Mascord: Rugby league, your image stinks, fix it.

[East Coast Tiger]

Ah yes it's all the media's fault.

The media pissed in Carney's mouth and f**ked a dog and shat in a hallway and bashed women and took drugs etc etc.

When the paranoia on here extends to bagging off Steve mascord and essentially saying he wants to see the game die and his column is devoted to this purpose there is nowhere left to go.

The hypocrites who revel in media coverage of vfl atrocities and blow their load over the billion dollar media deal are quick to turn on even the most credible and respected rugby league people in the press when their words don't toe the deluded parry line. It's pathetic. Mascord is right and ignoring or writing off what he says would only prove how hopeless the situation is. The game is so out of touch with a huge proportion of the community and nothing is improving that problem.

 

[BunniesMan]

There's more freedom to go with a yuck story like Carney than there is with a criminal matter that is currently before the courts.

 

[gUt]

Ah yes it's all the media's fault.

The media pissed in Carney's mouth and f**ked a dog and shat in a hallway and bashed women and took drugs etc etc.

When the paranoia on here extends to bagging off Steve mascord and essentially saying he wants to see the game die and his column is devoted to this purpose there is nowhere left to go.

The hypocrites who revel in media coverage of vfl atrocities and blow their load over the billion dollar media deal are quick to turn on even the most credible and respected rugby league people in the press when their words don't toe the deluded parry line. It's pathetic. Mascord is right and ignoring or writing off what he says would only prove how hopeless the situation is. The game is so out of touch with a huge proportion of the community and nothing is improving that problem.

I agree that Carney needs to be arseholed for what he did. the media's general treatment of RL compared to other codes or societal institutions is tangential to the topic but it is not totally irrelevant to bring it up at this point. Don't deliberately simplify what's being said here.

 

[eozsmiles]

I agree with him so far as the fact that in order for Rugby League to thrive and grow, it needs to rid itself of the assumption that it can still rely on the modern equivalent of the 70's working class to maintain a supporter base (see 'The Footy Show').

However, beyond that this is a silly piece with naive presumptions put forward, ignorant of the complete picture and then the arrogance/ immaturity to defend this limited view with "If you disagree with me you're an idiot!" Nya nya nya nya.

The worst of it? This is not just an ignorant article of a passionate (but ill-informed) follower. This is a deliberately ignorant article from someone who almost certainly knows everything we know regarding off-field player behaviour across our 4 biggest codes. Why not pay a little closer attention to what happens off-field in the "female friendly" AFL for instance...

Almost certainly knows everything we know?

He'd know a hell of a lot more than us. It's probably part of the motivation for his rant.

 

[Perth Red]

I think the titilation value, which the gutter press just gorge on, mixed with the pictorial evidence and as you say the legal restrictions on reporting on accused crimes all play a part. Throw in the star factor level of the player involved and you will generally get more sht media thrown around these sort of cases. Eg packer getting jailed got no where near as much coverage as this carry on.

 

[gUt]

I think the titilation value, which the gutter press just gorge on, mixed with the pictorial evidence and as you say the legal restrictions on reporting on accused crimes all play a part. Throw in the star factor level of the player involved and you will generally get more sht media thrown around these sort of cases. Eg packer getting jailed got no where near as much coverage as this carry on.

ding ding ding

have a look what the scum were able to do with a few grainy pictures of the bulldogs giving the bird to some lowlife who was hanging around their club on Mad Monday last year (I think I'm remembering that right).

 

[seanoff]

One thing about the coverage.

One is lurid, available, and really pretty gross. And therefore easy to cover.

The other is none of those things. Its a hideous crime but there are no lurid photos or video of the incident.

Easier to cover the one with photos+ the photo went viral. Its harder now, but if you are going to do stupid shit dont photograph it

 

[bartman]

Good article, written from the heart by somne who cares about the code.

Agree with Mascord on almost all of his points. Our highly paid professional players need to grow up to help the code thrive into the future.

 

[Chook Norris]

Ah yes it's all the media's fault.

The media pissed in Carney's mouth and f**ked a dog and shat in a hallway and bashed women and took drugs etc etc.

When the paranoia on here extends to bagging off Steve mascord and essentially saying he wants to see the game die and his column is devoted to this purpose there is nowhere left to go.

The hypocrites who revel in media coverage of vfl atrocities and blow their load over the billion dollar media deal are quick to turn on even the most credible and respected rugby league people in the press when their words don't toe the deluded parry line. It's pathetic. Mascord is right and ignoring or writing off what he says would only prove how hopeless the situation is. The game is so out of touch with a huge proportion of the community and nothing is improving that problem.

It sadly truly is. I introduced my girlfriend to NRL and she does watch the odd game now. She told me recently the reason why she didnt watch it previously was because the NRL's image was tainted by constant domestic violence issues and sexual assault cases. Her entire family believes the NRL is dominated by rapists and sh*t people, and refuse to follow the game. The NRL truly does have an image problem and refusing to believe that is akin to sweeping the problem under the carpet

 

[Danish]

It sadly truly is. I introduced my girlfriend to NRL and she does watch the odd game now. She told me recently the reason why she didnt watch it previously was because the NRL's image was tainted by constant domestic violence issues and sexual assault cases. Her entire family believes the NRL is dominated by rapists and sh*t people, and refuse to follow the game. The NRL truly does have an image problem and refusing to believe that is akin to sweeping the problem under the carpet

Are those views the fault of the NRL or of your girlfriend's family? I'd argue the latter.

Unless of course they don't watch ANY sport, listen to music, read books, or view TV and movies of course. Then at least they'd be consistent.

 

[cooko]

ding ding ding

have a look what the scum were able to do with a few grainy pictures of the bulldogs giving the bird to some lowlife who was hanging around their club on Mad Monday last year (I think I'm remembering that right).

If only there was a "ding ding ding" moment where one of the bulldogs thought "maybe if I give a newspaper photographer the bird they'll print it and this might look bad for me, my club and my code".

But no, the bird was given, shit was yelled out the window and the bulldogs look like dickheads.

 

[Danish]

I'm afraid I can't agree with this. Maybe other Australian codes have players f**king up this often, but you don't see quite as many images of Premier League or NFL players pissing in their own mouths or humping dogs floating around.

You do get the high profile shit like rape, murder, and dog-fighting (all far worse than this, obviously) - but that's the sticking point. It's stupid shit, by and large, that is tarring this game's reputation. It's made more frustrating because it's such avoidable shit.

All these so-called 'professional' athletes need to do is stop carrying on like f**king idiots.

When players f**k up in our game, they get sacked from a club and end up at another one. Ferguson, Carney etc aren't punished when they just land a lucrative deal elsewhere. Bans need to be put in place.

You might be over giving a shit what people think, but the NRL can't afford to take such a dismissive stance of it. It's costing the code and the clubs sponsorship dollars, alienating potential fans who can't or don't want to look past the constant off-field scandal to see the game's appeal, and damaging the game's ability to market itself at home and abroad.

The NRL could say 'I don't give a f**k what people think', but it'll sink pretty fast if it does that.

Are you bloody serious? The NFL has a f**king disgusting record of player behaviour.

We offer contracts to drunks after kicking them out of clubs, they offer contracts to f**king murderers and rapists and herald them as champions.

The premier league? Didn't a bloke shoot a team mate at training last year? Not to mention the fan violence. A bloke got arrested last season for punching a bloody police horse FFS :lol:

I'm sure if you lived in the UK you'd read plenty about footballers up to no good in the rags over there like we do in Oz about league players. The fact they are all paid millions per year so can afford to pay hush money to pricks that take photos (it's a regular occurance) is the only reason why less incriminating photos get around.

 

[eozsmiles]

Did you point out how wrong they were?

That type of shit is basically the same to me as the news announcing a robbery in redfern and someone just casually saying "bloody aboriginals". And just like that situation it is the person making the assumption that needs to change, not the person or thing they are making assumptions about

I said that the newsreader hadn't mentioned what sport it was, let alone a name or club. It was still a bit funny.

We aren't talking about race or gender though, we are talking about a hobby. She is a potential fan or consumer of sponsors products associated with our game. It is a simple example of how many people outside of the fan base rank RL in comparison to other sports. Todd Carney doesn't help, and neither do boofhead players that defend him or blame the media.

 

[cooko]

There's currently a thread on this forum listing the bad boy team. It's full of everyone who's done some rotten stuff.

The sad thing is that it's hard to choose players as there are unfortunately so many options for most positions.

The truth is that for every role model there is a village idiot and for every good story there is another drunk incident.

The media are not to blame, the individual player is and if you can't act like a professional on $500k a year then you don't deserve a contract.

 

[gUt]

If only there was a "ding ding ding" moment where one of the bulldogs thought "maybe if I give a newspaper photographer the bird they'll print it and this might look bad for me, my club and my code".

But no, the bird was given, shit was yelled out the window and the bulldogs look like dickheads.

This happened after the media were told to please go away. If they were trying to stick their cameras and microphones into your private party after being told to leave, would you be tempted to flip them off? Would you then be happy to be painted as the most vile, egregious offender by this same media pack?

 

[cooko]

This happened after the media were told to please go away. If they were trying to stick their cameras and microphones into your private party after being told to leave, would you be tempted to flip them off? Would you then be happy to be painted as the most vile, egregious offender by this same media pack?

Yes I would be tempted to flip them off but I'm a little smarter than to actually do it.

 

[bartman]

There's currently a thread on this forum listing the bad boy team. It's full of everyone who's done some rotten stuff.

The sad thing is that it's hard to choose players as there are unfortunately so many options for most positions.

The truth is that for every role model there is a village idiot and for every good story there is another drunk incident.

The media are not to blame, the individual player is and if you can't act like a professional on $500k a year then you don't deserve a contract.

This.

If our league players cut out the stupid stuff, there will be nothing for the media to report. That would then render all of these comparisions and conspiracy theories of how the media treat different codes etc entirely irrelevant.

League is a popular game, and the media exists to make money (readers, clicks, listeners, stringing out stories for days) from popular things. The responsibility lies with the players choosing to undertake these acts in the first place, that's where the buck stops.

 

[Danish]

I said that the newsreader hadn't mentioned what sport it was, let alone a name or club. It was still a bit funny.

We aren't talking about race or gender though, we are talking about a hobby. She is a potential fan or consumer of sponsors products associated with our game. It is a simple example of how many people outside of the fan base rank RL in comparison to other sports. Todd Carney doesn't help, and neither do boofhead players that defend him or blame the media.

It's not race or gender so it's more accepted, sure. That doesn't make it any less stupid behavious worthy of setting straight.

A person who incorrectly attributes any bad sportsman story they hear to league is not a person that the NRL alone can change the opinion of. It requires a concerted effort by fans of the sport and level headed reporting by those in the media to change such mindsets.

Too many people treat league as the easy whipping boy and give AFL, and especially Union a free ride. Instead of the league trying to appease and therefore validating the opinions of these idiots they should be actively fighting against them by pushing the good the game does down everyone's throats and drowning the game in good publicity.

When you rely on 18-29 year old men to provide your entertainment, you can't be shocked when a small portion of them act their age. If the league just tossed aside every player who got into a bit of trouble half of the current origin sides would have been punted years ago. Now some of the worst idiots are great embassadors of the game (thurston and hayne being prime examples)

 

[bartman]

Are those views the fault of the NRL or of your girlfriend's family? I'd argue the latter.

Unless of course they don't watch ANY sport, listen to music, read books, or view TV and movies of course. Then at least they'd be consistent.

Fair dinkum, head in the sand much?

Blame the people who we (the code) haven't made the effort to try and attract or win over, rather than ever think that we (the code) have problems that we can try and fix or improve upon....

Here's a picture for you Danish - whose fault is this one? Anyone who thinks it's silly and/or is offended by it, the people who tweeted/retweeded it.... or the stupid alcoholic merkin on $650K who has a proven track record over many years of not being able to take individual responsibility for his actions.

Not a tough question to come to grips with mate - why blame everyone else but the dickheads responsible?

 

[Danish]

I'm not blaming anyone but the dickheads responsible.

Some however seem to want to blame an entire organisation and the hundreds of players who do nothing but good things for the actions of those dickheads.

Why is it right to tar the entire game with the same brush simply because of the actions of what literally boils down to about a dozen blokes over the last decade of footy (Carney, Ferguson, Dugan, Lui, Myles, Barba, Bird, Inglis, and maybe Auva'a.. although most don't even know that story)?

I won't argue with a single soul who wants to declare Todd Carney is an idiot and deserves to be sacked. I'll agree wholeheartedly with anyone who says that they won't watch any games that Robert Lui takes part in or support a club that gives him a gig. What I won't get behind is people using the actions of a few to try and ruin the reputation of many. Thats poor form and I will forever fight for the game and its many wonderful players when someone does it