Caro does it again

[Dogs_R_Us]

http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/2001/07/15/FFXI45W94PC.html

Is this spiteful Caro taking the opportunity to sink the Doggies again, or is there a grain of truth here?

Anyone like to comment?

 

[Top Dog]

Saw it dogs_r_us and she is a stupid bitch, Heading is dogs wag tail but cant hide smell. she is on something

 

[Chicago1]

Will be sending her a "pleasant" e-mail in the morning, probably a bit more "raw" than the one I sent Mike Sheahan a few weeks back. After all, she IS 'one of the guys', isn't she?

 

[Waltzing Woof Biscuit]

What can one say? The day that Wilson writes a similarly emotional hatchet job on her beloved Tigers is the day that I might ascribe an ounce of credibilty to her.

The article is so full of attitude it's startling. I'm actually writing a thesis on Appraial Theory, which examines the linguistic mechanisms through which attitude, emotion and judgement is encoded into language. After having just a brief look at Wilson's article, I've made a few points...

What is the genre of Wilson's article? What exactly is she hoping to achieve by writing it? Has she introduced any information to the reader that was not already in the public domain?

The genre is obviously an editorial. She is expressing an opinion -HER opinion. It is not an exercise in balanced discussion. There are no constructive suggestions, no new insights into old news. It is Wilson venting her spleen. But why? Does she know something that we don't? Unlikely. It would have been in print.

What are some of the 'factual' elements of Wilson's article?

a. The Bulldogs have performed some on-field misdemeanours which have attracted negative publicity to the club.
b. Danny Southern has alluded to comments made by Terry Wallace.
c. The Knights-Liberatore incident
d. The rigging of the 1996 B&F
e. The Bulldogs are desperate for members
f. Wallace had not been paid some monies owing to him by the club

Now, one could refer to the above as the raw material of Wilson's artilce. These are the issues which, to varying extents, have moved her to comment. OK. But Wilson has not merely said "here are the facts and this is my interpretation." In fact, she at no stage uses language in such a way to suggest that she is expressing her own opinion among a spectrum of possible opinions. She could have conveyed her critical stance in a number of ways. But her use of SO much attitudinal vocabularly suggests that there is something personal at stake here. Let's have a look at a few examples:


1. The allusion that the Bulldogs are dodgy, putting on a show, false, erecting smokescreens = in plain language suggestions of dishonesty and lack of integrity.

Consider the following vocab:

Paragraph 1: spin doctor, impressive double-act
Paragraph 2: great manipulator, conman
Paragraph 3: never fails to convince
Paragraph 4: inner-sanctum coaching comments, Wallace was
convincing,
Paragraph 5: they don't come much smoother, he performed
brilliantly, unveiled a series of...tactics
Paragraph 6: carry off a...request,
Paragraph 7: and a convincing one, glib explanation
Paragraph 9: at face value


The important thing to consider is that one does not HAVE to use the language that one does. How we choose to construct a message is VERY revealing on a number of levels. Even when Caro used some of the above vocabulary in a seemingly neutral or positive sense, one must bear in mind what she COULD HAVE said. Is describing Smorgan as 'smooth' a compliment? How could Caro have expressed it? 'Professional' perhaps? Something without the connotation of shiftiness? And Smorgan 'performed' brilliantly. There she goes again...suggestions of a performance, something which is fabricated. Thinly-disguised sarcasm indeed. And paragraph 2 need not have been included at all. Why the point about all good coaches needing an element of 'conman?' She is planting conceptual seeds into our helpless little minds.

2. Wallace apparently had denied knowledge of "the club's rigged best and fairest in 1996." Sorry Caro, shouldn't that read "allegedly rigged?" A strange omission of a word when so much of your article is unnecessarily verbose.

3. Smorgan is 'if nothing else, a great front-man.' Why is 'if nothing else' inserted here? What function is it serving? For 'if' read 'is.' Smorgan is a good front man AND nothing else. If that is not what is meant, then why use the phrase? This is personal stuff.

4. "Several clubs, in their meetings with head office, have questioned the Bulldogs' supposedly sound approach to running a club." Firstly, the sentence would have conveyed the same information without the insertion of 'supposedy sound.' Just jam the emotional language in whenever you can Caro. And may we please have some details. One should never underestimate the efficiency of language, but perhaps a single sentence on this topic fails to adequatley explore the issue. Hmmm Caro???


5. "If it was Wallace...then" The old if/then clause. One of Walls's favourites (If Libba DID hit Knights...). Just insert it into the first sentence of a paragraph, and hey presto, you can fill the remaining sentences with as much innuendo as you like. You can even hint at instability and disenchantment at the Bulldogs, if it suits your agenda. Well done Caro, you've passed Concepts in Journalism 1.

6. 'So increasingly alarming have the Bulldogs' prospects become' Well, if we're talking finances, the alarm is not isolated to the Whitten Oval I would have thought. And how does the alarm reflect upon the Bulldogs adminstration? Where are the examples of fiscal mismanagement? Oops, the paragraph ended. Typewriter run out of ink Caro?

7. "There is something rotten in the state of the Whitten Oval and that too can no longer be denied" A VERY strong statement. Denied by whom I wonder? By the Bulldogs? If so, that is a very blatant attack on our adminstrations integrity and honesty. This sort of statement demands some hard core evidence, not just rumours and opinion. By everyone? Thanks for speaking for us all Caro. By Caro herself? I don't think that she has ever denied her vitriol against the Dogs, has she? Come now Caro. Don't be coy. Who can't deny it??? We so wan't to know.


Just a few observations of the many that I could make. I am seriously amazed that this standard of journalism is coming out of The Age. Caro seems to be bitter and twisted, and ought to keep such things private rather than embarrass herself by producing this sort of garbage. She is SUPPOSEDLY professional (if nothing else ).

Please Caro, come out and unequivocally state for the record that the Bulldogs are corrupt. We want to sue you SO badly. Stop being coy - your attitudes are about as well disguised as an elephant wearing a false nose.

But that's just my interpretation, among a range of many possible interpretations

 

[Top Dog]

I'm actually writing a thesis on Appraial Theory, which examines the linguistic mechanisms through which attitude, emotion and judgement is encoded into language

Very Impressive, ever thought of a carrer in teaching as an English teacher im sure C1 whould approve

 

[bulldogs1]

Bravo!

Sorry Westy Boy, but I think WWB just outdid you for the Helen Demidenko prize for journalism.

WWB, please post this on the main Big Footy board for all to see. If you don't I promise that I will hunt you down. Very impressive stuff indeed. While you are at it, post it to the Bulldogs themselves, and the Doggies forum. If you don't, I will.

NYA NYA NYA

 

[Dogs_R_Us]

Thank you Waltzing Woof Biscuit. A great analysis; what a pity we don't have the circulation of the Age and realfooty.

Please take bulldogs1's suggestions, this can't pass unchallenged.

The power of someone in the media with an axe to grind and no conscience is truly scary.

Just a thought - Round 17 is coming up, is there another agenda here?

 

[Captain Sensible]

WWB-If you don't send this into The Age as a letter to the editor then I will. If they dont print it then I will send it to The Sun and see if I can win you a double pass to the medallian club at colonial with Mike Sheahan.

And I am going to be VERY careful what I say to you in the future.

 

[Westy Boy]

WWB .... take a bow....

WWB,


Pardon the french .... but that was f*cking brilliant! Send it to the Herald Sun, send it to the Australian ...send it everywhere. Oh, and more importantly.. post it on the Bigfooty AFL board!

Bloody proud to have such learned, knowledgeable and passionate supporters associated with my club.


Personally, I just saw the story now, so I might pass her a 'nice' email too .... you take the well thought out, beautifully worded, destroying of her every argument path.... and I'll get into the personal abuse ...sound OK?

 

[Aussie_Roo]

Good on ya WWB. For how much longer do we have to put up with this 'so called journalist' writing crap - especially against financial struggling Victoria clubs. Being a slow news day, just doesn't cut anymore. I can't believe that The Age - continues to keep her on the payroll.. If I were you, I'd be emailing your sentiments to every major journalist around...

 

[Shinboners]

Waltzing Woof Biscuit

Send it into Shirtfront. vic@shirtfront.com.au and mark it to the attention of Phil Doyle. It's a brilliant piece of writing, but you might need to edit it, but I reckon you're a fair chance to see it in print.

Cheers
SB

 

[sigscotty]

wonderful wwb. you have managed to write all the things we feel but do not have the ability to put into words. well done.

 

[K9-54]

Re: WWB .... take a bow....

Originally posted by Westy Boy
.... and I'll get into the personal abuse ...sound OK?

I just sent her an email too. I tried to remain calm and rational but I simply couldn't manage it. Better chalk up 2 in the personal abuse column.

Great work WWB.

 

[bulldogs1]

WWB,

I've sent your post to Gerard Healy at 3AW's Sports Today. Listen at 6pm tonight, and I reckon you're a chance for 15 minutes of fame!

ghealy@3aw.com.au

Go for it dogs fans!

 

[Captain Sensible]

I havent listened to 3AW for a long time. My Steve Price and Neil Mitchell tolerence level is fairly low (A bit like them actually) Not to mention Rex.
However I will make the ultimate sacrifice in order to hear this at 6pm. If they don't play it maybe an E-Mail to Tony Leonard or ernie Sigley at AW will get the wheels moving-They are rabid bulldogs fans.

 

[K9-54]

Response from Caroline Wilson to my email
Grow up and look at the facts - even though you clearly haven't taken into account the many positive pieces on the Bullies I've penned over the past three years. Caroline

Ignoring the FACT that her article was short on facts and long on opinion (which makes it hard to look at the facts), can anyone enlighten me on the positive pieces she has penned?

 

[Chicago1]

What an articulate and thought provoking reply, WWB!!!

Where were you when I was teaching Clear Thinking in the late 70s and CAT 1 in the late 90s?

TopDog, WWF would be wasting his life by just being an English teacher. He's too intelligent for that!

 

[K9-54]

So you can decide whether the response from her was reasonable, this is what I wrote to her:

Caroline Wilson,

Your article this morning on the Western Bulldogs was the most atrocious piece of writing I have ever read in The Age. I would have thought your position required you to put personal biases aside before putting pen to paper. Apparently not.

Why you didn't simply write "I hate David Smorgan, I hate Terry Wallace and I hate everything associated with the Western Bulldogs" as it would have got the same message across with exactly the same number of supporting facts as your story. But no, you had to follow snide comment with sly dig for column after nasty column. A simple "I hate the Western Bulldogs" column and I could have dismissed you as petty and pathetic. But by twisting the knife into my club in the fashion that you did, I have concluded that you deserve every ounce of the hatred and vitriol vented towards you in every football board on the web.

Yours disgustedly,

(And I signed it).

 

[HahnPremium8]

Did she tell you to grow up and look at the facts!!! OMG i can't beleive it.

The article she wrote was discraceful!What about this bit

"Each year certain Bulldogs demonstrate on-field traits that tarnish the club and increasingly each year Wallace has been forced to defend his tactics. He never fails to convince."

Here she lumping the incidents that players have been involved with together with Plough as if it's Ploughs tactics. It's like saying Plough instructed Libba to claw that players face. Not true!!!

The way she implies things with her choice of words...it makes me so angry. I was thinking of writing to the cynical, biased sneeky cow but whats the point.

How is she allowed to write such an article. What she is accusing our club of is very serious...

 

[Darky]

Old Spewed-Up-Pastie-Face at her worst. A hatchet job based on rumours and hunches, and passed off as fact.

Originally posted by USC

We know Wallace is a great manipulator because every good coach needs a strong element of the conman in him and Wallace has had significant success with the Bulldogs.

This is disgraceful "journalism".

Originally posted by USC

And Smorgon? They don't come much smoother. He performed brilliantly for his club in the week that followed the Tony Liberatore-Matthew Knights incident and has unveiled a series of increasingly desperate tactics this season in his quest for members and corporate support. Remember that dreadful image of grim Bulldogs footballers modelling opposition jumpers on The Footy Show?

I suppose if Smorgon made no attempt to draw supporters' attention to the club's problems, he would be hatcheted by USC for being a plastic president who doesn't do enough.

 

[bulldogs1]

My e-mail to and response from Caro, get a laugh:

Bulldogs1:
"Great piece Caro.

For pure journalistic fantasy, you win the Helen Demidenko award for 2001. No need to wait for the end of the year.

Just read this, pulled from a footy forum called BigFooty, which, if you bothered, would show you at first glance how despised you are amongst the average footy follower (link to this page)."

Caro's Reply:

"Thanks for your thoughts Stephen, I'm flattered at the clear thinking exercise if not the personal jibes though obviously you've missed at least 10 far more damning pieces on Richmond by me over the past three years. Caroline.
e over the past three years. Caroline."

No additional comment needed.

 

[Darky]

Helen Demidenko? Try Krusty the Clown.

Only, Krusty's prettier and his t.its don't hang down to his ankles.

 

[Waltzing Woof Biscuit]

Wow guys - thanks so much for your support and comments. I've just revisited my post for the first time, and there is certainly an element of 'soapbox' about it. Perhaps we can start a site called Football Mediawatch!

It was hard to be sobre and analytical with blood boiling into my eyeballs. I'm sure that we all had a similar gut reaction to Wilson's article. It was provocative innuendo, not a reasoned opinion. If one of Chicago1's students presented this as an argumentative essay, I'm sure that he would have emblazened it with the big, fat 'F.'

Caro may just as well have announced on Talking Footy that Waltzing Woof Biscuit is a braindead d*ckhead, it couldn't have hurt me any more than her attacking the beloved Bulldogs in such a biased and vitriolic manner. We share that passion guys - every bit as much as the clubs with a larger supporter base (North supporters obviously know how we feel too). Good on everyone for emailing The Age, 3AW or whoever. We have a voice!!! A bit of fair criticism is one thing, but...

Re. Caro's response. Call the post a 'clear thinking exercise' if you will. It is certainly that, but not only that. It is underpinned by some serious concerns about journalistic ethics. Perhaps the imperative to 'think clearly' should be foremost in the mind of a journalist about to commit a vehement critique to the pages of the mass print media. Don't leave it up to some try-hard Honours student Caro.

Re. not being flattered by the personal jibes. Well, at least most of them on this board are relentlessly blunt and direct. For goodness sake, I can understand her being offended by some of the abuse. Stop writing emotional hatchet jobs based on circumstantial evidence Caro and you'll be pleasantly surprised by the result. May not sell many papers though.

Re. her damning pieces on Richmond. Not having seen them, I can't really comment - suffice to say that it is unusual to vindicate one bad piece of journalism by appealing to 10 other pieces that are worse!

Solidarity Doggies, and other interested parties!! Following your comments, I'll try to post my evaluation on the suggested forums if it will help to shed some light on this disturbing situation.

BTW, have the Dogs responded to Wilson's article?

 

[bulldogs1]

You deserve a lot of credit, WWB, and you're getting some on the main Bigfooty site.

I have sent an e-mail to the Dogs complaining about the article and suggesting that they reply to it in the very strongest terms. This particular "journalist" needs to be brought to task. I can handle random attacks from sections of the media, but Caro seems to be using her various positions (3AW, TF, Age) as a platform from which to launch a very personal vendetta.

One would hope that a surprise guest on tonight's TF would be Terry Wallace, firstly to answer the Fremantle fiasco for (hopefully the final time), and then to give Caro a serve. I am sick of the constant attacks on the Club, and that something much stronger than the usual media appearances is needed. We are beginning to look like the little boy who cried "Wolf".

Originally posted by Waltzing Woof Biscuit
Wow guys - thanks so much for your support and comments. I've just revisited my post for the first time, and there is certainly an element of 'soapbox' about it. Perhaps we can start a site called Football Mediawatch!

It was hard to be sobre and analytical with blood boiling into my eyeballs. I'm sure that we all had a similar gut reaction to Wilson's article. It was provocative innuendo, not a reasoned opinion. If one of Chicago1's students presented this as an argumentative essay, I'm sure that he would have emblazened it with the big, fat 'F.'

Caro may just as well have announced on Talking Footy that Waltzing Woof Biscuit is a braindead d*ckhead, it couldn't have hurt me any more than her attacking the beloved Bulldogs in such a biased and vitriolic manner. We share that passion guys - every bit as much as the clubs with a larger supporter base (North supporters obviously know how we feel too). Good on everyone for emailing The Age, 3AW or whoever. We have a voice!!! A bit of fair criticism is one thing, but...

Re. Caro's response. Call the post a 'clear thinking exercise' if you will. It is certainly that, but not only that. It is underpinned by some serious concerns about journalistic ethics. Perhaps the imperative to 'think clearly' should be foremost in the mind of a journalist about to commit a vehement critique to the pages of the mass print media. Don't leave it up to some try-hard Honours student Caro.

Re. not being flattered by the personal jibes. Well, at least most of them on this board are relentlessly blunt and direct. For goodness sake, I can understand her being offended by some of the abuse. Stop writing emotional hatchet jobs based on circumstantial evidence Caro and you'll be pleasantly surprised by the result. May not sell many papers though.

Re. her damning pieces on Richmond. Not having seen them, I can't really comment - suffice to say that it is unusual to vindicate one bad piece of journalism by appealing to 10 other pieces that are worse!

Solidarity Doggies, and other interested parties!! Following your comments, I'll try to post my evaluation on the suggested forums if it will help to shed some light on this disturbing situation.

BTW, have the Dogs responded to Wilson's article?