to compare the response to Sun's actions to how Goodes was booed while he was playing for the Sydney Swans.

Former Footy Show host Sam Newman (pictured) has compared the booing of Chinese swimmer Sun Yang to that of ex-AFL star Adam Goodes

Former Footy Show host Sam Newman (pictured) has compared the booing of Chinese swimmer Sun Yang to that of ex-AFL star Adam Goodes 

Newman was an outspoken critic of the former Sydney Swans player when Goodes (pictured with wife Natalie) complained about the way he was treated by opposition fans
Sun was booed after his extraordinary outburst at the world championships in South Korea in South Korea

Newman took to Twitter to compare the response to Sun's (right) actions to how Goodes (left with wife Natalie) was booed while he was playing for the Sydney Swans

'Newspaper article says Sun Yang (Chinese Swimmer) being booed for what he did. Can you believe it. Being booed for what he did, not for who he is. Sounds like racism to me,' Newman tweeted on Wednesday

'Newspaper article says Sun Yang (Chinese Swimmer) being booed for what he did. Can you believe it. Being booed for what he did, not for who he is. Sounds like racism to me,' Newman tweeted on Wednesday

'Newspaper article says Sun Yang (Chinese Swimmer) being booed for what he did. Can you believe it. Being booed for what he did, not for who he is. Sounds like racism to me,' Newman tweeted on Wednesday.

Newman was an outspoken critic of the former Sydney Swans player when Goodes complained about the way he was treated by opposition fans at the end of his career.

Goodes was consistently booed by rival fans before he retired in 2015, and said he was called an 'ape' by a 13-year-old girl during a game in 2013.

At the time, he complained that he was the target of racism by AFL supporters, but Newman said Goodes was being booed because he was 'acting like a flog' and not for racist reasons.

The booing saga was the subject of the documentary 'The Final Quarter', broadcast nationally on Channel 10 last week.

Sun (pictured left) has endured many protests at the swimming world championships from rival athletes including Duncan Scott (pictured right) and fans alike

Sun (pictured left) has endured many protests at the swimming world championships from rival athletes including Duncan Scott (pictured right) and fans alike 

Newman appeared in archived clips shown during the documentary, and took to social media to comment on it after it was aired.

'Criticising someone from another race - doesn't make you a racist. The grovelling doco by Sharks**t Productions ''The Final Quarter'', should be ''The Last Straw''. Adam Goodes initially was booed for taunting Carlton fans. Racist? So be it,' Newman said.

Newman was referring to an Aboriginal war dance Goodes performed and directed at the Carlton cheer squad during a game in May 2015.

'Criticizing someone from another race - doesn't make you a racist,' Newman wrote on Twitter last mont

'Criticizing someone from another race - doesn't make you a racist,' Newman wrote on Twitter last mont

The AFL and all of its 18 member clubs apologised to Goodes in April for the way he was treated by fans at the end of his career.

Sun was convicted of doping in 2014, and has an upcoming hearing at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in September.

If Sun is found guilty at the hearing he will receive a lifetime ban from the sport.

Goodes was consistently booed by rival fans before he retired in 2015, and said he was called an 'ape' by a 13-year-old girl during a game (pictured) in 2013

Goodes was consistently booed by rival fans before he retired in 2015, and said he was called an 'ape' by a 13-year-old girl during a game (pictured) in 2013 

THE AFL'S FULL APOLOGY TO ADAM GOODES 

'The Australian Football League and the 18 AFL Clubs have come together to make this statement on behalf of our members, administrators, staff and players.

'The history of the game says that Australian Rules has officially been played for 161 years.

'Yet, for many years before, Aboriginal history tells us that traditional forms of football were played by Australia's first peoples all over Australia, most notably in the form of Marngrook in the Western Districts of Victoria. It is Australia's only Indigenous football game – a game born from the ancient traditions of our country. It is a game that is proudly Australian.

'Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players are some of the most extraordinary players that the game has seen, and football has played a part in positive social change for many people and communities.

'2019 will see the release of two important films about football, racism and discrimination. The films focus on the treatment of Adam Goodes, one of the game's greatest champions, and tell the story of Australia's history with the First Peoples of this land.

'Through Adam's story, we see the personal and institutional experience of racism. We see that Australia's history of dispossession and disempowerment of First Nation's people has left its mark, and that racism, on and off the field, continues to have a traumatic and damaging impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players and communities.

'The treatment of Adam challenges us, and our right to be considered Australia's indigenous football code. Adam, who represents so much that is good and unique about our game, was subject to treatment that drove him from football. The game did not do enough to stand with him and call it out.

'We apologise unreservedly for our failures during this period.

'Failure to call out racism and not standing up for one of our own let down all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players, past and present.

'Our game is about belonging. We want all Australians to feel they belong and that they have a stake in the game. We will not achieve this while racism and discrimination exists in our game.

'We pledge to continue to fight all forms of racism and discrimination, on and off the field.

'We will stand strongly with all in the football community who experience racism or discrimination.

'We will listen to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players and communities to learn about the impact of racism and in doing so, we will gain a deeper understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

'We will continue to work to ensure a safe and inclusive environment wherever our game is played.

'And we urge all Australians, and in particular our supporters and fans, to see these films with open hearts and minds and learn from the experience and leadership of Adam Goodes, just as we are.

'We are unified on this, and never want to see the mistakes of the past repeated.'

Source: AFL 

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Sam Newman ties Adam Goodes racism saga to drug cheat swimmer Sun Yang

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