Terminal 'ignorosis' tends towards poor sportsmanship
COMMENT
Patrick Smith
May 11, 2006
THERE must be a term for it. A label. Something that identifies the condition. Maybe we should call it 'ignorosis'. Might just be the word to describe the feeling club officials, players and supporters get when they feel all their good work, all their goodwill has come to naught. Ignored.
It describes aptly the Fremantle cretins who booed Chris Judd when he was named medal winner in the Dockers-West Coast derby at Subiaco last Saturday.
Melbourne Storm is showing early symptoms. The condition is not full blown but an early diagnosis suggests plenty of bed rest is required. The club - from top to bottom - has criticised the NRL decision to ban second-rower Michael Crocker for nine weeks after he dumped Rabbitoh Shane Rigon on his head last round.
Chief executive Brian Waldron says it is pointless taking his case to the judiciary because it won't change the decision, no matter how good the evidence presented. Crocker thinks that, had he not been a Queenslander on the eve of State of Origin, he may have been treated more leniently, while coach Craig Bellamy is convinced the game's judiciary has been stalking his player.
Add all this up and Melbourne must think the NRL is a lot of vindictive dills. That is not the case and Waldron was determined to note that all the judiciary were people of integrity. Just that his man got a bum decision.
Waldron's version is not shared by many others in the NRL. Crocker had form, the tackle was dangerous and his record multiplied the penalty out to 12 weeks. A guilty plea reduced it back to nine weeks. In the end, Waldron decided the risk would be too great if he took it to the judiciary. Crocker's penalty would default to 12 weeks, if he failed to make his case.
There is more to this than Crocker. Waldron and the Storm reckon that they are mostly ignored in the NRL. No matter that they are second on the ladder. He also claims that the NRL and ARL have no enthusiasm to spread the league gospel in Victoria. The club, in the eyes of the heavies up north, is more outhouse than outpost.
He has more sympathy on that point than he does defending the recidivist Crocker. The chief executive points out that Melbourne has been given just two opportunities out of a possible 160 to appear on Sunday free-to-air broadcasts. The Cowboys had a similar beef two years ago. They now get a fair whack of the prime-time market but only after they began winning a slab of matches. Channel Nine always has an eye to the ratings and not rantings.
This change in scheduling for the Cowboys would suggest that, when you are not in that bubble of popular Sydney clubs, then being good does not cut it. You must be great. The Cowboys meet the Storm in an appetising top of the ladder confrontation this Saturday at Olympic Park. According to the Channel Nine formula, great meets good.
Waldron's argument that the Storm has been abandoned is hardly without merit. The ARL-NRL does not have the zeal of the AFL to take their game across the nation. It is only this year - and it is through government funding - that the Storm has money to spread the gospel. It has raised $23million to advance the cause over three years.
The league heavies have committed to one State of Origin match this year and a Test match. More are planned. A new stadium will be online soon enough and that will become the Storm's home. The NRL's only commitment has been to schedule Storm games there. Melbourne is a sophisticated sports city. Its major games are played in the very best stadiums. At times rugby league has looked as run down as Olympic Park, its present home ground.
The league's tribunal system, while not as flawed as the one used by the AFL, has done Crocker no favours. It is excessive and unfair that Crocker must risk a further three-game penalty to put his case. As in the AFL, the NRL dares you to prove your innocence. It is a sop to convenience and a snub to justice.
The Storm argues that it was burnt when officials took Billy Slater's kicking case to the tribunal this year. The still-miffed chief executive said the Slater presentation convinced the Storm the NRL had a ridiculous system. And the Crocker case does show it has manifest shortcomings.
If the AFL and league judiciary systems are defective - Essendon's Dustin Fletcher was only reprimanded after being found guilty this week of his fourth tripping charge - then rugby union's is shameful. If union wants to run a world competition, then it should do it to world's best practice. Brumbies halfback George Gregan's one match ban for his dangerous throw has left the sport open to ridicule. It appears the Super 14 does not care for the health and safety of its players.
'Ignorosis' is often eased by drawing attention to your plight. That is what the Storm has done on several fronts. No doubt the club feels better for it and can take solace that the sporting world is aware that, on one level at least, the Storm is being roughly treated. Waldron's angst was not wasted.
Fremantle's dose of 'ignorosis', though, may be terminal. E-mails this week have defended the booing of Judd. The reasons have been varied and vapid. The crowd was not booing Judd but the decision of the judges; that Glendinning spelt his first name Ross; no-one takes Fremantle seriously; that Judd walked to the microphone; that the judges were drunk; that the media hated Fremantle; everybody hated Freo; this was the making of Freo; it was a Scientology conspiracy; Damian Drum should have got the medal; it was a cooler day than expected; Judd had it coming (well, not the medal); lots of other people are bad sports; their golden retriever drools.
Compelling e-mails all of them. Fremantle supporters at Subiaco, fundamentally and loudly, have proved from Saturday to this morning to be the very worst of sports.
.
