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Why Joey was wrong
By Warren Smith
Fox Sports
July 13, 2006
IT'S fitting that Andrew Johns will be playing cricket for New South Wales this summer because he really will be able to take his bat and ball and go home.
There was no bat at Parramatta Stadium last Saturday night, only a ball. It happened to be the ball the Newcastle captain used to break the all-time points-Scoring record, which coincidentally was held by the man who was coaching the Eels on this occasion.
That Andrew Johns couldn't walk across to Jason Taylor after the game, no matter the score or the circumstance, to accept his congratulations and the aforementioned memento was one of the saddest sights in recent Australian sporting history.
He didn't have to, but Taylor was willing to pay tribute to the player who had just broken his own record.
For his efforts, the former titleholder was treated like a bum who wasn't worthy of being on the same stage as the player who had eclipsed him.
Had Greg Norman stormed off the 18th green of Augusta National 10 years ago having just been beaten by Nick Faldo for the Masters title, he'd never have been forgiven by the Australian sporting public for a lack of sportsmanship.
And what do you think the headlines would have said about Australia football defender Lucas Neill had he carried on like a pork chop after the controversial decision that eliminated the Socceroos from the World Cup?
There'll be a presentation to Andrew Johns at Newcastle's home game this weekend, when the Knights play Melbourne.
It's a game that should be the first of Danny Buderus's tenure as permanent captain of the Knights because the question the Newcastle board of directors has to ask itself is this: "Does the current captain represent the things this club stands for?"
Things like sportsmanship and respect. The ability to handle disappointment as well as success.
If a 12 year old at the local park flung his mouthguard into the turf and stomped on it as Johns did during the defeat to Parramatta last week, how quickly do you think he'd get a size-12 boot up the backside?
More importantly, what do you think Johns' teammates make of exhibitions like that?
I'm guessing that "bemused" would be a massive understatement.
One of the best players to have played the game let down a legion of fans on what was an important night for them last weekend.
Instead of saying "I remember when Joey broke the record", their lasting memory will be "I remember the night Andrew Johns spat the dummy".
http://foxsports.news.com.au/print/0,8668,19773383-23214,00.html
Fox Sports
July 13, 2006
IT'S fitting that Andrew Johns will be playing cricket for New South Wales this summer because he really will be able to take his bat and ball and go home.
There was no bat at Parramatta Stadium last Saturday night, only a ball. It happened to be the ball the Newcastle captain used to break the all-time points-Scoring record, which coincidentally was held by the man who was coaching the Eels on this occasion.
That Andrew Johns couldn't walk across to Jason Taylor after the game, no matter the score or the circumstance, to accept his congratulations and the aforementioned memento was one of the saddest sights in recent Australian sporting history.
He didn't have to, but Taylor was willing to pay tribute to the player who had just broken his own record.
For his efforts, the former titleholder was treated like a bum who wasn't worthy of being on the same stage as the player who had eclipsed him.
Had Greg Norman stormed off the 18th green of Augusta National 10 years ago having just been beaten by Nick Faldo for the Masters title, he'd never have been forgiven by the Australian sporting public for a lack of sportsmanship.
And what do you think the headlines would have said about Australia football defender Lucas Neill had he carried on like a pork chop after the controversial decision that eliminated the Socceroos from the World Cup?
There'll be a presentation to Andrew Johns at Newcastle's home game this weekend, when the Knights play Melbourne.
It's a game that should be the first of Danny Buderus's tenure as permanent captain of the Knights because the question the Newcastle board of directors has to ask itself is this: "Does the current captain represent the things this club stands for?"
Things like sportsmanship and respect. The ability to handle disappointment as well as success.
If a 12 year old at the local park flung his mouthguard into the turf and stomped on it as Johns did during the defeat to Parramatta last week, how quickly do you think he'd get a size-12 boot up the backside?
More importantly, what do you think Johns' teammates make of exhibitions like that?
I'm guessing that "bemused" would be a massive understatement.
One of the best players to have played the game let down a legion of fans on what was an important night for them last weekend.
Instead of saying "I remember when Joey broke the record", their lasting memory will be "I remember the night Andrew Johns spat the dummy".
http://foxsports.news.com.au/print/0,8668,19773383-23214,00.html
