Richard Michael
DeanoHarmoWe certainly love a winner....or do we?
December 20th 2006 11:04
Category: No Category
The Australian public is constantly told that they love a winner. The Sydney public even more so. Just how true this favourite adage of the media is remains debatable. Two separate events this week made me ponder the point further.
The Socceroos receieved a very favourable for the Asian Cup. They will play Oman, Thailand and Iraq (did anyone else find it remarkable that despite their homeland being in a state of civil war, the Iraqi team managed not only to field a football team in the Asian Games, but make the final? What is also remarkable is the length of this sentence).
The Socceroos are a prime example of the Australian public not just loving winners. When members of Oceania, the Socceroos won the vast majority of their games, save for the odd match of slight importance every four years or so. In fact, most of the time they didn't just win. They humiliated their opponents (32-0 anybody?) in true Australian sporting style. Yet the sporting public did not truly take to them until they won one of those matches of slight importance. The moment in which the nation got behind the Socceroos the most was after they had lost to Italy. The question remains, now that the Socceroos playing in the more respectable arena of Asia, will the sporting public go back to their old 'don't care even though we're winning' ways or will they continue the new tradition of loving the team the most after they lose. It's anyone's guess.
The other event that occurred this week was the obvious. We won the Ashes (Yay! I totally couldn't see it coming). Earlier today I watched 'An Aussie Goes Barmy' on Foxtel, in which a member of those great bandwagon jumpers, the Fanatics, tours Australia with the Barmy Army. After viewing their heroes be thoroughly thumped and relinquish the Ashes, the Barmy Army stayed at the WACA and sang for an hour until the team came out and acknowledged them. Would Australian fans do this? Hell no. Did most of them do this when we won? Hell no.
What does this tell us? Nothing in particular. I seem to disagree with myself in most parts. In other parts, I am in partial agreement. So really, it's anyones guess. In all honesty, I love a winner, but I don't really mind it when we lose either. If there's one thing Australians truly love, it's ambiguity. Or is it......
The Socceroos receieved a very favourable for the Asian Cup. They will play Oman, Thailand and Iraq (did anyone else find it remarkable that despite their homeland being in a state of civil war, the Iraqi team managed not only to field a football team in the Asian Games, but make the final? What is also remarkable is the length of this sentence).
The Socceroos are a prime example of the Australian public not just loving winners. When members of Oceania, the Socceroos won the vast majority of their games, save for the odd match of slight importance every four years or so. In fact, most of the time they didn't just win. They humiliated their opponents (32-0 anybody?) in true Australian sporting style. Yet the sporting public did not truly take to them until they won one of those matches of slight importance. The moment in which the nation got behind the Socceroos the most was after they had lost to Italy. The question remains, now that the Socceroos playing in the more respectable arena of Asia, will the sporting public go back to their old 'don't care even though we're winning' ways or will they continue the new tradition of loving the team the most after they lose. It's anyone's guess.
The other event that occurred this week was the obvious. We won the Ashes (Yay! I totally couldn't see it coming). Earlier today I watched 'An Aussie Goes Barmy' on Foxtel, in which a member of those great bandwagon jumpers, the Fanatics, tours Australia with the Barmy Army. After viewing their heroes be thoroughly thumped and relinquish the Ashes, the Barmy Army stayed at the WACA and sang for an hour until the team came out and acknowledged them. Would Australian fans do this? Hell no. Did most of them do this when we won? Hell no.
What does this tell us? Nothing in particular. I seem to disagree with myself in most parts. In other parts, I am in partial agreement. So really, it's anyones guess. In all honesty, I love a winner, but I don't really mind it when we lose either. If there's one thing Australians truly love, it's ambiguity. Or is it......
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