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On Wednesday, Peter Costello (who has a column in the Melbourne Age – who knew?) made some both cheap and demeaning claims about the altruism of sports stars.
Melbourne in particular has been abuzz with this story.
Costello managed to first take aim at Shane Warne and Liz Hurley, perhaps fairly enough, as many a cynic ponders the very public essential Twitter guide to the Warne-Hurley antics.
However, going from the observation: ‘in show business, publicity sells’ to suddenly lining up messers Ponting, Steve Waugh and Warne for running charitable ‘foundations’, Costello states ‘I can’t help thinking that one of those clever publicists has persuaded cricketers that charity work will enhance their image and their brand’.
One can’t help but notice that Costello omitted the name McGrath.
Costello then took aim at footballers, including dredging up the false claims that St Kilda footballers did anything wrong during a school visit. Did Costello not check his facts? For Costello to posit that ‘any right thinking parent would quake with fear to hear that footballers were coming to their daughter’s school to give a little bit of inspiration’ is astounding.
As it is, he’s drawn the wrath of the broader sporting community. And also from those who have benefited from sincere, dignified and unassuming assistance.
Costello has also taken a ‘whack’ from Federal sports minister Mark Arbib: ‘If he doesn’t understand the value of what sports people put back into the community then he should keep his mouth shut”.
One can’t help but wonder if Costello chose an easy target to generate publicity for his own column that perhaps had been flying under the radar? Cynicism is a curse.
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