This has not been a great week for sport. Not a great week for those who play sport, not a great week for those who love sport.
At least, it doesn’t feel great, but given the havoc that seems to be constantly wreaked on others by sportsmen, maybe it’s no more than we needed, and no more than we deserved. We can’t just ignore these things.
I wish we could. I want sport to be like it used to be, and I know how foolish that is, because for one thing, you can’t reverse the march of time and the advance of progress, you can’t wish yourself into the past; and for another, sport probably never was like it used to be.
Oh sure, back when sportsmen weren’t rich and idle and hyped to the heavens in social pages and stalked by paparazzi, they may not have been quite so prone to pathological narcissism, cosmic arrogance or hideous abuse of their fellow human beings, but we all know they were no angels.
Things happened on tours, on end of season trips, on post-match all-nighters, and those things stayed right where they were and didn’t get revealed. And that wasn’t necessarily a good thing: codes of silence aren’t of benefit to society.
But God I wish it could be like it used to be.
I wish I didn’t know anything about what sportspeople did off the field. I wish all I knew was what they did with their bats and balls and hands and boots.
Sport is art.
Watching Roger Federer at his peak was like drinking in a masterpiece, each stroke of his racquet painting another line of vivid colour on the Wimbledon canvas.
A century by Brian Lara was a symphony, his bat flashing like a baton, conducting the ball around the field as he desired, playing the bowlers like a violin, directing the fielders as he wished like an orchestra, writing the music he felt in his wrists.
David Campese used to engage in a bewitching ballet, dancing through defences, making his opposition act as mere props in his dizzying exhibition.
And to see Andrew Johns take apart an opposition on his own, running, kicking, passing, standing in tackles and stepping inside despairing air-grasps, was to see a sculptor taking the raw block of stone of a rugby league game and neatly and decisively carving away everything that wasn’t a monument to his own genius.
And you can swap in any one of a hundred other names to that lot, artists all. Martina Hingis, Darren Lockyer, Billy Slater, Steve Waugh, Sachin Tendulkar, Stephen Larkham, Dan Carter, Shane Warne, Gary Ablett, Michael Voss, James Hird… I could spend hours just making out a list and savouring the memories each one has given me.
Sport is a fierce, brutal, violent art, but it is art, and it is beautiful.
And I’m not sure there’s a single revelation about what sports stars do in their spare time that has made their art any more beautiful, that has illuminated the gorgeousness of their endeavours in the slightest.
When I was marvelling at Andrew Johns’ ability to perform every skill known to rugby league better than the best, I wasn’t hoping to learn that he was spending his evenings drinking himself into a stupor and filling up on drugs, any more than I wanted to know his brother bonded with his teammates over the vicious use of easily-impressed young women like sex toys.
I wanted to watch Shane Warne spin webs around batsmen and rip balls at impossible angles back from outside leg stump, I didn’t want to know how he looked in Playboy underpants or discover his textual seduction techniques.
I want to see footballers thunder into each other with recklessly poetic disregard for their own safety, not hear all about how they wield their fearsome physiques as weapons to destroy the safety of others. I want to be impressed by courage and skill and the daring audacity to risk devastating defeat in the pursuit of spectacular victory.
I want to hate the opposition for what they did to my team during the finals, not for what they did to their girlfriends later that night.
I want it to be the way it used to be, but innocence is a non-renewable resource: once it’s been used up, it’s gone, and we’ve got to find alternative ways to fuel our love of the game.
And if blissful ignorance of the ugliness behind the art is no longer possible, the only option left is to make that ugliness beautiful itself.
I am just a fan, and my opinions are of less consequence than my own sporting prowess.
But I’m begging you, my heroes, my artists, give me a chance again to wonder at your works without having to hang my head at the price the world is paying to let you perform them.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Already mentioned a margin for error factor,but at least the survey has been consistent over the years with ups and downs,and of course it will be described as "fluff",when the results don't go your way. Next time ,we must get them to weight the results more to your liking Clipper.You like to provide stats and surveys at times ,to put down a code you dislike for both here and overseas.The boot is on the other foot,and it's showing big time. I suggest the increase in numbers wating SOO in Vic and Sa records for both indicate a growth in interest.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Yet it was the same survey organisation,that applied the same methodology the last time,when AFL was above rugby league. And of course then it was trumpeted by those from that side of the fence.So the last time it was OK,this time its wrong. It's messenger shooting season the survey was based on interest,real,passive or occasional one would suggest. The 1,000 people came from all states,and if my memory serves me correctly,the WA and SA seemd to have a disproportionate number of respondents ,as a proportion of the Australia population. Yet there was a survey that showed Swans the most popular football club in this country with I million est . Of course if the survey had gone your way,the measuring standard would be in order.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Exocet. A lttle bit deeper to it than than that. Try Parramatta,St George,tigers,and the Broncos highly followed teams by fans and on the box Even Canterbury is struggling..If they are going badly as they are this year,then its stands to reason,Tv ratings will be affected,as schedule put in place late last year and expectations for these clubs were far higher. Therefore the best games are not in the big Tv slots for the NRL,,because the schedule was already in situ before the season start.. Have a look at teams high up ,the only one with real drawing capacity Souths.Others in that group Titans,Storm,Sharks,Canberra and the disliked by many Manly. The Tv ratings result does not surprise me <if the biig drawers were in the top 6,and the Tv ratings were down ,then I consider something really amiss.
clipper
Guest
Yes, it's only of those 'fluff' statistical pieces to fill up paper space - similar to the one that said the Swans were run away winners for Australia's favourite team.
Exocet
Guest
CC This is interesting what qn they asked. "Cricket is the favourite of the 13 million-strong audience who follow four to five different games. Tennis and rugby league come in second and third." What if I follow 3 games - my preference isn't counted. This is an appalling metric and seems a social media use survey with limited use... Tennis is above the football codes?? For 2 weeks a year, people follow it but for TV advertisers its not a great return. The majors are on in the middle of the night and get paltry ratings unless there's an Aussie. A better measure would be how many watch at least 1 game a week either live or on TV...
Exocet
Guest
So NRL and AFL are now on level footing as to best games in big TV slots whereas in the past the AFL gave wider coverage to more clubs on Friday, Saturday and Sundays.in return for lower ratings..
Bondy
Guest
Renegade You go and show me where you'll get up to 15- 20,000 people following one sport to endless parts of the earth, as Australians, that doesn't happen with cricket and you know it, you wont find more than 1600 people on any form of cricket tour, there's your loyalty and devotion for you. I hope crickets around for you in 15 years time, but it could be swallowed like it has been in the west indies. I've got all day.
Renegade
Guest
Bondy, Rugby League is my sport....and it's easily one of the two dominant sports in this country. My simple statement is that the Australian Cricket team is the country's most supported national team.....if you honestly think soccer is the national sport, then you must live in another country.
fadida
Guest
hahaha :)
fadida
Guest
I love a Seinfeld quote!
Bondy
Guest
Renegade Do you seriously believe most Australians can associate with Cricket and playing Cricket, do you believe most Australians stand out in the sun for over four hours of a Saturday or Sunday, I don't. I don't believe Cricket best represents Australia, not just simply standing out in the sun ,most Australians cant seriously relate to that, your a very popular televised sport and backyard activity but when push comes to shove your not there in any volume as a participation sport, your audiences are largely elderly and white too.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
Last 2 FIFA WCs AUS has finished above 2 European nations in our Group. Amazes me how football illiterate people attempt to lecture football fans.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
I knew it,the messenger shooters come out. As explained the Tv stations are not allowed to select 1,2 and 3 of the best matches ,as the schedule has been in place and will be until rd 20.The drop in Tv ratings was not unexpected ,if one were a realist. Gyngell intimated as much when he stated he had to give up something ,and conversely rugby league had to do likewise.The Tv ratings and the NRL cash. The survey reflects interest in the code.There are rugby league fans who do not watch every televised NRL game,some just their own club. Have a look at the SOO1 Tv ratings ,and the increase in Vic and SA.that perhaps suggest some rl interest. Looks like my comment about Mascot bore fruit.
Vivalasvegan
Guest
You are kidding... Any half decent team would qualify in Australia's patch. How many good teams will miss out from Europe and South America to allow these elderly minnows in... World Cup is certainly not the best 32...
santa claus
Guest
Is it April 1st anyone? Wasn't there an article stating league ratings had dropped 1.5 million this year?
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Yet ,despite all the dramas codes may or may not have had over the years,we get a survey result in the Australian 20th June 2013 by AAP.. Now one can argue there is always a margin for error on any survey results,but when it is promising for a code it is great,when it is not,the cynics say it is rubbish,until of course the same survey shows a result in the favour down the line, then it is spot on.The whining can be heard from Mascot. I state nothing more ,other than suggest rugby league is doing Ok(considering it has no NRl teams in two mainland states). here goes:- http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/cricket/cricket-tops-nations-sporting-obsession-rugby-league-second-report/story-e6frg7rx-1226667045605 With apologies to Michael Jackson ",dont' blame it on the sunshine,don't blame it on the moonlight,,blame it on the boogie' Someone's got to get the blame.
Renegade
Guest
I don't hate soccer at all Kasey...but to suggest it's overtaken cricket as the national sport is outrageous. The Australian cricket team manages to be a talking point even during winter.....no one talks about the Socceroos until world cup time. Cricket pull over a 1m viewers regularly for AUS matches each year with big crowds.....socceroos get that for one game every 4 years. Let's be realistic. Tuesday night was a great sight, it certainly didn't beat the feeling of 2005 (nowhere near close) but qualifying for the big event feels great as an Australian :)
Exocet
Guest
It was a joke for a late Friday - terrorism is obviously not a game - take yourself less seriously next time and it may say more about you than I previously thought...
Exocet
Guest
I think soccer would be No 1 during the WC period but cricket would be the rest of the time although they had better lift their game.
Titus
Guest
"terrorism is the world game not soccer" Congratulations! You just won stupidest comment on the Roar and believe me, there was plenty of competition.