Why do people idiolise players no matter what?

[Topdog]

This is not just related to the Ben Cousins saga and whilst most of the dirt being flung is just rumours surely there must come a time where people just sit back and said "this guy is just a dickhead".

Why is it that supporters of clubs will get behind a guy regardless of what they do?

At the end of the day these "idols" are young humans and a good percentage of them don't have a lot going on upstairs.

There is a pretty good article in the Herald Sun today detailing how we create this false sense of heroism for them.

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,22616831%255E19742,00.html

[Mofra]

Re: Why do people idiolise players no matter what?

People always look upon their own with rose coloured glasses. I'll admit to knowing a few poor habits of a few Bulldog players, but I don't let that stop me from cheering them out on the field or defending them if someone tries to have a go at them simply because on balance we have a far better behaved group than most other clubs.

Some of the defending of Ben Cousins is laughable though. A known drug taker, caught with pills used primarily by heavy users to mask the effects of comedowns & viagra to combat the "flop" some e users get, and all of a sudden everyone is a legal expert. Amazing that "intent" seems to be conveniently overlooked on occasions.

[Dry Rot]

Re: Why do people idiolise players no matter what?

Agree with all that, and I'd expand on that ie a lot of fans have blind faith in their club and staff too.

I wonder if it's an age thing - old bastards like me have a more cynical view of the world, including football.

[Topdog]

Re: Why do people idiolise players no matter what?

Agree with all that, and I'd expand on that ie a lot of fans have blind faith in their club and staff too.

I wonder if it's an age thing - old bastards like me have a more cynical view of the world, including football.

Yeah perhaps. But I'm fairly young (26) and I'm cynical of a lot of things. The Ben Cousins defending has been laughable. The status that Gary Ablett senior still affords is ridiculous and the fact that the media gets in on the act really pisses me off.

I'm probably a rairty in that I still like Nathan Brown but my goodness he is a complete and utter tool and I said as much whilst he was still at the Bulldogs.

I think that we have been fairly fortunate to not have too many idiots in recent times.

[Sockeye Salmon]

Re: Why do people idiolise players no matter what?

Because they're one of our own, almost like family.

[Twodogs]

Re: Why do people idiolise players no matter what?

I pretty much know exactly what Ben is going through and the drug abuse in the long term is the least of his problems. Anyway here's what I reckon his thought processes have been since the Mainwaring death.


My best mate is dead. I'd been there twice that night and didnt spot the danger-if anyone should have known it's me.


So deep in your head it becomes your fault. Problem drug takers dont take drugs to enjoy themselves or to mask problems. They take them to punish themselves. It's like returning to your worst nightmare and sending yourself to your lowest ebb as quickly as possible to pay for whatever thing your psyche blames you for.

At the back of his mind would have been the fact he was returning to rehab soon and he'd kick it again then. At rehab one of the things they reinforce is that a lapse isnt a disastar but a relapse is a bigger problem. I dont reckon he would have been using all that long FWIW and I think he can overcome it. It's still going to take a while though.


In a weird way getting busted like that might be the best thing for him.

[westdog54]

Re: Why do people idiolise players no matter what?

I pretty much know exactly what Ben is going through and the drug abuse in the long term is the least of his problems. Anyway here's what I reckon his thought processes have been since the Mainwaring death.


My best mate is dead. I'd been there twice that night and didnt spot the danger-if anyone should have known it's me.


So deep in your head it becomes your fault. Problem drug takers dont take drugs to enjoy themselves or to mask problems. They take them to punish themselves. It's like returning to your worst nightmare and sending yourself to your lowest ebb as quickly as possible to pay for whatever thing your psyche blames you for.

At the back of his mind would have been the fact he was returning to rehab soon and he'd kick it again then. At rehab one of the things they reinforce is that a lapse isnt a disastar but a relapse is a bigger problem. I dont reckon he would have been using all that long FWIW and I think he can overcome it. It's still going to take a while though.


In a weird way getting busted like that might be the best thing for him.

Thats a really interesting insight Twodogs, never thought of it that way.

Definitely agree with that last line, but you're right, Mainwaring's death would have undone so much of what he may have achieved since returning from the US.

EDIT: I read that article in the paper as well Topdog, and again, a great insight from Ricky Nixon, he must've been gutted with how it all panned out.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Why do people idiolise players no matter what?

I doubt Ben Cousins is smart enough to think like that. The majority of eagle fans think he is idiot, they just love the way he plays.
Liberatore did some pretty poor things on the field, but we still love him

[Twodogs]

Re: Why do people idiolise players no matter what?

I doubt Ben Cousins is smart enough to think like that.

If you thought about it at all you wouldnt do it. Behaviour like that isnt smart by definition.



Taking lots of drugs tends to stupefy people anyway.

[Topdog]

Re: Why do people idiolise players no matter what?

Liberatore did some pretty poor things on the field, but we still love him

But is Liberatore an idiot, a dickhead or just someone who played the game in a rough manner and did anything to win?

I saw him as a pretty stand up guy to be honest and I remember watching that 'This is your Life' show about him and seeing just how emotional he is about footy. There is a World of difference between him and someone like Nathan Brown / Brendan Fevola or my favourite tool Matthew Richardson.

Richo is one of the most arrogant ****wits I've ever had the displeasure of walking past in the street.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Why do people idiolise players no matter what?

So Ben Cousins wants to "play AFL again"
What the hell makes him thinks he deserves to be a part of it, after his multiple screwups?