- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
At the end of the Year 2000, Sydney looked at its reflection with a cocksure grin and felt with some justification that it held a reputation as one of the world’s great sporting cities.
The Olympics had been an absolute triumph and the Harbour city no doubt felt keen to tackle Melbourne for the crown of the country’s sporting capital. At that time it was widely felt (in Sydney, at least) that the gap had been closed.
It was a dead heat with everything to play for.
Fast forward eight years and oh how the mighty have fallen.
At the end of 2008, Sydney now sits a poor third in terms of its sporting stature, with little sign that things might improve in the short term.
As it stands, Sydney doesn’t have the glamour of the big events in Melbourne or the passion of Brisbane.
Like the lead in the pipes, which sent the citizens of Rome mad, the ‘theatre going’ set which gave Sydney such diversity for its sporting public now looks to be its downfall.
In the sports which Melbourne have a passion for, they destroy Sydney with the scale and passion in which they run things.
Can you imagine Sydney trying to run a Formula One GP? Lewis Hamilton trying to sort out coins for a toll, Fernando Alonso getting his e-tag sorted?
In a word, debacle.
Even Bathurst needs to be three hours outside of Sydney to make it work.
While for the rugby codes, which Sydney used to take for granted, Brisbane has moved in and picked up the mantle.
Origins have always been bigger in Queensland, but Brisbane this year realigned the centre of rugby league heartland to become the global capital of the sport.
Union Test matches are also now a far better event north of the Tweed. This year the Bledisloe kicked off with tickets remaining unsold in Sydney. Something unthinkable in previous years
Football isn’t spared. Bling FC is now well and truly rusted.
From being the glamour boys of the competition, Sydney FC are fast becoming one of the headaches for the FFA.
They are now arguably over-shadowed by the Central Coast Mariners, whose derby with the Jets is becoming bigger than their rivalry with Sydney.
Once deemed the benchmark of the competition Sydney FC are embarrassed by the achievements on and off the park by the Victory and the Reds.
Even Socceroos matches are preferred in either Melbourne or Brisbane.
And don’t forget Adelaide and Perth.
While they don’t have the profile or population to tackle Sydney, they do have a more tribal sporting public who probably show more passion for their chosen teams.
The Western derby or the grudge match between Port and the Crows couldn’t be replicated in Sydney.
Sydney have the Swans, who after years of handouts and leg ups still can’t stand in Sydney off their own steam.
What is to blame? Is it just the soulless ANZ Stadium which chews up marquee events and spits them out?
It certainly doesn’t help. As a ground for an event, it is a dog’s breakfast.
But for me it seems to run deeper than that.
While Sydney’s sporting public as individuals might be as mad any of their compatriots in other states, as a group they just come across as apathetic.
Maybe they’ve had it too good for too long, maybe they believed all their own press after the Games. Maybe they’d rather sit at home and watch it on their big screens.
Maybe they just don’t care.
Sydneysiders are often spoilt for choice, but it says something that many of the residents best sporting memories from residents come from out of town.
But that is what New Years’ are for: the chance to wipe the slate clean and start again.
I hope Sydney finds its mojo in 2009.
What’s your best bet? For great odds on all your favourite sports check out PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.