If you need convincing that punting can bring out the worst in people, look no further.
Betsy wrote about some of the disgusting things posted on social media regarding chief Queensland steward Josh Adams and his team following their call to deny Ninja victory via a protest in the Magic Millions last week.
But it gets worse – Newscorp today revealed some punters had lost all sense of reality that they even took the time from their day to ring and abuse staff at the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission.
QRIC deputy commissioner Kim Kelly labelled the calls to Racenet as “disgusting abuse” from “nameless, faceless people”.
Kelly, for the record, backs the calls Adams made, but that’s beside the point with Racenet saying some of the abuse has left staff shaken.
“There has been some disgusting behaviour, (QRIC) staff have been openly and disgracefully abused and sworn at,” Kelly told Newscorp.
“There is a facility within the QRIC complaints line which allows for direct contact with (QRIC) staff for people to log grievances.
“That facility has generally worked satisfactorily.
“But staff have been openly abused by people ringing up with the sole purpose of abusing staff, directly in relation to this protest.
“It has happened to the point where the staff have been impacted emotionally and mentally.
“That is unacceptable on any level.
“I appreciate and accept it is perhaps a societal thing, it is not necessarily a racing thing, but that does not make it any more palatable.
“People should be allowed to be critical of decisions, that has sustained racing for hundreds of years.
“But for people to be openly and disgracefully abused, that is a disgrace.”
Adams, as Betsy has already written, made himself publicly available to explain and defend his decision. He was impressive.
But for any punter – in some cases days after the result – to ring and personally abuse staff over the decision is indefensible.
