So let’s get this straight: the media is in uproar because football players acted outlandishly on their Mad Monday less then 24 hours after losing the biggest game of the year?
Give me a break.
Reporters from the Nine Network, including Jayne Azzopardi, not only sat outside the premises but used a helicopter for this grand occasion.
The very same network that just paid over a billion dollars for the rights to broadcast the game they so dearly “love.”
Most of these players have not had an alcoholic drink all season. They are constantly in the limelight and rarely get a moment to themselves. The pressure on these players is ridiculous and people wonder why they acted the way they did yesterday?
A photo doing the rounds of the players urinating beats me.
They’re locked behind closed doors for some privacy and they get blasted for urinating?
Surely this is a better situation than the players being out in public. Oh imagine the stories if that was the case. You can’t have your cake and eat it too.
Nobody is condoning the comments directed at Azzopardi. They included:
“There are some ladies here to stick their heads in your pants;”
“S. .K me off you dumb dog;” and
“I wanna go and punch you in the face.”
If Mad Monday was such a big deal to Channel Nine, wouldn’t they have sent a Rugby League reporter?
Or at least a sports reporter?
In a Twitter exchange with colleague Erin Molan, Azzopardi remarked:
“@Erin_Molan they’re yelling some colorful (sic) things out the window at us too. Definitely not children’s cartoon vocabulary.”
It almost seems like they were just sitting there waiting for the outbursts to begin.
You can play devil’s advocate and even ask why they didn’t send a hardened male reporter? Common sense needs to be used somewhere along the line and it doesn’t necessary have to start with the players.
The boss of the ARL commission John Grant has commented on the situation.
“Based on what I’ve heard, it’s a serious issue and will be treated seriously,” Grant said.
A report from the Bulldogs has been requested by the Commission too. What kind of penalty could the Commission possibly hand down anyway?
It is getting to the point where the media will expect to be allowed everywhere. A player is getting married and he is on his honeymoon with his wife. All of a sudden a reporter slides out from under the bed with a camera crew and starts taking happy snaps.
The player would then be hammered for not co-operating.
Fox Sports personality Ryan Phelan said it best on his Twitter account:
“Filming #Bulldogs from public property is irrelevant. You’re filming for a slip up #dirty journalism let them have their time #NRL.”
It is time we accept as a community that these players are human beings too and make mistakes like everyone else.
You can argue they make plenty of money and live a fantastic lifestyle. But the pressure on them is something many of us will never understand. Everyone needs to chill and give them some space, for the good of the game we all apparently love so much.
Blacklisted
Guest
Well, where are the women ALF players then Christo?
Ryan O'Connell
Expert
I'm not apologising for their behaviour or comments, Will. It was disgraceful. But I'll be honest, I say some pretty terrible things when I'm drunk and in a room full of blokes. It's funny at the time, but there is no way you would repeat in front of your wife, girlfriend, mother, daughter, etc when you're in front of them and/or sober. I think the media got exactly what they were after. That doesn't excuse what the players said, but the point of the article is that they should have been left alone, and I agree with that 110%.
Pot Stirrer
Guest
Oikee, theres no point arguing with an idiot, you will beat me with experiance
Ryan O'Connell
Expert
I tend to agree B.A. I don't think anyone comes out of this incident looking great. I really think the players should have been left alone though. There is no question they shouldn't have said what they did, but c'mon, they're on private property, drunk, tired and doing their best NOT to be in public or in front of the media.
Blacklisted
Guest
So if you so concerned about "any" code, mine if we go to te wikipedia page and grab some of the recent AFL lowlights to discuss. Theres just as many if not more then the NRL there. And your last statement show you don't even know the meaning of private. If we took your meaning we could set up shop with camera's on you footpath and flim you until we find somthing that wouldn't be considered as propper behaviour. Maybe they could even get a chopper and try to bait u aswell. Sooner or latter they would find some offenesive behavour or the reaction they want, and you know it. And If if everything thats private is public you wouldn't mine giving us your REAL name and address. But I bet you won't and will (hypocritcally) keep espousing that NRL players have got no right to privacy while you go hiding behind your tag. And you're the one going on about self respect.
Ryan O'Connell
Expert
It might be unacceptable, but so is the method in which the comments were attained. Gutter journalism. Grubby, disrespectful players. There is no winner here.
Christo the Daddyo
Guest
"My wife would never have been allowed to turn up for a start." You do realise this is 2012 and women are actually allowed to do everything a man can do, yeah?
oikee
Guest
Your trying to cause trouble as well, moderaters, Anyone who condones this type of reporting is not fit to be in this business, and it is poeple like you leading the charge. You and Will keep going on about if it was your wife. My wife would never have been allowed to turn up for a start. If it was my wife, she would have had more sense, if she was made to go, she would not be working for this firm toomoorow. No, back off, you pair of twits
Pot Stirrer
Guest
well lets hope no female walks past you and looks at you the wrong way.
oikee
Guest
What, if they cant be trusted to turn up to a Mad Monday and not expect trouble. ?? Come on Will, would you really allow your mrS to turn up to a Mad Monday with grown footy players who had lost a final. Mate, your the one with the problem. Moderaters, get him off this blog. He is nothing but a trouble maker. Get off Will. your just trying to cause trouble.
Pot Stirrer
Guest
what? so women are not allowed to be reporters ? and they already do do interviews as they get out of the showers. It was shown on the footy show only a couple weeks ago. And if they do as you think and go straight to a closed world then that will be the death of RL. What is so hard to understand that you cant make derogatory sexist and intimatory comments towards anyone. Oikee i get that you idolise RL players but take your head out of the sand. .
Boomshanka
Guest
Whilst they actually said “I wanna go and punch you in the face.” , was this directed at Azzopardi specifically or perhaps the wider Channel Nine scum media pack that may or may not have baited them. Nine have form for baiting people and half reporting the truth. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUryKmSZwuQ Have we got the full picture? If its a Nine story or exclusive, I'd think not.
oikee
Guest
Get off it Christo, if you want to push the offensive to public image then start campaigning to shutdown every teenage nightclub in Australia, no more spewing or drugs, and also overseas teenage travelling. Mate i have seen some videos of these teenagers on the tube lately that would have your head spinning. titties out, drinking slobbering acting like wild animals, makes out league players look like angels. No, dont come that BS mate, not buying it, same as Gambling, the government wants to stop this, start with the Melbourne cup and their promotions, ?? Come-on, their teaching kids to gamble, ?? Come on. I have had a gutful of do-gooders trying to use league as a punching bag, well no more. You had better have good arguemnet, because i am not going down lightly, i will go kicking screaming and not leave anything in the tank.
Will Sinclair
Guest
"If i was John Grant, the Bulldogs, i would release a statement and tell these media mogels no more women if they cant be trusted." Moderators - please. Are we really going to allow people to post message like this? Women shouldn't be allowed to work with footballers because they can't be trusted to keep their mouths shut if the boys ask her to suck them off? Really?
Will Sinclair
Guest
What the young lady does for a living is not relevant. It doesn't matter whether she's a journalist, a waitress, a manager or anything else that might bring her into contact with football players. Telling a woman you want to punch her in the face, or she's a dog who should suck you off, is simply unacceptable. End of story.
oikee
Guest
Sack her boss for sending a women to a Mad Monday, its all in the name, Mad Monday. If my wife was this reporter and told me she was going to the dog kennel, i would be over at that office beating the daylights outta that SOB. Now who is next, ya all want some of diss. Come-on.
damoinaus
Roar Pro
we were taught at uni that journalists are supposed to have thick skins...azzopardi goes crying off to mama because the big boys said garbage words. pfft.
oikee
Guest
Well maybe the boss of this woman needs to be sacked, not today, not toomoorow, but yesterday. Who in their right mind sends a women to a mad monday celebration, and not be looking for trouble. If i was John Grant, the Bulldogs, i would release a statement and tell these media mogels no more women if they cant be trusted. These are grown men in a grown man inviroment. Next you will want them in the showers doing interviews. The way things are going we wont get to even see players off the field, they will go straight to a closed world, no dimwits, no reporters only their own, they will tell you funny little stories to keep you happy. Much like AFL are doing now. Look at the Swans, they go to their own clubs, and only their own reporters. This is your future. Good luck with that Pot Stirrer. I dont think you get it, your way of thinking will just close down clubs and players even more.
steve b
Guest
Im on top of a slag heap in the middle of roxby downs texting on a bloody phone in 35 degree heat yes im bloody serious.
Matt F
Roar Guru
The media didn't force anybody to say what was said. They could have quite easily ignored the media and nothing would have happened. Nobody force them to say those things.