The Sporting Day: Some Sporting Observations

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Some Sporting Observations

8. The New York Knicks are possibly the most dysfunctional organisation in all of professional sports. After spending the off-season embroiled in a sexual harassment suit against head coach Isaiah Thomas, the Knicks have stumbled from one controversy to another on their way to a 2-7 start. It started with star guard Stephon Marbury complaining about lack of playing time and then publicly threatening the coach with blackmail if his time did not improve. This followed an apparent mid-flight brawl. Yesterday Thomas sent his entire team home from practice for not playing hard enough. The Knicks, simply, need to start again. Thomas should be fired, the majority of the roster should be traded and ownership should be changed.

7. There has been plenty of commentary in recent times about Bill Bellichick and the New England Patriots running up the score against opponents when the game is over. The Pats have been much maligned for going for it on fourth down when leading by thirty-plus and continuing to throw when ahead by forty-plus. The criticism is puerile and pathetic. This is professional sports and in professional sports teams have the right to play however they see fit. In high school and college sports, it is bad sportsmanship but in the NFL where all teams start from the same base, there is nothing unsportsmanlike about it.

6. Alex Rodriguez has made a monumental mistake in re-signing with the New York Yankees and the Yankees have not endeared themselves to their fanbase by signing one of the most unpopular Yankees ever. A-Rod is a tremendous talent, as seen with his AL MVP this season, but he has not adapted to life in the hardened world of New York sports and the Yankee fans have shown a great disdain for him due to his failure to perform in the clutch. At this stage, A-Rod and the Yankees do not seem like a good match.

5. The North Melbourne Kangaroos need to take the AFL up on their offer of $100 million and move to the Gold Coast. The Kangaroos have been struggling financially for many years with low membership numbers, a limited fanbase and trouble attracting sponsors. A move to the Gold Coast financially secures the club while giving the AFL a base in Australia’s fastest growing city. This is a tremendous opportunity for the Kangaroos and it should not be stymied by factions praying on emotional attachment to a particular area.

4. The AFL’s decision to suspend Ben Cousins on the all-encompassing charge of bringing the game into disrepute without offering any reasoning as to what actions actually led to the Cousins suspension is inadequate. Whilst there is no doubt that Cousin’s behaviour over the last half-decade has done tremendous to the AFL, the AFL Commission is obligated to lay out the charges. The whole process lacks transparency and throws a further cloud of distrust over the sport. The AFL needs to step up to the mark and allow the public to get the full story in future cases.

3. Stuart MacGill certainly deserved his spot in the Australian Test team but his performance in the two-Test series against Sri Lanka was well below average and he is going to have a great deal of trouble retaining his spot for the India series. MacGill looked unfit and bowled far too loose to trouble the Sri Lankan’s. Brad Hogg may get a recall in the Boxing Day Test with Victorian leggie Bruce McGain a selection smokie. MacGill will still most likely get first crack but he will only have one Test to perform.

2. Willie Mason has embarrassed himself and his new club with his unwarranted childish attack on former coach Steve Folkes and the club that supported him for ten years. After holding a gun to the head of the Bulldogs and demanding a release, using a fine as a catalyst to make a move to the Roosters that has supposedly been in motion for a number of months, Mason showed no class by using his newspaper column to proclaim that Folkes had no support in the playing group and that Folkes had taught Mason nothing. Only time will tell if the Roosters can handle Mason or whether he will tear at the fabric of the club as he did at the Bulldogs.

1. The biggest positive to come out of the NRL Annual Football Conference was the proposal to reduce the number of substitutions allowed in a game from twelve to ten. Modern day rugby league is played at break-neck speed and those who suffer are the small men who have to face rested big men the entire game. One of rugby league’s great attractions is the attrition factor and that has been missing over the last decade. A reduction in the number of interchanges allowed is a step in the right direction and the NRL should adopt the proposal forthwith.

Upper of the Week: The Australian netball team winning the World Championship. It was a sensational performance from one of Australia’s most successful teams. For a true icon like Liz Ellis to go out on top was simply wonderful. It is just a shame that the ABC refused to show it live.

Downer of the Week: Dick Advocaat reneging on his deal to coach the Socceroos. Only months away from World Cup qualification, Australian football is without a head mentor and is in a state of disarray. The FFA needs to find a head coach immediately.