Ben Cousins documentary

[Damien]

Who watched? thoughts?

I am looking forward to part 2, because I thought tonight glamourised it a little bit to be honest, and am hoping tomorrow night shows just how devastating it can be. Tonight had a bit of a rock star vibe to it.

Smurking and excuse making isn't what I was expecting, and it took up most of the first hour.

[swansrock4eva]

I must admit I didn't take it as smirking and excuses - it was very matter-of-fact I thought. One of the things you can guarantee he'll have been drilled with during rehab is to not blame himself/hold guilt etc on an ongoing basis - it'll have been about understanding and accepting the actions of the past, and then being able to discuss them as a statement of fact in the present, rather than admissions of guilt. While it may have come across as smugness etc to some, I don't think it actually was.

I also thought the "rock star" vibe was set up in that way precisely to demonstrate how it all came to what it did - I don't think any of us can really understand just how high that pedestal was that he was on, and how much he would have thought he could handle and also get away with. It actually reminded me quite a bit of the portrayal of Alphonse Gangitano in the first Underbelly series - very "I own this town" and "don't you know who I am?" etc etc. I hope tomorrow night will show more of how it all unravelled, then had to be put back together. They definitely started to show how his dad was affected quite a bit, and I think that'll only continue tomorrow night.

Having said that, when he was describing the booze-bus runner, I couldn't help but have a good giggle the way he described jumping fences and being of roofs of houses etc - I had this image of an old couple sipping their tea then seeing a flash of Benny Cousins bolting over their fence or onto their roof going "Was that...?" "no, couldn't have been..." "No I'm sure that was Benny Cousins!"

And I still reckon he cheated us out of the 06 premiership.

[CureTheSane]

I thought it was fairly honest.
He's in a no win situation.
If he comes out and makes out he is all remorseful and overly ashamed, it will come off as fake and he'll be slammed more.
I'd rather see what appears to be a genuine insight into what happened, and I think that's what I got.

Up until 9:30 when it was supposed to end and I clicked over to the Chaser.
Found out later that it want 20 mins over time, so it sucks to be Channel 7.
honestly, what the hell are they thinking?
Why eat into a show that has been rating around the top 10?
If they listed it as ending at 9:50 I would have taped the last 20 mins.

Anyway, I'm sure there'll be an extensive recap tomorrow night.
Loved all the anti drug ads during the show to counter channel 9's etc ponderances that it may glamorise drug taking.
Any parent who let their kids watch that show and then had concerns that their kind may feel encouraged to take drugs because of it isn't parenting right.

[Leeroy]

I liked it, honest and straightforward. A few good chuckles too, like "Ah, Nina and Susie, good times... Though I still ended up in the back of an ambulance."

Which some might take for smugness or an inappropriate lack of contrition. In fact, it's the same kind of laugh you have when you walk away from a car wreck. It's true, you really can have one hell of a great time when you're loaded. Cleaning up doesn't change your memory of that.

I don't know why someone would decide to film themselves doing drugs, but those shots were the most powerful of the show. Almost as strong is comparing Ben at the '06 GF with Ben now. He's aged a lot more than four years.

[cruiser]

I don't know why someone would decide to film themselves doing drugs, but those shots were the most powerful of the show. Almost as strong is comparing Ben at the '06 GF with Ben now. He's aged a lot more than four years.

I couldnt work that out either and was wondering why he was filming himself at those times.

[ScottH]

I couldnt work that out either and was wondering why he was filming himself at those times.

Me too. But when you're off your dial, anything sounds good.

I found myself feeling sorry for him at times, but then he would say something that would make think "No, he doesn't deserve my sympathy".
Made me appreciate the issues with drugs a lot more, and sincerely hope I never have to live thru that as a parent.

[Captain]

Made me dislike him even more, certainly agree with Damien's comments.

Wish he explained more on what happened in LA ie who were those 2 random girls who picked him up?

[Frog]

Thoughts? Just a couple.

Ben, I don't care, you did it to yourself, deal with it.

He's been doing it since his late teens - It makes a complete and total mockery of that thing called "AFL Drug Policy" and "AFL Drug Testing". It is piss-weak and non-existing. The AFL should hang its head in shame after this!!

[AnnieH]

The fact that the CLUB KNEW ABOUT IT in 2003 and did nothing about it is disgraceful.

The 2006 trophy will ALWAYS be tainted. No amount of brasso will remove the stains.

[Jewels]

The fact that the CLUB KNEW ABOUT IT in 2003 and did nothing about it is disgraceful.

The 2006 trophy will ALWAYS be tainted. No amount of brasso will remove the stains.

Hear hear Annie. The Eagles should rename themselves the Ostriches.

[CJK]

Still came across as a bit of a tool.

[Jewels]

Still came across as a bit of a tool.

Some things never change.....

[Bleed Red Blood]

The fact that the CLUB KNEW ABOUT IT in 2003 and did nothing about it is disgraceful.

The 2006 trophy will ALWAYS be tainted. No amount of brasso will remove the stains.

- Just fyi I haven't seen the program yet.

If you think the Eagles are the only club who have or would react the way they did you're more than likely wrong.

Their Premiership is NOT 'tainted'. None of this is performance enhancing. Long live Cuz.

[msb]

I must admit I didn't take it as smirking and excuses - it was very matter-of-fact I thought. One of the things you can guarantee he'll have been drilled with during rehab is to not blame himself/hold guilt etc on an ongoing basis - it'll have been about understanding and accepting the actions of the past, and then being able to discuss them as a statement of fact in the present, rather than admissions of guilt. While it may have come across as smugness etc to some, I don't think it actually was.

I also thought the "rock star" vibe was set up in that way precisely to demonstrate how it all came to what it did - I don't think any of us can really understand just how high that pedestal was that he was on, and how much he would have thought he could handle and also get away with. It actually reminded me quite a bit of the portrayal of Alphonse Gangitano in the first Underbelly series - very "I own this town" and "don't you know who I am?" etc etc. I hope tomorrow night will show more of how it all unravelled, then had to be put back together. They definitely started to show how his dad was affected quite a bit, and I think that'll only continue tomorrow night.

Having said that, when he was describing the booze-bus runner, I couldn't help but have a good giggle the way he described jumping fences and being of roofs of houses etc - I had this image of an old couple sipping their tea then seeing a flash of Benny Cousins bolting over their fence or onto their roof going "Was that...?" "no, couldn't have been..." "No I'm sure that was Benny Cousins!"

And I still reckon he cheated us out of the 06 premiership.

Yep, me too. It still angers me know, he may not of been on performance enhancing drugs (so he says anyway) BUT I have heard that some of the effects of the drugs he was taking can improve performance, so who knows? But yes their 06 premiership has been tainted IMO.

[Plugger46]

- Just fyi I haven't seen the program yet.

If you think the Eagles are the only club who have or would react the way they did you're more than likely wrong.

Their Premiership is NOT 'tainted'. None of this is performance enhancing. Long live Cuz.

Couldn't agree more. If it wasn't our team that lost to them, I doubt people would be so strong on it.

I'm no expert on drugs but if he didn't take them on gameday or the day before a game (as he said last night), then surely he wasn't affected by drugs during any game?