One-Eyed Richmond Forum
Football => Richmond Rant => Topic started by: one-eyed on May 14, 2010, 01:50:14 AM
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Proud team reduced to paper Tigers
Sally Bennett
Herald Sun
May 13, 2010 9:09PM
THE trouble with footy fans is that they are so caught up in their emotions they cannot see what's good for them.
Like obsessed lovers trapped in tumultuous affairs, they are incapable of stepping back and surveying the landscape objectively.
Take Tiger fans, for instance, locked in wedded misery to a team that eternally disappoints. Not some of the time. Not but the good outweighs the bad. All of the time.
What the Tigers most need now is a bit of tough love. They need to be scared into action. They need a wake-up call, from the top down, and there's no one better placed to give it to them than the fans.
So, as a non-football fan of any club or code, but the mother of a Tiger tragic, here's some sensible, get-results advice.
Put your foot down, Richmond fans. Abandon those sorry losers. Cancel your memberships and don't turn up for games.
Would you show such "loyalty" and "passion" to a horrible spouse, or a dreadful boss, or an untrustworthy friend?
No. You'd tell them to stick it, eventually. Particularly if they let you down year after year and appeared to have few redeeming qualities.
When are you going to stop thinking with your hearts and start thinking with your heads? When are you going to get angry, instead of just shuffling off in resigned, pathetic acceptance? When are you actually going to react?
You don't have to cut them off forever, just become members of the Former Richmond Fan Club until the team proves itself worthy of your love. Set up a Facebook site, make up bumper stickers, whatever ... just do something.
At the moment you're behaving like doormats, allowing yourselves to be mistreated, disrespected and completely taken for granted.
Just as it is with a downtrodden lover, you are not doing yourselves any favours by playing the loyal, long-suffering fools. And you most certainly are not getting what you want.
If you don't feel able to abandon the troops while they "rebuild", ask yourselves honestly how many years you've been doing just that.
I encourage my son to have a second-best team, but there seems to be an unshakeable tradition that runs through Richmond fans of any age.
My son wouldn't do it to his father, who wouldn't have done it to his father, and so on.
But I bet some of the late fans now turning in their graves would be only too happy to
come back and give the Tigers a good swift kick in the pants.
In my son's 11 years, he has never seen the Tigers rise any higher than mediocre, yet it's water off a duck's back.
So, you see? The yellow and black passion is already dying a slow, painful death.
Cut that pack of losers loose, take a stand and make them earn your respect. They will if they have to.
Sally Bennett is a Herald Sun journalist
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/opinion/proud-team-reduced-to-paper-tigers/story-e6frfhqf-1225866310944
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What a bitch.
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Shows a complete lack of comprehension of what a fan is.
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i'll stick with my tigers no matter what...but she's right with one thing......I'm mightily peeed off with anything Richmond at the moment
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I couldn't help myself, I had to write a comment under the article on the site. Here's what I wrote:
Sally Bennett should stick to writing whatever it is she is good at because this type of cheap shot at a club that is working it's collective butt off to correct the mistakes of the past is just a weak 'follow the pack' piece of crap journalism. I don't know if she was trying to be funny or serious but it came off as neither - more like a schoolkid who joins in the bullying after others have shown there will be no repercussions. Instead of taking the opportunity to reinforce to her son the positive qualities of loyalty, mateship and courage in adversity, she preaches run away when the going gets tough. I'm thankful she's not my mother or mentor.
And as for the worth in following the Tigers? Right now they need their supporters more than ever and the very large majority of them are doing just that, supporting their club unconditionally, much to the amazement and even jealous chagrin of other seemingly more successful clubs. Life is more about the journey and so it is with Richmond. Go and find another kid to kick while they're down - we'll be quite fine without you thanks.
Scrag. >:(
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I couldn't help myself, I had to write a comment under the article on the site. Here's what I wrote:
Sally Bennett should stick to writing whatever it is she is good at because this type of cheap shot at a club that is working it's collective butt off to correct the mistakes of the past is just a weak 'follow the pack' piece of crap journalism. I don't know if she was trying to be funny or serious but it came off as neither - more like a schoolkid who joins in the bullying after others have shown there will be no repercussions. Instead of taking the opportunity to reinforce to her son the positive qualities of loyalty, mateship and courage in adversity, she preaches run away when the going gets tough. I'm thankful she's not my mother or mentor.
And as for the worth in following the Tigers? Right now they need their supporters more than ever and the very large majority of them are doing just that, supporting their club unconditionally, much to the amazement and even jealous chagrin of other seemingly more successful clubs. Life is more about the journey and so it is with Richmond. Go and find another kid to kick while they're down - we'll be quite fine without you thanks.
Scrag. >:(
Its amazing that comment even got published.
In the past I've often tried writing to the 'sex and relationships' bimbo's on the news websites putting them in their place and not one got published.
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It's amazing her son turned out so well-adjusted with her as his mother
Loyalty means nothing to her :banghead
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I couldn't help myself, I had to write a comment under the article on the site. Here's what I wrote:
Sally Bennett should stick to writing whatever it is she is good at because this type of cheap shot at a club that is working it's collective butt off to correct the mistakes of the past is just a weak 'follow the pack' piece of crap journalism. I don't know if she was trying to be funny or serious but it came off as neither - more like a schoolkid who joins in the bullying after others have shown there will be no repercussions. Instead of taking the opportunity to reinforce to her son the positive qualities of loyalty, mateship and courage in adversity, she preaches run away when the going gets tough. I'm thankful she's not my mother or mentor.
And as for the worth in following the Tigers? Right now they need their supporters more than ever and the very large majority of them are doing just that, supporting their club unconditionally, much to the amazement and even jealous chagrin of other seemingly more successful clubs. Life is more about the journey and so it is with Richmond. Go and find another kid to kick while they're down - we'll be quite fine without you thanks.
Scrag. >:(
Its amazing that comment even got published.
In the past I've often tried writing to the 'sex and relationships' bimbo's on the news websites putting them in their place and not one got published.
Not sure that it will get published Jake. I submitted it but can't see it on the site yet! What's that you say? A journalist that won't listen to or acknowledge both sides of a story! :o
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It's f-wits like her we don't need.
What a poor excuse for a story.
Yer kick us while we are down, that easy to do.
The best thing we can do now is rally behind our boys and show that dopey bitch.
That we are right behind them 100%.
I thought Walls was an idiot, but she gets the prize this year.
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This isnt going to be popular but IMHO what i believe is the following......
Women, in general should not be allowed to comment on football
whether is its Kelly Underwood or Sally Bennett, or carloline wilson for that matter, they lack the knowledge, forsight, experience or general brain capacity to contribute anything worthwhile. There I said it, and I really couldnt give two hoots how unpopular or politically incorrect my opinion is. :help
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Nah I don't mind Sam lane, she does here research and doesn't embarrass herself, I admire her passion for the game and she would give any bloke a run on her knowledge. Malthouse junior is ok too. There is a female commentator that makes me squirm a bit because she trots out stupid cliches that are stupid when the men trot them out..... She needs to chill out and do her own thing. I have to admit her voice kind of grates on my nerves too, could be that I am not used to a female commentator for a football game. Caro is an old campaigner, she is just getting a bit crusty (and beating up on us), but I wouldn't say she doesn't know her stuff.
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I hope she dies in a freak yachting accident
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I hope she dies in a freak yachting accident
after her on board deep fryer flips after a monster wave and splashes her with hot grease?
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I hope she dies in a freak yachting accident
i agree with blaisee but disagree with your comment- no need for type of comment infamy!
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I think she might be one who posts on this site alot in disguise.
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What a terrible mother she must be.
Over protective and domineering :wallywink
Whoever she is,i'd bet she's been reading oer as part of her research in regurgitative journalism.
It's such a bitter article,only a woman could write it. :shh
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This isnt going to be popular but IMHO what i believe is the following......
Women, in general should not be allowed to comment on football
whether is its Kelly Underwood or Sally Bennett, or carloline wilson for that matter, they lack the knowledge, forsight, experience or general brain capacity to contribute anything worthwhile. There I said it, and I really couldnt give two hoots how unpopular or politically incorrect my opinion is. :help
What should we be doing?
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Sally Bennett is just a fluff writer.
Previous articles include the man drought in the melbourne dating scene.
She probably couldn't name one current Richmond player.
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This isnt going to be popular but IMHO what i believe is the following......
Women, in general should not be allowed to comment on football
whether is its Kelly Underwood or Sally Bennett, or carloline wilson for that matter, they lack the knowledge, forsight, experience or general brain capacity to contribute anything worthwhile. There I said it, and I really couldnt give two hoots how unpopular or politically incorrect my opinion is. :help
What should we be doing?
Have you been to a Tiger game and seen the old Tigerlets ??? they would tear you a new one bro.... i remember sitting down eating my pie and colling wood had jus kicked a goal and some dude stood up and thses for old Tiger fans ( women) destroyed him im not going to use the lauguge they used but you get the jist :thumbsup
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This isnt going to be popular but IMHO what i believe is the following......
Women, in general should not be allowed to comment on football
whether is its Kelly Underwood or Sally Bennett, or carloline wilson for that matter, they lack the knowledge, forsight, experience or general brain capacity to contribute anything worthwhile. There I said it, and I really couldnt give two hoots how unpopular or politically incorrect my opinion is. :help
Emma Quayle is an amazing writer on all things draft-related.
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My mother recently said to me "you should pick a 2nd team to follow until Richmond comes good".
She's a Collingwood "supporter". ::)
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This isnt going to be popular but IMHO what i believe is the following......
Women, in general should not be allowed to comment on football
whether is its Kelly Underwood or Sally Bennett, or carloline wilson for that matter, they lack the knowledge, forsight, experience or general brain capacity to contribute anything worthwhile. There I said it, and I really couldnt give two hoots how unpopular or politically incorrect my opinion is. :help
What should we be doing?
washing cleaning cooking reproducing serving the man, and keeping the family structure intact
there u go that will keep u ladies busy lol
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What a bitch.
are we allowed to use the "c" word in this instance?
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This isnt going to be popular but IMHO what i believe is the following......
Women, in general should not be allowed to comment on football
whether is its Kelly Underwood or Sally Bennett, or carloline wilson for that matter, they lack the knowledge, forsight, experience or general brain capacity to contribute anything worthwhile. There I said it, and I really couldnt give two hoots how unpopular or politically incorrect my opinion is. :help
What should we be doing?
washing cleaning cooking reproducing serving the man, and keeping the family structure intact
there u go that will keep u ladies busy lol
lol
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This isnt going to be popular but IMHO what i believe is the following......
Women, in general should not be allowed to comment on football
whether is its Kelly Underwood or Sally Bennett, or carloline wilson for that matter, they lack the knowledge, forsight, experience or general brain capacity to contribute anything worthwhile. There I said it, and I really couldnt give two hoots how unpopular or politically incorrect my opinion is. :help
Emma Quayle is an amazing writer on all things draft-related.
I was thinking the exact same thing. I'm all for women writing about football if they have a passion and understanding of the game. I dont want to read crap like this, be it written by a man or a woman. 14 other teams arent going to win the premiership this year either, so chances are the kid is going to be ultimately disappointed. Least if he sticks by the tigers he can really cherish it, knowing he has done the hard yards.
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You know, there are lots, and lots, and lots, and lots etc of men who know eff all about the game as well, and I wouldn't dare suggest they don't comment or have an opinion.
There is nothing right or wrong in opinions, they're just opinions.
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No comprehension of loyalty what-so-ever.
What a disgraceful article.
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are we allowed to use the "c" word in this instance?
Absolutely NOT
No exceptions
:thumbsup
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Very very easy to follow a winning team, takes a lot more guts and loyalty to follow a team thats going through hard times, thats what i taught my kids. Oh sorry, I'm a woman, does that carry any weight? Thing is my husband doesnt give a poo and I do, youre not being politically incorrect, just an A hole >:( :gotigers
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I'm judging loyalty and being stoic in difficult times means nothing for her.
I just wonder what she would have done at Gallipoli on the first ever Anzac Day based on the article she has just written. :shh
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In the words of Marvin the paranoid android from Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
"Why stop now just when I'm hating it" ;D
You know, there are lots, and lots, and lots, and lots etc of men who know eff all about the game as well, and I wouldn't dare suggest they don't comment or have an opinion.
There is nothing right or wrong in opinions, they're just opinions.
Damian Barrett
Tim Gossage
Mike Sheahan
Tony Shaw
Roy Masters
Ex-Richmond coaches
all say hi :chuck
Feel free to add.
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are we allowed to use the "c" word in this instance?
Absolutely NOT
No exceptions
:thumbsup
i was gonna say "cute" lol
dont stress wp, no more c words
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I will add swans suppoorters from sydney to mt's list.
They know stuff all about the game, back when we played them a few seats down from me was a woman who read a book for the entire game.
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It has got nothing to do with being a Woman, it is just that she wrote the article and made the statement. I don't agree with her way of teaching her kid how to deal with adversity, and perhaps her kid will prove to be less shallow than herself. There are some soft as shyte dads that would do the same thing for the sake of the peace.
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This isnt going to be popular but IMHO what i believe is the following......
Women, in general should not be allowed to comment on football
whether is its Kelly Underwood or Sally Bennett, or carloline wilson for that matter, they lack the knowledge, forsight, experience or general brain capacity to contribute anything worthwhile. There I said it, and I really couldnt give two hoots how unpopular or politically incorrect my opinion is. :help
[/quote
agreed. Those 3 collectively have no idea
I personally can't wait till the new tv rights so channel 9 c
can take her off the screen. She is not worthy to be labelled a commentator she is that bad.
Channel 10 WTF were you thinking???
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This isnt going to be popular but IMHO what i believe is the following......
Women, in general should not be allowed to comment on football
whether is its Kelly Underwood or Sally Bennett, or carloline wilson for that matter, they lack the knowledge, forsight, experience or general brain capacity to contribute anything worthwhile. There I said it, and I really couldnt give two hoots how unpopular or politically incorrect my opinion is. :help
I am a 100,000,000 % advocate for women doing anything, I think they are great and can compare and conquer men in just about everything. BUT, I have to agree with you here, you are dead right, women have as much place in AFL COMMENTATING as they do in UFC. Keep the ladies in the board rooms and management but NOT commentating football, it just doesn't even sound right!!
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underwood is unlistenable ... just change channels when shes on!
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underwood is unlistenable ...
And Taylor, Shaw, Russell are "listenable"? ::)
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underwood is unlistenable ...
And Taylor, Shaw, Russell are "listenable"? ::)
shaw is unlistenable, Taylor and Russell are listenable but they hate Richmond so that taints there commentary of our games.
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underwood is unlistenable ...
And Taylor, Shaw, Russell are "listenable"? ::)
shaw is unlistenable, Taylor and Russell are listenable but they hate Richmond so that taints there commentary of our games.
So can I take some licence with your reply and suggest that to us as Richmond supporters they are all "unlistenable"? If so, then how can you mount a case for using gender as a basis for being "unlistenable"? Sounds to me like the reason a commentator is "unlistenable" is because of their individual inadequacies as a commentator, not gender. And FWIW, I don't find Underwood's commentating confronting any more, although it did take a period of 'acclimatisation' to get used to it. She is far more more objective, balanced and unbiased than those other fools.
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I absolutely agree, listening to Underwood 'COMMENTATE' the game, I can never get used to - it just doesn't sound the same. Not sure if I heard her for 15 years would I get used to her. But that should never stop stations from using her
Blaisee was referring to all women in any part of the sport - we should not have an opinion on anything according to him. Sorry Blaisee, never gonna happen
Like Jessica Watson, "if the boys can do it, so can I" :thumbsup
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The funny thing is ,probably because i know a woman called Blaise, I had assumed Blaisse was woman :P,
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underwood is unlistenable ...
And Taylor, Shaw, Russell are "listenable"? ::)
shaw is unlistenable, Taylor and Russell are listenable but they hate Richmond so that taints there commentary of our games.
So can I take some licence with your reply and suggest that to us as Richmond supporters they are all "unlistenable"? If so, then how can you mount a case for using gender as a basis for being "unlistenable"? Sounds to me like the reason a commentator is "unlistenable" is because of their individual inadequacies as a commentator, not gender. And FWIW, I don't find Underwood's commentating confronting any more, although it did take a period of 'acclimatisation' to get used to it. She is far more more objective, balanced and unbiased than those other fools.
The voice for me is what makes who is listenable and unlistenable. Taylor and Russell have ok voices to commentate footy, I dont agree with there opinions, but they are listenable, Underwood screeches to much, anyway like most things in life its all about opinions and everyone is entitled to their own.
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underwood is unlistenable ...
And Taylor, Shaw, Russell are "listenable"? ::)
I forgot about Russell. Almost at the top of the list :chuck.
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Tigerland's tough love steels fans
Sally Morrell
Herald Sun
May 17, 2010
EACH time Richmond plays I'm left with just one consolation as I sadly turn off the TV and hug our crushed youngest
Suffering makes us more noble, right?
But my colleague, Sally Bennett, wants her son to suffer no more. On this very page last Friday she urged Tiger fans, including her 11-year-old son, to cancel their memberships and stop turning up to games.
"Cut that pack of losers loose, take a stand and make them earn your respect," she said.
Of course, I can understand her disappointment. I've seen my boys cry, too.
But there is a positive side to our bad start to the year. All right, disastrous start.
For one, my 10-year-old son is getting some amazing life lessons from his love affair with the Tigers. Never in his lifetime have they been even close to being winners, which means he's learning to lose and lose and lose again - and take it on the chin.
How many other kids his age have had this lesson drummed into them so often and so hard?
Remember, he's supposed to be one of the "everyone's a winner" generation. "Everyone gets a prize" is the mantra.
In my day the only winner for pass-the-parcel games was the kid left holding the parcel when the music stopped for the last time.
Now we wrap a present in every layer of paper on the parcel and make sure to stop the music so often and carefully that every child wins.
Nor do you win or lose much at primary school. The Student of the Week award seems to be handed out almost alphabetically.
And as for those report cards - talk about everyone being a winner.
But the Tigers are into tough love. It's lose, lose, lose all the way. This is the resilience-building stuff that psychologists charge a fortune to teach.
Each Monday morning for years my boys have known they'll get teased by their mates who follow the high-flying teams.
And each Monday morning they front up for their punishment.
This year in particular, I've seen my sensitive youngest harden up. Much more of this and hard words from some spiteful bully won't carry much weight any more.
Secondly, I'm really proud that my sons and my daughter have never thought once of switching to a more successful team.
And not only that, my youngest in particular has never once toned down his adoration of the team. Every wall of his room is still decorated with the boys from the yellow and black, and there's not even been a request to take off the Tiger stickers from the back of the car.
Talk about flaunting it.
Yes, all three are born optimists: "We're setting ourselves up for the next couple of years," says James.
But it's still really heartening as a parent to see your kids are not the type to drop their mates when the going gets tough.
These are children who will one day say those words "for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health" and know the full meaning of each syllable, and know also that they've met that test before.
Don't let your son switch teams, Sally. Yes, the Tigers might be "a pack of losers" but they're teaching our kids to be life's winners.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/opinion/tigerlands-tough-love-steels-fans/story-e6frfifo-1225867455192