Demons probe sponsor Ben Polis's racist rants

[Lordweaver 235]

Read my posts Hardtack

[Striker475 696]

No, it's not even close to 'literally the same thing'. We can still hold our heads high about our behaviour over the last week.

I'm not talking about our actions, it's how the media are lining us up. The reality is, our actions don't matter - the media are just going to keep smashing us. Get ready for it.

[Sir Why You Little 36,668]

I was keen to know that to and thought they may have been holding this out of respect for Jim.

Imagine this had all popped up 2 or 3 weeks ago...

It looks like a lot has been held back in "respect" of Jim doesn't it. He would be appalled a the comments of Mr. EW.

[daisycutter 29,341]

And where were all of the critics here last year when EnergyWatch were brought on board as a sponsor? I don't recall any of these issues being brought up on here at that time... hindsight is a wonderful thing.

actually hardtack there were a few murmurings including his ACCC issues and long term viability........but we were all blinded too by the $$$s

[GM11 745]

Football clubs are public property mate. We are in deep poo over this one..

Why?

Did we make nasty comments on our facebook page?

[stranga 328]

Good advice, there is more to life than footy

Spot on, the last couple of months have proven this to me. Im slowly changing my outlook. The game is not even really about the footy anymore. Its about uncovering the next scandal and bringing people down. Im over it. Its sad that its round 2 and most of us are already over the season. Not how it should be.

[Guest Thomo]

Honestly, I think loose the sponsor. Chances are there would be alot of other potential sponsors out there watching this closely to see how MFC react.

And if MFC do the right thing here, there could be other sponsors who will jump in, partially as a charity sponsor and to also have there logo on a club which has shown its integrity.

Long term investment ditching energy watch. Keep them on boards and watch how bad our future sponsorships look once this one expires. Club would be tainted.

We need to make a stand and cancel the sponsorship.

Perversely I believe a stand like this will attract another major sponsor very quickly. The sponsor who comes in after this rubbish and after the Melbourne FC have made a public stand against racism and innappropriate behaviour will get a million miles of publicity as well as be associated with a club which has strong family values.

I also think that while we might burn a little bit of the $2m per season, we would get a second major sponsor as well. The sum of both of these might be slightly less than the sum of EW and a FoJ sponsor, but its a small concession when you are trying once and for all to show the football world and the wider community that we actually stand for something. We stand for what Jim worked so hard for. We stand for giving everyobne a go, and striving to fulfill everyones potential.

SACK ENERGY WATCH NOW.

Large organisations are not football fans, they won't look at Melbourne and say "good on them for dumping Energywatch. lets give them some of our money". More likely they will be thinking; 1 - We don't want to be associated with this train wreck, it will damage our brand to be associated with that mess, and 2 - Melbourne dumped a sponsor when the skeletons came out of the closest rather than stick by them, all organisations have skeletons and it could happen to us, let’s stay away.

I think Energy watch needs to be dumped, but in no way is this a positive for future sponsorship

.

[Jack Jack 415]

There can only be one rational explanation for all of these goings on. Thirteen black cats must have walked accross the path of someone breaking 13 mirrors whilst walking under 13 ladders and spilling salt 13 times, and they've obviously done it 13 times now.

It's either that or there is black magic afoot. Someone has cursed this club and we need to find them. I for one, and I'm sure Jaded agrees, have my finger squarely pointed at Watts. So what's the proceedure again? If he drowns, that's good, it means he's not a witch, but if he floats he's a witch and must be burnt at the stake. Let the witch hunt begin!

[Sir Why You Little 36,668]

Why?

Did we make nasty comments on our facebook page?

No. But we advertise his company every wher we go.

[Nasher 33,607]

Spot on, the last couple of months have proven this to me. Im slowly changing my outlook. The game is not even really about the footy anymore. Its about uncovering the next scandal and bringing people down. Im over it. Its sad that its round 2 and most of us are already over the season. Not how it should be.

The game is what you make it. If you really wanted, you could quite easily stop reading the forums, stop watching Fox on weekdays and stop reading the rags, and just turn up on game day. Then footy just becomes about the footy again.

You get caught up in the politics because you choose to.

[Lordweaver 235]

• Hardtack is being racist by referring to me as Einstein, I want him sacked!!
  

[binman 42,010]

Yeah let's dump them!! What a great start guys, then let's dump Jurrah for violence, Moloney for Alcohol abuse etc etc

Are you serious or are you taking the [censored]? Of course we have to dump them as sponsors, we have absolutely no choice. From an ethical and moral perspective we simply must immediately sever all ties - i'm surprised they haven;t done so already'.

Leaving aside the ethical imperative we also have to cut ties on financial grounds. Do you think we have a hope in hell of attracting any new sponsors (or keep our existing ones for that matter) whilst this fella is involved in the club. How do, in good faith, negotiate with say an large Chinese company (ï'm not racist because my cleaner is Asian"). No company in the world will come near us, now or in the future unless we cut ties. For god sake the Prime Minister has come out and criticized him - the Prime Minister!

[GM11 745]

I know I am developing a huge hatred of the media vultures in this state.

Talk about smelling blood in the water.

I actually, at this moment, despise them all.

[GawnWithTheWind 604]

I think Tom Scully was the rat that revealed the supposible racist comments about our club and also hacked Polis' facebook and posted this stuff.

Assemble the torches and pitch forks people...

[Face Your Demons 175]

There can only be one rational explanation for all of these goings on. Thirteen black cats must have walked accross the path of someone breaking 13 mirrors whilst walking under 13 ladders and spilling salt 13 times, and they've obviously done it 13 times now.

It's either that or there is black magic afoot. Someone has cursed this club and we need to find them. I for one, and I'm sure Jaded agrees, have my finger squarely pointed at Watts. So what's the proceedure again? If he drowns, that's good, it means he's not a witch, but if he floats he's a witch and must be burnt at the stake. Let the witch hunt begin!

We are trying to win our Thirteenth flag.

[hardtack 10,422]

Read my posts Hardtack

I did... and ignoring it in the hope it will go away is NOT a solution. The press is onto this and if we wish to attract a major FOJ sponsor, then keeping EW as a sponsor will only hinder our chances. Besides, Polis is EW and reading his comments and excuses (he's not a racist because "his cleaner was Asian" and he "once date a girl who was half-Aborigine")... we should not associate our club with him. We see sponsors dump clubs for similar offences, why shouldn't we do likewise?

There are plenty of sponsors who like to be associated with brands that are forthright and have rock solid principles... I wouldn't think there are too many who would want to be associated with a club that allows the likes of Polis to remain as a major sponsor after all of the negative publicity he has attracted.

[hardtack 10,422]

• Hardtack is being racist by referring to me as Einstein, I want him sacked!!
  

funny... I thought school holidays started tomorrow.

[Sir Why You Little 36,668]

Are you serious or are you taking the [censored]? Of course we have to dump them as sponsors, we have absolutely no choice. From an ethical and moral perspective we simply must immediately sever all ties - i'm surprised they haven;t done so already'.

Leaving aside the ethical imperative we also have to cut ties on financial grounds. Do you think we have a hope in hell of attracting any new sponsors (or keep our existing ones for that matter) whilst this fella is involved in the club. How do, in good faith, negotiate with say an large Chinese company (ï'm not racist because my cleaner is Asian"). No company in the world will come near us, now or in the future unless we cut ties. For god sake the Prime Minister has come out and criticized him - the Prime Minister!

Agree 100%

this is poison for future dealings. We must walk away.

[Arrow 1,257]

The worst thing is we are damned if we do and damned if we don't.

CS and co. are probably nutting out the value of revenue vs. image.

We're giving up 8-10$ million dollars if we let this go... I don't agree with what he said and I'd be happy to get rid of them but the poor buggers upstairs must be wondering how many black cats walked under ladders with a broken mirror.

[hardtack 10,422]

actually hardtack there were a few murmurings including his ACCC issues and long term viability........but we were all blinded too by the $$$s

yeah, you are probably right DC... I have to admit that I knew nothing of them at all, but that is probably more due to the fact I'm in Sydney and not Melbourne (I don't think they have much of a presence here).

[Bonkers 988]

Carlton survived their association with Dick Pratt even after his name was soiled through his price fixing shenanigans, frolicking with hookers & passing brown paper bags under the table to Chris Judd. The club needs to distance itself from the remarks & have the EW CEO publicly apologise. I don't think the club should be held guilty by association on this issue, the MFC & EW are two different entities. Losing EW as a sponsor without a replacement could mean we are back into a 2-3million dollar debt by the end of the year. I don't like that the EW CEO has made these remarks, however I'd rather the club wasn't put into a position of debt again. A middle ground position may have to be found by the club in this instance if that is possible.

[Face Your Demons 175]

If we walk away will we still get our Electricity at the cheaper rate.

[Jack Jack 415]

We are trying to win our Thirteenth flag.

Haha, it's so obvious I missed it. Suddenly everything is begining to make sense.

[La Dee-vina Comedia 16,652]

A couple of points:

I'm impressed with most Demonlanders and their moral compass. Anyone who believes "the sponsor who must not be named" should be kept on for the money presumably doesn't belong to a minority group. I'd suggest anyone who thinks keeping the money is more important than taking an ethical stand might have thought living in Germany in 1933-45 was really great because their economy improved.

Now is the very best time for a new sponsor to sign up. The massive publicity from stepping in and "taking over" the sponsorship would be gold for any company.

If it hasn't already done so, the MFC should engage a company which specialises in corporate reputation to help them with these various problems. It doesn't matter whether the ills are self-inflicted or not. Managing the club's reputation takes effort and careful management.

[Forest Demon 4,681]

I'm not talking about our actions, it's how the media are lining us up. The reality is, our actions don't matter - the media are just going to keep smashing us. Get ready for it.

Sorry, didn't see the posts you were referring to. Think I am going clinically insane this week.