BBB on Pittsburgh TV!!!!

[cruiser]

I've had enough of the mamby pamby crap thats going on.

Yikes, sounds like Wardy's ready to take someone out! BBW!!

[Wardy]

Yikes, sounds like Wardy's ready to take someone out! BBW!!

You bet - but I'm more of a if looks could kill kind of gal!

[goswannie14]

Annie,

IMO I do not think we should be glorifying it and calling it a 'beauty'. He has let everyone down around him, including himself.

It is a bad thing for our developing game here in Western Sydney when a friend's son (9 years old) came up to me yesterday and said, "Barry Hall's punch was so awesome." I had to explain that it was NOT awesome or cool but an act of stupidity and thuggery.

But it was awesome.
And look what it's doing for the game.... spreading it to the 4 corners of the world.
Good comes out of bad, everyone knows it was bad.
Kids know it was wrong, Hall says it was wrong, but it was a damn good hit.

I agree CTS, it was awesome.

Bring back the biff.

[connolly]

Annie,

IMO I do not think we should be glorifying it and calling it a 'beauty'. He has let everyone down around him, including himself.

It is a bad thing for our developing game here in Western Sydney when a friend's son (9 years old) came up to me yesterday and said, "Barry Hall's punch was so awesome." I had to explain that it was NOT awesome or cool but an act of stupidity and thuggery.

Did he buy that? Big Bustling has put AFL into the US market and has earned the grudging respect of die hard ARL sceptics at my pub. Maybe the nine year old has a more mature perspective than some of screaming shrinking violets on this site. Perhaps you can pass on to the kid that a former world boxing champion also described the punch as instinctive and awsome. It was not an ct of thuggery. If you think that perhaps you live in a world of fairy tales and Harry Potter. The word thug is really offensive and totally inappropriate. It means a cut throat, assassin and a crim who attacks people for money. If you believe that Hall deliberately and in a premeditated manner hit Staker for financial gain and you tell children that you are a disgrace. Hall acted instinctively in a physical pressure situation. Ball Hall is a young man who has turned his life and career around. He has made a slit second mistake. Ever made one of those? And you support our club?

[shaun..]

This is a joke, right

[Matt79]

Did he buy that? Big Bustling has put AFL into the US market and has earned the grudging respect of die hard ARL sceptics at my pub. Maybe the nine year old has a more mature perspective than some of screaming shrinking violets on this site. Perhaps you can pass on to the kid that a former world boxing champion also described the punch as instinctive and awsome. It was not an ct of thuggery. If you think that perhaps you live in a world of fairy tales and Harry Potter. The word thug is really offensive and totally inappropriate. It means a cut throat, assassin and a crim who attacks people for money. If you believe that Hall deliberately and in a premeditated manner hit Staker for financial gain and you tell children that you are a disgrace. Hall acted instinctively in a physical pressure situation. Ball Hall is a young man who has turned his life and career around. He has made a slit second mistake. Ever made one of those? And you support our club?

Thank you for pre judging me on my post Connelly, particularly about my support for the club.

In brief to that...when I was 3 and the Swans came to Sydney in 1982 I became a Swannies fan and have only missed 4 swans games since at home. I also spend my hard earned money buying a membership each year and travel interstate 5-7 times a year all for my support of the Swannies. I have also signed up over 20 new members for the club in the past 5 or so years...but thank you for asking.

I know Hall made a mistake and a stupid one at that. Don't be misguided however and think it was his first. All my original point stated was that we should not be calling the shot a 'beauty'. It was a cheap shot, Staker was not ready or looking and to think otherwise is stupid.

Has the media gone overboard? Yes it has. I have no doubt Hall is regrettful and remorseful, however, it was a stupid action that has affected himself and his team. I am not sure where I implied that Hall did it for financial gain, however, if that was thug means then sorry. I posted the word thug more in terms of the fact he hit someone who was not expecting it. It was a cheap shot.

If you are happy for children to think that type of incident is 'awesome' then so be it, but I know how I prefer my children to play sport.

[NMWBloods]

Some of the comments on here are becoming laughable. And some people have the gall to criticise the media, BF and Eagles websites for their hysteria over Hall.

[connolly]

Thank you for pre judging me on my post Connelly, particularly about my support for the club.

In brief to that...when I was 3 and the Swans came to Sydney in 1982 I became a Swannies fan and have only missed 4 swans games since at home. I also spend my hard earned money buying a membership each year and travel interstate 5-7 times a year all for my support of the Swannies....but thank you for asking. I have also signed up over 20 new members for the club in the past 5 or so years...but thank you for asking.

I know Hall made a mistake and a stupid one at that. Don't be misguided however and think it was his first. All my original point stated was that we should not be calling the shot a 'beauty'. It was a cheap shot, Staker was not ready or looking and to think otherwise is stupid.

Has the media gone overboard? Yes it has. I have no doubt Hall is regrettful and remorseful, however, it was a stupid action that has affected himself and his team.

If you are happy for children to think that type of incident is 'awesome' then so be it, but I know how I prefer my children to play sport.

The punch was awesome and the action was a mistake. But what I really find offensive is the description of Barry Hall as a thug. He is a battler who has done something with his life. He loves the kids coaching clinics. Just because he has a blue collar background and is big and can really box doesn't make him a thug. I know a lot of boxers and none of them are thugs. Teaching girls and boys to box and the code of self defense is not thuggery. Hall punched instinctively and in frustration. In that sense he broke the code of boxing. As soon as he threw the punch he knew he had done the wrong thing. And people want to crucify him, attack his character and intelligence, including unbelievably on this site for a lapse in discipline. He didn't belt some punter outside a pub (Voss), or hammer some kid while his Dad pinned his arms (Kerr) or associate with crims (Cousins). Barry is a fine young man unlike the low cowards I just mewntioned. Get off his back and give him support as a fair dinkum footy club should. We should be sending messages of support, not for what he did, but for effort, passion and committment to a great football club. So there

[NMWBloods]

I think Hall should be knighted and Staker should be sent to jail for besmirching Hall's good name.

[AussieAnge]

Did he buy that? Big Bustling has put AFL into the US market and has earned the grudging respect of die hard ARL sceptics at my pub. Maybe the nine year old has a more mature perspective than some of screaming shrinking violets on this site. Perhaps you can pass on to the kid that a former world boxing champion also described the punch as instinctive and awsome. It was not an ct of thuggery. If you think that perhaps you live in a world of fairy tales and Harry Potter. The word thug is really offensive and totally inappropriate. It means a cut throat, assassin and a crim who attacks people for money. If you believe that Hall deliberately and in a premeditated manner hit Staker for financial gain and you tell children that you are a disgrace. Hall acted instinctively in a physical pressure situation. Ball Hall is a young man who has turned his life and career around. He has made a slit second mistake. Ever made one of those? And you support our club?

According to my dictionary thug means "a tough and violent man".

[TheGrimReaper]

According to my dictionary thug means "a tough and violent man".

Barry Hall is far from a violent man, especially off the field.

[NMWBloods]

One definition of a thug is a violent ruffian, so an act of thuggery is a violent act of a ruffian.

[AussieAnge]

Barry Hall is far from a violent man, especially off the field.

1. I was giving the dictionary defintion of "thug"

2. How he acts off the field has no relevance the issue is his behaviour on the field.

note I have not commented on whether I believe him to be a thug or the act to be one of thuggery.

[Swans500]

That's quite amazing! I know first hand how difficult it is in the US to get news etc from anywhere else (on local stations) other than that of the town your in.
Sick of hearing about high school footy results yet?

You're not wrong there Cheer. Not just results....whole live high school or college games continually...on the big networks....all at the same time....drives me crazy.
I can handle the Steelers 'cos of the local "vibe", but lucky I get my footy from Setanta Sports channel.

[Cheer Squad mbr]

You're not wrong there Cheer. Not just results....whole live high school or college games continually...on the big networks....all at the same time....drives me crazy.
I can handle the Steelers 'cos of the local "vibe", but lucky I get my footy from Setanta Sports channel.

I remember those days...still "erks" me....brrrrrrr. I feel for ya!
You're virtually forced to get cable tv.