Eels boo boys entitled to vent feelings
By MIKE GIBSON
COMMENT
June 2, 2004
ONE of the time-honoured traditions for sports fans is to boo and to hiss.
Generally, such disapproval is reserved for opponents and referees.
But during the last week, in rugby league things have changed.
Willie Mason. Mark Gasnier. The Parramatta Eels.
All were booed by fans who were either protesting at their personal behaviour OFF the field or, in Parramatta's case, their pathetic performance ON it.
While Mason and Gasnier had to contend with the indignation of supporters who were angry that their game had been shamed, Parramatta faced the wrath of fans who had travelled to Leichhardt Oval to be subjected to a rout.
It was the team's fifth loss in a row.
The way the Eels are playing, is it any wonder that supporters voiced their discontent?
Parramatta players are miffed. "It doesn't do much for us," says skipper Nathan Hindmarsh.
"I don't think fans should boo you off the ground," agrees teammate Michael Vella.
So what did they expect? The fans to invite them to do a lap of honour?
Hey, guys. Reality check. Repeat after me: It's the fans who line your pockets with cash.
It's the fans who pay their way through the turnstiles each weekend, so you blokes can sign six-figure contracts.
It's the fans who've watched Parramatta promise for years, but fail to deliver.
It's the fans who've turned up to support a team that made the grand final three years ago, only to see it degenerate to the stage that it has become an embarrassment.
Fans feel powerless. They get frustrated.
While they pay the bills, they have no authority to sack the players or hire a new coach.
That's part of the problem at Parramatta.
The fans aren't just booing the players.
They're booing the whole shooting match.
They're venting their displeasure at the administration and the coach.
How Brian Smith hangs on to his job is beyond me.
He is paid more than the prime minister to coach a team that has gone from a class act to become the easybeats of the NRL.
In any other line of business, Smith would have got the bullet.
Yet he retains his job, blaming the "nasty" people in the media for trying to undermine him.
It's not the fault of the media that Parramatta are going like a ruptured rear end.
You can't blame the media for that woeful rubbish last Sunday.
It was the players who are failing to produce the goods and a coach who has proven he is incapable of coming up with the answers.
All those years I followed North Sydney, they never won a premiership. The only blokes who were there when Norths last won the comp are all pushing up dandelions at Gore Hill.
But we never booed the Bears. Maybe sometimes we should have. North Sydney fans were too genteel.
But Parramatta supporters are a more demanding breed.
Even if it has become a grainy picture on their videotape of memories, they are used to winning premierships, and they have lost patience with a club that has lost the plot.
So don't tell them not to boo. The way to make them stop booing is to give them something to cheer about.
#-o
