Tag: sport

Free Opinion Collateral Damage with Fairfax Demolition

The Fairfax blitzkrieg should send warning signs to not only journalists and their industry but letter writers in all of the letters to the editor contributors nationally.

I’m sure I am not alone when I say my letters have been butchered and re written to suit not only the space issue but the political narrative, religious narrative or commercial set by the overall owners to a point where I was informed my contributions were no longer required.

This decision does nothing to enhance free opinion but further crush it a s anyone who dares to challenge the corporate culture or or its associated TV platforms or sponsors. be it professional journalist or us humble scribes who think our opinion matters and delivered in terms that may be uncomfortable for some.

We are told free speech is the bedrock of democracy and that is in danger as the corporates will put their economic survival their priority leaving us who possibly live in dreams of balanced reporting a stark choice of left or right journalistic garbage.

Their has never been a stronger case for support of our ABC.

SBS Performed where Optus Failed.

The greatest show on earth has concluded and what a learning curve it was for the ones who underestimated the following in Australia.

Optus crashing on day one was not surprising as it assumed it had the capacity to serve all the other eastern seaboard codes so why not Football?

Little did they realise those who follow the other codes national allegiance emerges whenever the World Game takes to the stage., and miscalculated that well known fact, a fact often scoffed at but now well proven.

One can only congratulate the performance of our SBS for its outstanding coverage, commentary and presentation of the event showing we have the professional knowledge and expertise to deliver a world class product with the minimum amount of fuss, in the true Australian way.

Four years from now none of us know where will we be, but one thing is for sure is the Wold Cup will capture the hearts and minds of that billion or more who love and watch the beautiful game.

Culture Change a Must for Aussie Football Future.

Blame is Important and strategic.

As another 4 year football campaign concludes the media will disembowel, regurgitate, agonise, then allocate blame accordingly to suit the football structure they see what Football should be in Australia.

Nothing new, the same process, and the same outcome will result if we qualify in 2022.

Yep the Australian Football guru’s have all the answers and anyone dares to change their vision will be dispatched, replaced or ostracised as Un Australian, ignorant of Australian culture.

My opinion from here on in might just get me 🛑red carded 🛑 but I’ve been around long enough to see this charades played out all resulting in Australian Football being the looser and I’m tied of it.

Why is it we see our football culture requiring we do things our way?

The simple fact is the biggest problem with Australian Football is their are too many Australians having too much say in how how the football culture develops.

We are a infantile nation in real football terms and even though we made to top table in the world we are merely nuisance value in the picture we want to become a player.

Our record with coaches says we cannot adjust or do not have the talent yet to elevate us past battler class and looking at the level of our professionals only Moyes is playing in what can be called world class premier leagues, while the rest making a living in clubs under the world super powers.

World Cup winners have players in the top echelon playing weekly at club level day in day out. Beyond the average Australians comprehension. It’s not NRL or AFL as Optus found out it’s massive game in Australia that has been underestimated for decades with supporters that might support Aussie eastern seaboard codes but their heart and culture will always be with world game.

The appointment of Arnold highlights the crucial fact we look continually look inward because we don’t have the football intellect to accept that countries no where near as wealthy as Australia have cultures that we cannot comprehend or compete.

We wonder why international coaches think twice about putting their reputation on the line when they are often surrounded by well meaning parochialism not prepared to look at a 5 or 10 year year plan beyond the World Cup timelines.

Postacogolas had that vision but that vision did not suit the boys clubs self appointed specialist journalists that feel they have all answers. They’ll blame coaches, they’ll blame referees, the Video but the simple fact is we are just not good enough …. Yet..

Until we accept that fact Nationally then Internationally we will not make any major steps to securing a top 8 performance. And doing the Australian thing is total bullshit.

We need spend on Youth Development at a level far above out A League level. We need to have Full Transitional Management Teams employed from selected countries at our Sporting Academy that will develop a style and professional culture that is competitive yet identifiable with Australia as Germany is identifiable with clinical, fastidious application to precise performance.

Our benchmarks are below that and until we choose to raise them we are just in the world pool of wanna bee’s

Tough decisions, not cheap, not easy but as I look around I see Women’s Football making the right noises, international players On local rosters, and the young will feed off that and it will become the normal while our men’s ALeague is becoming a exit lounge for the past icons.

No reflections intended on our 2018 squad, we did our best, I could not ask more as a Australian Football fan from coach or squad, that’s football.

But I don’t and will not accept is Blame lays on the pitch. Blame is fully on the FFA management team and for the sake of the game heads should roll at that level first and foremost.

Emotion Overrides Player Welfare.

The weight of winning on possible the worlds biggest stage outside the Olympic Games and the World Cup , those of us who watched the UEFA Final witnessed a series of incidents where a professional sportsman just had a bad night and a night that will be career defining in not only in his profession but within his ability to ever reach the mental capacity to regain enough confidence to even set foot back in his goal ever again..

For those who have or had any involvement in Football know the codes expectations, and rewards at the highest level and although it’s a team game each and every person from the kit washer to the goal scorer has a role to play if the club is to be successful., and the fans play a vital part in keeping that dream of success.

Sadly though on the final whistle the keeper was left alone by his teammates and club staff and only when the opposition Real Madrid’s staff attended him did the Liverpool’s staff finally arrive.

In a world where every players health and well-being is paramount this was a lesson of how emotions can override responsibility, that lesson that should ring around every single dressing shed and boardroom in the world at every level the game is played..

The glory of winning as a team is great but last for a short time, but the mark of a great team and club is how it looses together without recriminations.

Football Is Not a Political Weapon.

Julie Bishops Dialek type of attire when announcing Wold Cup 2018 could be used as a political weapon got my attention.

Right in the middle of the outrage of sport being the pinnacle of Australian culture and the priceless values our organisations and personnel representing our nation she says Australia could withdraw if her government felt it was politically beneficial to show support to USA and England.

As a foreign minister I would have thought her knowledge would tell her England would never relinquish a World Cup opportunity and as the USA failed to qualify it sees political advantage in destroying a event that will give the world a chance to make up our own minds about about Russia and its people. Obviously it’s beyond her comprehension that this game goes beyond her bubble and millions of Australians and billions around the world young and old wait 4 years for this event and the fate of the game in Australia factors on our performance as some funding is allocated according to our results.

So Julie I would be pretty confident if the Turnbull government or any other political movement choose to use the Wold Cup a a political weapon we the sporting public will respond accordingly at the ballot box and will quickly learn what own goal is all about.

Southern Stars now carry Australia’s Cricket Benchmark.

In sure every sportsperson in Australia has made its decision on the Australian Men’s Cricket team disgrace but with the tv and sponsorship deals in under way I am very concerned about those repercussions .

The men’s team behaviour has been overlooked and even sanctioned by the Cricket hierarchy and the media for years for the sake of the glory of winning and rewarding them with massive pay increases while our Women’s team has held our nations reputation at the highest level and treated as second class.

When the hammer falls and funds distributed the women’s game share should be considerably increased to a point equal to present men’s and all shortfalls should come from the men’s allocation.

The women’s benchmarks are what we expect in behaviour, dedication, skill, and ethics throughout its inception and if performance based salaries and performance are a factor no one can dispute the Southern Stars should be the Nations cultural cricket benchmark for the game.

Nepotism and Old Boys Clubs Dominate Aussie Sport.

The appointment of Graham Arnold was the clear indicator that nepotism rules in Australian sport.

Out of the 4 codes of Football only Rugby appointed a female as CEO while the others are circulating the boys club CEO badge appointments between them..

Why is it we think our way is the best way and deny our athletes and country experience from international professionals?

Are we scared they might do it better or is it these possible imports have more experience than the administration of the sports and they feel challenged, or are we as a nation so paranoid about our secret culture that only we are blessed with..

Yes we have national pride in our veins but that pride does not equal professional knowledge.

No code or sport in Australia can compare themselves with management structures as we see in European Football and granted we do not have the crowds or sponsors equaling that income generated but surely that expertise is something we must capture if we are to keep up with world benchmarks.

Australian sport must stop believing its own press.

We are performing in Womens Football (Matilda’s), 7’s Rugby men and women because international exposure creates totally different mindsets than domestic competitions. The other codes have stagnated playing the same teams year in year out, no promotions or relegation keeping the status quo.

It’s a core responsibility to any Management structure to put the Business ahead of self preservation and that takes character and sporting management is no different, so let’s not insulate our athletes or potential CEO’s from ideas that may not sit well with the Old Boys/Old Girls Clubs.

News Corps Moral Compass $$ Driven 

To many of us particularly those with kids in sport cringe when we see gambling and alcohol adverts during major sporting broadcasts. 

We have seen the clear evidence where betting has corrupted players, officials and entire codes so why are my alarm bells ringing when I read News Corp are signing off with a mega deal with a major world wide betting conglomerate when they have subsidiary companies running and influencing AFL and NRL codes.

These codes have been plagued with controversy with betting, drug and salary capping , match fixing issues in the past and this move will do nothing to cleaning up the reputations of these codes and officials who are trying desperately to put out fires and clean up their act. 

Yes business is business and News Corp sinking share in the marketplace in core news has to be supplemented in other ways but the marriage of sports that set influence on our kids values and link that to gambling is not socially nor morally acceptable

Will NBN Payback be Rewarded for Turnbull?

Sometimes it’s hard to put aside personal perspectives however I find if you look a the the facts all becomes much clearer.When the Australian people were delivered a 3rd rate speed by the NBN that would not support more than one cable tv network it was clear the Fox carrier would maintain it monopoly in Australia.

That network was managed by our present PM Turnbull successfully after cries of costs to deliver a world class network and would be cheaper to the taxpayer.

In a Senate enquiry it has been revealed the Turnbull government has given, yes given, Fox $30 Million dollars with no paperwork of discussion or account to upgrade women’s sport coverage allegedly.

So it’s a cheaper network build that delivers less to prop up monopoly that needs to be financed to cover women, a expectation to the Australian public that it should prioritise over its American content. Sounds fair? 

Now looking at past history of this marriage between media and government further we saw the Abbott government fiercely supported by the Murdock press, appoints Turnbull to cover the NBN degrade which he manages well enough the gain the prime ministership in the eyes of his colleagues.

Now as the LNP polls crash is that lazy $30 million for Fox a olive branch from Turnbull or will the Abbot stay as their pick? 

As in Yes Minister “all shall be revealed in the fullness of time”
Censored 

Old Age is Great… 

You know what. I’m stuffed.After 2 days of golf last week, a day going to Mothers 86th, a day down just vegging out now today with a little shower this morning thought the atmosphere might improve. 

It hasn’t.. Lungs are still heavy..

This asbestosis shits me off no end, but it’s not going to beat me..

Battling tiredness and breathlessness daily takes it toll but I will survive. I have jobs to do on my house and that will get done. That’s what drives me and even though some days it’s sit down and rest,no choice, I will win….

What really gets me is the mind. It wants to go and the body says piss off.. And I hate starting something and not finishing it but I have learnt listening to your body helps as the recovery level takes much longer if you don’t.

Today the lungs say air better than yesterday, the body is responding, be it slowly, the mind says lest go you pair of fuck wits and get these jobs done. 

Experience says let’s see how the morning pans out… 

Anyway mother called and she no longer has a clot, or pneumonia. 

Yep, that was the diagnosis after the party, a night in hospital and both were dismissed.. 

Some times a little knowledge causes a trauma, and worst case scenarios fester. That’s why my doctor dismissed a colenoscomy as a reaction rarely needed and trauma causing at my age. Every 5 years max. Good decision I feel…. 

Yes old age is great, bits falling off and body slowly closing down, that’s nature, so it’s here for a good time not a long time. 

That’s why my golf is so important. Good friends and comradeship, playing in a buggy on flat courses, keeps me younger, playing in company of youth keeps me younger, listening to youth and keeping abreast of their technology keeps me younger.. Staying competitive via handicap keeps me younger. 

Yes recovery time is required but it’s worth every cent… And having a wife that understands sport, played sport, and still follows more sport than I do, knows that sport has never left us from the day we met at the football club where we both were playing back in about 1964. 

Anyway after watching Australia qualify for the 2015 World Cup Rugby Final against the All Blacks we are really looking forward to getting up at midnight On Monday morning for the final.. 

I am split as I love both teams, and as I have blood in both camps apparently I’ll enjoy the spectacle…. 

TBC.  

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