AFL’s fussing is a compliment to football
Roar Guru By jimbo, 17 Dec 2009 The Crowd is a Roar Guru
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- A-League, AFL, ARU, FIFA, football, Football World Cup, Kevin Muscat, Melbourne Victory, NRL, Soccer Australia
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Melbourne Victory's Kevin Muscat, right, is tackled by Sydney FC's Ruben Zadkovich during their round 7 A-League match in Sydney on Saturday, Oct. 6, 2007. AAP Image/Paul Miller
Australian sports philosopher and Melbourne Victory hard man Kevin “Muskie” Muscat was asked recently what he thought of the AFL’s carryings on about a FIFA Football World Cup being held in Australia and the Melbourne Herald Sun’s back page story that it would mean the end of Melbourne’s freedom, democracy and way of life.
Expecting a barrage of AFL abuse from the A-League’s most feared defender, Kevin simply answered, “I think it’s a huge compliment to football in Australia, a real big compliment.”
Simon Hill paused for a few moments of stunned silence.
Not many football fans would have thought that Andrew Demetriou was being very complimentary at all to football and its followers in this country, especially since the AFL has really been getting up the noses lately of most Australians living outside the AFL Capital of Australia.
Especially Sydney and the Gold Coast, where the AFL army, loaded up with huge bags of cash and a stacked forward line of marketing geniuses, as well seasoned AFL campaigner Field Marshall “Iron Balls” Sheedie and willing Lieutenant Carmichael “Give Me The Money” Hunt, are planning another explosive offensive, deep into traditional non-AFL ‘heartlands’.
It took me and my border collie Bonny a few days to really appreciate what Muskie was actually saying. It IS a huge compliment to football in this country.
If, as little as five years ago, Soccer Australia announced they were going to bid for not one, but two World Cups, you would have heard the roars of laughter right across Australia from Collins Street in AFL la-la-land, all the way up to George Street in Sydney and Rundle Mall in Brisbane.
John Howard and his government would never in a million years have parted with 46 million dollars of Australian taxpayers money to find out if we had any chance of winning it.
And rather than opposing a FIFA World Cup bid, five years ago the ARU, NRL and AFL would have been patronisingly patting Soccer Australia on the back, wishing them all the best of British luck, with a big smirk on their faces, knowing Australia wouldn’t have had a snowflake’s chance in hell of actually winning the right to host any football World Cup.
How times have changed.
How far must football have progressed in Australia and internationally in the last five years to get so much attention?
On the field, some unkind people have wished Muskie would break a leg (literally, not figuratively speaking), but off the field, he once again proves himself to be one of our greatest ever sporting philosophers.
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December 17th 2009 @ 11:43am
AndrewM said | December 17th 2009 @ 11:43am | Report comment
I agree 200billion is a strech , but so is 1-2million..
Gotta be less than that for AFL.. I mean it is not even popular in NSW or QLD which holds the largest portion of the populace.
perhaps 750k is more accurate
December 17th 2009 @ 11:49am
Redb said | December 17th 2009 @ 11:49am | Report comment
There are 580,000 AFL club members alone.
December 17th 2009 @ 12:02pm
Andy said | December 17th 2009 @ 12:02pm | Report comment
and how many of those ’580,000′ dont need to be taking for a walk on a leash. The dees,kangaroos,bulldogs all claim to have 30K ‘members’ and yet when the play interstate [and some non-interstate] opposition they get between 10k-15k. Where are the other 15k? Swimming around in their fish tank?
what about the hawks and their 51 ‘members’. where were they other 20k when they played the dockers this year?
its common knowledge that the lions and swans count 3 game packs a club ‘members’. What crap!
alf teams are the only sports teams in the world that has more club ‘members’ than actual fans.
Prehaps NRL clubs should sell one game passes and so the can follow the afl MO and claim to have 40K ‘members’
GET REAL!
December 17th 2009 @ 2:09pm
Redb said | December 17th 2009 @ 2:09pm | Report comment
Feel free to conduct an audit of the AFL club’s books.
Of course not all members attend all games, that’s just the way it works especialy with opposition teams they are not interested in or percevied poor quality games. Some people choose to be financial members to support their club, some are interstate members, country members, etc.
Essendon eventually recorded 41,000 club members in 2009, but during the year it released a statement that it was seeking to re-engage with the 250,000 people (unique names) who had been members over the past 10 years. Now even accounting for 20% duplication on the database or redundancy that is a lot of people who at one time were members of one club and would remain Essendon supporters and attend the odd game,etc.
NRL clubs are desperately copying the AFL’s membership culture – you better warn them their off track. We all know the NRL’s penchance for fluffing attendance numbers – just how many cleaners are there at ANZ Stadium these days?
December 17th 2009 @ 2:25pm
Andy said | December 17th 2009 @ 2:25pm | Report comment
‘just how many cleaners are there at ANZ Stadium these days’
Dont know? They must take up the thousands of free food/drink cards the swannies throw away!
December 17th 2009 @ 12:14pm
Michael C said | December 17th 2009 @ 12:14pm | Report comment
plus 192,000 people on the MCC waiting list…..given the MCG hosts 50 days of AFL each year and less than 10 of international cricket……and MCC memberships wouldn’t get you near a FIFA WC match.
Now….if only MelbourneFC could get a better portion of the MCC gravy train……’cos, sure as heck, these people ain’t signing up to watch the Bushrangers in the shield!!!!
December 17th 2009 @ 12:15pm
Lazza said | December 17th 2009 @ 12:15pm | Report comment
Funny how a few years ago people would argue that we don’t need Football because we’re already ‘World” beaters in Cricket, Rugby and even Rugby League? Now that reality has dawned and people realise they are not huge, global sports and small in comparison to Football then all of a sudden no-one is interested in being World beaters anymore. We used to take pride in being a great sporting nation but that’s not important either now. The World’s biggest sporting event could just pass us by every 4 years and they wouldn’t care less.
AFL is my second favourite sport after Football but I have more faith and confidence in it than AFL fans do. Since they can only imagine following one sport any suggestion that Football is becoming more popular just fuels their fear and insecurity. They’re convinced that Aussie Rules is a crap sport and that Football will take over if we don’t keep it out. Why else would they always be on the Football threads if they don’t like the game? They don’t add anything to the discussions and are always negative about the game.
Have a bit more confidence in your favourite sport lads. We can have the best of both worlds and then you don’t have to talk about boring draft picks for 6 months of the year.
December 17th 2009 @ 2:17pm
Redb said | December 17th 2009 @ 2:17pm | Report comment
Well pike64 certainly agrees with you
December 17th 2009 @ 2:25pm
pH said | December 17th 2009 @ 2:25pm | Report comment
Imagine if the AFL and NRL said to the FFA they wanted to run a NAB Cup and the NRL something similar – “by the way we want to take 8 or 9 weeks of mid-summer and have half your A-League stadiums, but don’t complain you can still play in Dubbo or Wagga or Port Lincoln.”
“Oh and if you don’t let us we’ll get the richest man in the country to ask the govt and opposition to pass a law that kicks you out of your stadia and breaks your long term contracts”.
I think you’d see the FFA kick up a fuss!
That would be a compliment to the AFL and NRL???
December 17th 2009 @ 2:33pm
Lazza said | December 17th 2009 @ 2:33pm | Report comment
What a silly comment. Is the NAB Cup the biggest sporting event in the world?
If it was then I’m sure the FFA would be very acomodating since it’s great for the country. The World Cup and Olympics are huge global sports events with enormous benefits to the host nation. That’s why so many nations who can afford it will bid for those events.
December 17th 2009 @ 2:47pm
Redb said | December 17th 2009 @ 2:47pm | Report comment
Agreed. I would not have gone with the NAB Cup analogy. In fact there is not a reverse situation that could apply which makes the situation unique on many levels.
Most countries that have hosted a WC have been where soccer is the biggest game by a considerable margin certainly on a spectator level.
The exception being the USA however its NFL season and grounds did not clash with the WC in 1994.
In Australia we have a unique situation that requires more thought than a “get out of the way were coming through” approach. The bid hit a bump for a reason and despite the AGE’s AFL block bid” headline that has caused most of the angst, the AFL said yes to the MCG but no to Etihad. Is that blocking the whole WC bid? given Melbourne can have only 1 venue if required and it we want two there is a brand new rectangular stadium with foundations built for 50,000 right next to it.
Redb
December 17th 2009 @ 2:50pm
AndyRoo said | December 17th 2009 @ 2:50pm | Report comment
I would have said NBA finals…. a bit out there but imagine if the NBA decided once every 5 years the entire finals series was played overseas and australia won the chance to host it.
I would be prepared to give up 6 weeks of A League for a once in a lifetime event.
December 17th 2009 @ 2:57pm
Redb said | December 17th 2009 @ 2:57pm | Report comment
Still doesnt work as stadium availability is not an issue. It’s the unavailibility outside of the actual WC playing time that is the biggest problem not during it IMO.
December 17th 2009 @ 5:33pm
Axelv said | December 17th 2009 @ 5:33pm | Report comment
If the A-league was to be set aside for another hosting of the Olympics or even Rugby World Cup(which dwarf in comparison to soccer WC) for 8 weeks, it certainly wouldn’t bother me, rescheduling season matches to be later or earlier isn’t going to be the end of the world as we know it eh? its not like, WE”LL HAVE TO CANCEL THE ENTIRE SEASON!!!!!
And…..most MV supporters hate docklands, the TAFL can keep their docklands! just give us our damn 50,000 swan street stadium and we’ll never touch docklands again! Although of course, Docklands are protected by a legal agreement that wasn’t intended for soccer in the first place and they(collo) value the unexpected money that MV bring to the stadium in the TAFL offseason.
Docklands is screwing both the TAFL and Soccer at the same time, hmmmmmm,
we have a conundrum!
December 17th 2009 @ 2:36pm
MV Dave said | December 17th 2009 @ 2:36pm | Report comment
Just let the FFA know when NOB Cup (even AFL folk dont take it seriously) becomes an event of international significance.
December 17th 2009 @ 2:49pm
pH said | December 17th 2009 @ 2:49pm | Report comment
The point is not that the NAB cup is significant, the point is the disruption to an A-league season in such a hypothetical situation. The point is to get some of you who lambast Demetriou for his doing his job of protecting the financial integrity of his organisation – to actually try and put yourselves in someone else’s shoes. OK so soccer is your favourite game – how would the FFA and A-League clubs and you the fans feel if you were being asked to disrupt your season to that extent. An extent that could financially cripple the FFA and A-league clubs.
December 17th 2009 @ 2:51pm
AndyRoo said | December 17th 2009 @ 2:51pm | Report comment
Except it doesn’t cripple the clubs PH. They can still play 22 or 24 rounds plus finals just a bit earlier and a bit later.
But as stated above, if the NBA finals are coming to Australia bring on the 6 week break.
December 17th 2009 @ 3:03pm
Lazza said | December 17th 2009 @ 3:03pm | Report comment
What does it say about the AFL being a ‘national’ competition then? Put one stadium out of action for a while and the whole sport is in jeopardy.
Even the Melbourne ‘Age’ said AD was overreacting and they should make a few sacrifices to host this huge, global event. To argue that the whole season would have to be abandoned when the option of converting the MCG had already been dismissed as too disruptive and expensive was just dishonest. To say that it would disrupt the AFL for 2 years because of the Confederation Cup was just stupid. This guy has already referred to Football as the ‘enemy’ so why would you take any of his comments seriously.
December 17th 2009 @ 5:10pm
pH said | December 17th 2009 @ 5:10pm | Report comment
Andy and Lazza – it does cripple the clubs, there’s been plenty written on this. Sure – Melbourne is the heart of the game – but it has been in SA for over 140 years, WA and Tassie for almost as long, and continuously in Qld for 130 years and was main sport in NSW for a while in late 19th century. AFL has regained a lot in Qld – over 100,000 participants now. But sure financially the AFL competition is Melbourne dependent – comes back to need to have Etihad and graciously give over MCG despite large losses in doing so – the original gentlemen’s agreement between Buckley and Demetriou – until maybe Lowy over-ruled Buckley? who knows, certainly the rectangular stadium fiasco is part of the mess.
December 21st 2009 @ 11:00am
jimbo said | December 21st 2009 @ 11:00am | Report comment
Everyone expected Demetriou and Gallop to protect their patches but its a lie to say that it will end their season.
December 17th 2009 @ 8:04pm
matty1974 said | December 17th 2009 @ 8:04pm | Report comment
When the Rugby League World Cup was held in 2008 (smack bang in the middle of the A league season) , Sydney FC (SFS), Brisbane/QLD Roar (suncorp), Newcastle Jets (EAS) and CCM (bluetounge) were all required to lend their stadia to the Rugby League. I challenge anybody to find a single media article about the impact on clubs who were still in training nappies, let alone compensation for the FFA. When the FIFA WC rolls around in 2022, the AFL and NRL will still have access to approx 25 stadia to operate their comps from.
December 17th 2009 @ 8:10pm
AndyS said | December 17th 2009 @ 8:10pm | Report comment
So they have actually confirmed they can play on during and in the same cities as WC matches?
December 18th 2009 @ 6:41am
Redb said | December 18th 2009 @ 6:41am | Report comment
Your not seriously comparing the relative size and crowds of the AFL to the A League?
How often does the A League need a stadium with a capacity greater than 25,000? (suburban or boutique size)
How often does the AFL fill a stadium with more than 25,000?
If you dont know the answer to these questions your ignorant of the facts.
Soccer people have to come to grips with the unqiueness of the Australian sporting scene. As soon as they and the FFA do, the sooner we find a suitable compromise.
Redb
December 18th 2009 @ 2:22am
Kurt said | December 18th 2009 @ 2:22am | Report comment
Have to love this quote from Richard Hinds’ latest article…
“To those who could not resist the urge to state their objections in colourful terms: (a) My late mother did not, and would not have ever considered doing that, even if she had not had a hip replacement. (b) I am not on close terms with Andrew Demetriou but am fairly confident he does not own a goat. (c) The amount of lubricant needed would make the suggestion unfeasible.
December 18th 2009 @ 7:05am
Football said | December 18th 2009 @ 7:05am | Report comment
If the AFL/NRL play the same number of rounds, then where are the financial losses to the clubs. The blockbuster games will be played around the WC & with an extended recess the disruption should be minimal.
December 18th 2009 @ 11:02am
Michael C said | December 18th 2009 @ 11:02am | Report comment
but,
Buckley still hasn’t raised the issue of host city exemptions with FIFA yet. We still don’t know whether the AFL could continue at Docklands even if Bubbledome got extended to 50,000.
If there’s a 4 week host city exclusion…..then I’d imagine no deal. Because, that combined with a 4 week lead in would be as has been mentioned by David Gallop …..would be unworkable.
Because, let’s say SFS and Homebush are used. Host City exclusion for Sydney wouldn’t be lifted off the SFS until Homebush (Final?) was finished……and, in reality, that some venues might only be needed for 6 weeks is a bit ridiculous, because, the main point for both AFL and NRL would be that they would use common sense and take a scheduled break so as NOT to go head to head with the FIFA WC finals,
so, when Buckley/F.Lowy make points about ‘only’ 6-8 weeks…….take it as a given…..it’s 8 weeks across the board. The FFA aren’t ‘suggesting’ that…..they don’t need to…….it’s common sense.
It’s like when the FFA claimed they never had a model that would require a full season to shut down…..yep, technically, they’re right……but, they’ve had a model drawn up that would put the MCG out of action for 16 weeks and claim Docklands as welll and……still…..no clarification about host city exemptions…….so, correct,…the FFA don’t suggest a ‘shut down’………but, let’s be realistic…..it’d be efffff’n near impossible to have any sort of viable season.
December 18th 2009 @ 8:20am
Football said | December 18th 2009 @ 8:20am | Report comment
The AFL & NRL also have an obligation to the Australian economy, where they operate, to ensure they dont sabotage potential GDP growth as they & the overall community will enjoy the ongoing benefits of the GDP growth.
December 18th 2009 @ 8:22am
Redb said | December 18th 2009 @ 8:22am | Report comment
http://www.smh.com.au/sport/football/zealotry-undermines-support-for-cup-bid-20091211-kolw.html
Enjoy.
December 18th 2009 @ 9:14am
Punter said | December 18th 2009 @ 9:14am | Report comment
Richard Hinds is AFL writer in Sydney. Not really qualified.
December 18th 2009 @ 9:35am
Redb said | December 18th 2009 @ 9:35am | Report comment
I think he captures the feeling amongst the vast majority of AFL and NRL fans pretty well actually and pins the soccer zealout type beautifully.
December 18th 2009 @ 10:57am
Punter said | December 18th 2009 @ 10:57am | Report comment
Just like the Rugby League Zealots that oppose the push of a Western Sydney AFL team.
What anyone who opposes AFL are Zealots.
Any game not borne in Australia are foreign even if the have been here for over 100 years. All this talk of local cusine v McDonalds, well AFL into Western Sydney is the McDonalds of Australia, it’s the biggest sport but not in Western Sydney where they already have their local cusine & don’t need a Kevin Sheedy meal deal.
When the shoe is on the other foot, you change your tune so quickly.
December 18th 2009 @ 11:01am
Redb said | December 18th 2009 @ 11:01am | Report comment
need a tissue?
Your going off in all directions now.
December 18th 2009 @ 11:21am
Punter said | December 18th 2009 @ 11:21am | Report comment
We’re all Zealots, we come from all directions, but we don’t change tunes depending on which sport I like.
At least I know I have no issues with AFL expanding to Western Sydney as I have no issues with WC in Australia..
Something called expanding your cusine. Wink, Wink. smile.
December 18th 2009 @ 11:54am
Michael C said | December 18th 2009 @ 11:54am | Report comment
just depends what people expect along the way.
For all the hyperbole from RL folk in NSW about the AFL (along with Cricket NSW) acccessing state/council funds and also co-funding themselves one single oval upgrade/development……..
…..you’d think the AFL was walking in and demanding the NRL vacate grounds for 8 weeks and stop playing for a month to allow the GWS side to get established without any competition.
There’s a vast, vast difference b/w major investment of huge amounts of ones own funds to set up in fair and open competition vs what the FFA is demanding re the FIFA WC.
A vast difference.
December 18th 2009 @ 12:25pm
Punter said | December 18th 2009 @ 12:25pm | Report comment
Now this depends on which side of the fence you sit.
You have an already overflowing surge in football participation in Western & grounds are scarce & the councils are giving football/rugby grounds, pretty interchangeable to AFL grounds, where there is no need. This is where AFL is funding the councillors.
So do you see the difference, I don’t.
But I do see it an opportunity to allow a new game in Western Sydney that may not like or be suited to Football & AFL, I ‘m all for it.
Now if the AFL can only see the opportunity to expand their game during the WC instead of all the negativeness
December 18th 2009 @ 1:11pm
Michael C said | December 18th 2009 @ 1:11pm | Report comment
Punter -
2 things -
one — a large oval does no prohibit usage for soccer/rugby, however a rugby field prohibits usage for footy and cricket (btw – the fields a Blacktown were already used for cricket – so, in that sense – they’ve been upgraded for cricket. – - and at this same time, the other $5mill announced by State Govt WAS going to soccer facilities).
two – - the ‘promotion’ for AFL during a WC is rather contingent upon :
A. NOT being excluded from host cities,
B. having the odd venue big enough to facilitate regular attendees whilst providing some scope for overseas ‘visitors’ to sneak in……ovals in Preston, Albury, Mt Gambier and Wagga don’t offer that.
C. having some form of TV coverage during the events.
The AFL can see the opportunity, so don’t worry about that. But, they are a massive day to day business as well.
December 18th 2009 @ 2:13pm
Jeb said | December 18th 2009 @ 2:13pm | Report comment
“a Kevin Sheedy meal deal”. Ha ha
big laugh punter. can hardly type.
December 18th 2009 @ 8:47am
Beast-A-Tron said | December 18th 2009 @ 8:47am | Report comment
The AFL & NRL has no such obligation, what utter socialist nonsense.
“to ensure they dont sabotage potential GDP growth”
I take it by this sentence you have undertaken an opportunity cost analysis of Australia hosting a WC. Got those results handy?
December 18th 2009 @ 9:16am
Dogs Of War said | December 18th 2009 @ 9:16am | Report comment
Yep, and part of that obligation is keeping people employed long term within the sport. Not making sure some people get employed for 8 weeks while the World Cup come to town.
December 18th 2009 @ 9:29am
Beast-A-Tron said | December 18th 2009 @ 9:29am | Report comment
Exactly right. The AFL & NRL have varying obligations to varying stakeholders – it is ludicrous to argue both competitions are obligated to society at large; that is what we elect politicians for.
It is also disingenuous to suggest both competitions “sabotage potential GDP growth” when one has no inkling of economics running through their brain.
December 18th 2009 @ 12:19pm
MV Dave said | December 18th 2009 @ 12:19pm | Report comment
” that is what we elect politicians for.” Yep and those pollies have said were goin to bid for the biggest event on the planet!
December 18th 2009 @ 9:31am
Michael C said | December 18th 2009 @ 9:31am | Report comment
Do you understand the size and value to the Australian economy on an annual basis of the combined value of the AFL AND the NRL?
This happens every year,
not just once (in a lifetime) for 4 weeks with the lions share of profit certainty going straight into the coffers of FIFA,
and note, thus far, Australians have been reported in the top 5 highest ticket buyers for South Africa 2010. Does that not sound some alarm bells? There’s only 20ish million of us!!!
We saw at the Sydney Olympics that the flood of international tourists didn’t come.
We saw that post the Olympics that Sydney has struggled from a tourism perspective and the Olympics really did just end up a nice expensive party that was televised to the world. It looked great.
Evidently, we didn’t spend enough money then or disrupt our regular economies enough……so, let’s do the FIFA WC and scratch our heads afterward that there’s a huge, huge difference between Europeans travelling in large numbers into/through Germany as we would in Australia fly up to the Gold Coast for a long weekend,…..compared to people taking weeks at a time off, spending most of their savings on the travel costs to Australia and then shying away from the over inflated accomodation prices and the vast internal distances of Australia because, all of Germany fits into NSW twice with 95,000km2 left over. (even RSA, is only about the size of Victoria and NSW combined).
No one knows what the cost benefit will be. At present, no one knows what the costs will be. BUt, what we do know is that FIFA controls the broadcast rights, the ticketing, the merchandising, the venue advertising – - all the easy and really big money.
Let’s avoid this blanket assumption of it being great for the country. Let’s see a bit more detail, because, thus far, the PwC report for the FFA is safely in the hands of the FFA. At very least, we need to know their assumptions, their range of best to worst case models, and their negative as well as positive economic impacts.
For ongoing benefits….the country already IS enjoying the benefits of the AFL and NRL to the national economy.
December 18th 2009 @ 9:35am
Beast-A-Tron said | December 18th 2009 @ 9:35am | Report comment
“No one knows what the cost benefit will be. At present, no one knows what the costs will be.”
Sssshh quiet you, you’ll mess up the whole place; don’t you know how many people are allergic to common sense around here?
December 18th 2009 @ 9:36am
Redb said | December 18th 2009 @ 9:36am | Report comment
Very good point MC.
Here’s an idea: let’s have our cake (AFL/NRL) and eat it (WC) too.
Redb
December 18th 2009 @ 10:22am
Michael C said | December 18th 2009 @ 10:22am | Report comment
and so we get to a position where the entire nation could unite behind a common sense and realistic bid.
Not just ‘any bid’,
that’d be like whinging that not every (soccer follower) one in Melbourne is united behind MVFC.
December 18th 2009 @ 4:33pm
Phil E Buster said | December 18th 2009 @ 4:33pm | Report comment
Michael C, FIFA give all ticketing revenue to the host nation, as an example last world cup Germany made 200 million euros from the ticket sales alone. Merchandising is another major revenue stream for the host nation as well.
http://www.cni.org.br/portal/lumis/portal/file/fileDownload.jsp?fileId=8A9015D01C717661011C71C002A36A4E
December 21st 2009 @ 11:07am
jimbo said | December 21st 2009 @ 11:07am | Report comment
Yes and you can add the value to the Australian economy of the Socceroos, A-League, Youth League, Women’s League, U20s, U19s, U17s, State Leagues, Juniour competitions, etc etc etce
Asian Cup , Asian Champions League etc etc
Pay TV, International TV rights etc etc
Souvenirs, merchandising etc etc
FIFA World Cups, international tournaments etc etc
AFL is not the only thing of value to Australians.
December 18th 2009 @ 8:31am
Football said | December 18th 2009 @ 8:31am | Report comment
Redb
The flaw in the article if you havnt realised is the apparent “small vocal minority” he refers to. All the evidence, polls, feedback etc point to a silent majority wanting the WC.
Happy for you to refer to an article which is essentially flawed in its arguments but I dont see the point.
December 18th 2009 @ 8:36am
AndyRoo said | December 18th 2009 @ 8:36am | Report comment
I think his article has a good point. Currently the silent majority do want the world cup and he says that….but if people keep calling that silent majority racist, biggots, small minded and the games they follow small fry etc etc
Well that’s not very alluring and something that should be a cross code party instead turns into us vs them. 51% of the vote might be enough to win an ellection but for the World Cup bid you really want around 80% plus of the population not to be against you because we need tax payer funds and the use of public owned stadiums.
December 18th 2009 @ 10:29am
Michael C said | December 18th 2009 @ 10:29am | Report comment
as well as private owned stadiums with very long term water tight big business agreements in place that makes 2018 seem like just around the corner. Relatively speaking.
December 18th 2009 @ 12:22pm
MV Dave said | December 18th 2009 @ 12:22pm | Report comment
Oh yeh we’ve seen how those water tight agreements work with the AFL and their various ground issues haven’t we? In other words agreements can and if necessary, will be broken.
December 18th 2009 @ 12:30pm
Beast-A-Tron said | December 18th 2009 @ 12:30pm | Report comment
I’ve seen renegotiation of the terms, but I can’t recall any contracts actually being broken. To which example are you referring to?
December 18th 2009 @ 8:38am
Redb said | December 18th 2009 @ 8:38am | Report comment
The silent majority are supportative of the WC.
December 18th 2009 @ 9:33am
Football said | December 18th 2009 @ 9:33am | Report comment
The GDP growth does create long lasting jobs that flow through the economy. Not leverageing of the international oppertunities is what stiffles job growth.
The AFL/NRL operate in the Australian economy so they do have an obligation it is not socialist idealism. The GDP estimates are based on previous events which take place all the time.
December 18th 2009 @ 9:46am
Beast-A-Tron said | December 18th 2009 @ 9:46am | Report comment
“The AFL/NRL operate in the Australian economy so they do have an obligation it is not socialist idealism.”
Guess again. You need to crack out the comm.law books, the AFL & NRL are not obligated to the economy. Your notion of “obligation” would entail centralised economic planning, which is inherently socialist. This is not China where State and Company are difficult to separate.
“The GDP estimates are based on previous events which take place all the time.”
Based on events taking place (previous WC’s) in different countries, with different laws, different industries, different sporting paradigms, different cultures, different economies etc etc.
December 18th 2009 @ 9:40am
Football said | December 18th 2009 @ 9:40am | Report comment
Fanhs did travel in large numbers to Asia, USA & now Africa & we saw from the Athens olympics that the Europeans didnt travel for the Olympics there either, so baseing your assumption on the Olymoics is flawed.
I agree the AFL/NRL do pump millions into the economy & they also benefit from that same economy, makeing them a part of the econemy the growth benefits them long term as well, hence where the obligation comes from.
December 18th 2009 @ 9:56am
Beast-A-Tron said | December 18th 2009 @ 9:56am | Report comment
“they also benefit from that same economy, makeing them a part of the econemy the growth benefits them long term as well, hence where the obligation comes from.”
You do realise this argument has been satisfied by taxation? The economy as a whole is greater than the sum of its constituent parts, therefore corporate & civilian entities pay taxes to enjoy the benefits afforded by a stable, robust economy. Continually parroting ‘obligation!’ does not mean it actually exists.