AFL (Anti Football League)

Posted by: winkyincanada on 22 April 2010

Anybody want to join me in a general rant against the overpaid, mysoginist, semi-literate bullies that play the various thug-punching games collectively referred to as "football"?

The rants should also inlcude the adverse effects that these games have on our lives in general. You know, gang rapes of drunken female fans, drunken supporters terrorising people unlucky enough to live near pitches/stadiums/grounds, disprortionate print media attention reducing truly great sports to footnotes, disproportionate air-time, footy-bores talking about how "they" won on the weekend when, in reality they haven't touched a ball since high school (other than to scratch them) etc etc...

I'll start with this little story about how a whole professional team and its management have been systematically and deliberately cheating for years. Are they thrown out of the competition? Hell no.

I just hate all things to do with football. All types of football.

Posted on: 22 April 2010 by deadlifter

Support rugby,The animals are on the pitch not in the terraces

Posted on: 22 April 2010 by TomK

quote:
Originally posted by Frank F:
"the man did good" as they say in UK.

I am with you all the way,

FF

Frank,
It's usually "the boy done good".

Posted on: 22 April 2010 by u5227470736789439

Dear Tom,

Yes but Frank has spent too long in Poland [where they say that 'I am going "on" a party,' or 'never never drive "with" alchohol' [ironic suggestion perhaps], and Spain [where they speak a language that is incomprehensible to me], so he may be forgiven, I suspect!

ATB from George

Posted on: 22 April 2010 by Exiled Highlander

Winky

quote:
Anybody want to join me in a general rant against the overpaid, mysoginist, semi-literate bullies that play the various thug-punching games collectively referred to as "football"?

No.

Regards

Jim

PS

quote:
reducing truly great sports to footnotes,

In your view what are truly great sports?

Posted on: 22 April 2010 by winkyincanada

quote:
Originally posted by Exiled Highlander:
In your view what are truly great sports?

Well, I'm going to be a little selfish here as I would mainly select sports in which I have or do participate.

Sailing, skiing, climbing, cycling, triathlon and running are all sports I have enjoyed participating in. I still cycle and run very regularly, but don't compete as much. I like sports that have appeal outside of competition, as these do (well OK, probably not triathlon, but the individual events do).

There is not much to football that would hold interest for anyone if there was no competition and this is one reason I dislike it. Football is essentially only a means to compete. I especially dislike the tribalism and ludicrous fervour (too-frequently spilling over into ugly violence) associated with football supporters as well as the completely arbitrary team makeups where players are traded like commodities. There is no logic in supporting a team whose player makeup bears no relationship to the brand that is being "supported", but is purely the aggregate of calculated financial decisions.

I am not much of a spectator at the best of times, but I do enjoy watching top-level ski racing and occassionally watch motorsport. With motorsport I will only watch F1 and MotoGP, (the rest hold zero appeal) as an expression of the highest level of teamwork, technology and athleticism rolled into one. I did enjoy the Winter Olympics more than I thought I might.

I am transfixed annually by the Tour de France and would watch more cycling if it was available, but there is little airtime left after football (actually, hockey here) take the lions' share.

Posted on: 22 April 2010 by winkyincanada

It gets better. Now it seems they all cheat.

Posted on: 23 April 2010 by Tarquin Maynard - Portly

quote:
Originally posted by Exiled Highlander:
Winky
quote:
Anybody want to join me in a general rant against the overpaid, mysoginist, semi-literate bullies that play the various thug-punching games collectively referred to as "football"?

No.

Regards

Jim

What Jim said.

Its odd that footie fans never moan about supporters of other sports, it is without exception the other way round. "Look at me, I'm an egg chaser on the moral high ground".

quote:
In your view what are truly great sports?

Ice hockey, obviously. I know all about it as I've seen Slapshot.

Lovely game, for real sportsmen.

Posted on: 23 April 2010 by King Size

quote:
Originally posted by winkyincanada:
Anybody want to join me in a general rant against the overpaid, mysoginist, semi-literate bullies that play the various thug-punching games collectively referred to as "football"?

The rants should also inlcude the adverse effects that these games have on our lives in general. You know, gang rapes of drunken female fans, drunken supporters terrorising people unlucky enough to live near pitches/stadiums/grounds, disprortionate print media attention reducing truly great sports to footnotes, disproportionate air-time, footy-bores talking about how "they" won on the weekend when, in reality they haven't touched a ball since high school (other than to scratch them) etc etc...

I'll start with this little story about how a whole professional team and its management have been systematically and deliberately cheating for years. Are they thrown out of the competition? Hell no.

I just hate all things to do with football. All types of football.

To use a line from one of my favourite bands,

"it seems to me you have to have a hole in your own to point a finger at somebody else's sheet"

Let's look at this objectively. The punishment meted out on them is massive. Not only have they effectively been thrown out of this year's competition but they effectively won't be able to compete again in 2011 unless they can prove compliance. They have also been stripped of their two premiership titles and their three minor premiership titles for the period in question and are required to pay back all prize money won by them during this time. Living in this part of the world I can assure you that the punishment is massive and wholly justified.

Now lets talk about some of the 'truly great sports'.

The 'pinnacle' of sailing is the America's Cup. An event played out on the water (occasionally) and in the courts by men with very large egos and even larger wallets.

The most famous and prestigious cycling event is the 'Tour De France'. How many doping scandals have they had in living memory?

Athletics too has suffers from doping and hormone scandals.

As for F1, don't even get me started...

Lastly, the assertion that "there is no logic in supporting a team whose player makeup bears no relationship to the brand that is being 'supported', but is purely the aggregate of calculated financial decisions." This is a simply a description of sport in the professional era and applies equally to sports like cycling, sailing and motorsport.

I'm a fan and casual participant in some of the sports mentioned above so its not that I have anything against them per se (although I admit a degree of annoyance at the swathes of weekend cyclists clogging up our local roads and cafes)

. I'm just making a few observations that I feel are pertinent to the discussion.

Posted on: 23 April 2010 by OscillateWildly

What King Size says + how militant are some cyclists?

Participants are drawn from society, and reflect it; not all good eggs, not all bad. For the cheats, liars, thieves, thugs, drunks ... there is the majority; well behaved, honest, doing good work with kindness in the local community, but that doesn't make good copy.

Cheers,
OW

Posted on: 23 April 2010 by winkyincanada

quote:
Originally posted by King Size:
quote:
Originally posted by winkyincanada:
Anybody want to join me in a general rant against the overpaid, mysoginist, semi-literate bullies that play the various thug-punching games collectively referred to as "football"?

The rants should also inlcude the adverse effects that these games have on our lives in general. You know, gang rapes of drunken female fans, drunken supporters terrorising people unlucky enough to live near pitches/stadiums/grounds, disprortionate print media attention reducing truly great sports to footnotes, disproportionate air-time, footy-bores talking about how "they" won on the weekend when, in reality they haven't touched a ball since high school (other than to scratch them) etc etc...

I'll start with this little story about how a whole professional team and its management have been systematically and deliberately cheating for years. Are they thrown out of the competition? Hell no.

I just hate all things to do with football. All types of football.

To use a line from one of my favourite bands,

"it seems to me you have to have a hole in your own to point a finger at somebody else's sheet"

Let's look at this objectively. The punishment meted out on them is massive. Not only have they effectively been thrown out of this year's competition but they effectively won't be able to compete again in 2011 unless they can prove compliance. They have also been stripped of their two premiership titles and their three minor premiership titles for the period in question and are required to pay back all prize money won by them during this time. Living in this part of the world I can assure you that the punishment is massive and wholly justified.

Now lets talk about some of the 'truly great sports'.

The 'pinnacle' of sailing is the America's Cup. An event played out on the water (occasionally) and in the courts by men with very large egos and even larger wallets.

The most famous and prestigious cycling event is the 'Tour De France'. How many doping scandals have they had in living memory?

Athletics too has suffers from doping and hormone scandals.

As for F1, don't even get me started...

Lastly, the assertion that "there is no logic in supporting a team whose player makeup bears no relationship to the brand that is being 'supported', but is purely the aggregate of calculated financial decisions." This is a simply a description of sport in the professional era and applies equally to sports like cycling, sailing and motorsport.

I'm a fan and casual participant in some of the sports mentioned above so its not that I have anything against them per se (although I admit a degree of annoyance at the swathes of weekend cyclists clogging up our local roads and cafes) . I'm just making a few observations that I feel are pertinent to the discussion.

The punishment meted out should have been to permanently disband the team and throw the cheaters in jail for faud. Just my opinion, though. I'm not surprised that they will allow the "team" to play again, after all, they gave that Johns grub his own TV show.

With respect to professional era sport, I would asssert that professionalism and sport don't really mix too well. Is sport better becuase we pay people to play it. Generally not IMO.

Yes the Tour de France has its fair share of cheats. Nothing good about that at all.

I wouldn't watch sailing for a bet. i don't count the America's Cup as the pinnacle, although the technology is very special and the teamwork and skills are undoubtedly top class (like top level motorsport). The legal wrangling definitely distracts. Too much money involved, but in sports like this you can see the money "on the pitch". Football, by contrast uses its enormous popularity and revenue raising ability to massively overpay the players with no net benfit to the game. They're just kicking/throwing a football (and often engaging in homo-erotic public groping).

What I said was that I enjoy participating in sailing. It is a great sport to do. You can also do it as recreation without actually competing. Watching it is like watching paint dry, though.

Posted on: 23 April 2010 by winkyincanada

quote:
Originally posted by Mike Lacey:

Its odd that footie fans never moan about supporters of other sports, it is without exception the other way round. "Look at me, I'm an egg chaser on the moral high ground".

I deliberately didn't get on one of the footy forums here and bitch. I started my own thread to see if anyone could make me feel less lonely in the footy-centric universe. That's all. I do enjoy the discussion and debate, though. Thanks all for your contributions thus far.

I don't get the "egg chaser" bit.

Posted on: 23 April 2010 by Tarquin Maynard - Portly

Bear in mind that a large number of the members of this Forum are Brits posting friom the UK which has long been pretty mad about footie.

Egg chasers are rugby players / fans ( the ball they use being ovoid ) and its usually them that bemoan football, rather than football fans who bemoan rugby.

M

Posted on: 23 April 2010 by winkyincanada

Climbing Races?

This article really encapsulates what I find offensive about a lot of the competitive arena. Here, a few women are "racing" to be the first to climb all the 8000m peaks. It is a completely arbitrary goal (a bit like a football trophy), although one that is no doubt very challenging. But to do it as a competition brings out the worst...

We have rampant nationalism/tribalsim. Offensive. Who cares what country they come from?

We have sexism.

We have cheating (or at least allegations).

We have big corporate involvement/sponsoship whereby people with no interest in the personal goals, effectively pay for their adventures.

We have guides and Sherpas put at risk by the blind ambition of their clients.

Basically, these women (and their backers) have taken climbing, which is a truly great pastime/sport and matchless source of self-discovery and simple enjoyment and prostituted it. Turned it into something more resembling football, dare I say.

Posted on: 23 April 2010 by winkyincanada

quote:
Originally posted by Mike Lacey:
Bear in mind that a large number of the members of this Forum are Brits posting friom the UK which has long been pretty mad about footie.

Egg chasers are rugby players / fans ( the ball they use being ovoid ) and its usually them that bemoan football, rather than football fans who bemoan rugby.

M

Posted on: 23 April 2010 by Guido Fawkes

quote:
nybody want to join me in a general rant against the overpaid, mysoginist, semi-literate bullies that play the various thug-punching games collectively referred to as "football"?

Nope - I think footballers are worth every penny they get paid - wonderful entertainers and jolly good citizens. I can think of no finer band of people. I also think Roy Keane is a great manager and all politicians are honest.

Posted on: 23 April 2010 by King Size

quote:
Originally posted by winkyincanada:
The punishment meted out should have been to permanently disband the team and throw the cheaters in jail for faud...

Following that logic, Ferrari, Mclaren, Renault should all be disbanded too. Its worth pointing out that the punishment has been meted out by the sports governing body and that the police need to get involved to throw people in jail. Something I understand they are considering.

quote:
With respect to professional era sport, I would asssert that professionalism and sport don't really mix too well. Is sport better becuase we pay people to play it. Generally not IMO.

I would tend to agree with you on this one, but caveat that by saying that it is the money in sport that allows you to watch it on TV. There is a reason that the popular professional sports are the ones you see the most of on TV. Broadcasters are businesses too.

quote:
I wouldn't watch sailing for a bet. i don't count the America's Cup as the pinnacle, although the technology is very special and the teamwork and skills are undoubtedly top class (like top level motorsport)... Too much money involved, but in sports like this you can see the money "on the pitch". Football, by contrast uses its enormous popularity and revenue raising ability to massively overpay the players with no net benfit to the game. They're just kicking/throwing a football (and often engaging in homo-erotic public groping).

I only brought up the America Cup as you mentioned sailing as one of the truly great sports. I would contend that in both sailing and motorsport, especially at the top end, its not so much the skill of the sportsman on display but the size of the wallet of the competitors. So yes I agree that you can see the money on the pitch and it is often the money that dictates the outcome. Hardly sport in my opinion. At least in football the players skill is on display.

quote:
What I said was that I enjoy participating in sailing. It is a great sport to do. You can also do it as recreation without actually competing.

It really is the 'competition' in sport that bugs you isn't it?

The point of my original post was simply that many of the aspects of football that you despise are just as prevalent in the 'truly great sports'. The Cambridge dictionary defines sport as,

"a game, competition or activity needing physical effort and skill that is played or done according to rules, for enjoyment and/or as a job".

I suggest that your ideal definition would be something like,

"a game, or activity needing physical effort and skill that is played or done according to rules, for enjoyment."

Posted on: 23 April 2010 by winkyincanada

It is the competition to some extent that is the issue here, but I wouldn't say it "bugs me". But really, I have no problems with competition per se. But for many sports they exist only to allow, or because of, competition. It prefer activities (sometimes undertaken as sports) that have intrinsic enjoyment and achievement, not just enjoyment derived from beating the other guy. You couldn't play football without the other team. It only makes sense in context of cometition. But is isn't that whicg bugs me. It is the extent to which football is "supported" and publicised. It is the drain on my finances that it represents. when I use my Barclaycard, I am not happy that some of my hard=earned is making its way into the pockets of the football. It is ridiculous. If "my" team wins on on Sunday, what have I really achieved? If I head out on my bike for a nice ride with my club instead, at least I have achieved some exercise. Sport should not be a spectator sport

Posted on: 23 April 2010 by OscillateWildly

winkyincanada,

quote:
If I head out on my bike for a nice ride with my club instead, at least I have achieved some exercise. Sport should not be a spectator sport Smile.

That's travel or sightseeing!

Posted on: 23 April 2010 by u5227470736789439

Depend how much effort you put into making a quick time [whether there is a sporting element in cycling]!

Somehow I reckon sports bike riding probably does involve some competitve element - even if it is only beating or maintaining your best times for journeys.

But on the footy thing, I have zero interest in it, and my building society sponsers the game. Not sure which competition, but the society is a mutual, and having or not having shareholders is a much bigger concern to me than some money going to sponser sport! My pension is also with a mutual organisation, and I support the Co-op for the same reason.

But there is huge advantage in having footy! The Police know where the fans are! Very helpful in my view. I can make sure that I am elsewhere ...

ATB from George

Posted on: 23 April 2010 by deadlifter

"Egg Chasers". Got it. Obvious, really. Thanks.

The people in the majority position (football fans in the UK) have little reason to bitch about the minority (rugby fans in the UK). The football fans have won, and are smug and complacent in this knowledge. It is their game being shown 24/7 at their local. The rugby fans on the other hand have something to prove, something to gain.

I think you will find that most rugby fans are to be found at their local ground at the weekends and are not bothered about tv coverage or how successfull football is they just hope and pray as I do that rugby does not follow in footballs disgracefull footsteps

Posted on: 23 April 2010 by winkyincanada

quote:
Originally posted by OscillateWildly:
winkyincanada,

quote:
If I head out on my bike for a nice ride with my club instead, at least I have achieved some exercise. Sport should not be a spectator sport Smile.

That's travel or sightseeing!

No sightseeing the way we do it. The sweat in my eyes obscures the view forward. If I could see, it would just be a club jersey on the back of the rider whose wheel I am deperately trying to hold!

Posted on: 23 April 2010 by King Size

quote:
Originally posted by winkyincanada:
No sightseeing the way we do it. The sweat in my eyes obscures the view forward. If I could see, it would just be a club jersey on the back of the rider whose wheel I am deperately trying to hold!

Sounds a little competitive to me.

Do you ever try overtake or beat the guy in front of you? Or try to keep ahead of someone?

I'm a runner and am always striving to improve/beat a previous time.

Posted on: 23 April 2010 by u5227470736789439

Dear winky,

The friend who gave me the Carlton that I so enjoy said that I would definately be competitive as a veteran in time trialing, which is what he bought the bike for in 1986 when he was a youngster - we are exactly the same age.

Trouble is that I am not sure that I want to get into doing something every weekend like that!

Rather enjoy another Wodka Party, or simply do what comes into my head!

Current Carlton Thread.

The old bike has been in the wars lately, but is now restored to rude health! I would rather tinker with a bike than an LP12! At the end you feel you have done something really useful!

ATB from George

Posted on: 23 April 2010 by winkyincanada

quote:
Originally posted by King Size:
quote:
Originally posted by winkyincanada:
No sightseeing the way we do it. The sweat in my eyes obscures the view forward. If I could see, it would just be a club jersey on the back of the rider whose wheel I am deperately trying to hold!

Sounds a little competitive to me. Do you ever try overtake or beat the guy in front of you? Or try to keep ahead of someone?

I'm a runner and am always striving to improve/beat a previous time.

Oh, I don't have a problem with competing, even with oneself. Our club rides are competitive in one sense (the races even more so, obviously - we are a racing club), but we don't do it for money, nor for others to watch.

It is when the activity of watching others compete (especially overpaid bullies with thick necks) overrides one's desire to actually participate that I feel people need to reconsider. Football is just most visible example of this issue.

Posted on: 23 April 2010 by King Size

quote:
Originally posted by winkyincanada:
It is when the activity of watching others compete (especially overpaid bullies with thick necks) overrides one's desire to actually participate that I feel people need to reconsider. Football is just most visible example of this issue.

So its the act of spectating, especially if its a sport that you don't approve of, that gets to you?