The Footy Show – Bringing the Game into disrepute

The Footy Show – Developing a professional culture in the sport of Rugby League has been a challenge David Gallop and the NRL have grappled with for many years.

The 1980′s saw the prevalence of a post game feed consisting of fish and chips and a few too many brews. Ad hoc low intensity training sessions, and games played at grounds that had seen better days.

As more money poured into the sport during the nineties and the noughties, the need to improve the level of professionalism displayed by players and the organsations they represented began to rise. Media coverage of the sport spiked and it was the sport’s priority to do its best to present its best possible image to the public. Players began donning club issued suits before and after games, training sessions intensified. Personalised dietary programs were concocted and charitable works increased. Players were made well aware (some more than others) of the consequences they would face should they put the game’s name into disrepute.

Last December saw the NRL take the final step of completing the journey to fully embrace Professionalism. It’s now a decade and a half after News Limited’s failed attempt to transform the sport of Rugby League in Australia. The NRL have finally made the decision to have an Independent Commission oversee the running of the game. Gone will be the days of conflicting and vested interests and the bureaucratic nonsense which have, for far too long plagued the beautiful game of Rugby League.

Bright days are ahead for the sport and times are definitely changing.

However, my gripe (and the point of this blog) is not about the players and their indiscretions. Nor is it about the current administration, it’s about the bafoons on the Thursday night Footy Show.

If anyone is guilty of bringing the game into disrepute and tainting the professional image of the game, the writers and regular panelists of the Footy Show are it. To some, this gripe of my may sound petty and needless. I beg to differ.

Since its inception 1994, the Footy Show and its panelists have served up the same dross week in, week out – classless, slap stick, and witless humour (calling it humour is debateable). The longer this show has survived, the worse the content has become. One would expect a show called the Footy Show to provide some sort of footballing insight to its viewers. Instead viewers are subjected to “No talent time”, quizzes fit for 5 year olds, narcissistic panelists, a mumbling muppet and half-arsed footballing analysis.

Being a show that is aired country wide, I believe its the duty of programs such as the Footy Show to at the very least deliver their show in a professional and educated manner. I’m not against having a bit of fun, but I am against the excessive idiocy currently being displayed on a show associated with the sport I love.

Example 1: What the hell has the “Beau knows” segment got to do with Rugby League? This segment is an utter disgrace. The amount of sexual innuendo this particular segment has is enough to make any woman cringe with disgust. To top it off, Ryan is not even minutely funny. He’s a tool and needs to stick to what he does best – playing reserve grade. Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but hasn’t the NRL made a concerted effort to become more “women-friendly”? Crap like this isn’t helping the cause.

Example 2: Brad Fittler – I respect your footballing mind and knowledge but I can’t stand your mumbling! Please sign yourself up for speech lessons or something. Colour commentators for NBA do it and have been successful. Just look at Charles Barkley on NBA on TNT.

Example 3: Paul Vautin – You’re outdated buddy. You don’t even know what the hell is going on on the show you’re meant to be hosting. Retirement is long overdue.

As I noted earlier, Rugby League is evolving and has the potential to reach unimaginable heights. Everything, and I mean everything, including television programs such as this will need to evolve with it or risk being left behind and becoming obsolete. This means that like the sport in general, increased professionalism and a greater understanding and sensitivity to the changing social environment must be practiced and observed by those in the media with a nexus to the NRL.

Give me Sterlo, Hadley, Alexander and Harrogan over the crop of bellends currently occupying the panel and maybe then the NRL’s Footy Show will be worthy to represent the sport I and many others love.

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