I would not normally wade into a situation like this because it...

I would not normally wade into a situation like this because it is just a media driven ridiculous storm in a tea cup but here we go again with the media and others calling for someone’s head with the possibility of setting a precedent that will snowball into a completely unworkable situation.
1. Let’s look at context. What really was the difference between the comments made by a thirteen year old girl at a football match and a radio presenter during a live broadcast? My understanding is that the thirteen year old girl made a comment to a player of an opposing team of which she was a supporter. The context of the comment made was intended to upset this player and therefore was intended to be hurtful. Now after listening to Eddie McGuires comment made during a live broadcast I highly doubt that the comment was intended to upset or be in anyway hurtful. Eddie McGuire’s only real crime is he did not think his statement through. Are we going start putting people to sword for being stupid? Now there is a precedent we don’t want to start, the list would be quite long.
2. Let’s look at the broader picture. What is the real difference between making a comment about the colour of a person’s skin and a comment about the colour of a person’s hair or their body shape? If you call someone black it would be racist but if you make a blonde joke or call a red head a “ranger” or someone fat what is that. Where are we going to draw the line? Who of us has not been guilty of the above? Was it a joke or did you intend to be hurtful?
So is the defining point the comment or the context?