Thursday, June 18, 2009
Who's Afraid? - update #19
World Cup qualification achieved with a minimum of fuss, and the Australian government giving generous support to a bid for a World Cup of our own in the near future. Football threatening to make serious progress in the country, despite the indifferent financial state of the A-League? Cue the football refusers, out in force.
First, this. A blog, admittedly, not a "proper" op-ed piece. But it is instructive for showing just how absurd the moaning of the refusers can get.
Yes, soccer players in the top European leagues have long seasons and often play mid-week games. But league's greater physicality means that the NRL's 24 game season...more than makes up for that.
Twenty-four games?!? With no major travel involved? You couldn't make it up.
As for the "greater physicality" argument, a tawdry myth dragged out at convenient moments, league's five-tackle-and-kick rhythm involves endless stoppages, even without taking into account scrums, penalties, conversions and the like. Confusing greater physical contact with greater demands on fitness is a childish error, but it doesn't stop certain axe-to-grind pundits making it.
And, to make one of my usual points, Stathi Paxinos is a league writer. Time for Michael Lynch to lambast the fitness levels of the top NRL stars, I think.
Now to our old friends at the Tele, who have decided to make some mileage out of Tim Cahill's stonewall TV interview after the game against Japan. Petulant it may have been, but given his recent history with the media, it was surely understandable. But for the Murdoch mob:
Cahill...showed he was still stinging from criticism over last week's drunken nightclub incident. After he was given a standing ovation when he left the field, all fans wanted after the match was to hear from their hero. Instead Cahill let them down.
First, this. A blog, admittedly, not a "proper" op-ed piece. But it is instructive for showing just how absurd the moaning of the refusers can get.
Yes, soccer players in the top European leagues have long seasons and often play mid-week games. But league's greater physicality means that the NRL's 24 game season...more than makes up for that.
Twenty-four games?!? With no major travel involved? You couldn't make it up.
As for the "greater physicality" argument, a tawdry myth dragged out at convenient moments, league's five-tackle-and-kick rhythm involves endless stoppages, even without taking into account scrums, penalties, conversions and the like. Confusing greater physical contact with greater demands on fitness is a childish error, but it doesn't stop certain axe-to-grind pundits making it.
And, to make one of my usual points, Stathi Paxinos is a league writer. Time for Michael Lynch to lambast the fitness levels of the top NRL stars, I think.
Now to our old friends at the Tele, who have decided to make some mileage out of Tim Cahill's stonewall TV interview after the game against Japan. Petulant it may have been, but given his recent history with the media, it was surely understandable. But for the Murdoch mob:
Cahill...showed he was still stinging from criticism over last week's drunken nightclub incident. After he was given a standing ovation when he left the field, all fans wanted after the match was to hear from their hero. Instead Cahill let them down.
Ah, so warmly acknowledging the crowd after their hearty support throughout the evening was "letting them down"? In the strange News Ltd. parallel universe, it appears so.
He drew criticism......from, well, us,
for creating negative publicity for the code...
...that emanated from, well, us. And:
Cahill answered his critics with a five-star performance on the field, but undid all that good work with his show of petulance.
It would be uproariously funny, if it wasn't in print.
Don't write in to them, as some have unwisely done to Phil Rothfield, thereby fuelling both his ego and his prejudices, and ensuring that such pieces will appear again. Either just grin with satisfaction, or direct any relevant criticism, in sober terms, to the editors of these journals, with the request that football simply be granted the same respect as any other major sport.
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I feel pity for the telegraph readers whom the editors clearly believe are not clever enough to work out media bias, poor reporting and blatant fabrication when they see it. And for those readers that do believe this crap, I hope the NRL survives so they have something to do other than come anywhere near a Football fixture.
"Either just grin with satisfaction, or direct any relevant criticism, in sober terms, to the editors of these journals, with the request that football simply be granted the same respect as any other major sport."
This is an excellent point. Although I must admit their continued ignorance and stupidity gets me worked up to the point I just can't help myself.
They are blatantly just writing inflammatory articles because of the reaction they will get. Nevertheless it's still a complete outrage editors let this crap through. I WANT SOME FAIR AND BALANCED REPORTING OF FOOTBALL IN THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!!!!
This is an excellent point. Although I must admit their continued ignorance and stupidity gets me worked up to the point I just can't help myself.
They are blatantly just writing inflammatory articles because of the reaction they will get. Nevertheless it's still a complete outrage editors let this crap through. I WANT SOME FAIR AND BALANCED REPORTING OF FOOTBALL IN THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!!!!
70 000 fans attended a match whose result was academic in significance, on a cold winter evening, as a send off to the NT for the WC.
Nothing compares to that in Australian sport, and it will never be taken away from us, no matter how hard some sectors of the media try to deflect attention towards irrelevant issues.
Nothing compares to that in Australian sport, and it will never be taken away from us, no matter how hard some sectors of the media try to deflect attention towards irrelevant issues.
# posted by 
: June 19, 2009 at 9:06 AM
: June 19, 2009 at 9:06 AM
It always amazes me that News Ltd, who own half of a network that has a vested interest in football, would allow the publication of this kind of tripe. I know they also have an interest in the NRL, but even so.
I did enjoy watching the Fox commentary team squirm when Mark Bosnich called these "journalists" scum, however. :-)
I did enjoy watching the Fox commentary team squirm when Mark Bosnich called these "journalists" scum, however. :-)
I actually like football because it is about skill. If I want to watch a ‘tough’ sport I will go to the cage fighting. Where does league fit into all of this?
# posted by : June 19, 2009 at 4:08 PM
: June 19, 2009 at 4:08 PM
It's clear the knives are still sharpened, ready to slash at any opportunity, despite the 'support' of the FFA WC bid by rival codes. Australia faces a tough road to securing the hosting of a World Cup in either 2018 or 2022. Unfortunately, some of it's biggest battles will be within it's own borders, where people who love the sport will be subject to deliberate thwarting through the jealousy, envy and fear of rival codes.
I don't think the 'ignore it and it will go away' holds any water in this context.
I don't think the 'ignore it and it will go away' holds any water in this context.
I think News Ltd's big decision on the NRL comes in the next 2 years. At a minimum the deal is going to be substantially reduced. It is possible they may walk away.
Rugby league and the journos who rely on it are now fighting for their survival.
Rugby league and the journos who rely on it are now fighting for their survival.
But the Tele cannot let go. Now we got an 'email' from another socceroo criticising Cahill THE Socceroos' World Cup campaign has been rocked by a split among senior players over the disgraceful behaviour of Tim Cahill in a Kings Cross nightclub last week. and guess who has joined Phil Rothfield in writing this article? Is none other than our friend Rebecca Wilson! (maybe that email comes from the same place of that other email that Malcolm Turnbull says implicates Kevin Rudd).
All this while the Sydney Morning Herald has another article where the owner of the Hotel in question states that made the whole thing up
There are meny issues at play here. One is of course the fear that football will increase in popularity. But there is also plenty of anger (and Rothfield has stated this plainly) that the Federal Government is 'wasting money' on 'soccer' rather than the 'more popular real football codes' (his words). The anger that the higher levels of government are putting all these resources into football by the Rothfields and the Wilsons is clear. So here they are talking about Cahill 'ruining the launch'
The other issue is that they are trying ro birsmirch the clean wholesome image of footballers by beating up a story because their code's image is down the toilet. It is so childish that is stunning.
All this while the Sydney Morning Herald has another article where the owner of the Hotel in question states that made the whole thing up
There are meny issues at play here. One is of course the fear that football will increase in popularity. But there is also plenty of anger (and Rothfield has stated this plainly) that the Federal Government is 'wasting money' on 'soccer' rather than the 'more popular real football codes' (his words). The anger that the higher levels of government are putting all these resources into football by the Rothfields and the Wilsons is clear. So here they are talking about Cahill 'ruining the launch'
The other issue is that they are trying ro birsmirch the clean wholesome image of footballers by beating up a story because their code's image is down the toilet. It is so childish that is stunning.
Or their's a posibility that Cahill is an arrogant little turd and it's not come out yet?
Whilst there's no substantive evidence for it, to preclude it's possability is to ignore the myriad of top sporting stars who are turds.
And yes plenty of top sporting stars are great people and don't act like turds.
The smoke and fire analogy is not one to ignore.
Whilst there's no substantive evidence for it, to preclude it's possability is to ignore the myriad of top sporting stars who are turds.
And yes plenty of top sporting stars are great people and don't act like turds.
The smoke and fire analogy is not one to ignore.
# posted by : June 21, 2009 at 11:57 AM
: June 21, 2009 at 11:57 AM
It's entirely possible that Cahill did indeed act like a jerk at that nightclub, and to deny such was not my intention.
As for that email...there are several statements in it which strike me as suspicious to say the very least.
As for that email...there are several statements in it which strike me as suspicious to say the very least.
Agreed Mike. If a player wanted anonimity they woud hardly say the had been in the soceroos for 10 years, kind of narrows the field dwon to about three of the current squad. Also the notion that the soceroos got big heads ofter the last world cup is a bit odd - sounds like an assumption on the part of a non-football person. The email contains no salutaion or request for anonymity. And above all why woudl a soceroo choose Phil and Bec to break the story??
...Agreed Mike. If a player wanted anonimity they woud hardly say the had been in the soceroos for 10 years, kind of narrows the field dwon to about three of the current squad. Also the notion that the soceroos got big heads ofter the last world cup is a bit odd - sounds like an assumption on the part of a non-football person. The email contains no salutaion or request for anonymity. And above all why woudl a soceroo choose Phil and Bec to break the story??...
All good points...plus about five or six phrases in the text itself which lead me to think that it ain't kosher.
All good points...plus about five or six phrases in the text itself which lead me to think that it ain't kosher.
On balance this is positive for football in Australia.
The coverage on ABC TV Offsiders was split 2-1 in favour of a beat up by News Lld's NRL jurnos.
The post match footage of Cahill showed him being inexperienced in handling the media. And Mark Bosnich thinks he is doing wading in - blaming someone close to Cahill - like what happened to him - well you aren't helping mate.
But overall this is good. B-Grade Jurnos complaining about football. It is not going to turn off the mass audience. And it isn't going to stop NRL dying. That has become inevitable.
The best point on the Offsiders was;
- the message from AFL - Australia's sport
- the message from football - the world game - testing us on the world stage
- the message fro ARU and NRL? who knows. Ordinary Australians are finding it harder to connect to those two sports.
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The coverage on ABC TV Offsiders was split 2-1 in favour of a beat up by News Lld's NRL jurnos.
The post match footage of Cahill showed him being inexperienced in handling the media. And Mark Bosnich thinks he is doing wading in - blaming someone close to Cahill - like what happened to him - well you aren't helping mate.
But overall this is good. B-Grade Jurnos complaining about football. It is not going to turn off the mass audience. And it isn't going to stop NRL dying. That has become inevitable.
The best point on the Offsiders was;
- the message from AFL - Australia's sport
- the message from football - the world game - testing us on the world stage
- the message fro ARU and NRL? who knows. Ordinary Australians are finding it harder to connect to those two sports.
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