Readers,
I am addicted to football. I am broke because of it. My body’s a mess because of it. I damn well love it. As do millions.
I wrote the Community Cup piece in haste, and bad mood. And painfully regret it. It IS a great day, for a worthy cause, that many people love. That should be enough, all that matters.
In hindsight, my simple point that the Cup is not grass roots footy as I see it, but a (very worthy) social event, was lost in my own smallness. The piece was bitter. Negative. Petty. The Footy Almanac is meant to be better than that.
The replies are NOT why I am typing this.
I do not take back what I have said in other pieces about the AFL or commentators, or whatever. When I feel I am right I will stick to my guns, no matter what the price. No matter what threat or unpopularity. And I will be unpopular with some for writing this. I do not give a fuck about popularity. But when I am wrong I should admit was wrong.
The way the piece was written went beyond my point and insulted a lot of people who had no right to be insulted. Who were doing something fun. Who should be applauded.
The Almanac is meant to be a celebration.
Footy, in any form, is an expression of life, to be enjoyed. That is exactly what the people involved with the Cup were doing.
I humbly apologize to all the Rock Dogs, and Megahertz and people who went to and put on the show. A great show. Apologize without reservations or excuses.
Matt,
I don’t accept your apology because I don’t feel you need to apologize. You called it as you saw it at the time and let’s face it, we’re all geniuses with hindsight.
It is diverse voices and opinions that make this site valuable. I might not always agree with what you write and I won’t defend to the death anything that might pop into one’s head as truth. However, it is often uncomfortable reading that makes us question our own assumption about what we perceive as real or true. Keep doing what you do Matt and stick by what you write and be ready to defend it because once you hit send it is out of your hands. Barthes knew this and in this viral world dissemination is hard to contain.
Matt, sorry I missed the article, We live in a world were everyone seems to be way too precious. Whenever people are offended by ideas it is usually because they lack the intellectual capacity to to fight back with an clear arguement to support their own idea.
I took your article to be a go at the people who turned thinking they were supporting ‘grass roots’ footy and were really only there to be part of the scene. I can see how some could take it as an attack on the whole event, if they took parts of it in isolation.
I liked that you enkoyed the atmosphere. Being able to see Ross Knight performm some CP songs, slag off Tim Rogers and others. (Although, be careful with Tim. He is a worldly man with many sporting and other cultural interests. One evening, out the back of the Byron Bay RSL, we played cricket with the band and cracked a few of our home brews, which he and band genuinely enjoyed and maybe improved the show that night…)
I accept Matt’s sentiment, but I see it as a moment of ‘mature reflection’ rather than an apology. There is an episode of Yes, Prime Minister where the young private secretary Bernard is racking his conscience about whether ‘hasty judgements’ by the Prime Minister should be recorded in the minutes. He consults the oracular Permanent Head, Sir Humphrey Appleby who advises that the minutes are to record what the participants ‘on mature reflection’ wish that they had said.
“The Cabinet’s done and they’ve all gone to dinner
The Secretary stays getting thinner and thinner
Racking his brains to record and report
What he thinks that they think they ought to have thought”
John Harms transformed into Sir Humphrey Appleby – it beggars belief!!
Hey Matt,
Sorry to hear. Seems like it’s been a bit of a bad experience writing that article. Don’t be too hard on yourself. For what it’s worth I really dug what you were saying in it. A lot of people in the inner part of this city are all about perceptions. Looking good at the right time.
I think that you are onto something- you and John seem to think that the Grass Roots Hype article wasn’t the right way to say it, but stick to your guns. Find another way to talk about the tension that’s undoubtedly there.
Cheers
Ed