- Dec 14, 2008
- 19,857
- 32,355
- AFL Club
- Essendon
Something has been troubling me for a while now.
As some will know I had been quite vocal about my distain for the Australian cricket team for a fair period of time, I thought they there were totally unlikeable and virtually non supportable. They crossed the line - stepped over the brink from sportsmanship to a win at all costs with a mentality that led them down a slippery slope that eventually fed into a pit of murky bile which they may yet never escape from.
But that was an isolated situation we were told, the culture in the cricket team was poor...but they can fix their issue.
I'm not so sure.
We love to be myopic here in Australia, and insular to a point that we often think our s**t doesn't stink. We lap up meaningless accolades the like most livable city in the world, or whatever they may be, we hang our hats on cliché terms like punching above our weight, winning more things per capita than the big boys.. We somehow have this idea that we are this much loved, strongly idealed utopia that everyone is envious of. We play sports hard but fair, we give everyone a fair go, we have a never say die attitude - we stand tall with pride while likeable icons such as Pat Rafter or Wayne Arthurs endure barrages of vitriol from feral fans in far flung Davis cup ties, or our Socceroos being spat on by savages in south America... these savages are horrible! We would never do such things in our civilized fair go culture... They all take drugs and cheat... ours were always spiked by mistakes.
Then I leave the country and go travel the world, I actually see how we are perceived.. how loud mouthed, drunk, obtuse Australians are now despised across the globe - how we have outshone the loudmouth Americans in the annoyance stakes.. We latch on to any cultural gathering like a cancer, infiltrate it, add beer and ruin it.. Australians are to be avoided at Oktoberest, at Pamplona, at any island in south east asia.. in any hostel bar..
So with my new found knowledge and eyes wide open I returned to our shores as I start to notice our sporting heroes change, where stood the knockabout Aussie Pat Rafter now stood snot nosed Lleyton Hewitt, I guy who didn't care how much of an a-hole he was if it meant winning... and down they fed, kyrgios, Tomic. The cricketers went downhill, slowly our sporting icons went from these knockabout sportsmen who were to be admired, to these unlikeable win at any costs machines. Cleary we were becoming like every other country in the world.
...and im not silly, I understand it takes a certain personality type to make it on the world stage, you have to be a bit mental, a bit arrogant - but we still have time for genuine nice winners like Daniel Riccardo, like Adam Scott or Jason Day, or Andrew Bogut.. its not a pre requisite that you need be an a-hole.
Anyhow I sat there this past few weeks trying to digest the Commonwealth games, wondering why I couldn't take it, why I didn't care any more.. why I had to turn it off. There was just something about it that didn't sit well with me, or was just sitting in the back ground - I couldn't quite put my finger on it...
It wasn't until I saw the marathon runner collapsed on the ground - fans taking pictures of him with their phone cameras while the aussie athlete just saunters by to take the win without a second glace back... Do these guys not take an oath pre games? "We come to this place from many lands, to demonstrate the spirit of true sportsmanship that we all share. And to stand up for the values and ideals that live at the heart of these Games. Our shared humanity –the respect we give each other, finding lasting friendships and common ground in our diversity"
....I don't expect him to stop and have a cup of tea... and I know once a marathon runner stops its impossible to start again... but how about you ok mate? a quick pat? anything?? noo it was a robot.. must win must win must win - then I kept watching in outrage.. as channel seven kept goading the English, look how many medals we have more than you!!.. showing every single medal presentation instead of actual sports.. we were feral! we were baying for blood, beating up on little island nations and third world colonies that had been sucked dry by this so called commonwealth.. more more more.... give us moreee goldddddd - its insatiable - win win win, break the record, winn
This was the most jingoistic games experience I have ever witnessed, it made me sick. It was a win at all costs games and mentality.. the very same mentality the Australian cricketers adopted.. the very mentality our public now demands... we don't accept second prize.
So there we have it, we have truly gone to the dark side of sport. We are now not that little island nation punching above its weight, having a try, playing the right way. We need to win, before else, losing is not an option. irrespective of means or collateral damage along the way.
Look next door, that little county there... that's what we used to be before we turned to the dark side.
As some will know I had been quite vocal about my distain for the Australian cricket team for a fair period of time, I thought they there were totally unlikeable and virtually non supportable. They crossed the line - stepped over the brink from sportsmanship to a win at all costs with a mentality that led them down a slippery slope that eventually fed into a pit of murky bile which they may yet never escape from.
But that was an isolated situation we were told, the culture in the cricket team was poor...but they can fix their issue.
I'm not so sure.
We love to be myopic here in Australia, and insular to a point that we often think our s**t doesn't stink. We lap up meaningless accolades the like most livable city in the world, or whatever they may be, we hang our hats on cliché terms like punching above our weight, winning more things per capita than the big boys.. We somehow have this idea that we are this much loved, strongly idealed utopia that everyone is envious of. We play sports hard but fair, we give everyone a fair go, we have a never say die attitude - we stand tall with pride while likeable icons such as Pat Rafter or Wayne Arthurs endure barrages of vitriol from feral fans in far flung Davis cup ties, or our Socceroos being spat on by savages in south America... these savages are horrible! We would never do such things in our civilized fair go culture... They all take drugs and cheat... ours were always spiked by mistakes.
Then I leave the country and go travel the world, I actually see how we are perceived.. how loud mouthed, drunk, obtuse Australians are now despised across the globe - how we have outshone the loudmouth Americans in the annoyance stakes.. We latch on to any cultural gathering like a cancer, infiltrate it, add beer and ruin it.. Australians are to be avoided at Oktoberest, at Pamplona, at any island in south east asia.. in any hostel bar..
So with my new found knowledge and eyes wide open I returned to our shores as I start to notice our sporting heroes change, where stood the knockabout Aussie Pat Rafter now stood snot nosed Lleyton Hewitt, I guy who didn't care how much of an a-hole he was if it meant winning... and down they fed, kyrgios, Tomic. The cricketers went downhill, slowly our sporting icons went from these knockabout sportsmen who were to be admired, to these unlikeable win at any costs machines. Cleary we were becoming like every other country in the world.
...and im not silly, I understand it takes a certain personality type to make it on the world stage, you have to be a bit mental, a bit arrogant - but we still have time for genuine nice winners like Daniel Riccardo, like Adam Scott or Jason Day, or Andrew Bogut.. its not a pre requisite that you need be an a-hole.
Anyhow I sat there this past few weeks trying to digest the Commonwealth games, wondering why I couldn't take it, why I didn't care any more.. why I had to turn it off. There was just something about it that didn't sit well with me, or was just sitting in the back ground - I couldn't quite put my finger on it...
It wasn't until I saw the marathon runner collapsed on the ground - fans taking pictures of him with their phone cameras while the aussie athlete just saunters by to take the win without a second glace back... Do these guys not take an oath pre games? "We come to this place from many lands, to demonstrate the spirit of true sportsmanship that we all share. And to stand up for the values and ideals that live at the heart of these Games. Our shared humanity –the respect we give each other, finding lasting friendships and common ground in our diversity"
....I don't expect him to stop and have a cup of tea... and I know once a marathon runner stops its impossible to start again... but how about you ok mate? a quick pat? anything?? noo it was a robot.. must win must win must win - then I kept watching in outrage.. as channel seven kept goading the English, look how many medals we have more than you!!.. showing every single medal presentation instead of actual sports.. we were feral! we were baying for blood, beating up on little island nations and third world colonies that had been sucked dry by this so called commonwealth.. more more more.... give us moreee goldddddd - its insatiable - win win win, break the record, winn
This was the most jingoistic games experience I have ever witnessed, it made me sick. It was a win at all costs games and mentality.. the very same mentality the Australian cricketers adopted.. the very mentality our public now demands... we don't accept second prize.
So there we have it, we have truly gone to the dark side of sport. We are now not that little island nation punching above its weight, having a try, playing the right way. We need to win, before else, losing is not an option. irrespective of means or collateral damage along the way.
Look next door, that little county there... that's what we used to be before we turned to the dark side.