When the Cheshire emerges...

My beloved Adelaide Crows opened the AFL season on Friday night, and I wasn't home. I did tape it, and was annoyed to discover that we'd lost.

The more annoying thing I discovered though was two hours earlier as I was about to watch a film at the cinema. I should've checked my emails:

Those who seem to cause you the most anguish are those who remind you of what is either lacking or wanting in yourself.

 Doping in Australian sport. Matchfixing too. The blackest day in Australian sport.

Haven't we seen this photo EVERYWHERE today?

Who would've thought it was this widespread? You read about scandals elsewhere... the Lance Armstrong case, the Europol investigation into soccer match fixing. But Essendon players being injected by some suss guy with unknown stuff? Deplorable. And what if Jobe Watson were to get stripped of his Brownlow Medal if the substances test positive? My goodness. What a sad day it would be.

This disappoints me as much as anyone else. I hate to see anyone disgraced by this conduct but if they're guilty they bring it upon themselves. And it's not just the AFL being looked into. Not surprised the NRL's not saying much on matchfixing from what I've previously read... but good on the Australian Crime Commission for doing the report. This needs to be stamped out - how any sport is still credible I'm starting to wonder...


I also wanted to mention the Jeremy Fernandez situation.

Isn't it disgusting? If this is true then our country's in a sorry state. The guy is as professional as any other, and I love watching him on the ABC because he's good at what he does. What a shame this is. Did the world not learn from Rosa Parks as this man did?

***
There is no way to enlightenment. Enlightenment is the way. It's a principle of living rather than seeking.

Every moment that you spend upset, in despair, in anguish, angry, or hurt because of the behaviour of anybody else is a moment in which you've give up control of your life.

The shoe below takes it out though. I feel as if it's a shoe that's come straight out of Spiceworld: The Movie. Remember that scene where they're at a boot camp girls? I can't believe I remember that...

I haven't really kept up with as much Adelaide news in a year as I have this WEEK with the story that most of Adelaide had been reluctant to hear: Kurt Tippett has decided to leave the Crows. He's flying out.

Bye bye

Now, over the last few days I've had discussions about this with my dad as well as trying to explain it to my colleagues, and I feel like getting my two cents out there today.

Went on to the Adelaide Now website where they have the most easily accessible coverage, and discover that, lo and behold, someone's making some death threats on Twitter. All in jest of course, tying in with the release of Taken 2 (which by the way you'll see my review for tomorrow night).


However jokingly or not that was written, it's a bit extreme.

What everyone in Adelaide seems to have a beef about is the fact that this is a real sort of betrayal. Not in the sense that he's leaving the club itself - that happens, it's life - but his reasons for it. He cries homesick for a year and then decides that clubs like Sydney and Collingwood are also potential new friends, leaving Brisbane and the Gold Coast as distant maybes.

And you know why? MONEY. It makes the world go round and he's likely going to take the opportunity at the expense of his reputation in Adelaide and beyond.Tippett was on $700,000 at the Crows as (apparently) our highest-EVER paid player. We were going to bump it up for him to $800k. But clearly if a $1 million pay cheque is on the horizon, something's ticking in his head. The Swans are offering $1 million a season. His parents probably said to him he should man up and go where the money is instead of going from a club on the verge of a premiership to clubs that have no hope for at least five years.

Print coverage courtesy of mum

Then the plot thickened when his younger brother announced he was also leaving Adelaide after having played in the SANFL. It screamed the 2011 situation of Jack Gunston who went home to mummy in Victoria after the Crows also nurtured him. That's the thing with Tippett - we took him in as an 18-year-old who had a basketball background and made him the athlete he is today. And for him to go about his departure in such a bad way hurts.

I say that with full respect to the club and the players. I would've felt gutted if this is what I received as a parting goodbye.

Again, courtesy of mum (legend)

I think Patrick Dangerfield put it best when he tweeted: "Disappointing day for the AFC. Club has done everything it could. But you have to want to be apart of where we are going. #2013 we r coming!"

Something tells me they're pretty disappointed.

***

The Big Footy forums have produced 64 pages of discussion, including comments such as this one:

"Speak for yourself brother, if he goes anywhere but to a Qld club he is a low, dirty dog and I will have zero respect for him!!

"Fair enough if he goes to a Qld Club for lifestyle or family reasons, I'll just look forward to Daniel Talia giving him a footballing lesson next year but!!"

And that's the long and the short of it. Go to a Queensland club, and it'll be much easier to swallow as well as possibly retaining a smidgeon of respect. Defect to a Sydney or Melbourne team, and face the wrath of Roo as well as many general fans (not just Crows supporters) who would see him for what he really could be. The drama is warranted because of the deeper hole Tippett has dug for himself.

It's disappointing mate. You were one of my favourites.

Turns out it even has its own Facebook page. I'm torn between what is right and wrong with the mullet and so am yet to join it. The mystery for me continues as it gives no explanation as to why he has grown it as such.

To Collingwood and briefly on a better note, Dale Thomas' hair is looking good cropped after his shave for charity. This was news to me, I didn't recognise him lol.


Then there's Dane Swan, who continues to take me by surprise. I'm not a fan of Collingwood by any means, but I appreciate this guy's talent. It's just a shame to see him go from this unassuming humble guy to wanting to stand out with all the tattoos and a new military-style do that makes him look like a skinhead from the 80s. Sorry man.




This combination does nothing for Swan whatsoever. He was one of the first to really bring the tattoo sleeve to the game (not a good thing in my opinion), and now he's going full pelt. Yes he plays for Collingwood, but even with that shame on him it's still a bit much. I kept thinking I was watching a game from 1982 in HD or something with all of these elements combined.

I have mixed opinions on the whole tattoo thing, but focusing on the game and its obvious explosion of tattooed players, Swan (and Dayne Beames among others) have singlehandedly brought the overdone pointless tattoos back. Look at the hand tattoos on Swan now, and LEG tattoos (for me the worst). He's putting them on places that scream 'bikie!!!' and disappointingly it distracts you (well me at least) from the game/talent.

What I don't like the most about his bogan revival is that there's no real reason for it. He said so in an SMH article published yesterday. Seriously dude, you won a Brownlow and that's cool, but you've clearly let it get to your head. Stop now before you regret it. Please. And Maric, your locks have to go.