why does Barrett hate Richmond?
It all goes back to 1974. Damien was the impressionable young boy. About 12 or 13 years old to be exact. He was into the footy like most kids his age and everyday would play with the other kids in his year level. The class looker at the time was this girl called Samantha who hapenned to be the same age as Damien and was also into the football. Samantha's roots were deeply embedded in the Tigers whereas Damian was from lesser stock and his roots lay with North Melbourne.
Every day Damian would try to take a speccy or kick a booming goal especially when Samantha was in close vicinity hoping to attract the eye of Samantha. Alas to no avail he would fail every time as just as she would look over at the boys a bigger better looking kid who barracked for Richmond would take that speccy over him or kick that booming goal or lay that bone crunching tackle. I guess nothing like the schoolyard at lunchtime separating the tough kids from the insignificant loser ones. Furthermore most of the kids in the class supported Richmond with a few barracking for the Blues and the Pies. Damian was on his own. Nevertheless he decided to soldier on despite the futility of his predicament. He came to the conclusion that the only way he could attract the attention of Samantha was to actually ask her out.
Nervous he was to afraid to ask her out especially since both teams they supported were in the top two positions on the ladder. Feeling threatened he thought he would bide his time and wait until footy season was well and truly over to make his move but his teenage biological urges were getting the better of him and he was waking up in a cold yet warm and fuzzy sweat every morning. Anyway he thought he had do something.
So he summoned all his energy and he felt compelled to ask Samantha out on the Monday after the 1974 VFL Grand Final. He approached her as she was decked out in her Richmond scarf over her school tunic and he said.
"Samantha I adore you. In fact I love you. I'll do anything for you if you go out with me. I'll even barrack for Richmond".
Samantha promptly rejected his advances and in no uncertain terms told him that he was a loser and that there is nothing he could ever do to sway her opinion after all he was a North Melbourne supporter and a dorkus molorkus. Richmond supporters are proud and passionate not ones to change allegiances just at the drop of a hat she continued.
Heartbroken Damian left shattered plotting his next move and how he could win the heart of the fair maiden Samantha. To this day he is still following Samantha and as the judge decrees every so often that the restraining order will increase by another 100 metres Damian has sworn that until Samantha responds to Damian's unrequited love Damian has sworn "lovers" revenge on Samantha and has vowed to write articles of no substance whatsoever that merely present Richmond as a garbage club in retaliation in the hope that Samantha recognises the errors of her ways and runs into his embrace to live happily ever after.
Once a dweeb always a dweeb.
