It’s all become too much. I’ve had to sit back watching the politically correct people rip apart the sport we all love.
First was the NRL. The powers that be have turn tried to turn it into a game of touch footy.
I feel for any player who is seriously injured in a tackle gone wrong or the fact that they have had too many concussions.
The fact remains though that these players are paid extremely well for what they do even if their careers are often only short lived.
If you don’t like seeing full contact sport with the occasional spurts of blood then you are watching the wrong channel.
It seems we have bowed down to people who feel they need to give an opinion on a sport even though they have no love or care and probably only find out about incidences on the field when they are replayed over and over on the news.
Anyone who decided to sit up and watch the England vs New Zealand semi final played on the weekend will surely have to agree that it was one of the best games of football they have ever watched.
Sure there were a few swinging arms, the odd high shot and a bit of niggle between the players but the referee let the game flow and we were treated with a great spectacle. Thank goodness those who are trying to poison the game don’t have the passion in the sport to stay up past midnight to enjoy such a clash.
Instead they have decided to turn to cricket and the roundabout continues. Sledging got a bad rap during the era when Australia dominated world cricket and we were seen as thugs for working the minds of the opposition players.
Since then players have to watch what they say on and off the field as microphones and journalists try to get every scandal they can muster by asking sportsman leading questions and preying on their lack of media experience.
The comment by David Warner about Jonathon Trott has been blown so far out of the water its not funny.
Was it nasty, a personal attack, probably a bit low brow? I say most definitely. However, its been going for years to us and not a word has been said.
The English press, the Barmy Army and most definitely the players lead by Graeme Swann have peppered the Aussies with barbs about their inadequacies and in fact I have no doubt they got to Mitchell Johnson who went completely off the rails in the most recent tour of England.
The big difference is the players didn’t whinge (well not much) but let it burn inside them and use it as a fuel to fight back as they did in the final three Tests in England.
They have then returned to home soil where they are full of confidence and belief that they can not only compete but place the English batsman in particular under pressure.
Mitchell Johnson should be praised not just for his efforts in the test but the fact he has shown tremendous spirit…..Aussie spirit to rise from a very low place to show what potential he has.
We then look at the Jimmy Anderson incident where captain Michael Clarke was clearly heard mouthing a pretty violent threat. Again no doubts that it probably didn’t seem like the right thing to say, especially from a captain but I can’t believe some of the carry on that has happened because of it. A highly regarded morning show personality labelled it as “bullying” which just got my blood boiling.
I shouldn’t even need to mention the fact that Anderson himself actually threatened violence on young debutant George Bailey first but the mere fact that some people are going down the bullying line is disgraceful.
Leave the players alone. It’s been long talked about that sledging is a part of the game and as long as you don’t mention personal things about players families then you take it with a grain of salt.
My final comment on this rant is to say: if you don’t like what you are watching / hearing then don’t watch it.
Leave the sports I have grown up to love watching, supporting, breathing, living and dying alone and let those of us that actually care about them to decide when someone has crossed the line and deserves to be punished or hung out to the media.
Cameron Treloar
Roar Guru
The shoulder charge will soon be forgotten as part of the game just like unlimited tackles and unlimitied interchange and one referee on the field. The game will move on and the generation next will be all the safer for it.
Glenno
Guest
Sledging (good and bad) occurs in all grades and in all levels. The only thing bad about what Michael Clarke said is that is was broadcast by channel 9.
Brad
Guest
Thanks for all the comments. Good to see both sides of the fence and as i said at the top it was a rant that began with the Cricket comment labeling it as bully's. The league side of things is more a frustration thing as i feel the game has gone soft. Sure the NRL was under pressure but i still say this pressure began with the publics perception of certain incidences. The shoulder charge wouldn't be an issue if Greg Inglis didn't hit Dean Young with a cheap shot in 2012. The fighting in the NRL wouldn't be an issue if Paul Gallen doesn't hit Nate Myles with his hands by his sides not protecting himself. Gallen possibly wouldn't have hit Myles if Myles didn't ask him to do it (I'm sure he wasn't expecting it to happen). As for the comments suggesting i am some kind of sick animal who needs violence to survive you need to grow up a bit. A good shoulder charge is a perfectly fine tackle and the rules have no doubt been a knee jerk reaction. I don't want to see anyone getting seriously hurt from any sport but these players chose to play this sport as well. It is their choice and they started playing long efore these rules were put in place.
Cameron Treloar
Roar Guru
No problems on the Clarke thing. In the game, part of the game, should have stayed on the field. No fine necessary. Your comment on Rugby League being made soft is way off the mark though. Having guys unable to remember thier wedding, daughters soccer game from the weekend just passed (Brett Farve) or driven into a state of depression due to brain damage as has happened in multiple instances in the NFL, is to high a price to pay for your entertainment. The money they are paid for these repeated head injuries is irrelevant. If in the absolute worst case scenario someone dies from one of these hits, is the right response "oh well, he was paid good money?"
CricketLurker
Guest
On the lighter side, I like Root. He seemed calm amidst the pressure -could be a role model and was a martyr punched by Warner. If Aussie do not win Ashes, maybe the fans could set up a Sledging Club to increase the odds. Am still an Aussie fan
Bob Atkinson
Guest
Pretty stupid opinions in the blog. If you take a second to think about it, the NRL had no choice but to bend to the will of doctors, not the PC crowd. It is better to have a toned down game then no game at all when the lawsuits start flowing. Are you going to talk to Paul Harragon's kids when he dies early and say "too bad kids, I wanted to see some violence?" It isn't ancient Rome anymore and players need to be protected as much as they can. You need to look at your basic, incorrect opinions and think about what is really important in life. If you are so upset at missing out on seeing people being hurt you might have deeper issues that you yourself have to fix up. As for the ashes, yeah spot on. English players are pussies.
Dan
Guest
This is such a good article, totally agree! Well said!!!!
Gobarg
Guest
It seems to me that most of the "that's disgusting behaviour" comments come from people who have not played competetive sport. Putting the idea that a bloke may suffer injury due to the bowling he is about to face is nothing more than mind games and is entirely legitimate in the context of the game. Even if nothing is said the mere fact that the bowler is putting the ball in areas that are likely to make the batsman flinch is doing the same thing. Turn the mikes off and just watch the game. What is said and done on the field is all part of the game and has been since the first ball bowled. In earlier times the language may have been more genteel but the intent has always been the same. Get in their heads and cause doubt and confusion. The Ashes is a hotly contested series and always has been. It has led to some of the most brilliant and brutal images of our great game. There is no room for anything other than fully committed and fierce competitors. Go hard or go home as it were.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
Michael Clarke didn't threaten violence against James Anderson. If it's true that Anderson threatened to punch Bailey, that is threatening violence. Clarke's comment was warning of the possibility of physical harm coming from the bowling he was about to face, which then can hopefully have the effect of getting in his head and making him more afraid of getting behind the ball and playing it well. Just after that he fended at a short ball and got out. You could say the sledge was effective. Of course, without viewing a parallel universe where everything is exactly the same except for Clarke's comment you can never know if it played any part of not. But a comment suggesting the possibility of some sort of physical harm coming from the brutal fast bowling you are about to face is very different to threatening violence.
Retmock LHI
Guest
I thought Clarkey was just looking out for Anderson's personal safety and giving him warning of what was coming. You can't ask for more than that can you?? The fact that he dropped the F bomb just emphasised how seriously Ando should take that warning. Rip in boys!! So great to see searing, fast bouncers back in the game. The bowlers can only dish up two an over so make sure you use them!!
TomC
Roar Guru
There's an old speech by someone or other who I forget who commented that 'political correctness' just seems to be about encouraging people to be nice to one another, and those who rail against it seem to be arguing that they shouldn't be critcised for being unpleasant. I feel like this article is a good example. I for one don't really care about what athletes say to one another on the field, except in some extreme cases, but at the same time if you're not particularly happy with the captain of the Australian cricket team swearing and threatening violence against an opponent I can understand why you'd object.
AZ_RBB
Guest
NRL didn't change because the people you speak of were complaining. It changed because of incidents around the world where sporting bodies have been made liable for the long term effects of playing their sport. The NRL received advice from a large number of medical professionals. Had they ignored that advice and something went wrong in the future, they would be subject to claims that could cripple the sport. "My final comment on this rant is to say: if you don’t like what you are watching / hearing then don’t watch it" Easy to say if the bottom line isn't your responsibility. The core supporters of any sport can only take you so far. It's the support of the broader community that separate success and failure.