Mad Monday has once again reared its booze-soaked head and everyone is up in arms, well everyone with any morals that is.
The rest laugh it off as “boys being boys”, “they didn’t hurt anyone” or “it was at a private function”. There is also my personal favourite, “People do this every weekend and no one bats an eyelid.”
Wrong on all accounts.
This is 2018 and we want the game of rugby league to be seen in a positive light, one that encourages participation, one that invites families to come along to games and witness these amazing athletes doing their thing.
In this day and age, it’s time to shed the blokey, misogynistic image the game has worn for over a century and embrace a different way of behaving. One look at the Daily Telegraph’s front page from the other day it’s clear we still have a ways to go.
Bulldogs veteran Josh Morris took to Instagram to defend their actions with a bizarre post showing Prince William holding up three fingers, which, when viewed from side on, looked like he was flipping the bird.
Um ok, what was that about Josh? There was no confusion as to what the team was up to. Adam Elliott was buck naked, but perhaps if viewed from a different angle, he would appear in a suit and tie?
I took to Twitter to gauge the responses, and most people are saying it’s fine, using the above, tired old lines that just don’t hold up.
Mad Monday is not a good look for the game, it’s not a good look for the clubs, their sponsors or little Johnny who may look up to Adam Elliott who is a nominee for the Ken Stephens Medal for his work supporting autism programs such as Giant Steps.
I think it’s great he’s doing this, but then he brings it all undone by acting like a frat boy on spring break, and he shouldn’t be in contention for the medal for his behaviour.
Elliott hails from a small town, Tathra, on the Far South Coast of NSW, and he is probably idolised by the small community down there, I wonder how they feel seeing their ‘local boy done good’ plastered all over the front page of the Daily Telegraph.
The Ken Stephens medal “recognises the efforts of an NRL player who has not only achieved on the field, but has also committed time off the field to community projects.
“A player is nominated by their club for their involvement in charity work, youth development or community support. The nominated player will have consistently demonstrated their commitment to making a difference in their community and be seen as a role model in this area at their club.”
That’s taken straight from the NRL website and I’m struggling to comprehend how getting pissed with your mates encapsulates those values.
Both Todd Greenberg and the Bulldogs have condemned the actions of the players and rightly so.
They are professional athletes behaving like spoilt brats, and while an ‘investigation’ is unlikely to yield more than a small fine, followed by a carefully worded club statement, it won’t lead to much more than that.
Mad Monday does nothing for the game, it merely creates unwanted headlines in the lead-up to the finals, which promises to be a classic, with just two points separating first and eighth.
Instead we are dealing with the fallout from a boozy drinking session which, predictably, got out of control – because that’s what Mad Monday is; a group of muscular, testosterone-filled guys, with too much money and too much time on their hands, spending too many hours on the drink.
Oh my, what could possibly go wrong? It’s a recipe for disaster and the club should have put their foot down and stopped it before it even started.
I actually came up with a much classier event and I think it has merit. When their season ends, clubs gather at their home ground, and for the Bulldogs this would be Belmore, and they have a few drinks with fans.
Uhere is music, merchandise is on sale for dirt cheap because it’s the end of the season and they need to make way for 2019 stock, and there is a great, family-friendly atmosphere.
If I were a Bulldogs fan I’d love to have a beer with David Klemmer, or the Morris twins. Media are invited and there is no scandal because it’s a controlled event and the club, and the game, comes off looking great.
It’s a far cry from one of your players spewing in the street, getting naked and making a fool of himself and those that pay his wages.
But that’s just me.
Meatpy Sausageraul
Roar Rookie
I’m in England so don’t know how long Mad Monday’s been a thing. Sounds totally like something invented and proliferated by the tabloid press to make an event of it. Look, these particular blokes should know better. Above all, they’re role models. But they’re normal people and footy, like everything else, reflects society. So no, we shouldn’t castigate players for blowing the doors off after a season putting their bodies on the line week in, week out for our entertainment. The DT (and others) need to have a long think about what is, and isn’t, in the public interest. And if we all stop buying it and taking the click bait maybe they’ll start doing proper journalism.
Chris Love
Roar Guru
For a number of teams, particularly Parramatta, I wouldn’t be surprised if coaches or even members of the leadership team like Tim Mannah stood up and said something similar, laying down the law. Acknowledging that their poor season probably doesn’t warrant a crazy celebration, and any further bad publicity would make a bad situation worse.
Chris Love
Roar Guru
James I think being professional athletes plays a big role in why mad Monday is actually mad. In the pre-professional era alcohol was a normal part of player’s lives, even throughout the season. Now days most of them are laying off it to a large degree throughout the season. That, coupled with the high training levels and when they do get a chance to let their hair down, most of them are light weights. You’d probably laugh at the “copious” amounts these blokes are drinking before they spew.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
Speaking predominantly as an AFL fan, I agree with SEN's Kaine Cornes who reckons the whole dressing schtick has gotten out of hand. If you've failed to make the finals, you have had a failed season, what are you celebrating anyway?? Have a quite beer in private, have a good rest, then start training for next season.
jameswm
Roar Guru
"Unwinding" "Just letting their hair down". The bigger problem is in fact alcohol's place in our society. Sure, I have celebrated things by having a couple of drinks, but in what society is it alright to go too far and end up vomiting, passed out or naked? Sure it happens, but you should be embarrassed by it, not excusing it. The professional sportsman's lifestyle is an entirely privileged one - they get paid a lot for doing something most of us love. You have to make sacrifices to do well, and one is no or limited drinking during a season. Why do we feel the way to celebrate something is get unconscious? Why do we feel the need to defend those who do? We need to change our culture.
clipper
Roar Rookie
Yes, it is illegal - you can't go around naked in public (pub is short for public house) even if only a few people can see you, its'still illegal. It's also illegal for the staff of the pub to keep serving, against RSA, think they're being fined for it. Pretty sure it's illegal to be drunk and disorderly in a public place like a pub, although that's hardly ever enforced. You could cordon off a section of the Domain and call it a private function, but it is still a public place.
Blake Standfield
Roar Guru
When anything interesting in sport happens now my first thought is what bleeding heart Flanders type is going to be personally offended and write an article on The Roar.
peeeko
Roar Guru
who called it good and clean? time for you to find some new role models. people that consider a footballer a role model have issues
peeeko
Roar Guru
no, you are the right one.
peeeko
Roar Guru
pay has nothing to do wit hit, you sound jealous
peeeko
Roar Guru
you the arbiter of what is sensible now? or you just happy someone agrees with you?
thomas c
Guest
Being out of control in a controlled venue might be vaguely responsible, but "footballer loses control" is not a line that features in many positive news stories. We've had intoxicated assaults and peeing on police cars before. I suppose no one choking to death on their own vomit is a victory of a kind.
Chris Love
Roar Guru
Adam, is getting pissed, naked (in a private function), and passed out illegal in Australia? Did they hurt anyone? Is anyone accusing them of a crime? Then they are most certainly entitled to do anything they want within the bounds of the law. I’ve never seen so much virtue signalling about Professional sports people from someone that has never walked in their shoes in my life. Get off your high horse. You haven’t earned it.
Chris Love
Roar Guru
Well said BA. Agree with everything you said. Seems like we have a full blown virtue signaler here. If I was in Todd Greenbergs position, there would be no fines, no punishment, but a stern phone call to someone at Bulldog HQ that went something like “FFS, can you please find a venue where those grubs at the telegraph can’t get photo’s next year?”
gurudoright
Roar Rookie
Or you could just be in denial
Matt Ritchie
Guest
How come we haven’t heard from the RLPA? Didn’t they argue for a larger slice via an increase in salary cap and % of revenue because they brought in the significant income to the NRL. They are stakeholders of the game But yet they don’t want to change their behaviour that brings the games image into question which in turn impacts existing and new sponsors. Continuation of NRL revenue levels helps them to continue receiving the salaries they and hopefully future players can receive. If this was a company and staff had signed on for a cut in revenue based on performance and help to the brand, do you think they would be getting a bonus or worse keeping their job?
Adam Bagnall
Roar Guru
Maybe not cancel mad Monday, but certainly tone it down. It's like schoolies but everyone is old enough to know better
Adam Bagnall
Roar Guru
It says that the popular view isn't always the right one. Carry on
Adam Bagnall
Roar Guru
Thanks for the feedback too often this behaviour is normalised as seen by some of the posts here. It's not acceptable behaviour in normal society let alone professional athletes. But blame journalists or claim it was a private party even though they were on an open balcony. I'm glad the NRL has come down hard on the club as it sends a strong message that douchebag behaviour like this won't be tolerated.
keith hurst
Roar Pro
Great article Adam. Why must we put up with drunken footballers displaying all in the guise of "good clean fun". It is certainly not good, absolutely not clean and maybe fun if you are so sozzled that you can't remember taking all your clothes off. Never mind the image to the game. I can't judge that but I am embarrassed to see footballers behave like yahoos. Will they ever learn?, Todd Carney and Mitchell Pearce are our role models for this stupid behaviour. Clubs must ban "Mad Monday", Tuesday, Wednesday etc Keith Hurst Sports fanatic