Of course, I should have known! The fact that LIV golf thing in an Adelaide starved for elite golf drew a good crowd definitively proves there is no problem with a competition whose demonstrable primary purpose is “sportswashing” – the Saudi Arabian regime trying to put a sheen of green atop the red blood that, for starters, this time last year soaked Riyadh’s square, as they beheaded 81 people “in the largest mass execution in the kingdom’s modern history”.
And, to hear the braying defenders tell it, those crowds also show that there was never any problem with Greg Norman doing direct business with Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud – the Saudi crown prince, deputy prime minister, minister of defence and chair of SA’s Public Investment Fund which is behind LIV Golf – ultimately responsible for the bone-saw chopping-up murder of troublesome journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.
Greg Norman talks to the media before the LIV Golf event in Adelaide.Credit: Getty
I repeat, never mind the blood: didn’t you see the crowds?
(In the words of one Herald reader, “Apparently for some, you should not let … the occasional dismemberment spoil your day at the golf.”)
And by Gawd, for those of you still troubled by all the systemic torture and murder associated with LIV’s supremo Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud, you might be surprised who the badge of “moral hypocrites” can be attached to.
Yes, on one side you have the LIV organisers like Norman who do direct business with murderers for squillions of dollars, all while talking about what is “good for the game of golf”, even as they are driving a cleaver right through that game and starting a civil war.
And on the other side you have those of us who criticise that regime and its sportswashing while also putting petrol in our cars, a percentage of which might come from Saudi Arabia.
Can’t you bastards see the moral equivalence of putting that nozzle in your tank, and consorting with murders and doing their bidding for squillions in their direct bid to wash away the blood?
For yes, friends, it is we of the second lot who are apparently the moral hypocrites!
And let’s not forget the hoariest chestnut of the lot, those who sagely say we should “keep the politics out of sport!” (Just as they said against the sporting sanctions against South Africa over apartheid, Nicky Winmar pointing to his black skin, the NRL standing up against homophobia in 2017 – and every other bit of social progress that sport can be proud to have played a part in moving forward. The narks always say that, and are always wrong.)
Ummm, you don’t get that the whole point of LIV Golf sportswashing is entirely based on politics, that it’s demonstrably driven by eagerness of the Saudis to be accepted back into polite society, ’cos, hey, don’t look at the blood and the torture chambers, look over here instead! Nice golf!
As to the Adelaide crowds, they mean nothing when at last call the global ratings remain as ugly and low as a toilet brush after a music festival on a hot day.
I’ll be interested to see what the ratings were for last week when they come out, but they change nowt. LIV is not about golf, nor about business. It is billions put to washing away the blood. And it doesn’t.
Tibby’s Anzac spirit lives on in Israel
Friends? Your humble correspondent has been in Israel this week, putting the final touches on a book about the Australian Light Horse and the last charge at Beersheba, where 800 troopers of the Australian Light Horse charged at the Turkish guns in the fading light of October 31, 1917, and carried the battle to take the town.
For your interest, on Saturday, as part of the commemorations of that battle, there will be no less than the first ever “Australian Rules International event” with the “2023 Anzac Match” to be played between the Israeli national side and an Australian expat side living in the United Arab Emirates and Europe.
To my amazement there actually are a few regular games of Aussie rules played in Israel, powered by Australians but dragging in whoever they can.
On Saturday the best and fairest will be playing for the Tibby Cotter Medal, commemorating the great Australian Test fast bowler, who lost his life in the charge.
On your behalf, I hope, TFF laid a flower on his grave on Anzac Day.
The match will also honour one William Cooper, a prominent Indigenous Australian who, as one of the first human rights activists in Australia, led a protest at the German consular officer in Melbourne, against Jewish persecution in Nazi Germany. Cooper’s great-great grandson, Daniel Ferrari, will take part in the Anzac match.
Wallaby’s Hell Ship voyage needs more attention
Also of sporting note in this Anzac week, was the finding of the lost Japanese prison ship the Montevideo Maru which was torpedoed and sunk by a US submarine on July 1, 1942, with the captain unaware that there were over a thousand prisoners on board from the fall of Rabaul, including some 850 Australian servicemen.
As I have written, their numbers included the grandfather of Peter Garrett and the uncle of Kim Beazley, but in these pages, let’s remember Wallabies forward Kenelm “Mac” Ramsay aboard a Japanese Hell Ship in WWII.
In the last Bledisloe Cup Test before WWII, Ramsay, a farmer from Quirindi, scored the only try. War’s outbreak found Ramsay with the Wallabies side that had just landed in Britain for a long tour, only for most of them to immediately return to join up.
Ramsay joined the 1st Independent Company commandos and was preparing to strike at the Japanese conquerors of Rabaul when captured. As noted by journalist Max Uechtritz who was documenting the search for and actual discovery of the ship, one Japanese survivor, Yoshiaka Yamaji, would tell the ABC six decades later, “People were jumping into the water. Thick oil was spreading across the sea. There were loud noises … metal wrenching, furniture crashing, people screaming.”
Some Australians did get out, and stayed afloat for a while, holding on to driftwood.
“I was particularly impressed when they began to sing Auld Lang Syne as a tribute to their dead colleagues. Watching that I learned that Australians have big hearts.”
That certainly described Wallaby #303, Mac Ramsay. He was one of ours, and one of yours, Randwick, playing 66 games for you as a back-rower before WWII. Can you honour him and remember him in some way, next Anzac Day?
Last Post fatigue sets in
The ABC’s Brett Sprigg raised a delicate point this week, tweeting: “Touchy subject but do we need The Last Post before every sporting event up to five days before Anzac Day? It’s a sacred thing which should be reserved for the day, maybe the day before at a stretch. Are there other respectful ways to commemorate without getting bugle fatigue?”
The Last Post is played on Anzac Day before the Essendon vs Collingwood clash at the MCG.Credit: Getty
Inevitably, even such careful musing drew the trolls, but I think he’s right. It does feel overdone, and doing it so many times long before Anzac Day cannot help but dilute the haunting impact of the Last Post on the day itself.
Cauliflower power
Meantime, thanks so much for your wonderful support for the sold-out Cauliflower Club lunch this coming Friday, where Nick Farr-Jones, John Eales and Rod Macqueen will talk of their success in the 1991 World Cups. As discussed, among the items on auction will be return Qantas Business class tickets to London, during the Rugby World Cup, and we can now add two tickets to the opening Wallabies match in Paris.
What They Said
Hawthorn captain James Sicily, manages to offend all of Tasmania, when talking of how hard it would be to get frontline players to relocate to Hobart for a 19th AFL team: “There’s not much happening down there. It would be quite difficult, I couldn’t imagine myself living there as a young fella. It’s a difficult one … It would be hard.”
Aaron Rodgers on joining the Jets whose only Super Bowl win was in 1969 with Joe Namath as quarterback: “That Super Bowl III trophy is looking a little lonely.”
Pittsburgh Pirate Drew Maggi on finally making it to the majors after 13 years in the minors: “I saw my Dad crying. I don’t think I ever saw him cry before. All those years, I wondered what I would say to my parents if that moment ever were to come. They’ve been right there with me. Hearing those words made it all worthwhile. I know the last 13 years have not been wasted.”
Draymond Green on the NBA creating rules for Draymond Green: “As long as they create Draymond rules that means we’re winning and that’s great, they can create as many Draymond rules as they want, that’s beautiful. It doesn’t change Draymond.” Draymond? Sit down, Draymond. We need to talk about Draymond.
Draymond Green.Credit: AP
Managing director of the publishers who put out the AI interview with Michael Schumacher, Bianca Pohlmann: “This tasteless and misleading article should never have appeared. It in no way meets the standards of journalism that we and our readers expect from a publisher like Funke. Die Aktuelle editor-in-chief Anne Hoffmann, who has held journalistic responsibility for the paper since 2009, will be relieved of her duties as of today.”
Richmond Tiger Jacob Hopper on their start to the season: “But if you look at it, we haven’t had a lot of things go our way. If a few of those results had gone the other way, it would be a very different story.” Et si ma tante en avais, elle serait mon oncle.
Wayne Bennett on what he told the Dolphins when they were down 26-0 at half-time to the Titans before his Redcliffe side went on to win 28-26: “Not much, I can’t remember now. Mate, if I thought it was important to tell you what I said at half-time I would tell you, but I don’t think it is important, so it is not something I am going to talk about.”
Collingwood skipper Darcy Moore after the Anzac Day victory against Essendon: “To the veterans – there are over 600,000 veterans in this country who have returned from service – we also extend our thanks to you for your sacrifice and we hope that again, doing what we do today, somehow honours your legacy and what you’ve done for our country. Thank you to those 600,000 veterans as well.”
Jahream Bula ahead of his debut last week for the Wests Tigers: “My faith has kept me grounded throughout this journey and now I get to showcase the abilities God has given me. None of this is possible without the man above.” I know. But leave it.
Victor Radley on being sin-binned again: “I’m not sure who made that decision but it was a shit decision.”
Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young in response to the Boston crowd and their expletive-laced chants directed at him: “When people do that I think that’s just total respect. I mean, they aren’t doing that to everybody.”
An American commentator last weekend on the Adelaide golf tournament: “If you don’t like LIV you must be a communist.” Hammer me, I feel sickled.
Robert Jennings atoned for his mistake by scoring a crucial try in the Dolphins’ 28-26 win.Credit: Getty
Team of the Week
Dolphins. Came back from 26-0 down against the Titans, to win 28-26 up!
Sydney Swans and GWS. Meet in the Sydney derby on Saturday. If the Swans lose, it is only the mathematicians among them who will maintain that it is technically possible to win the premiership.
Manchester City and Manchester United. And, speaking of derbies, these two iconic teams will meet in the FA Cup final in June. Both won their semi-finals last weekend.
Into the burrow … Jack Wighton is leaving Ricky and Raiders for South SydneyCredit: John Shakespeare
Jack Wighton. Has taken less cash to join the South Sydney Rabbitohs next year after deciding to leave Ricky Stuart and the Canberra Raiders.
Emily Stavropoulos. Will officiate her 100th AFL Sydney Men’s Premier Division match this weekend.
Miami Heat. Just the sixth No. 8 seed to beat a No.1 seed in the NBA playoffs, taking out the Milwaukee Bucks.
Madison de Rozario. The Australian wheelchair racer won her second London Marathon in a course record following a frantic sprint finish.
Marika Koroibete. The winger won the John Eales Medal for the second time.
RIP Dean Holland. The 34-year-old jockey died after a fall during a race in western Victoria.
Number of the Week. 95,179. The crowd at the Collingwood/Essendon Anzac Day match was second-biggest home and away crowd in AFL history.
