The media have gotten themself into a sanctimonious lather over the latest Ben Cousins incident. Cousins ‘pulled the bird’ at the camera before the Fremantle v Richmond game on Saturday night. He is clearly shown directing his attention at the camera in the changerooms at Subiaco.
However many followers of football feel that Cousins frustration may be as a result of the continued media attention, which at times may be considered distateful.
What some media outlets are failing to report is the fact that the footage was taken over an hour before the game, at a time when players might expect some privace.
Furthermore, the camera clearly is following Cousins around the room.
While Cousins may have brought much of the attention on himself, there is a limit, and perhaps the media might with to contribute to the rehabilitation of Ben, rather than add to pressure he must be experiencing.
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June 1st 2009 @ 12:57pm
Spiro Zavos said | June 1st 2009 @ 12:57pm | Report comment
Was Ben Cousins trying to prevent cameras coming into the dressing room by making a gesture that could not be used (or so he thought) on the nationwide broadcast? I have a certain sympathy with the player if this is the case. Television cameras are too invasive with their gotcha shots and so on in many instances.
Players consider the dressing room to be a safe place. It should not be invaded by the television cameras. Or there should be special cases, such as the halftime talk perhaps, where they are allowed in. Otherwise, they should stay out. i
June 1st 2009 @ 1:09pm
Redb said | June 1st 2009 @ 1:09pm | Report comment
regardless of the virtue of TV cameras if Cousins felt the need for some privacy walking up to the camera and giving it the bird it not the action of a footballer with a brain and class.
Cousins is a walking recruiter poster for a nationalist insular Pauline Hanson loving KKK. Look for the next skinhead to print up a few t-shirts.
He plays with class on the field why not do the same off it?
Redb
June 1st 2009 @ 1:19pm
Michael C said | June 1st 2009 @ 1:19pm | Report comment
REdb -
I gather the camera was specifically following Cousins around – - so, not hard to see that as a joke he figured he’d give them something they couldn’t use so that they’d either have to continue shooting, edit out, or just use what they’d already collected.
All pretty harmless.
K2K – if you reckon this exposes a ‘dark’ side of Cousins – - gee, you must have been pretty forgiving so far for what I’d assume had exposed a far, far darker side than giving the bird to a remote controlled camera an hour before the game in the change rooms!!!
June 1st 2009 @ 1:20pm
BigAl said | June 1st 2009 @ 1:20pm | Report comment
Spiro . . . what you say may be true, but professional AFL players (should) know that it comes with the territory.
It would be interesting to know whether, out of all the Richmond personnel in the room at the time, Ben Cousins was the only ‘offender” ??
It could well be that the players know that the fixed change room camera is not live and that Ch 10 just take what they want – which probably makes Cousin’s actions even more stupid !
June 1st 2009 @ 1:31pm
Working Class Rugger said | June 1st 2009 @ 1:31pm | Report comment
He’s an idiot. Sorry to the Cousins bandwagon but he is. He knows that for the rest of his career he will be watched and critiqued. But he still does it. Why is this fool given so much media attention whilst ignoring those who are the perfect example of the responsible public figure( I’d say Role Model but evidently they aren’t) is ignored.
June 1st 2009 @ 1:31pm
Kick2Kick said | June 1st 2009 @ 1:31pm | Report comment
Regardless why he did it. Richmond need to take action. We all agree that their culture needs to be changed so why not start with a senior player and suspend him for a week for his actions…
Now that will send a strong message to the rest of the players, club officials etc.
June 1st 2009 @ 1:33pm
jimbo said | June 1st 2009 @ 1:33pm | Report comment
Thanks MC.
Maradonna, Matthew Johns, Marilyn Jones, Andrew Johns, Wendell Sailor – there are plenty of sportsman in other codes that have cracked under the public pressure.
Just how public is a famous sportsman and what privacy are they entitled to. The sports administrators, not the players give permission on what to release to the media.
I would have thought, given all the Cousins controversy lately, the AFL should have held back that footage – Cousins’ finger was well and truly aimed at everyone watching, whether you follow AFL or not.
June 1st 2009 @ 2:01pm
Redb said | June 1st 2009 @ 2:01pm | Report comment
MC,
Don’t see it that way. It’s not the biggest sports story on the planet by any stretch but his actions belie a certain behavorial trait I dislike – disloyalty. He owes the AFL, Richmond, fans,etc a lot more than a bird for giving a him a second chance. My reaction was fark him.
There are two parties to this issue, Cousins and the Ch 10 TV Director who decided the footage was too juicy to be true. The AFL actaully had no say in it, thus for anyone to contend that the AFL is happy to be reaping a ‘bad publicity is good publiciity’ type scenario is way off the mark IMO – light years in fact.
Redb
June 1st 2009 @ 2:35pm
Michael C said | June 1st 2009 @ 2:35pm | Report comment
Redb -
ah, but, before he was aware of this story ‘breaking’ on the night – the post game boundary line interview with him saw him going to great lengths to pay tribute to T.Wallace and Richmond – - a nice little display of loyalty.
Sure though, he’s a little arrogant and cocky (or appears that way) – - many top flight sports people who sustain long careers at a high level come across that why – - it may be a pre-requisite. Okay, James Hird didn’t. Robert Harvey didn’t. Not all people are the same.
Agreed re the AFL re the ‘releasing’ of the footage. Doubt there’d be any interaction there whatsoever. However, the AFL potentially whacking him for such a non issue in my mind would be a bit rich. Perhaps it’ll help cover the costs of the 3 or however many weekly drug tests. Perhaps the cameras should be zooming in on those – surely that’s in the ‘public interest’ MORE so.
June 1st 2009 @ 4:32pm
BigAl said | June 1st 2009 @ 4:32pm | Report comment
I’m with Redb on this one.
The AFL don’t control what is broadcast – just imagine the media storm if they even tried !!!
Also wasn’t the camera un-manned & fixed position ? -i f so I can’t see how it could ‘follow’ Cousins.