Journalists behaving badly

Nuff nuff journos of the week. What the hell? Turning a bushfire tragedy into an excuse to further your career? It's tantamount to doing a Kochie and jumping into the back of an ambulance with two miners (which by the way is a great example of the 'ambo chasing' journo, which lawyers perfected). You douchbags.

If you are going to do something like that, at the very least, don't get caught. It seems to be a case of pure laziness - contact the Police Media centre and get accreditation. It's not like you're from an obscure blog that rants about crap... uh... yeah...

You better hope that the locals don't catch up with you - they don't take kindly to your folk around there...

The V matches up against Adelaide - blood will be shed...

We are waiting with bated breath, have slept out for tickets or set up our grand final party - and the wait is coming to an end. Spectators for Saturday night's clash between Melbourne and Adelaide will trigger memories of the Reds falling down at every turn. Who could forget the 07 final? What shamble.

The Victory boys will have to be mindful that the Reds are playing with nothing to lose - their reputation is mud and they're out to prove that they're not the shitty team that people think they are.

But I'm cautious to be yet another journo who has nothing better to add to the debate than 'Victory will have to be careful that they don't get too cocky, blah blah blah...'. I'm sick of that rubbish. Yes, we KNOW that is a concern. Yes, the players KNOW not to get cocky. Instant fail for being boring.

In a sense I hope that the game isn't a one-sider. I want Victory to win of course, but when Archie Thompson and Carlos Hernandez start fluffing around the forward line I get nervous. Everyone says that a close game is a good game, and as long as there's a lot of goals then that's true. I'll be willing goals for one team only.

As long as they play tight, keep defense active and play for the good shots, then it will a Victory of no doubt. Unless the Reds pull off something special then it'll all Victory's way, good night Adelaide, thanks for coming, don't let slap your arses on the way out. Arrivederci Vidmar.

Let the gladiators enter the ring. Let the blood flow. Let the game begin.

AFL tries evicting A-League from Telstra Dome

Anyone would think that these two are the Ferntree Gully soccer and football clubs fighting over one field!

The notion that the big boy AFL would be snobbish enough to crack the shits over Australia's A-League final being played at the Dome, interfering with its 'popular' NAB Cup standard game, is laughable.

Not only is the NAB Cup the AFL's preseason competition that no-one gives a fat rat's about (you don't see NAB Cup tipping comps, do you?), it's not even a finals game!

Don't get me wrong, I love footy as much as the next man - and I love the A-League just as much - but I object with Andrew Demetriou's sucking the life out of the AFL, and now he's interfering with the A-League. The AFL are having a cry because the Dome's lawyers won't release a copy of its contract with the A-League, and have had a go at the league's attendance levels.

According to Real Footy's report on the Age website "The AFL has expressed bemusement at how the soccer club can profit from matches staged at the ground with lower attendances than loss-making Bulldogs, St Kilda or North Melbourne games."

What a load of complete manure. It really thinks that an A-League grand final won't get more than 30,000 people? (and I think I'm being generous there).

Where do I start? How about the completely different fan base? Completely different market? 150 years vs 4? The AFL can huff and puff all it likes, but the fact it feels threatened by a league that's so new to Australia should be laughable - but is it? Why is it making a big fuss over a NAB match? Could it be that it has never had to share before (except for one day cricket, but very rarely).

I guess the A-League should feel flattered that the AFL should feel so threatened. Is it so worried that NAB may pull its sponsorship from the preseason competition that it will do anything it can to take the A-League out of the equation? My feeling is yes.

Good luck to you AFL, because come World Cup season (being next year) Australia will be alive with REAL football fever.

What journos see in their lifetime in pubs

Testament to the drinking habits of media people.

While I haven't seen many occasions like the examples below (A man wins an axe in a pub trivia comp and proceeds to demolish a couple of tables to cheers from all? That's fantastic!), I have seen and have partook in some actions as a young journo that would raise eyebrows.

Driving to Queensland in a porn-laden company car and an assignment to the Deniliquin Ute Muster were highlights.

Ahhh... the frivolity of youth.

http://www.b3ta.com/questions/pubs/post362301

Also, see below for a great interview with American blogger Seth Godin on music in the future. Great questions, great responses.

http://www.rollogrady.com/rollo-grady-interview-seth-godin/

Cheers to a good, bad game

Let's hear it for the Victory! I imagined that it would be a good game, but didn't intend to see a great game.

Well, it wasn't really a great game.

The Adelaide retired doctors Wednesday night futsal team would have fared better than what Adelaide United did. Vidmar's barrage about his team and its backers (mistaken by the media as the team's supporters) what completely right - how could a team that got as far as it did in the Asian Champions League perform so poorly in the final stages of the Championship?

There will no doubt be some angry Adelaidians this week - not angry at Vidmar, angry at their team. And rightfully so.

Good work to the Melbourne boys. This should make for a great final against the Northern team that wins this Saturday...

Essendon and Footscray hold hands for a good cause

Good to see a footy match that not only is starting the season, it has a special intention behind it.
The Bombers and the Dogs will hopefully put on the usual gladitorial display of might and power, but there will be a sad sentiment in the air for the people in Victoria's northern and eastern suburbs (if not the whole of Australia).

When sport can have a bigger meaning than itself, that's good - but it is only a game. The people who love it are those who really matter.

So tonight, if you are heading to Telstra Dome, spare a thought or two for those who are sitting in a tent, wondering about how they lost their homes and how they'll support their family.

And before anyone asks: Yes, I do still call the 'Western Bulldogs' Footscray. It doesn't matter how many updated logos or rebrandings the team goes through, it will always be FOOTSCRAY. End of story.

I must admit, when I heard that the game had been moved from Darwin, I daydreamed about an angry mob of Territorians storming the local AFL offices.

But, according to my man in Darwin, not people seem to give a toss - a few even think it is a good idea.

Aussies come to the party... but forget the fireworks.

You can always tell when the media is unhappy with a sporting team, but there are two extremes - either it screams how bad a team or player is, ripping them apart for this that and whatever (re, Ricky Ponting) or there's nothing at all. Silence. Maybe a couple of lines as a nod but just as good as silence.

Take Australia's fairly lame effort against Japan in Yokohama is one such example. The game was hyped up incredibly but, due to the 0-0 scoreline, little has been reported on it.

One thing to tale away from that is never expect soccer to hit the front page unless: a) the Aussie pull off a major victory against Italy or another high profile country, b) Australia actually defies the laws of football nature and actually wins the World Cup (hopeful, but not ever expected), or c) Harry Kewell or Tim Cahill marry a British supermodel.

Hopefully they'll play with more guts up forward when they next meet Japan in Melbourne (which will covered by yours truly). This game won't be the decider for their World Cup qualification - which comes soon when they meet Uzbekistan (who I'd love to make fun of but that would be asking for trouble if they beat Australia) - but it will be a test of the Aussie's ability to retain their winning streak against the Blue Samurais.

Pim is doing a good job as Australia's coach, making sure that they constantly fear him. Hell, I don't playing for the team and he terrifies me!

I see in the news that Guus Hiddink has accepted a role temp coach for Chelsea - we'll see if lasts as long as Scolari did...

Hat’s off to Hughes – some real journalism

Here’s a brilliant piece of journalism folks – a heartfelt, well-written account of how fragile life really is when facing nature’s fiercest onslaught. Gary Hughes from The Australian has captured the on-the-spot, self-inclusive journalism that is sorely missed today.

It has fact and a personal tinge, something that large media outlets and ‘current affairs’ shows lack. No sap, no sludge – just honest reporting.

Writing about a tragedy such as the Victorian bushfires (Black Saturday it has been so far dubbed in mainstream, but that’ll likely change) may seem easy for the reporter who shows up after the danger is gone, but Hughes has shown the richness of the experience… and how terrifyingly awful the situation is for those who lost their lives, loved ones and everything they own.

I’m not saying jump in the car and head for a danger zone – only idiot ambulance-chasing Today, Tonight reporters do that. I am saying, keep your eyes open and don’t be afraid to include your thoughts and feelings when reporting. Facts are good, emotion is better.

Budding journos out there should take note and keep this piece in mind when they head to the primary school bake sale for their town newspaper. It may not be glamorous, but glamour isn’t the name of the game.

Victory to take the cup? Stranger things have happened...

Good work on Melbourne Victory for humiliating Adelaide Utd 2-0 in a brilliant display. Only a couple more and we’ll see you guys on the top again, trophy in hand. Could this lead to a grand final of the calibre of 06/07?

A 6-0 result would be hard to achieve again, but stranger things have happened – look at Portsmouth in the last FA Cup? Ok, strange link there, but they surprised everyone by winning at all, so the possibility of Victory taking home the cup is plausible.

I do wonder how long Kevin Muscat can continue his run as captain though. His body has taken a mashing this season.

Also well done on the World Game crew. Yet another week of impressive SBS coverage, although someone needs to get Fozzy out of the newsroom – he’s about as animated as Grant Hackett on channel 9…

A fresh start, a new reason

Folks, it's been a good year since I started this blog and, as you can see, not much has been done with it. I guess the inherent problems with having a blog are: a) finding time to write one, b) find something worth writing about, other than what you had for lunch or bitching about the government, and c) having content of interest to REAL people.

It was these problems I faced when starting the blog. I couldn't work out what I wanted it to achieve: I didn't know what I liked to talk about. It's like it's a week before your birthday and you're excited thinking of all the things you want people to buy you, but when someone asks you what you want, you draw a blank in your brain and, reluctantly, say "Oh, nothing".

But I have since had a revelation. I am sick and tired of seeing rubbish being passed off as good journalism and sports writing. I lay awake at night wondering why 'journalist A' has written something about Ricky Ponting or Steven Gerrard that has made me feel like I have Bali Belly, causing me to lose sleep and hate them for the rest of the week. WHY?

So behold, my opus. Take the ride, Bubba... will be a point for people to experience my pain with me, to promote good journalism and even better sports reporting. That is my goal. Journalism itself is changing as social media and new technology make posting stories, etc, within reach of the common man (often with disastrous, and poorly spelt, results) but more on this on a later posting.

For now, enjoy the postings of someone dedicated to seeing good journalists praised and shit-spinners cursed. Great sports reported on and irritating 'human interest' stories wiped out.

Much love,

O