Nice article, although for me the issue of players being role models and heroes is a bit of a red herring.Matabele link said:
In the not-so-distant past rugby league players were seldom accused of being role models. Back then they were more commonly lampooned (often unfairly) by sections of the media as dumb violent gorillas.
The gradual change in perception from gorilla to role model is not due to any need for ‘heroes’ but the result of changing economic pressures.
Every step rugby league has taken along the road to full professionalism meant less room for thuggery, whether on or off the field. Remember the bloody battles of the ‘70s? Remember Jim Comans in the ‘80s? Still today we hear Gus bemoan the continual sanitising of the game by lawmakers who remove more and more of the danger and physical risks from the game.
It aint a man’s game any more…
Actually it’s not a game at all, it’s a business now. Most businesses can’t afford to alienate financial backers or large sections of the potential customer base.
To me the question is, ‘why is the NRL suddenly more outraged now than previously?’ (I’m assuming no-one believes it’s because Gallop only just discovered how harmful alcohol can be.) Well, we are 6 months further into a so-called ‘global economic crisis’. Regular workers are losing their jobs left right and centre and working conditions are under pressure across the board. And the competition for sponsorship dollars – and government funding support – is suddenly even more intense.
Gallop’s action was not to protect all the boys and girls from the trauma of seeing their heroes fallen. It was just his kneejerk response to a perceived threat to funding.
By the way, I’m not convinced there really has been “another outpouring of public outrageâ€Â. I think it’s largely media driven, and it is actually the outrage of Gallop and the NRL (along with a few media pundits) which is being reported.
