Cousins stiffed by the league and his club

[ShockOfHair]

Like every other RWo-er I didn't pay any attention to the Cousins bird-flipping brouhaha.

Then I read this:
The real villain is Channel Ten - RFNews - realfooty.com.au

Cousins flipped the bird to a camera in a changeroom two hours before a game. Channel 10 pulled the footage out and showed it, and then the weight of the league's moral guardians came crushing down on him.

If Buddy had done that it would have been seen as a cheeky wave to his fans. He wouldn't have been fined $10,000.

As Greg Baum says, Channel 10 ought to cop that fine, not the player.

Pathetic that the league will stiff a player but utter not a word of condemnation of Channel 10.

It also raises the question: Why on earth is there a live feed from the changeroom hours before a game? To watch the spriggers?

[dimelb]

Low pseudo-journalism by Ten. Cousins has a right to privacy in those circumstances; he spends enough time living in a fishbowl. The expression of grievances and the letting off of steam is what the rest of do in privacy - he should be able to as well.
I wonder if Demetriou will take the channel to task - even in private? I doubt it.

[Lucky Knickers]

Camera's in the rooms are a fixture on game day in the seniors. Cousin's knew it. He's been playing for many many years.
Dumb dumb dumb choice by Ben (another in a long line). Actions have consequences. His is 5k (according to FSN last night). Pay up move on.
I sincerely doubt that it would be viewed differently if it was Buddy and imagine Hawks would take a similarly dim view of a player doing this at any time, particularly one central to the club's marketing efforts.

[AnnieH]

In as far as I hate the little "ex"-junkie ... that's a bit harsh.

[goswannie14]

:starts rant: What really got up my nose was that sanctimonious twat Dimwitriou getting on radio saying "We don't want that sort of thing happening with any of our footballers, especially Ben Cousins." Fair enough to say we don't want it, but that word "especially" reeks of what the current CEO of the AFL is so good at, that is, being a sanctimonious wanker who is wrecking our game.

We need more ben Cousins in the AFL and less Andrew Demetrious. :end of rant:

[ScottH]

I've been saying that all week.
Ch 10 served his head up on a platter, for no real reason, other than to flog it's own pony.
Ben did a stupid thing, in private, to a camera that he probably knew was not being show live.
Ch10 should have shown it privately to AFL/Richmond, and it should've been dealt with privately. We don't need to know about it. Nor should we care.

If it happened in the public arena, or during the 3 hour telecast, then that is another story.

Gee, I see more idiots hanging over the fence giving the bird nearly every game. Infact watch the last 5 mins of that Freo game, and you'll see it.

Poor form Ch 10.

[Lucky Knickers]

He copped $2.5k the rest is suspended. What's up with that?
This is his job and he was at his workplace.
If I did this at my workplace to a major stakeholder there would be consequences. What's different?

[pinkemu]

The fact that Ch10 were recording 2 hours before the game shows they were wishing for something to happen. And they got it.

I doubt the AFL would go in hard at the networks because you don't bite the hand that feeds.

[dimelb]

He copped $2.5k the rest is suspended. What's up with that?
This is his job and he was at his workplace.
If I did this at my workplace to a major stakeholder there would be consequences. What's different?

You work for Big Brother? (Orwell's, not Ten's)

[AnnieH]

He copped $2.5k the rest is suspended. What's up with that?
This is his job and he was at his workplace.
If I did this at my workplace to a major stakeholder there would be consequences. What's different?

You are not Ben Cousins, and you did not bring the AFL into "disrepute".
Huge difference.

[goswannie14]

You are not Ben Cousins, and you did not bring the AFL into "disrepute".

So did about 10 other footballers this year, but the AFL won't name them. Hypocrites!

[AnnieH]

So did about 10 other footballers this year, but the AFL won't name them. Hypocrites!

Who? Did any of them ADMIT to taking banned drugs?

[goswannie14]

Who? Did any of them ADMIT to taking banned drugs?

No but they tested positive, which is something that Ben Cousins hasn't done. The AFL are soft on drugs when it suits them.

[CureTheSane]

Who? Did any of them ADMIT to taking banned drugs?

Damn.
Where to start.
With Annie I guess.

So you are saying that Olympic athletes who test positive should only be named when they admit to the drug use?
Or are you saying that you have no faith in the accuracy of drug testing?

[CureTheSane]

So did about 10 other footballers this year, but the AFL won't name them. Hypocrites!

Abso@@@@@@@lutely

haha, that word worked better than I thought it would.....