On the morning of Australia’s victory against Germany, I was scanning the various morning news shows for highlights of the goals as the game had just finished. ABC News Breakfast failed me so I reluctantly flicked over to Sunrise.
Nothing personal against the Channel Seven team, it’s just that infotainment isn’t my cup of tea, even over a cup of tea.
There was sports presenter Mark Beretta, Socceroos scarf around his neck, breathlessly letting the viewers know of the 2-1 victory.
Kochie piped up and what follows is my recollection of the conversation that followed:
Kochie: That’s a great result.
Beretta: It certainly is.
Kochie: Germany are a football powerhouse aren’t they?
Beretta: Yep, definitely one of the best in the world.
Kochie: And this was against a full strength team right?
Beretta: Yep, full strength.
It was a great result and Germany are a powerhouse of world football, but to describe the squad as being at full strength is stretching it a bit far.
Whilst the German team were far from being a bunch of numpties, several key players were missing (five starters if memory serves correctly).
Take nothing away from the efforts of the Socceroos getting a fantastic win against a very strong team, but it’s the sort of error that you would hope a sports reporter would avoid.
As football has grown in this country over the last decade, the call has gone out for more coverage, more column inches and more commentary on the game.
Coupled with that call should be one seeking a lift in the levels of quality as well. This is not directed at the dedicated football journalists, but the jack-of-all-sports types for whom football is just one of the many sports they cover.
All too often, the level of football discourse in Australia does not go beyond the superficial. Only the big names matter, only the big results are covered or the big fouls reported.
Football is not and will not be the biggest sport in this country for many years, if ever, in terms of the coverage devoted to it.
Fans that follow the game will not have a version of The Guardian’s online football website that has some of the best writers in the world passing on their insight, opinion and analysis.
We have SBS and The World Game coverage. We have FourFourTwo. And of course we have The Roar.
However, the information and in-depth analysis football fans in this country seek are still considered a niche market in the eyes of the big media players, hence the role for football coverage on the edges, rather than in the centre, of the sporting universe.
This is why a call for a lift in the standards of football coverage and reporting is all the more important.
In light of the billion dollar TV rights deal for the AFL and an NRL deal expected to be in the same ballpark, football will be down the pecking order for some time yet when it comes to where the money goes.
And where the money goes, so does the attention.
In our roles as consumers of football coverage, we should be demanding that those who are paid to cover sports give football the respect it deserves.
We shouldn’t expect them to become Fozzie clones overnight and focus solely on football, but we should expect them to have some understanding of game which will, in turn, flow to the quality of their reporting.
If we look to the Gerard Whateley’s of this world, this is the model for sports reporting we should be aiming to foster.
Football is not Gerard’s code, but he has a level of knowledge about the game that allows him to speak from a place of authority.
When discussing the progression of Australian football on the pitch, it has been measured by improvements in quality.
It has been the quality of the play, tactics, managers and recruiting that have been used to demonstrate the growth of the game.
And if it’s good enough to use quality as the yardstick on the pitch, then it should be the same off it as well.
NY
Guest
By the way agree with comments that Gerard Whatley and Francis Leach are some of the better all round sports commentators in this country. Another one is Peter Wilkins who is also from ABC. No agendas. Just calling what they see.
NY
Guest
kinkladze So your point is because our sport is inferior to other sports in this country we should take it on the chin when the sport gets smeared and intentionally presented in a bad light. We should not complain and expect better treatment from better quality journalists. Journalists should not be held accountable? In Melbourne rugby league = bumsniffers In Sydney AFL = fumble ball In Australia football = a girls game You think that each of these sports should just sit and take it because they are inferior products in those respective areas. Melbourne Storm are one of the best teams in the best rugby league comp in the world, but you think they don't deserve respect in Melbourne. That really is strange logic. At the end of the day you can respect a sport if you see it what it is for. I see the a-league what it is for so I have a respect for it. You place unrealistic expectations in the a-league so you will always have no respect for it. It will never be the best football comp in the world but i can live with that. Can you?
KNACKERS
Guest
If soccer wants to do better in the PR stakes it needs less Fozzies and more Simon Hills....remember the Ashes tour of England the time before the last ? SBS suddenly found itself the telecaster and the only sports broadcaster on staff who could talk sensibly on cricket was the new boy from England who had just arrived for a soccer commentators gig So many soccer commentators come across as multicultural zealots who tediously stress their regard for diversity , inclusiveness and cultural sensitivity. Oh for more general sporting enthusiasts who just happen to have association football as their major enthusiasm
whiskeymac
Guest
no i didnt i was just responding to the sentiment of the above post, not the entire thread, but if i smack of elitism then i'll take it - its an unintentional by product but now you have me thinking, why shd i aim for base common denominator? btw i like the brevity and logic in your response, nothing to add from my part other than man city.... really? poor soul. =)
kinkladze
Guest
I think you're missing the point (both whiskeymac and NY). Fair enough, you put greater emphasis on the teams you support. So do I. If Manchester City were playing in the Blue Square league, I would still support them with the same passion I do know. However, in this hypothetical, would I expect coverage of City to be comparable to that the those premier league clubs? No. Because the standard of football wouldn't warrant it. Does that mean I get any more or less enjoyment out of supporting the team on a personal level dependent on what league they play in? No. If a game that City were playing was televised at the same time as the CL Final, would I switch and watch the CL? No. Because I support my team. Would I expect the same insight, analysis and thought for a City match vs the CL final? No. Because in the big scheme of a captive market, the City game would not be rated as high as the CL final. This is what the article was about. Improving the quality of journalism, and increasing the appreciation and knowledge base of those people who may not necessarily be round ball fans, but still comment on the game, to a better level. However the quality and standing of the game locally does not warrant this. If you want a better quality and quantity of journalism you need to increase readership of papers and hits on websites for those articles. How do you do that? By increasing the number of fans who watch the code and demand more news stories and articles. How do you increase the number of fans and supporters? Get better viewing figures on TV or more people to the game. How do you accomplish that? By increasing the quality of the game played. You can't put the horse before the cart. But because football is an international game, and a lot of supporters, yourselves included, may fervently support an A League team, but also follow the game internationally, you are exposed to the quality of their product. To expect the same treatment for a locally produced and inferior product is baseless and smacks of elitism.
steven ellis
Guest
bias, half-truths , spin and mis-reporting to suit your own agenda and protect your own interests....?? has news-limited ever..i mean ever published a statistis or fact to reflect footballs successes or status? but ofcourse...that would not suit its own 'view' of the world it imposes on its readers well..the most unethical and morally bankrupt media company is not called news-'limited' for nothing..
whiskeymac
Guest
well said. My interest in the local HAL eclipses jut about everything else, despite a 20yr attachment to Arsenal (and a very unfashionable soft spot for Watford). I just cant get overly excited about all games and all leagues - if my team isnt playing (o/seas leagues) then i am 50/50 at best about watching it. Of course i take an interest in o/seas Aussies when they play but my interest in any game they may be involved in wld be centred on their performance. In brief I wld rather watch the NYL final then the UCL final; and wld definitely watch a HAL game over just about all other EPL games. I appreciate other games etc but interest wise, well, i think global but prefer local when it comes to sport. but that is just me.
Kasey
Guest
@Andrew, as the world gets smaller(communications wise), I've noticed when I last paid serious attention to an AFL season probably 2007(?), the use of the term "quarterbacking" to describe a player directing traffic prior to his clearing kick out of the half back lines....I can't be the only one that hated this turn of phrase. I don't know if it gained wide spread use, but it has also turned up in Hockey broadcasts for a defenceman bringing the puck out of the defensive third and directing players in the Neutral zone, much to the chagrin of my Canadian friends who already resent the Americanization of 'their' sport over the last 10-15 years. (Winnipeg Jets to Phoenix[Coyotes], Quebec Nordiques to Denver[Avalanche] [NH]League focus on US needs rather than the core base in Canada) I personally hate to hear sports journos unabble to discuss the merits or otherwise of a football game without resorting to AFL analogies. A prime example was the response to Kevin Muscat's horrible Tardby3 tackle Adrian Zahra last season. The incident was an obvious talking point, but to relate it to a sport where the contact is more directed at the upper body like ARF just shows a lack of respect and understanding on behalf of supposedly professional soprts journalists. It would help if the basics were observed, like correct pronunciation of oerseas teams names, terminology to describe events that has subtle differences between the sports, for example players wear a kit in football, a geurnsey in ARF and a jumper in the Rugby codes; the adjudicator in football and the rugbies is a refeee or a touch judge/assistant referree and he/she is called an Umpire in ARF. When commentators get the basics wrong you have to doubt their profesionalism and their abilities in other aspects of their work.
NY
Guest
Don't agree with you. It's got nothing to do with people wanting to watch what is top quality. If you asked me to name which game I would prefer to watch between Man City and Man Utd or Sydney FC and Melb Victory, I would definitely prefer to watch the Manchester Derby. However now ask me to watch a game between Bolton v Sunderland or Valencia v Villareal and I will take the Sydney FC v Melb Victory game any day. Of course the other two games are of a higher quality standard, but really what meaning do they have to me. The point is that people will want to watch what interests them and a higher quality game is not always going to do this. Infact I refuse to watch Bundesliga or Championship. Both of these leagues to me lack any excitement at all. But that is just my opinion. And I will bet there would be a lot of other people like me who would follow the top 8 or 10 clubs in Europe, but after that follow their local league. You could also ask why do Aussie Rules supporters in SA and WA watch the local league over the AFL sometimes. Maybe to a South Australian watching a local game in SA means more to him than say if he was watching a higher quality Brisbane Lions v Richmond game. And that would be totally understandable. Local rivalries can be a great thing for any sport.
kinkladze
Guest
Your other article was that we should pay attention to those people who may criticise the game if some of their points are valid, even if their base of knowledge is not. Now in this article you complain that it needs to go one step further and these people should step up their game and up their quality. My question is why? Why should they bother to increase their knowledge? Just to satiate the needs of a few overtly sensitive fans? To be honest I think this view comes from a somewhat elitist standpoint held by many football fans - the same football fans that lurk on these forums and take great offence to any criticism of the 'beautiful game'. Football is the preeminent game in the world they say. Football is played by more kids then other codes put together. More nations try to qualify for the world cup then whatever. The Guardian has world first coverage. So the expectation is that because the game is played (poorly) in Australia that we should have the same level of respect, coverage etc. The thing is we don’t deserve it - because the standing of the game on and off the field is not of a requisite level to warrant it. It's alright to strive for something. Shooting the moon is good. To want respect is one thing. To expect it something else. And this is where the majority of football fans in Australia have a massive chip on their shoulder. They expect to be taken seriously, expect the coverage, expect the level of journalism based on a superior international context of the game. Because there is this ease of access, they demand it at home. But it aint going to happen. Like I said with my Melbourne Storm analogy, it is irrational to demand respect when it is not deserved. And football in Australia is not at a level to command this respect. Think about these things on a business level. Why is the A League not on FTA? Because simply there is no demand for the FTA networks to bid for it. Realistically the only networks who would bid for it are the ABC and SBS. Even One HD couldn't even manage decent ratings of its 'solely sports' channel and is in the process of rebranding itself and its programming. Why would Fox bid for it? To prevent SBS or ABC lowballing a bid. There is still some marginal benefit (Socceroos games in the same pay tv package) of Fox airing the league, but not enough to spark a bidding war between the other networks which would see a 1 billion plus bid. Put simply - as a TV exec with a limited budget - why put your money in the basket with the least returns? Why provide support for other punditry type shows, or better quality analysis when there is no return? From a financial perspective again it is an irrational choice. However, despite these obvious points, there is still a demand for the "world game" to get what their rabid fans think it deserves. Might work on an international level - not here in Australia - or at least not until the standard of the game improves. Build it and they will come. Until then you can’t complain if a poorly run and played game in this country gets poor coverage.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
That's pretty amazing, 4th, 5th, or even 6th or 7th, it's still an amazing result.
roarlover34
Roar Pro
Great Article mate. I am abit tired of seeing poorly reported news about football, or just blatantly anti-football reporting. The fact is that had the socceroos lost that game against Germany there would have been more coverage of it, there would have been more comments like "Australian soccer put back in it's place", "proves that the socceroos can't mix it with the best". The general media gives me the feeling that they want to see football fail, and it really annoys me. In regards to bias, a recent article in the Australian was rather amusing. There were discussing the size of the AFL deal in relative world terms. They were listing some examples of other competitions In order of most expensive tv deals per year the order was: 1. NFL, 2. EPL 3. NBA 4. AFL, 5. UEFA Champions League... The funny thing was that the only the rights for the Champions League in the UK were included. Why was this? How come in every other of the tv deal figures the used the whole competition figures, but not the champions league? Obviously because it would have come in well ahead of the AFL's deal. Although this is no big deal, it is just amusing when you see a clear agenda in a newspapers reporting. As bias as the opinion section is, it was pathetic that they would also have to edit statistics to help suit the agenda. This kind of lousy bias needs to be alleviated
hittingthevalve
Roar Guru
Thanks for your comments, but I think you might have put two and two together and arrived at five kinkladze. My article about Rebecca Wilson was making the point that the football community needs to listen to voices from outside of the game. This article makes the point that a lift in the quality of coverage should go hand in hand with the calls for a lift in quantity. I can see the link you are trying to make, but my article emphasises that if all parties involved had a little better understanding of the game, there would be benefits for both football fans as well as the general sporting public who may only have a passing interest in the game. I think Kasey summed up that point pretty well a few comments above yours. This is consistent with my previous article about outsider views being listened to. In addition, this was not a call for only favourable coverage, but for a lift in the quality of any coverage, both positive and negative. I love nothing better than a piece of analysis which is well researched, well delivered and which makes a valid point, even if it is talking about how badly my beloved Villains played over the weekend. What I am not advocating is knee-jerk, ad hoc, unprepared coverage which does little to advance the discussion. And just because our code is the ‘fourth ranked footy code’ doesn’t mean we should not be striving to improve all facets of our game. Today there is some quality analysis that comes through from the US about the MSL and this is for a game that sits behind grid iron, ice hockey, basketball, baseball and probably the college levels of these sports in terms of coverage. There is nothing wrong with being ambitious kinkladze; it’s a concept which as a Citeh supporter you should be familiar with.
kinkladze
Guest
Didn't you only write a few weeks back a column basically saying the sport needs someone exactly like Rebecca Wilson? The same jack of all trades master of none journalist that your now saying you don't need? Ahh, but that’s not good enough. Not only do you want more coverage but better quality. What next, only coverage that is favourable? Forget it. The A League in terms of interest is the 4th ranked footy code in overly saturated sporting market. There's only so much pie to go around, and frankly until the standard and quality of the game is improved, only then can they demand a bigger share. Along with that comes more dedicated and better quality reporting. It's almost like a Melbourne Storm member demanding that they receive blanket coverage of their team in the Melbourne market. Sorry but the majority rules, and when you have the world’s best leagues and punditry at a click of a mouse button, then why waste your time on an inferior home-grown product. It’s irrational to expect any different of the press. Rebecca Wilson is not the answer. Neither is Fozzie. The self appointed leader of the football intelligentsia in this country is a joke. Is it any wonder the SBS limits the amount of Barca games Fozzie commentates on? There's only so many times they can show a grown bloke orgasming live on television, and they usually reserve this quota for their Friday night timeslots. The answer is simple. Improve the quality of the game - and the rest will follow. End of.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
Or more accurately: [ˈaːjɐks]
Andrew Leonard
Roar Pro
hittingthevalve - great and accurate article. And I also agree with all of the comments as well. Whilst football is not my first choice in Australia, it was for 10 years of my life when living in Europe - so I do love the game. For most Austrlian sports presenters, a bit more research could go a long way. This applies to all non mainstream sports, the use of "footy" (AFL & NRL) terminologies to describe other sports is cringeworthy at times.
Kasey
Guest
@Hoof, and that I think is the key..respect. A little goes a long way. If more sports journos treated all codes with a bit more respect instead of bigging up their favourite whilst denigrating others for cheap blog hits, I'm sure these stupid " my d**k is bigger than yours" garbage opinion pieces masquerading as fact 'articles' regarding sports(aka code war starters) would be over quicker than the Flash and we could get on wih actually talking about you know - sport, but there in lies the problem. To respect something you must first put in the effort to understand it. I doubt many non football journos could be bothered trying to learn the difference between AC Milan and Inter Milan, why Barcelona is so important to the Catalans or even basics like the Offside rule; like wise with the complexities of a Rugby Scrum. Its easier for journos to be lazy and fall back on tired old cliches for cheap thrills:( This is why I like Whately, he's clearly put in the effort to become more knowledgable and as TomC says, its paid off by making him a better and more observant commentator, in the way learning a language other than engish can give you better skills in using our mother tongue. Learning basic syntax and grammar is hardly a waste, especially as it seems to be a dying art in schools these days.
Hoof
Guest
I think Whateley is brilliant. He clearly loves all sport and, perhaps more importantly, treats each of them with respect. Almost all of the other panelists on Offsiders just want to push their own agendas and run down other sports, rather than have a proper discussion.
Kasey
Guest
How about that famous Dutch club named after the toilet cleaning product A-Jax (hard J again;) I'm not sure if its the dutch blood in me(thanks Dad) or If I'm just a football nut, cos in my head whenever I passs the cleaning product aisle in the supermarket, I've always read it as Eye-ax:)
Con
Guest
who are well known and famous amongst us 'soccer folk' just like the Boker Juniors Soccer Club in argentina lol. <----- i heard my cricket loving mate say that to me, i nearly died