Universal Love Tim Lane: A knockout, Buddy Ali

[Strapping Young Lad]

Let's be honest, Tim Lane is an annoyingly biased Carlton supporter who makes watching football very tedious at times, but in this instance he's written a story of 'man-love' about the one and only, Budwah, and it's quite a good read.

Take note of the special consideration he's given to how Franklin is umpired. This being written from a nuetral perspective can only be a good thing.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/a-knockout-buddy-ali-20120317-1vcaf.html?rand=1331990078477

AT THE end of a week in which the future of indigenous players in the indigenous game has been under examination, Lance Franklin stands as a towering beacon. What every club would give for him: the greatest single match-winner and greatest single drawcard in the game in one brown and gold package.
Yet clubs were tentative about taking Buddy. It's etched in football folklore that Franklin made them nervous and that's why he went at pick five, rather than one, in the 2004 draft. Notwithstanding seven successful seasons, rumours have abounded about lifestyle extravagances. But just as the stories have kept coming, so have the heroics.
No sooner had news emerged of a relationship break-up late last year than a newspaper report suggested Buddy was "off the rails". Yet the wheels appear to remain firmly fixed to the chassis. In late January, The Age's Jon Pierik reported that Buddy was in Hawthorn's leadership group. Seven years after that oft-discussed '04 draft, to say Franklin is No. 1 among those of his year is like saying Black Caviar is the best five-year old sprinting mare on the local scene.

 

[libbylou]

First post so hope all goes ok.
I enjoyed the article, only time I have read anything good relating to Hawthorn from Tim Lane. Thank god he is our "Buddy".

I do however take a bit of offence to comparing Buddy to Phil Carmen, Garry Ablett snr and Wayne Carey all magical I agree. But what has Buddy ever done wrong? The media are waiting and waiting for something to happen why can't they just enjoy the magic.

Cheers

 

[Rioli magic]

Loved the sign off.

...but what the hell. He's Buddy and we're not.

 

[Pessimistic]

Pinched the Ali comparison from me.

 

[HAWKS HEROES]

Agree with what he says about bud and the umps ! He is 100% right there for sure

 

[Roby]

This should be on the main board.

 

[eldorado]

Pinched the Ali comparison from me.

I was calling him Buddy Ali in 2006.

Just saying...

 

[Brant]

Agree with what he says about bud and the umps ! He is 100% right there for sure

Is Tim Lane commentating games this year with the new broadcasting arrangement? If he is, it will be interesting to see if he makes comment on Buddy's treatment by umpires or whether it was just something that fit his article here.

* God it used to ruin my weekend when we played Saturday Nights & he & Blight commentated our games...

 

[HAWKS HEROES]

don't know Brant and yes will be interesting if he does and whether he points out the the incidents where buddy gets man handled and no free's

 

[Off The Couch]

It is a change to read a positive article but the ongoing references to his off field behaviour drives me nuts. Living in Perth is like living in a vacuum so out of curiosity are the rumors as rife as the media alludes to or just another beat up.

 

[Leather Poisoning]

I don't think Tim Lane is a very influential voice in the Footy Media world.

Nice article though.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

It is a change to read a positive article but the ongoing references to his off field behaviour drives me nuts. Living in Perth is like living in a vacuum so out of curiosity are the rumors as rife as the media alludes to or just another beat up.

They like to allude to things in his past, knowing that they can't state anything without causing themselves harm. So they throw around 'off-field', 'partyboy' etc etc.

 

[Jaeger]

Great read.

It's disappointing that there haven't been more articles on Budwah like this. The fact is for one reason or another he isn't liked all that much by non-Hawthorn people.

Tim Lane is now officially in my good books.

 

[Brishawk]

Great read.

It's disappointing that there haven't been more articles on Budwah like this. The fact is for one reason or another he isn't liked all that much by non-Hawthorn people.

Tim Lane is now officially in my good books.

Hahaha until the next time he tries to mobilize a posse against the Hawks for playing games in Tassie?

 

[Hawka19]

Read this article early this morning and had to check who wrote it a few times. Was shocked to see Tim Lane's photo next to it.

 

[Brown Blood]

You people are easily impressed.

When you read the article you should realise all lane has done is state the obvious, buddy is a star (& nobody needs lane to tell us that) - but he has done it in such a way as to cast aspersions unjustifiably on buddy's character.

Comments like:
- ...clubs were tentative about taking buddy...Franklin made them nervious..(how many clubs, he did go at 5 - there were only 2 other clubs before us & they went with their reqs in that draft)
- ...rumours have abounded about lifestyle extravagances (what the F*ck is this meant to mean - is he quoting a rumour on BF & is his terminology some sort of code?)
- ...just as the stories have kept coming.. (what stories - he himself said there were only some sort of rumours!)
- ... newspaper report buddy "off the rails" following his breakup (I think the suggestion was he was now free to return to the nightclub scene - something he didn't do as he has been quoted he went of it years ago as he doesn't like it).
- the comparison of buddy to "wild boys" in footy and and even other sports like tiger woods and mcenroe (why are ALL the sports stars lane mentions in comparison to buddy flawed in some way?).

I do accept that lane rightly brings up buddy getting a raw deal from the umpires but he still engages in a good deal of innuendo.

So as far as I am concerned - still a t**d (and a big one at that)!

 

[Pessimistic]

Its a bit academic but Terry Wallace said he had the best two talents in that draft (delidio and Tambling)

Hawthorn called Richmonds bluff and the Doggies were nervous about recruiting a non victorian. They already had Twiggy Rawlings as their KPP

If not for that Hawks might probably have taken Lance at #2 and lost Roughead to richmond, ended up with Tambling