The verdict in Nikita Hand's successful case against Conor McGregor has the potential to be a watershed moment for how we view consent and what constitutes sexual assault.
Hi Philip, I’ve been a fan and an avid follower of yours since 2016. To me you are Ireland’s greatest living storyteller and the only journalist worth paying attention to.
That being said I have to make an observation: why is it that you never ever seriously criticise Conor McGregor? I have searched through your tweets on McGregor, I have read every article you have written about him, and listened to every podcast where you have spoken about him and what struck me after all of that was that you have never condemned his conduct. To use a fighting term you really pull your punches when it comes to Conor McGregor.
You’ve only gone as far as question his heart when he pulled out of fights, whenever he is was in serious trouble out of the ring you pointedly dodge any serious comment of his behaviour by focusing on the fallout instead. In this latest case you discuss the idea of “consent” rather than outwardly condemn McGregor.
Why is that? Are you worried about crossing him? Or is it because you don’t want the Irish MMA community to turn their back on you for having a go at their greatest competitor? Why won’t you condemn McGregor as strongly as you condemned, just for one random example, the head of the Irish in Sweden society a few months ago?
I'm not a big fan of condemning people just for the sake of it in my work, though I utterly condemn what McGregor did and how he has behaved before, during and after this trial.
As to whether I pull my punches about him, I think that is a fair observation - the reason is that when I write about him or speak about him on podcasts, I am conscious that I am talking to an audience who are not normally exposed to my way of seeing things, and I try not to alienate them until I have gotten my points across.
(That said, I wrote an article about him for the Irish Times in 2017 after he lost to Khabib Nurmagomedov in which I mentioned Mike Tyson, and I know he was very angry about me mentioning a convicted rapist in a column about him).
There are plenty of other commentators and journalists out there who have no problem hammering him (I think Tommy Conlon had a piece in the Independent recently that was particularly scathing) but I don't think anyone who is a fan of MMA or McGregor is going to pay the slightest bit of attention to him, whereas they might give me a hearing. If that was to result in someone thinking differently about how they see things, I think it's worth it.
I think in this case the issue of consent is absolutely integral, and it's an issue that is bigger than him or his career - in the past I have tried to "export" a Swedish organisation called Locker Room Talk to address this very subject, and it was the thing that stood out to me most about the incident.
Well fair play, Philip. Like I said you’re a Picasso of the written word, I was just surprised that you seem to go so easy on McGregor compared with the crooked mob in Leinster house or them in the Irish Swedish society. I still can’t sleep some nights when I remember how they treated you, it’s a bloody disgrace.
Hi Philip, I’ve been a fan and an avid follower of yours since 2016. To me you are Ireland’s greatest living storyteller and the only journalist worth paying attention to.
That being said I have to make an observation: why is it that you never ever seriously criticise Conor McGregor? I have searched through your tweets on McGregor, I have read every article you have written about him, and listened to every podcast where you have spoken about him and what struck me after all of that was that you have never condemned his conduct. To use a fighting term you really pull your punches when it comes to Conor McGregor.
You’ve only gone as far as question his heart when he pulled out of fights, whenever he is was in serious trouble out of the ring you pointedly dodge any serious comment of his behaviour by focusing on the fallout instead. In this latest case you discuss the idea of “consent” rather than outwardly condemn McGregor.
Why is that? Are you worried about crossing him? Or is it because you don’t want the Irish MMA community to turn their back on you for having a go at their greatest competitor? Why won’t you condemn McGregor as strongly as you condemned, just for one random example, the head of the Irish in Sweden society a few months ago?
Thanks for the comment Seán!
I'm not a big fan of condemning people just for the sake of it in my work, though I utterly condemn what McGregor did and how he has behaved before, during and after this trial.
As to whether I pull my punches about him, I think that is a fair observation - the reason is that when I write about him or speak about him on podcasts, I am conscious that I am talking to an audience who are not normally exposed to my way of seeing things, and I try not to alienate them until I have gotten my points across.
(That said, I wrote an article about him for the Irish Times in 2017 after he lost to Khabib Nurmagomedov in which I mentioned Mike Tyson, and I know he was very angry about me mentioning a convicted rapist in a column about him).
There are plenty of other commentators and journalists out there who have no problem hammering him (I think Tommy Conlon had a piece in the Independent recently that was particularly scathing) but I don't think anyone who is a fan of MMA or McGregor is going to pay the slightest bit of attention to him, whereas they might give me a hearing. If that was to result in someone thinking differently about how they see things, I think it's worth it.
I think in this case the issue of consent is absolutely integral, and it's an issue that is bigger than him or his career - in the past I have tried to "export" a Swedish organisation called Locker Room Talk to address this very subject, and it was the thing that stood out to me most about the incident.
Well fair play, Philip. Like I said you’re a Picasso of the written word, I was just surprised that you seem to go so easy on McGregor compared with the crooked mob in Leinster house or them in the Irish Swedish society. I still can’t sleep some nights when I remember how they treated you, it’s a bloody disgrace.
That's very kind of you Seán, thank you!