Fair fairies

Great sporting moments are often overshadowed by the greater stupidity of officials, coaches, parents or supporters.

The great Australian bottom (or should that be underdog?) who conquers the world’s best in a chosen sport is forgotten in a moment as an official, teammate or administrator opens their mouth to utter an eye-watering, poorly worded and never-thought-out stream of verbal diarrhoea.

In that moment, the glory of gold, a new record, a personal best, a moment of sporting greatness is washed into the media swill that fills the final pages of national dailies, a dedicated timeslot in television news bulletins and sporting television channels.

The achiever becomes a victim of the verb, generally ill-timed and ignorant.

Australia’s greatest international sporting moments may not be those based in superhuman skills or effort.

As a nation we value the performance more highly when we consider the athlete’s circumstances — John Landy’s paramedic moment in a 1600-metre track race, when he stopped to assist a fallen Sebastian Coe, then set off after the field to claim the sub four-minute mile prize; Evonne Cawley or Don Bradman, poor kids from the sticks who rose to international stardom through grit, determination and hard training.

Soccer’s world governing body has had to fight allegations of corruption at all levels, diminishing the game’s status. Not to be outdone, the Football Federation Australia is under the spotlight for perceived ‘irregularities’ in the bidding and hosting process for the 2015 Asian Football Cup, and has to answer to a federal Government inquiry.

It is truly a shame when sport’s greatest moments, a peak performance and a lifelong achievement are buried beneath the coverage of those who could have been or never will be anything other than a muscle exerciser, whose only hope of achievement is behind the microphone. Is it too much to ask that the focus is on the team, the game, the performer, and the sporting performance?

It is an achievement in itself when a team, club and administration have such clarity of vision that the winner is sport, as played and participated in by club members.
Don’t just sit there reading this waffle, get on with it, join a gay sports club at QSAM; www.queersportsmelbourne.org