Mad Monday. For over four seasons, those two words ran through me like a cold chill, the fear and anxiety alone would cause me to turn from a calm girlfriend to a paranoid version of my former self.
Ringing in sick to work the following morning having had no sleep due to not knowing if my then boyfriend was alive or in a gutter somewhere, was an annual occurrence.
Now don’t get me wrong. I’m all about the comradery and I support boys being boys. I love that this is the only time of the year strapping 6″4′ men can get drunk, get into a cuddle and declare their love for one another all while dressed up as Minnie Mouse.
I’ve even played host when I had to put up with very intoxicated men (invited by my drunk partner at the time), all turned up at 6pm Monday night looking for food. One had lost his shoes, another couldn’t even string two words together.
“Yes you can eat my pizza,” I muttered, 20 minutes later there was no food left in the house and they were off on another inebriated adventure, leading to a 5am call from my ex to say they were going on a boat and he’ll see me in a couple of days. Good times.
My only real concern with any Mad Monday was this: the fear of my partner being so gone he would end up in a dangerous situation, or even worse one he would regret (cue mass orgies or overdosing).
See when you attend a Mad Monday you are in it for the long haul. All or nothing. Don’t want to drink that shot? Do it you poof! Don’t want that little white pill? Drink this spiked water instead. Trying to backdoor it before the sun comes up? Not a chance, lockdown it is.
Sadly for the recent events that have followed the Canterbury Bulldogs Mad Monday celebrations, we now have a new cloud over an already touchy subject.
Truth be told, if those cameras were never there this tiresome story would never have surfaced, and for the record I believe whatever the team wants to do in their own club, they should be left to do without cameras trying to find a headline.
ARLC interim chief executive Shane Mattiske has now come out and called for a ban on Mad Mondays for NRL clubs, an opinion which is clearly ridiculous and unjust.
“People should be able to celebrate the end of a season but regardless of whether it is at the end of the season or any other time of the year, they have a responsibility to abide by the game’s agreed code of behaviour,” he said.
“There is no place for ‘mad’ behaviour at any level in our game. Calling something Mad Monday is almost an excuse to go over the top and it is time for clubs across all levels of the game to seriously review how end-of-year celebrations are planned.”
Maybe Mr Mattiske is just trying to look the part and put on his responsible hat. Every sports team celebrates with an end of season booze fest, and if you are in the top grade and have trained your butt off for up to 40 weeks a year, then you deserve to let it all out and celebrate your teams triumphs and downfalls.
Mattiske is right, however, in saying it isn’t a good look for the game. But every other Super 15, AFL and cricket team are victorious in having Mad Mondays without the media scrutiny, so why is it that we look upon the NRL end of year shindig as a story waiting to happen?
Now the scenarios I mentioned earlier are a fact when it comes to Mad Monday, and you simply cannot have famous footballers off chops in public. Unfortunate as it is, I believe nowadays every high-profile club needs a sober PR/Media man on sight to oversee any possible scenario that could jeopardize the clubs image.
It’s not babying the players, it’s simply taking the responsibility for teams getting maggoted and making sure that they give journalists nothing to write about.
So long live Mad Monday I say. Stay mad, just try to do it laying low and with Minnie Mouse ears still in tact.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Two words and I dare bring it up: Schoolies week:Young responsible adults hailing from prestigious to state high schools.Not one day but a whole week. I don't like mad mondays they went out with brick phones,and judging by the bahaviour I have witnessed on the GC and B Bay,nor do I like Schoolies week.Oh no !but they have worked hard all year,which they have. Some students now go overseas to do some good work. To see parents load up slabs of beer for their sons,en route ,says it all,society at times has a lot to answer for. Yet what do we get.The Tv stations including the 'pious"9 ,salivating with all the action they can capture on camera and showing it on the main Newscasts.. Why do I bring this up,you may well ask,because alcohol abuse is a society problem,and becoming more so.Mad monday is but one example showing the results.
oikee
Guest
:) Scrap it before the whole game goes troppo and they start doing a mini series about mad Mondays.
Noel
Guest
So we're all in favor of Mad Monday , All want to be able to celebrate the seasons end in our own way . When young , healthy , and normally well adjusted men put themselves in jeopardy because they are not in control of their own facalties due to the ingesting of , Alcohol and other concoctions in the name of a good time . How can a good time be had if you don't remember a thing about it , if you don't remember how you got there or what you did there or how you got home , and if you do remember are you proud of what you did there . We are all sad when someone is seriously injured or worse but want to condone the cause . Makes no sense to me , sorry , Mad Mondays are out for me .
Pot Stirrer
Guest
I dont think they should ban Mad Mondays either, Everybody is entitled in a free country to have a party. What i fear for the clubs is that when some gets seriously injured or overdosing or choking on thier own vomit when they get that drunk is that i think inevitably some one will sue the club and NRL for what ever legal term they will come up with. Clubs should not be sanctioning these events and allowing them to leave the site intoxicated. Its a can of worms waiting to get opened.
steve b
Roar Guru
He is not talking about any team i have anything to with that's for sure !!
crip
Roar Pro
Tom's comment that is.
crip
Roar Pro
Hey captain obvious. This site is your sports opinion and my opinion is deleted. What is the go Roar? Is there a line up to kick RL while its is down?
crip
Roar Pro
He's referring to Ben Cousins and all his mates Steve!
clipper
Guest
crip - Just because this does not agree with your views, it does not make it a 'terrible article'. Obviously if her boyfriend worked as a construction worker or soldier, it would have no relevance to a sports site. I thought was a well balanced piece direct from the 'coal face'.
crip
Roar Pro
Really sad but true.
steve b
Roar Guru
Eaglejack i have never said that John's was the only one to take illicit drug's but these day's it would be zero , the penalties are to great for these guy's to risk doing something that they now know could end their career . As for any player going out and getting drunk during the season as i said would be minimal . i attended a 21 st in June of this year with over 30 under 20 s all of which would not drink because of repercussions if they were dobbed in to their respective club's . i have 2 son's and 2 son inlaws all in league in Sydney and everyone talks about anything out of the ordinary especially if someone is running a muck . In years gone by your comment's would have had more credibilty than the way it is today . So yes i will have to agree to disagree because your comment's are just plain wrong !!
Red Rooster
Guest
I dont think seeing senior players getting drunk and behaving badly does anything for the code and is a bad example to young people. As a Society we are trying to discourage excessive use of alcohol and other drugs. I think players are entitled to have a good time and enjoy themselves but the current over use of alcohol on " mad mondays" has got to stop and clubs should be responsible for looking after their players. And I am not a wowser - I have had my bad times too. But times have changed
clipper
Guest
exactly HayloHaylz - the Port Adelaide and Manly players losing their lives were terrible tragedies that the media has rightfully treated with respect.
Hayley Byrnes
Roar Guru
So every other team and coaching staff get punished all due to an invasive reporter? Every other sports team celebrate end of season, banning NRL Mad Monday is simply uncalled for.
Hayley Byrnes
Roar Guru
I was going to touch on the Port Adelaide incident but I thought best not too, a terrible tragedy that didn't need another opinion.
eagleJack
Guest
Steve b let's agree to disagree. Just like you think Joey Johns was the only player to dabble in illicits. By regularly I don't mean every w/end. But to say that Mad Monday is the only time these guys get drunk in the year is extremely naive. And plain wrong.
steve b
Roar Guru
These guy's are getting drunk regularly , not even close . i don't know what teams your referring to but most are on ,the no drink policy or minimal if any ..
eagleJack
Guest
Nice article once again Haylo. Although I do have an issue with this statement: "I love that this is the only time of the year strapping 6″4′ men can get drunk". This seems to be a well worn excuse to justify some of the actions on Mad Monday. The reality is that these guys are getting drunk regularly, perhaps not to the same extent, but definitely to very intoxicated levels. If your ex and his mates were not doing this then they were very much a part of the minority.
eagleJack
Guest
Wow Tom. Apples and Oranges. Unfortunately dozens of young men tragically lose their lives when travelling overseas. He was away on holidays with a couple of mates who happened to play at the same football club as him. It wasn't a club sanctioned event. The media have correctly treated it with the respect it deserves.
tom
Guest
What i hate is the bulldogs get pumped by the media for some disgusting words said. Then port adelaide 2 weeks earlier have their mad Monday in las Vegas and one of their players under the influence of drugs and alcohol gets on to a roof of a las Vegas hotel and tries to jump to a palm tree. The poor man loses his life and the media says nothing about the anti social behaviour of afl clubs on their end of season trips. You would think that a death would create more attention then some flippent words said. Double standards by the media continue to be created.