Spencer Kassimir's Roar Profile

Around one month ago, as Australia was being throttled by a seemingly unstoppable South African side, news pundits started asking a question that has…

Cricket

2016

Spencer Kassimir

Roar Pro

A Boxing Day special: The infinitely prolonged death of Test cricket

Cricket

2016

Spencer Kassimir

Roar Pro

Spencer Kassimir

Roar Pro

That’s not football... Why soccer doesn't own the word 'football'

Not long ago, AFL and NRL nearly exclusively monopolised the rights to the words football and footy - so long as you knew which…

Football

404

2016

That’s not football... Why soccer doesn't own the word 'football'

Spencer Kassimir

Roar Pro

That’s not football... Why soccer doesn't own the word 'football'

Football

404

2016

Enjoyed the read @Dane and got a laugh @Paul

It would be an understatement to say that laws, as written, are not always, if ever, in perfect alignment with the application of such whether in sport or any government/societal construct.

Culture and convention tend to overrule what is on the page and what we are seeing is a backlash against what can be viewed as a reinterpretation of an unspoken but understood application of the laws.

Not saying it is correct or wrong but it makes sense that some people are angry.

Global warming caused by rise in hot takes

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FML – @Rugby Tragic Too: I thought I had left the space of religious research/discussion when I finished my MA on the topic to pursue a Ph.D. on sport… Enjoyed the read but you ruined my day! :-p

Folau has broken the 12th commandment

Rugby

Cheers Mark.

I was doing the same as you while writing it.

To be fair the menure FIFA is a real group!

Rob, I enjoyed reading the article. One of the better ones here in recent vintage.

At this point, the best choice for team eligibility, in an RL oval world with only two major powers, is to identify as many opportunities to ensure stronger teams that could have a fighting chance against Australia and England.

The Barry makes a good point as well. I do believe the RLIF is doing a good job in this respect though it would be good to see them adopt the “eligible for citizenship” policy of the World Baseball Classic.

When sport, war and ethnicity collide

“Look, Mr. Burns, I don’t know what you think sideburns are but…”

“Don’t argue with me just get rid of them!”
“Mattingly, I thought I told you to trim those sideburns!? Go home! You’re off the team! For good!”

“Fine… Still like him better than Steinbrenner…”

Hi “The Barry”. I think you just proved the opposite of what you were hoping to argue.

The rules are in the NRL but the culture of enforcement seen in Union is not.

Just because we are not necessarily looking to rugby union for RULE changes does not mean that we would not be looking to them for a better alignment between culture and enforcement with the laws of the game.

PS With “The” being such a rare name, you must be related to “The Donald” 😉

@BallsOutPhD

League must look to union to stamp out dangerous tackles

Well said Cleveland and nicely written article Bret.

Frankly, this is a well intended but bad idea.

For example, athletes in the US that aspire to play in the NFL are already required to go university for at least three years where they train as professionals without getting paid.

Even with the “education”, many still find themselves in the same boat as the AFL players.

The same thing will happen here.

Raising the AFL draft age is the right call for both players and clubs

Greatly enjoyed the article, Tim and a fair point about how RL will always be a faster game.

Personally, I just think this was bad decision making on the field and not entirely indicative of the game as a whole.

That said, you may enjoy this article about what also happens when the player talent pool is distributed through a draft.

It’s called “You’re not from here” and goes on to discuss the implications of greater competition in exchange for the lack of local talent and identity. https://goo.gl/PTqXRV

Better to be quick than correct: How the NRL screwed the Knights

Hey again @Cat,

As you know, I could not disagree more regarding SoO so here we go again.

When looking at other sports competitions such as soccer or rugby union, the extra-league i.e. international and intercompetition, matches are simply considered part and parcel of being a professional team and, not to forget, a major source of local pride and revenue.

The idea that the AFL sides should be immune to this perceived “additional” challenge is very stagnant in thinking and execution.

If a southern state SoO were to be executed, it would be a great event but, as @Tim Lane already pointed out, the most concentrated number of teams are in the greater Melbourne, VIC region so it is unlike to come about unless there is the gumption and pressure from South Australia, Tasmania, and Western Australia.

Regarding an AFL side in Tasmania, the population is likely not the issue but the up front and ability/interest that would maintain ecconomic profitability, let alone solvency at the current costs of having an Aussie rules team.

Greater Geelong has a population of around 211,000, Green Bay, WI has 306,000 (including the two surrounding counties but only 104,900 for the city alone), and Tasmania has 515,000 but over a significantly larger area. Devenport to Launceston is 75 minutes drive and from there to Hobart is just shy of three hours.

No chance of AFL State of Origin, as Tasmania's state of oblivion continues

@Big J

I read that and completely agree. There should be a sports culture/business tab.

That was a great article for that matter.

As things would have it, I’ll be lecturing at the Australian Society for Sport History the week of July 3rd in Sydney. If anyone is interested, reach me on Twitter at @BallsOutPhD

Hey Epiquin,

Just breezing old articles and wanted to say this one was particularly enjoyable.

Am I too late? 😉

Can dusting off an old rule breathe life into rugby league attack?

2015

@onside

Love your question one.

I’d say the one that pays the most always attracts the most people and that only some of those people have the right body types etc.

Sport is fun, but it is a business.

Which Australian sport produces the greatest athletes? Part One: AFL

I don’t know Ryan, seems pretty civilized and levelheaded here for the most part.

There seems to be a consensus that each sport takes and produces the best athletes for the rigors required by their respective sport.

On the other hand, the Australian curling team clearly produces the best athletes and their versatile skills double as an effective technique for mopping floors.:)

Hi Epiquin,

We meet again!

Yeah, those really were some great days and fantastic play. For better for worse, the handshake agreement about not contesting scrums killed the need for “big guys” at least in the sense of parody from those days.

On the other hand, hypothetically, this shift in player size probably wouldn’t happen in rugby union since the forwards would still need the weight to ruck and counterruck effectively.

Tim, I think this is the best point you’ve made.

The reality in sport and even government is that we rarely ask “who watches the watchers.”

In this case, by allowing the challenge, refs have someone to answer to based on the one unsuccessful challenge rule.

For everyone worried that this will slow down the game like a coaches challenge in the NFL, it simply won’t; this is more analogous to rugby union. Even though RU has more stoppages than rugby league, it does not mean that having a good policy of checks and balances will bring the game to a halt.

Bring in the captain's challenge Todd – it’ll shut the whingers up

Can’t say I disagree sheek.

I touched on this briefly in my last article for The Roar ( https://goo.gl/PTqXRV )

Coming from an outside perspective, the ARU must invest in public schools if they are serious about attracting more than private school graduates and Kiwis in Australia.

If this is not part of their vision, then Australian club rugby and even the Wallabies are at risk of becoming the equivalent to the Windys in test cricket; a once great team with its best days far in the past.

NRC sponsorship loss must convince the ARU to return to its grassroots

@Cat

Really? Why not?

Amen to that Leonard.

And here is my article on why I ended up with the Packers.

http://goo.gl/QsX68c

Love the green and gold but still have a lot of attachment to the blue and gold throwback uniform.

Well I’m breaking a promise to myself but why not…

@Nemesis

Except for chess, which is internationally recognized as a sport. Curses to those lazy, non-physical, thinking chess folks that get no TV airtime!

@AdelaideDocker and everyone else.

Does anyone think that the betting culture has anything to do with it?

I see a lot of people more interested in the odds more than the success of the side they support.

@Republican

There’s a lot to be said here. Of course winning is self-perpetuating and that’s why sports and codes now tweak the rules in an attempt to prevent any real dynasties from occurring even if it does not always work.

For example, it happened in the NFL against the Steelers for the defense in the 70s but that didn’t stop them but, on the other hand, completely stopped the NSWRL (pre-NRL) St. George’s 11-year win streak in 1966. To be fair, the ladder rule change was 1. internationally inspired to change the possession dynamic of the game as a whole whereas the former was really focussed on weakening one team.

That said, I happen to really enjoy the GAA and Gaelic Football. Still, even with it being a. amateur and b. having all earnings redistributed to the clubs, certain local teams still keep winning. It’s hard to find a way to compete against a large city like Dublin that has millions of potential players when you’re a small county.

@Steve J

That’s an interesting point.

It is similar to how people in Los Angeles supported the Hollywood Stars (baseball) when there was no MLB team.

Thank you Green.

I appreciate the compliment.

Definitely, check out Sam Duncan’s book Footy Grounds to Grand Stands. It’ll be right up your alley.

@Slane and Epiquin

True enough but I would still like to see a State of Origin for Aussies rules come back while WA and Tasmania.

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