False Idols

Rant starts .....now.

My football team the West Coast Eagles has been in the news quite a lot recently for incidents unrelated to the game. I have tried very hard to avoid the subject but it is getting more and more difficult as the criticism is becoming more and more foolish. The frustrating thing is that the criticism is coming, not only from the "fans", but from the governing body as well. I am not going to pretend that my arguments are un-biased, but I will present them as cogently as possible.

Criticism from the fans

The primary criticism from non-AFL sources is that footballers have a responsibility as role models to children and that Ben Cousins' drug problem is adversely affecting younger fans. As a parent I have taken responsibility for who my sons see as "role models" (I am sick to death of that term). What most people do not seem to realise that success in one "role" does not automatically grant you "model" status across the many roles that we as human beings play. I am more than happy for my boys to aspire to Ben Cousins and Shane Warne's achievements as sportsmen, but would not be happy for them to emulate their personal lives.

Sadly, when I espouse this point of view, the most common argument I receive is that it's "too hard", that "the media" are at fault for sensationalising sportsmen's private lives. Boo Hoo! Who's fault is it that you allow your television to raise your children? Ben Cousins'?? No, it's YOURS and YOURS ALONE. I KNOW raising children can be difficult but so it should be, it the most precious responsibility you can be given and YOU chose to accept it. Football is meant to be entertainment, not footballers lives. That football players take drugs and drink and get into fights does not surprise me and I do not believe that is a very clever lifestyle but NEITHER DO MY CHILDREN. Why? Are they inherently smarter than other children? I don't know. I do know that they have been raised to recognise the difference between the achievements of sports people and their private lives. It is about time you started to teach your kids the same. Not only because I want better lives for your children, but so that my children don't have to put up with people that think like YOU when they grow up.

As you can probably guess, people don't speak to me for long at parties. Hearing that it is your fault when you are looking for someone else to blame makes people uncomfortable. Hopefully, if they are smart enough to listen, it also makes them better people.

Criticism from football

It seems to me that the AFL has accepted the woeful ICC model for adminstering it's sport. Essentially it boils down to "If you make a profit, it doesn't matter about the state of the game or the players". As long as you can convince the fans to show up on the weekend, then you are doing your job properly. Sadly, this is of little practical benefit to the product (i.e. the players) or the consumers (i.e. the fans).
Of course to keep the fans happy, you have to be seen to be doing the "right thing" whether you are or not. For example, require Adam Selwood (who was cleared of any wrongdoing in the incident with Des Headland) to undergo counselling for making derogatory comments about women, while allowing Des Headland (who, oddly was also found not guilty by way of provocation, though nobody was found to have provoked him) to escape unscathed after his violent outburst.

The Eagles finally had enough of Ben Cousins' behaviour. When it became apparent to them that the cause of the erratic behaviour may have been substance related, they did their best to see him rehabilitated. Their motivation may not have been completely altruistic, but they were attempting to address the problem. This week Jeff Farmer, currently serving a 6 week suspension for violent behaviour, was arrested and charged with assault. Fremantle's response was to suspend him immediately until round 13 and then summon him before the board. The news media is full of speculation about Farmer's future and some self-congratulatory back slapping by Club President, Rick Hart. Their actions may have been "swift and decisive" but will they go any way toward helping Jeff Farmer with his anger problems? I don't think so. Instead of trying to assist a player (product) who has brought thousands of fans (consumers) through their gates, Hart has donned his Pontius Pilate hat (wreath?) and washed his hands of Farmer.

Guess which of these scenarios was sanctioned by the AFL commission? Or how many Fremantle executives were called before Andrew Demetriou?

Sadly it appears that sport is mirroring society again in as much as the "rehabilation vs retribution" argument is swinging firmly toward retribution.