Great article on Adam Goodes by Jake Niall

[Pies4shaw]

Musicians always are, David.

[Flashman]

Can anyone think of "challengers" who have been liked in their era and by those being challenged? It's a tough thing. Goodes with even his mild challenges to our national identity is copping plenty of bile. I don't think it was exactly smooth sailing for Ali during his time either.

At a distance and in hindsight these challengers can be seen as great people, but closer to home and period, the reaction is always more mixed.

Muhammad Ali as a mouth piece for Elijah Muhammad's NOI preached for segregation between blacks and whites, disapproved of interracial relationships, was a homophobe and a sexist.

He was a polarizing figure and drew the ire of large sections of the American public for this as much as the draft dodging and his tasteless big noting and trash talk (although he did moderate his more extreme views after the death of Elijah Muhammad and the accension of Warith Deen Mohammed).

It's only with the hindsight of liberal media adulation, a pretty effective PR machine behind him and also his illness, that Ali is held up as this symbol of equality, compassion and black empowerment. It's largely a myth though and doesn't tally with many of his public pronouncements.

Great fighter though.

[Piesnchess]

I don't care a whit if goodes is black, pink, red, purple or white with blue stripes, theres just something about him im not rapt in, just strikes me as an arrogant prick at times, with one helluva ego to boot.

[Pies4shaw]

An arrogant AFL footballer? Quelle surprise!!!

[think positive]

An arrogant AFL footballer? Quelle surprise!!!

Ha, true, the rule not the exception