D'Arcy Waldegrave: Sportstalk host on the backlash to the Breakers' pride jerseys

The Breakers’ decision not to wear the rainbow pride flag in next year’s NBL Pride Round has prompted mixed reactions.

The Auckland-based basketball club is facing public backlash after becoming the second club to opt out of the pride jersey since the round began in January 2023.

Sportstalk host D'Arcy Waldegrave explains further.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
And actually on that subject, we have Darcy water Grave
Sports Talk Coast with us.

Speaker 2 (00:04):
Welcome back, Heather, Hello, thank you Darcy. How are you
all right?

Speaker 1 (00:08):
Darcy? This is you did not get into sport broadcasting
to talk about this kind of stuff. But what's your
take on it?

Speaker 2 (00:14):
Not? Not really what I'm surprised. I'm all for support
of compromised communities. I get that. That's great. I just
wonder how much traction in a positive way it gets
when you're looking at an issue like that, which is
the LBGT community. It's really triggering to a lot of

(00:34):
people and they can't deal with that. What gets me
about this, I mean my personal views, you know where
I set around this. But what gives me about this
is no one seemed to learn from what happened with
the NRL. Yeah, no one learned. Well, in the NRL
you had the manly situation where they had the jerseys
with the rainbow on like six or seven of their
athletes heavily religious. When I don't want to do this,

(00:55):
I'm not wearing it, so all hell break loose gotten?
So what happened to that? After that? The pride round
in the NRL now gone? See you later? So I
wonder if the NBL looked at that and said, we
really want to court this kind of controversy. I know
it's coming from a good place. I know they want
to be seen as the good people doing the right thing.
There was a term used today in the office queer washing,

(01:18):
and I can't help by thinking that's what it is.
I don't know how much honesty is in this from
the NRL. They're probably doing it to be seen to
be doing the right thing. So a lot of people
think like that as well, what's it done. It's just
courted controversy again. It's lance the boiling. People are back
off on this again, and it becomes religion versus culture,

(01:42):
versus lifestyle, and we go talking about basketball.

Speaker 1 (01:46):
Because I think I'm of much the same view, which is,
had they not had this round, we would never have
known that there were people in the breakers who felt
like this about the Rainbow community.

Speaker 2 (01:56):
Yeah, we were horrible that they think like that. It's
really sad because community has got nothing to do with them.
It doesn't matter.

Speaker 1 (02:02):
But on balance we would have been better off and
have a better.

Speaker 2 (02:05):
View of the end that running away from a situation,
closing our ears and three manking Ago.

Speaker 1 (02:11):
I just think it's backfired from a publicity point of view.

Speaker 2 (02:13):
Yeah, and probably should have learnt that from what happened
at the n L when Dad exploded in their faces
as well.

Speaker 1 (02:20):
I agree.

Speaker 2 (02:21):
And it becomes frustrating because then it gets away from
the actual sport, all the good the sports are doing
because they wanted to climb on into this space, which
is it's a fraud space. Let's face it. It's still
pretty modern and trans community and soul on and so
very triggering for a lot of people. And it's still
really early doors, so I'd watch their steps. I'd be

(02:43):
very careful before climbing into this. And just an expanding
on that, what is it with these sports teams having
all these weeks celebrating all this? What about basketball Week?
I mean, come on, just do the thing? Is always sorry?

Speaker 1 (02:59):
What's Jesse Righter form?

Speaker 2 (03:00):
Like Jesse Rider's form. He smashed a ton off no
deliveries recently in some competition and indn't I think it was.
But he's joining us on the show tonight to talk
about coming back to cricket in New Zealand. Again it's
the Black Clash and it's not ready cricket.

Speaker 1 (03:16):
Oh, that's the exhibition thing.

Speaker 2 (03:18):
It's a bit of summer entertainment down at the mouth.
That's what it is. All the ex cricket is the
X rugby players, a couple of celebrities climb on and
they have a wonderful day. Sports the winner in the end.
It's a celebration. It's a lot of fun. Good on
them for doing it. It's not particularly my bag every
now and I'll watch it so I think the ACC
do hilarious commentary, so I will. And seeing someone like

(03:39):
Jesse Ryder fling the willow around, that'd be good again.
So he's come back. You'll have a great time of it.
I'm looking forward to having a year with them tonight
about about what it means to him.

Speaker 1 (03:49):
Good on, it's nice to talk.

Speaker 2 (03:50):
I don't think he's going to wear an insignia.

Speaker 1 (03:53):
I think they'll leave that. I think I think they
probably have learned from it. Darcy water Grave Sports Stook
Coast Back at seven.

Speaker 2 (04:00):
Or from Heather Duplessy Allen Drive. Listen live to News
Talks at b from four pm weekdays, or follow the
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