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I understand Phil Gould’s suggestion that extreme measures may be necessary to ban players from drinking alcohol. But what about the copious amount of alcohol advertising and sponsorship in the game?
Surely this would need to be banned as well.
When Brett Stewart returns to league and eventually wins his first man-of-the match award, it is likely (going on previous years) that the award will be sponsored by a Rum company.
If it’s the first match of the round, he can expect Matthew Johns to slap a beer hat on his head so everyone knows who’s paying for Friday night football.
But before all that, he’ll probably go on The Footy Show the night before for an exclusive on his return to the game.
During the interview, Fatty will remind us of a certain bourbon company who are ‘great sponsors of the show’, who also happen to be a gold sponsor of the Manly club.
Nice way to forget about your drinking problems, isn’t it?
In league, there is alcohol everywhere you turn.
It’s like when Homer Simpson tried to give up beer and he had to contend with ‘Duff’ billboards littering the roadside.
Players are told they shouldn’t drink to excess, but when the game is promoted so much through drinking, can you really blame them?
If the NRL is serious about the problems associated with alcohol, they should refuse to accept advertising from these companies.
Of course they won’t.
They need the money from these sponsors. And the code depends on Joe Bloggs drinking his ten schooners at the Leagues Club and fans drinking at the games to increase revenue.
Tobacco sponsorship has been outlawed for more than a decade in Australia (apart from Formula One and MotoGP, which were in 2007). Yet despite causing considerable deaths in Australia and around the world, alcohol seems untouchable.
I know alcohol sponsorship is not just exclusive to league, but the undeniable alcohol-related problems will surely indicate to David Gallop that he needs to make a tougher stand and set a sporting precedent in regards to alcohol.
Gallop says it’s all about educating players about drinking responsibly.
However, it doesn’t really matter how much education you provide when there is peer-pressure to get ‘plastered’, especially from the experienced players.
It also doesn’t help when a club like Manly provide unlimited alcohol at their season launch.
Brett Stewart wishes it was just a punch party (punch as in the drink, not an Anthony Watmough sponsor knock-out). But instead he is facing the consequences from the worst hang-over of his life.
I don’t normally agree with Phil Gould but credit must go to him on this issue as he’s not just calling for a ban because the horse bolted with Stuart.
He called for a drinking ban way back in the 2004 Origin Series, but couldn’t reach agreement from the players and coaching staff.
If the NRL does attempt to ban alcohol, they must remove all temptations, including sponsorship.
Otherwise it’s just like shoving a cheeseburger in a Biggest Loser contestant’s face.
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