This letter to the editor was submitted by John Hewitt, and published here below.
The elements of a perfect storm:
- The importance of sport to Australians
- Winning at all costs attitude
- The desire of sports administrators to play more and more games resulting in questionable (unfair?) contests e.g. Wallabies in South Africa one week then playing a rested All Blacks the following week
- The pressure of too many contests (over scheduling) on young bodies resulting in breakdowns and other injuries e.g. the Australian fast bowlers
- The knowledge that a sporting career (and the chance for rewards) is short – generally for the under 30s
- The declining moral fibre of the country evidenced by the behavior of politicians, banks, big business etc..
- The admiration for people who buck the system or “get away with it”
- Greed – the desire for money however obtained
- Australian’s love of gambling – the real national sport
- Betting being permitted on all kinds of sporting outcomes.
Possible answers:
- Get rid of gambling on sport except for racing
- Reduce the number of games to improve the fairness of contests and reduce the strain on players
- Don’t reward bad behavior – take back premierships, awards medals etc..
- Take a hard line on sports administrators – winning is important but not at all costs
- Change the culture of clubs so that sport and fair play are treated as more important than dollars and cents
- Take a harder line on bad behavior in society to try and improve the moral fibre