David EdwardsBlocker Roach's Origin Outburst
July 4th 2008 01:54
Steve "Blocker" Roach's blossoming Origin coaching career is over, after he accused referee Tony Archer of being a "f***ing cheat" after the final siren had sounded. A repentant Roach has since apologised for his actions, and released the obligatory media statement in which he indicated his deep remorse.
Roach said in a statement: "They (Archer and Referees boss Robert Finch) both accepted my apology and i am thankful they were so understanding, but it still doesn't excuse what i did. I would hate to think my actions would ever be repeated by junior players. It's not the kind of example i've tried to set throughout my career".
I can understand where Blocker is coming from, indeed there were several questionable decisions made by Archer during the game, but this is no way to address the situation. But if i may just harp on the media statement that Blocker made. This is Origin football, and the significance of this game must not be underestimated by anybody. Blocker should be entitled to his opinion, as we all are, and does it really matter if the words were picked up by a television network and radio recording equipment? The mere mention of Origin for me conjures up images of club team-mates brutally attacking each other, no holds barred, legitimated violence which is excused because it simply is "Origin". As we know, the rule-book goes out the window for 3 nights a year, as rules and regulations give way to sanctioned over-aggression, even anarchy. If Origin is 80 minutes of blood, sweat and tears - why shouldn't it also involve free speech? After all this is a democracy, and if we aren't entitled to question the powers that be, then Australia is becoming no freer than Putin's Russia, for example.
Robert Finch is indeed starting to resemble an authoritarian ruler, with his penchant to give the big "tick" to all his referees not dissimilar to the former USSR and its former CPSU party heavy-weights. Rarely willing to admit a mistake, Finch constantly has the back of his referees, no matter how many mistakes they consistently make on a weekly basis. As always it is the people who suffer from this one-party hegemony, and change will only come in the form of a revolution. Until then, Referee boss Robert Finch will continue to rule in the tradition of Lenin, Brezhnev, etc, and the little people such as "Blocker", who are only standing up for what they believe in, are cruelly silenced and negated through ruthless public condemnation.
Flicking through the paper today, SportingMind was flabbergasted to see that Big, Bad, Bustling, Brutal, Bad-ass Barry Hall actually had 2 columns in the Herald today. Not only did Hall enjoy a monopoly over Column 8 on the sports back-page, he also managed to sneak in a small comment on Ben Cousins, and how the Swans would enjoy his presence in their line-up if such an event was to happen. The insightful Hall alluded to the fact that Ben Cousins would be a good buy, but he would have to address his other issues before the Swans could consider him. Astonishing stuff.
Hall also (in his first column) made comment on the calf-blood extract saga, a topic which SportingMind touched on the other day. Hall ends his hard-hitting article with the quote: "Getting animal's blood injected is the next level again, but if its going to help you, its something you have to look at".
For such a big, bad man, he clearly enjoys to sit on the fence when it comes to writing sports articles. In both articles he takes a half/half stance on the issues: Cousins would be good but... and Calf-blood extract is the next level, but if it helps.....
Come on Barry, make your mind up son!! Take a hard line on such important issues. For example: Cousins is a good on-baller and is a proven big-game player, but do YOU want to have to be the one who resuscitates him when he flat-lines on your end of season trip to Vegas? Calf-blood extract is great stuff, you are already more animal than human anyway, why not just take it "to the next level"? Even if it does potentially make you lactate milk from the chest area, at least you can be comfortable knowing you will have a heightened endurance level.
-SportingMind
Roach said in a statement: "They (Archer and Referees boss Robert Finch) both accepted my apology and i am thankful they were so understanding, but it still doesn't excuse what i did. I would hate to think my actions would ever be repeated by junior players. It's not the kind of example i've tried to set throughout my career".
I can understand where Blocker is coming from, indeed there were several questionable decisions made by Archer during the game, but this is no way to address the situation. But if i may just harp on the media statement that Blocker made. This is Origin football, and the significance of this game must not be underestimated by anybody. Blocker should be entitled to his opinion, as we all are, and does it really matter if the words were picked up by a television network and radio recording equipment? The mere mention of Origin for me conjures up images of club team-mates brutally attacking each other, no holds barred, legitimated violence which is excused because it simply is "Origin". As we know, the rule-book goes out the window for 3 nights a year, as rules and regulations give way to sanctioned over-aggression, even anarchy. If Origin is 80 minutes of blood, sweat and tears - why shouldn't it also involve free speech? After all this is a democracy, and if we aren't entitled to question the powers that be, then Australia is becoming no freer than Putin's Russia, for example.
Robert Finch is indeed starting to resemble an authoritarian ruler, with his penchant to give the big "tick" to all his referees not dissimilar to the former USSR and its former CPSU party heavy-weights. Rarely willing to admit a mistake, Finch constantly has the back of his referees, no matter how many mistakes they consistently make on a weekly basis. As always it is the people who suffer from this one-party hegemony, and change will only come in the form of a revolution. Until then, Referee boss Robert Finch will continue to rule in the tradition of Lenin, Brezhnev, etc, and the little people such as "Blocker", who are only standing up for what they believe in, are cruelly silenced and negated through ruthless public condemnation.
Flicking through the paper today, SportingMind was flabbergasted to see that Big, Bad, Bustling, Brutal, Bad-ass Barry Hall actually had 2 columns in the Herald today. Not only did Hall enjoy a monopoly over Column 8 on the sports back-page, he also managed to sneak in a small comment on Ben Cousins, and how the Swans would enjoy his presence in their line-up if such an event was to happen. The insightful Hall alluded to the fact that Ben Cousins would be a good buy, but he would have to address his other issues before the Swans could consider him. Astonishing stuff.
Hall also (in his first column) made comment on the calf-blood extract saga, a topic which SportingMind touched on the other day. Hall ends his hard-hitting article with the quote: "Getting animal's blood injected is the next level again, but if its going to help you, its something you have to look at".
For such a big, bad man, he clearly enjoys to sit on the fence when it comes to writing sports articles. In both articles he takes a half/half stance on the issues: Cousins would be good but... and Calf-blood extract is the next level, but if it helps.....
Come on Barry, make your mind up son!! Take a hard line on such important issues. For example: Cousins is a good on-baller and is a proven big-game player, but do YOU want to have to be the one who resuscitates him when he flat-lines on your end of season trip to Vegas? Calf-blood extract is great stuff, you are already more animal than human anyway, why not just take it "to the next level"? Even if it does potentially make you lactate milk from the chest area, at least you can be comfortable knowing you will have a heightened endurance level.
-SportingMind
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Comment by David Edwards
Sporting Mind
Comment by Mick D
Hall has been an imporvement on other notorious "guest colunmists" (Willie Mason), but c'mon, is the Herald struggling that much to fill up its sports pages?
Comment by Captain Carnage
Barry Hall sounds like he should be writing for the Brisbane Courier Mail. A double whammy of Hall and Gorden Tallis, that would be great.