Ric Charlesworth is a man with plenty of experience inside and outside the sporting arena.
Olympics gold medallist coach in women’s hockey, Olympics silver medallist player in men’s hockey, Sheffield Shield opening batsman, High Performance Manager for New Zealand cricket, Performance Consultant for AFL Fremantle Dockers, doctor and politician.
Charlesworth said last weekend that the corporatisation of sport is one of the biggest threats to its integrity.
I am not a fan of the corporatisation of sport. While I appreciate the tenuous relationship between sport and big business is necessary to provide the fans with a quality product, it seems to me the golden era (say roughly early 1980s through to late noughties) when big business and sport fully complemented each other has passed.
Charlesworth, whose career has crossed so many high level achievements, is a person with the requisite authority to speak on the subject.
Charlesworth is concerned about the malign corporate influences that can compromise fair competition. “Gambling and drugs are big threats and when the ownership of sport goes to the corporate sector, that influences the fairness of competition”.
Sport had to maintain ownership if integrity were to be maintained. He said corporate sponsors and broadcasters should not be running sport. “The danger is that as business runs sport, it changes its essence and associations and thereby sullies the product”.
Competitions were being constantly re-invented by the media, with dubious results. Charlesworth gave the example of cricket captain Steve Smith being interviewed by commentators during a T20 international then getting out ‘in a mundane fashion’.
I agree with this. I am totally opposed to commentators talking to players at any stage during a sporting contest, be it cricket, the rugby codes, anything.
When the game is “on”, the players should have no contact with the media at all, irrespective of the sport. The interviews can all be done once the game is concluded.
He speaks against the blurring of lines between players, officials and commentators. He mentioned Mark Waugh, a selector who also doubles as a TV expert commentator and gives opinions on on form and performance.
Charlesworth believes this is going down a dangerous path.
Look at the TV coverage of the NRL. It is constantly interrupted by betting odds. Gambling is now seen as a legitimate partner of sport and no-one blinks an eyelid.
Sure, betting goes hand in hand with horse racing, but we don’t need it thrust in our faces during other sports.
Already there have been several games invested by the NRL Integrity Committee for possible cheating.
Charlesworth goes on to say: “Sport works as a vehicle for broadcast because most (fans) still believe the contests are fail and real. Sport is a fresh contest and has real drama as long as this is believed.
“Too many scandals and too much interference and this quality will be diluted. Get too close and allow the sponsor or media mogul to make your choices and you may find this good name and goodwill dissipated”.
When did the ARU ask my permission as a fan for the national rugby team to be referred to as the ‘Qantas’ Wallabies? Sure, Qantas may be a major sponsor of rugby union, but the national team jersey, at least in my eyes, is sacrosanct, and ought to be free of any advertising. But it gets flogged off, just like anything else.
It comes down to administrators lacking the will, and the integrity, to stand up against rampant commercialism.
But here’s the thing, does anyone care? Looking at the state of play around the traps, it appears the average sports fan couldn’t give a toss. As long as he or she is entertained, that seems to be all that matters.
Integrity is irrelevant as long as it doesn’t affect the fan personally, but determining at which point something becomes personal varies from one individual to another.
Does anyone still believe the fairytale that Sydney won the bid for the 2000 Olympics back in 1993 through the brilliance of its bidding team? No sir, Sydney won by default.
Beijing lost the bid because China was still tainted by the Tiananmen Square Uprising of 1989 during which hundreds or even thousands of protestors were killed.
If that bidding process had been held in 2013 for the 2020 Olympics and Tiananmen had occurred in 2009, then Beijing would have won the rights.
Why? Because in just 20 short years the sporting landscape has changed dramatically and big business has a much higher control in sport than ever before.
Governments and financial markets love order and compliance. They are terrified of unrest or uncertainty. They want everyone to conform. It’s a simple formula.
While everyone is being conformist and compliant, those who want to control us and make money can do it so much easier. The same is happening in sport.
Almost all major clubs in all major competitors in all major sports, change their playing strip every year. It might only be a minor change, but a change it is.
Why? There must be a market for all those clubs to keep doing this. You don’t get much change out of $150 for a Wallaby jersey these days. Most other sporting shirts are in a similar price range.
Talk about throwing good money after bad. While there’s a market to keep flogging new outfits each year, then all those clubs will continue to change their outfits.
One of the most beautiful playing strips is the Harlequins rugby jersey. Traditionally, it comprises quarters of french grey, chocolate, cherry and sky blue with sleeves of emerald green and navy blue.
But the latest offering has totally butchered this beauty, offering what appears to be several variations of drab olive. This is repeated elsewhere ad nauseam.
Then there’s the awarding of the 2022 FIFA world cup to Qatar. The choice of Russia for the 2018 edition wasn’t much better.
There’s perhaps two dozen FIFA committee delegates who voted for these two countries whose bank accounts have probably swelled beyond their wildest dreams. But apart from some initial huffing and puffing, no-one seems to care anymore.
What about the choice for the 2014 Winter Olympics – Sochi, which enjoys a subtropical climate and hardly ever has any snow? The mind boggles. Then we have systemised drug cheating from over 100 Russian athletes.
It all seems to come down to money and people seeking a potentially financial edge, either legally, or as it seems more often likely, illegally.
What if a leading coach and a player, perhaps a middle-of-the-road player, have the same agent?
How much pressure would there be on the coach to select a player continually from the same stable as himself? Why doesn’t any of the major sports have a public roster of agents and their clients?
I don’t know what the solution is but I don’t expect any good news. It seems everything is driven by money. Sometimes it’s for good reasons but often the reasons are self-serving for the few at the expense of the many.
There’s a popular futuristic series of films known as The Hunger Games, whereby the contestants have to kill each other in order to win. Maybe that’s the brutal distant future we’re heading towards. We just don’t know it yet!
There is perhaps much more I could say on the subject but I think Charlesworth has encapsulated his thoughts on the matter all too well.
You may not want to believe me, but you can believe Charlesworth.
Republican
Guest
.......its a philosophical thing isn't it. For those of your persuasion 'value' is determined by market demand, so the greater the demand, the more value is placed on any given 'product' whereas those belonging to the philosophical left tend to value a 'product' for the effort and toil that might go into someone creating a 'product' which is more to do with quality. Aside to this, capitalism is failing all around us or had you not noticed? You just may glean some humility and comfort in having access to a smidgeon of that altruistic lefty government funding, just to keep the wolf from your door, when your market driven philosophy deserts you.
New guy
Guest
Looks like you are a proponent of right leaning nonsense? What is wrong with trying to keep our leisure activities free from commercialism
New guy
Guest
Gee, talk about warped if you think the AFL is less of a sellout than the NRL
Hammerhead
Guest
Two companies stand out for me: Red Bull and KFC. Take RB Leipzig. Officially the RB stands for RasenBallsport, but if it walks like a duck, talks like a duck... As if KFC being the sponsor of the NRL Bunker wasn't bad enough, they get plastered all over international and domestic T20 cricket coverage (isn't Kentucky baseball territory???). On a side note, if I had Greg O'Rourke's job I would seriously consider looking for sponsorship money from Nando's.
davSA
Guest
Thank you Sheek , a thought provoking article and highly relevant. When someone like Ric Charlesworth expresses such a strong opinion on this issue then lets at least hear him out . Corporatisation of sport brings both good and bad. The undue influence brought by the money guys must be held in check by sportsbodies by fiercely defending their own independence and integrity. Sadly not always the case, Who can trust any processes emanating from FIFA for example as not being influenced by cash . The vast rewards sportspeople can now earn does encourage and promote drug cheating . So we have a Florence Griffiths-Joyner who dies of heart failure at 38yrs old due to massive growth hormone abuse . At least she died wealthy. The rewards for losing or not placing are miniscule. Everyone wants a winner and will pay for it. Betting is insidious and should stay off the field where it belongs , but sadly administrators of sport are so caught up in the money production line I cant see it happening. So we also have for example rugby bodies constantly striving to find new markets for the game at the expense of traditional values and competitions which made the game great in the first place. Growth at all costs... The good side is better marketing and an all round more interesting package if properly managed. It is in many sports .. Look at the All Blacks , Motor Sport ...and countless other examples too many for this space. In my own country where we have a serious attempt at political hijacking of sports , the only institution that can halt it now is the corporates who have a financial interest . So the influence can be both positive and negative.
Ken (Sava) Lloyd
Guest
Rick is right and you only have to look at the gear the Aussie Cricket teams are wearing off field,or should I say being told to wear Sky Blue outfits ,not in any way Aussie traditional colours,and more gear for parents to pay out for .Sava
Republican
Guest
.........consumers, rather than fans, are prosaic in their insatiable support of sporting products. Our culture is one of unfettered consumerism. I really don't think most of us today are self discerning enough to begin to care, so in that respect we are a symbiosis of the devolution of virtue that once espoused our sporting culture. This is why I know longer support elite sport of any kind. I continue to hold onto a vain hope that meritocracy may one day triumph over commercial avarice, with the AFL granting Tassie and Canberra their deserved spot in the big league, as opposed to continuing their plastic illusion of growth that is very much integral to the 'out of control' corporate run away train that sheek alludes to here.
sheek
Roar Guru
Your response makes little sense to me, & I'm not a leftie. But your 'click-bait' has succeeded in getting a reply from me.
richo
Guest
which bit of capitalism do you need to learn about? Why is market funding always seen as demeaning the game? This is typical of the left leaning nonsense we hear too much about, always calling for greater gov funding etc...
sheek
Roar Guru
BT, I've met Topo many times & can say humbly we became friendly. He had decided to settle in Sydney & wrote to every Shute Shield club, but only three replied - Warringah, Easts & one other whose name escapes me. He had no idea or preference as to which club or suburb was preferable. Warringah was the only club to provide him with accommodation, a car & a job to get him started. That's why he ended up with Warringah. Nothing formal was arranged by the ARU or NSWRU, just Topo & Warringah. Alan Jones was smart enough to realise the difference too could make to the Wallabies & sounded him out. The rest is history. Ironically, if either Bob Dwyer or Bob Templeton had been Wallaby coach, they might have ignored him. Topo had a massive falling out with O'Neill when he ran the gym at ANZ Bank, where O'Neill was CEO. I think it was ANZ. That's pretty much why O'Neill never offered Topo any role with the ARU. This is a tragedy because his knowledge of the scrum is just about unparalleled in my humble opinion. Australian rugby was the lost for not having Topo as a scrum coach in the 1990s & 2000s.
sheek
Roar Guru
Hoy, It's true things won't change. But that is primarily because the silent majority will remain silent. It's a quality of human nature that frustrates me. Ultimately, we're compliant sheep. Agree 100% with your last sentence. But unfortunately, that's where we're heading, handing over ownership to media & corporations, lock, stock & barrel.
Hoy
Roar Guru
Good one Sheek... it truly has jumped the shark, and it can't go back. Simple as that. We live with it now. The constant adverting, the advertising by the broadcasters of other shows on their channel, the sponsorships etc... the boring interviews with mouthpieces... But what really gets me, is something like when you hear that Channel 9 want some say in how Rugby League will run/be played etc, because they have bought the rights to show the game on TV... To me that is counter-intuitive. They want to show the game everyone likes... so they purchase the rights to show it... but by doing so, think they have the right to change that game to make it "better"? So they tinker with rules so that the home viewer gets a better spectacle, and in doing so, completely negate and alter the game that they paid so much for... Buying the TV rights is not owning the game, and nor should it be.
BrainsTrust
Guest
Wessels was coming to play WSC, it was just a matter Packer wanted to see him play locally before hiring him, Wessels ended up playing for Australia at the WSC I would assume because Packer didn't have enough for a South African team or other teams and too many for the World team. Then he hung around, the pay for Sheffield sheild was so poor in those days you would have to be crazy to play in AUstralia. Wessels just hung around in Australia.by his own choice. In England you have the county system where the money in the county system is what gets England so many of other nations cricketers not by design though. There is no way Topo came to Australia just by chance, rugby might have been amateur but no doubt there was some sort of deal worked out to get Topo over with a well paid job of some sort from a sponsor. The only question is whether it was due to Warringah or it was being also done to get him in the Australian team. For Topo to then be abandoned was a disgrace given his scrummaging expertise he should have been the scrummaging coach. the same happened to Ian Williams a well paid job in Japan for a corporate team and he ended up playing for them. This is the case though of sponsors or corporates wanted their team to win rather than promotion WWF has the advantage it can bring any twist into its sport, Pepsi no doubt had basketballer Shaquile ONeal get involved in Wrestling as a cross promotion. Its very tricky or impossible for a real sport to try that sort of thing though. The closest I can think of is AFL with Folau as a marketing gimmick. They couldn't exactly ship in Folau to make a one off AFL match where he would be the star like WWF did with Shaq. Three years later and they ended up making themselves look like gooses.
lilbob
Roar Rookie
Sorry, that's probably a bit off-topic for this conversation.
lilbob
Roar Rookie
The only 'corporatisation' that really concerns me is probably better defined as the 'gamblification' of sport, especially in regards to it's impact on youngsters. Trying to explain betting on a footy game to a couple of 9yo's was NOT a parenting skill I envisioned having to acquire, but you're bombarded at every break in telecast, (usually after the excitement of a goal) with ads from multitudinous betting agencies, or in the case of AFL our 'Official Wagering Partner' (I mean, seriously??!!). I have nothing against people who want to have a punt, I dare say it would be considered un-Australian to even THINK that, and I'm OK with explaining to my kids what betting/gambling is, however, when it's quite literally shoved down their throats and made to look like it's as much fun as playing the game/adds to the excitement of the game, THAT really gets my goat! We don't allow tobacco advertising/sponsorship any more do we? On the subject of jerseys/caps etc, my kids would lose theirs at least 4 times a season, until we drew a line in the sand and told them if they lost it, they'd have to wait till next season for a new one, or use their own saved up pocket $. Youngest still has his Swans cap from 2014 now lol!!
sheek
Roar Guru
Mister Football, I fundamentally disagree with the premise we must accept change. Change is usually contrived for someone's benefit, like a major corporation, not for the benefit of the general public. Of course, there are exceptions. The satellite, internet, mobile phones, computers, google, windows, wikipedia, these have all fundamentally changed our lives. And many would say for the better. But the benefits are generally wrapped up & presented to appear as if they're in our interests. I don't mind change that is positive & an improvement, like better stadiums. Yes, I can accept that. But I certainly don't like for example, sponsors stamping their logos on anything & everything to the extent you struggle to determine what the original club colours were.
sheek
Roar Guru
Alex, There are only so many times & ways you can change the hoops, bands, stripes & panels on a jersey before it becomes extremely tacky. I'm just amazed a market exists to allow these clubs & their sponsors to keep changing their uniforms every year. There must be a lot of idle drug money out there!!!
sheek
Roar Guru
BrainsTrust, BBL players wearing lingerie & a Tom Waterhouse hologram in our bedrooms. Wow! We might yet get to see the women's version of BBL wearing lingerie!!
sheek
Roar Guru
Thanks Perry.
sheek
Roar Guru
Paul D - that's your right to disagree. Goodbye!