Comments on: Any sport in a storm: Coates and Co cop a reality check

By: Sausage Maker

Sausage Maker — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:17:53 +0000

You’re Australian and a sports “journalist”? Makes sense. Explains why this article has the inane use of the word “sense”, as if everyone in Australia thinks exactly the same way the write does. Theres a reason Roy and HG endlessly poke fun at Australian sports “journalism”. Its of such a lot standard. I can hop on a site like cricinfo and be guaranteed to see an article written by a non-Australian that will be far superior to the slop dished up in this country.

Firstly, why should the major sports get increased tax payer funding? National psyche? The Olympics out rates both rugby league and AFL. The only sporting events that unite Australia are the Summer Olympics and recently the FIFA World Cup. I’m from Sydney. I can’t even begin to describe the intense and complete lack of interest in AFL. Nor do I care about the boofheads in rugby leage. Two sports that mean nothing in the world. How can AFL be in the national psyche when there isnt even a national team? (sorry, the hybrid Ireland v Australia matches dont count). Rugby League is played by rugby rejects in NZ and a couple of towns in Yorkshire and Lancashire in England. Oh, and the powerhouse that is PNG.

I’d rather watch Steve Hooker win the pole vault at the Olympics than some boofhead run around in some mickey mouse Australian league in sports that don’t matter.

By: HellsBells

HellsBells — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:14:21 +0000

The entire ethos of the Olympic movement has been lost. Every four years billions of dollars are expended, with a significant proportion on consultants, lawyers, lobbyists and influence peddling. The remainder is spent on sporting facilities of arguable future utility, accessible to a limited percentage of the host country’s population and at some significant cost to the local residents and culture (Beijing being the most recent example). A proportion, normally relatively small and undisclosed for commercial reasons, is recouped from television and sponsorship rights.

Aside from the diversion of serious money from more critical societal needs, the ‘investment’ in such a spectacle does little to bring nations together. An alternative option would be to develop and maintain a single international venue for the Olympics, and develop a global fund to sponsor underrepresented nations and enhance their sporting capabilities.

Australia has gone well beyond sporting achievement being a measure of our stature as a country and people. I admire people who have sacrificed much of their life dedicated to being champions in their chosen sport, but admire far more the teachers, researchers, surgeons, volunteers, philanthropists, soldiers and statesmen who’s sacrifice and brilliance raises the quality of life for current and future generations.

Focussing on ‘winnable’ sports at the expense of smaller sports would make sense. Some gifted sports people will lose out, but many more children will benefit from their loss.

By: AR

AR — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:00:15 +0000

Wot Greg sed.

By: Greg Angelo

Greg Angelo — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 07:34:20 +0000

There was a time when decent sport loving Australians looked askance at the athlete “factories” produced by Eastern Bloc countries such as East Germany to demonstrate the superiority of the Communist state. Australia’s historical competitive advantage because of our healthy lifestyle meant that despite a relatively small population we had a superior relative ranking in world competitions.

The amount of of money pumped into the Australian Institute Sport International it is a national disgrace to benefit a few elite athletes so John Coates can get his rocks off.

Personally I do not care where we rank in the Olympic Games provided our athletes do their best. There are much better ways allocate these resources for social benefit for the majority ofAustralians. Encouraging wider participation in sporting and exercise activities would be a good start. Let John Coates spend the money that he screws out of the Olympic system to support his athletes, and keep his hand out of the taxpayer’s pocket.