Whilst agreeing that this is all a bit of a 'Storm in a Tea Cup', I think it only fair to point out that Mel MacLaughlin is a well respected sports journalist here, and used to head up Fox Sports coverage of the A League, before switching to the BBL on Ten.
She certainly know's her stuff, and certainly deserves better than to be treated as some kind of sexual object by Chris Gayle, live on National TV.
Of course he then went on to use the old 'banter' excuse, which I am sure he himself would accept if he was racially abused by a fan in the stands.
Never met the man but it's been said by more than a couple of journalists and other cricketers he's at best pretty crass as an individual.
He made himself look stupid with his behaviour the other night but let's have it right, he wasn't abusing the lady. He did something stupid but not malicious it was more David Brent as opposed to Ron Atkinson
Gayle was sexist and embarrassed Mel. Not on. What he should be doing is playing for a struggling WIndies red team, but his heads too far up his arse for that
In answer to Chris from Sidcup, I think that racism and sexism make pretty comfy bedfellows don't you?
Was he asking her out for a drink, or was he using his supposed celebrity and status to demean and embarass a female journalist? If he wanted to ask her out then by all means do so - when she isn't working, and when she is off camera.
To use another analogy, how would Mr Gayle feel, if his interviewer was a gay man, who flirted with him and asked him out for a drink live on air?
Would he have been similarly amused, or as I suspect would have felt embarassed and humiliated at his place of work?
Making comments like that to anyone when they're in the middle of doing their job is incredibly inappropriate. Say that when the cameras are off sure and I can see it's a bit of a laugh, but she's trying to do her job.
Comments
If he said "you are U-G-L-Y you ain't got no alibi you're ugly" he'd get in trouble as well
She certainly know's her stuff, and certainly deserves better than to be treated as some kind of sexual object by Chris Gayle, live on National TV.
Of course he then went on to use the old 'banter' excuse, which I am sure he himself would accept if he was racially abused by a fan in the stands.
Changing the subject. Where does Gayle stand in terms of all round greatest cricketer across all formats?
This assumes all formats are given equal weight.
He's a destructive batsman with two triple centuries (though I think they are against Bangladesh?) His bowling is tight and effective.
Got to be worth considering surely?
Since when was asking a woman out for a drink comparable to racial abuse?
To me, Gayle is guilty of nothing more than being a bit cocky. Complete over reaction.
Never met the man but it's been said by more than a couple of journalists and other cricketers he's at best pretty crass as an individual.
He made himself look stupid with his behaviour the other night but let's have it right, he wasn't abusing the lady. He did something stupid but not malicious it was more David Brent as opposed to Ron Atkinson
Was he asking her out for a drink, or was he using his supposed celebrity and status to demean and embarass a female journalist? If he wanted to ask her out then by all means do so - when she isn't working, and when she is off camera.
To use another analogy, how would Mr Gayle feel, if his interviewer was a gay man, who flirted with him and asked him out for a drink live on air?
Would he have been similarly amused, or as I suspect would have felt embarassed and humiliated at his place of work?