Four Broncos cleared of sex assault allegations

[Tonearm Terrorwrist]

but then you say "the concept of moderation falls on deaf ears on sports people" ...

how you expect them to drink in moderation when the wider community isn't placed under those restrictions?

 

[Shorty]

This discussion isn't about the general public.
It's about footballers acting in a disorderly manner because they cannot moderate their input of alcohol.

The general public aren't playing an important game in a couple of days,I don't even see a point your trying to make besides argue for the sake of arguing.

 

[lockyno1]

Can't say I am going to agree Shorty. I am a firm believer that if a player is paid big bucks then he can go without booze for the season. If they can't do that then the players should be getting a extra job so they avoid the booze. It is not that hard to go without alcohol.

 

[God-King Dean]

People can do whatever the f*ck they want with their own money.

People asking the players to not drink alcohol for the season... lol... then reality kicks in.

 

[Shorty]

No it's not Locky, but what you're expecting is completely unrealistic.
I think that's meddling too much with what's a player's personal choice to do.

When they start drinking too much and conducting themselves in a disorderly manner which brings the club through the mud is when things get out of hand.
Not everybody behave that way when intoxicated.

The reason is say a ban during finals time is that a player should have is mind on the finals and focus in the right direction,which wasn't the case last weekend.

 

[fightingirish69]

People can do whatever the f*ck they want with their own money.

People asking the players to not drink alcohol for the season... lol... then reality kicks in.

i agree totally

 

[ozbash]

People can do whatever the f*ck they want with their own money.

People asking the players to not drink alcohol for the season... lol... then reality kicks in.

so its ok for high profile sports stars to get up to all sorts of socially unacceptable mischief ?

I honestly cant understand why all the clubs dont have a no-booze clause in the contracts. They are employing high performance atheletes, they are paying for the players physical prowess. They are not getting a fair deal if their players are off getting sh*tfaced after games/training and neither are we.

And the players consistently show all and sundry that they cant handle it..

 

[Kiki]

aaah jesus what a huge thread. i cant be bothered typing out my opnions again but here is a huge post i did on it the other day -

http://oherrol.wordpress.com/2008/09/16/kiki-does-serious-times/

here it is if ur too lazy to click the link -

1) As far as most rugby league scandals that crop up, like drinking, (legal) shagging, pissing in public and being obnoxious, I honestly don’t believe footy players are any worse behaved than alot of guys their own age. If my mates had the stuff they did on the weekends reported in the papers, they would be in the same position. Young Australian men do stupid sh*t. It’s a fact of life. I mean who hasn’t peed in an alley when drunk?

2) But let me be clear, I do not, nor does anyone at Errol condone illegal or anti-social behaviour. We are not apologists. There is absolutely no excuse for violence, sexual assault or drink driving.

3) We do however take objection to people inferring that this sort of stuff is representative of rugby league. Because it isn’t. These are social problems, not footy problems.

4) Being a league fan certainly does not mean we approve of any of this behaviour. Stop assuming it is. We don’t particularly like having our morals or our commitment to feminism being questioned coz coz … omgz how can you be a woman and like league and omg omg WHAT ABOUT THE SISTERHOOD? Being a dedicated league fan doesn’t make me less of a woman, and being a woman doesn’t make me any less of a league fan.

We believe men and women have every right to their choices and to respect from their own and the opposite sex. Watching men throw a football around doesn’t change that in any way, so please do shut up. Thankyou kindly.

5) Stop asking me if I think league is disrespectful to women. For the record, my answer is no. I don’t think league as a game, or its fans, are deliberately or inherently disrespectful to women. Is there sexism or discrimination? We’re sure there is, just as - sadly - there is in every walk of life.

Is there ignorance? You bet your ass there is. I think this is for a couple of reasons -

a) League is almost entirely male dominated. If anyone is disrespectful to women it’s probably because they don’t SEE any women in an everyday context. Sure there might be a receptionist and a physio here and there, but basically its men men men all the time. Most players join clubs from a very young age and they basically grow up in this manufactured environment. If some of them end up having slightly skewed views on women, it’s hardly a suprise.

b) Without this every day interaction with women, the boys are left with very little to go on. To be frank, if I was 20 year old guy and offered sex on a platter every time I went out, I would probably come to think that the only way men and women interact is sexual, too.

Thankfully, we think the NRL is trying to change things. I think they really do want to involve women, but they are just at a bit of a loss as how to do it.

God knows there are enough women who are rugby league fans. Even though the boys who play footy might live in a bubble of testosterone, one look around the field at any footy game will show you that there are plennnty of women in league.

So we would like to help you out with a simple step-by-step guide to diversifying league: Step 1 - hire us. Step 2 to 100 - watch our awesome ideas flourish.


so yeh we got heaps and heaps of comments on it so people are definitely interested in what female fans have to say on this matter. go check it out and tell me what u guys think?? i think its great to have an open discussion about this sorta stuff.

 

[bartman]

Exactly Oz. If they want to booze it up beyond respectable or professional or moderate levels, then there are plenty of pub teams where they can ply their trade.

If the NRL lays down some ground rules, then it becomes the players choice to enter the profession, and they can hinge their expectation of huge paypackets on that choice.

Want to earn 200K+ for your footy talent? The sacrifice is not drinking booze for 30 weeks a year. Don't like it? Go and play another code and try and earn that money, without years of league achievement behind you the other code domestically and rugby league in France probably won't be interested in taking you for more than a pittance.

The NRL can be the best and fix up its image that is gradually taking a battering amongst casual/potential fans and families out there. It must take strong action code wide if it really wants to win this battle of the codes in Australia and remain the sport it has been.

Apologists for dumb misbehaving and overpaid hacks who don't know how to stay on the right side of police investigations for their public actions must be happy with the state of the game going down the toilet, so long as these prima donna stars can continue in game with their managers and media acolytes creating their so-called market value or hype.

 

[Kiki]

for the record i think a booze ban is totally ridiculous. its part of aussie culture to have a beer after work and thats what most of them do. MOST of them behave fine.

and ive seen teams in their own leagues clubs getting pissed with their coaches during their supposed booze bans...so yeh. even when they publicly say OH OUR TEAM IS ON A BOOZE BAN...its bullsh*t. because realistically they know the boys need to relax and let off some steam.

as for the bad behaviour its not the booze that does it, its the people. booze didnt turn todd carney into a gross pissing on people idiot, he was that before he ever picked up a drink.

 

[Frank_Grimes]

but then you say "the concept of moderation falls on deaf ears on sports people" ...

how you expect them to drink in moderation when the wider community isn't placed under those restrictions?

The wider community isn't paid six figure salaries to (among other things) compensate for those restrictions. It's just not that simple. Any kid who isn't a deadset idiot would realise he is onto something pretty special and should do everything he can not to f**k it up, when his footy club offers him $150,000pa.

 

[Kiki]

do people realise this sorta stuff has always gone on in footy culture? and worse? its just that now theres more media scrutiny so its reported more. people are acting like its a modern occurence but it isnt.

 

[Azkatro]

do people realise this sorta stuff has always gone on in footy culture? and worse? its just that now theres more media scrutiny so its reported more. people are acting like its a modern occurence but it isnt.

I was talking to a mate the other day about it and I said to him ... imagine the sort of behaviour that got swept under the carpet in the 60's and 70's?

 

[Frank_Grimes]

We've also evolved a little since the 60s and 70s. There's also the issue that in the 60s and 70s most first grade players were being paid a pittance (if they were paid at all).

 

[Kiki]

oh god yeh. one of my friends, his best mates dad used to play for the tigers in the 70s and 80s and DEAR GOD some of the stories are unbelliiiiievable. way worse than anything we hear about these days.

getting drunk/doing stupid things/group sex has always been around. rightly or wrongly.

i think people who are getting upset over it are being a bit precious. in the end of the day they are FOOTBALL PLAYERS. they make their living by running into each other. i hardly think its a suprise when they do geniused things sometimes. i mean really.

(note if its proven in court it was actual sexual assault than obviously thats different and i have no sympathy for those involved. but i dont think group sex in a toilet is something to get upset about. i mean yes its rather unseemly but it isnt illegal so who cares?)

 

[Kiki]

We've also evolved a little since the 60s and 70s. There's also the issue that in the 60s and 70s most first grade players were being paid a pittance (if they were paid at all).

yeh but the point is that sort of behaviour is rightly or wrongly firmly entrenched in league/team culture. perhaps things have changed on a wider social level but perhaps not so much within the insular world of league. and it IS insular. very much so.

 

[myanonymoususername]

but then you say "the concept of moderation falls on deaf ears on sports people" ...

how you expect them to drink in moderation when the wider community isn't placed under those restrictions?

I would argue that moderation is expected of everyone not just footballers. I'd say that the vast majority of people who go out socially do not drink themselves paralytic. And everyone has consequences of some sort when they do get pissed and act badly. Those consequences can be as simple as getting chucked out of the pub, or could be police action, or could even result in employment consequences. (I would say that many employers apart from football clubs would look dimly at employees who make arseholes of themselves and damage the company's reputation ... I know my own employer sacked some guys a couple of years ago for getting pissed in a corporate box and then fighting, in front of clients).

 

[myanonymoususername]

(note if its proven in court it was actual sexual assault than obviously thats different and i have no sympathy for those involved. but i dont think group sex in a toilet is something to get upset about. i mean yes its rather unseemly but it isnt illegal so who cares?)

May not be illegal, but group sex in a public toilet is pretty damn seedy behaviour. And doesn't say a hell of a lot about their attitude towards women. Not to mention extremely poor judgement. Probably says something about the players own sexuality too - I mean standing round with dicks out admiring each other's work with the woman, and then wanting to keep pictures for fond memories of the occasion ...pretty gay!

 

[Kiki]

wait so its the supposed 'gayness' of it that bothers you? that sounds kinda homophobic to me. like its so wrong coz god forbid a footy player but like to see another mans penis. OH NO.

do you realise just how common group sex is in football culture???

and not just footy culture for that matter.

maybe i am rather progressive in my thinking but people screwing in toilets doesn't upset me overly. yeh i would never do it and it is kinda gross but...eh. it just doesnt bother me.

 

[Bobby DIGital]

LOL @ the thought of the chick explaining the events to the cops...

"so yeah I consented to the spit-roast, but then the other one started taping it..."

LMAO I bet the cops had a good laugh.

I wanna see a picture of this woman.