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Australian fans can be bad sports toward the media

Roar Guru
30th January, 2010
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Roar Guru
30th January, 2010
16
1318 Reads

In a week were we celebrated Australia Day, sports fans have been somewhat un-Australian. This week, the Australian sporting fan fraternity shamed itself so bad that it may take months to repair.

While Channel Seven’s obnoxious telecasting of the Australian Open was rightfully panned by sports lovers, the criticism of commentators was disgraceful and bordered on a witch-hunt.

This country’s sports fans are very good at taking down people involved in sports media for having an opinion and doing things differently. Take Henri LeConte and Jim Courier, for example. Their fresh attitude to commentary was panned because of who they were. Message boards were disgraceful in their criticism, which was baseless and bordered on stupidity. It seems hypocritical that a doctor or teacher cannot face up to being told how to do their job, yet they feel they can rant on a faceless website about the performance of a commentator. It is sickening and sad at the same time.

This shabby treatment also extents to other sports and commentators. Nine’s cricket team is routinely panned for not knowing enough about the game or talking rubbish. For a commentary team consisting of five players who have captained their country, I would trust them to tell me what’s happening on the cricket pitch more than some 40 year old who plays D-grade for the Wagga Wagga no-ones.

In AFL, Robert Walls is tormented for having an opinion – something we apparently desire but routinely put down. Kelli Underwood’s only problem was that she was a woman, something that should not stop commentators. If it were up to me, sports fans that bagged her because of her sex should be banned from watching sport.

It’s shameful and self-righteous. The only exception to this rule is the experts of soccer at Fox Sports who speak about the game beyond the level they played at. Most other commentators speak on the level they played at.

So, if you sports fans want to redeem yourself, shut up and watch or turn the volume down. Not all commentators are good, I admit, but they don’t deserve your faceless criticism.

PS: I will make a deal with teachers. You can criticise commentators if you stop whining about MySchool.

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