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32 • Touchline • Issue 15
f Australian sport could be personified as a single person,
that person might just be Real Madrid’s coach Jose
Mourinho. Like Mourinho, Australia is loud, brash and not
always acceptable in polite society. But the brilliance is
palpable and winning comes naturally. Mourinho’s excuse for
any outlandish behaviour is that he is a winner. The problem
with this narrative comes when you start to lose. Winning
excuses all sorts of boorish behavior. When you start losing, you
are just a bit of a jerk and a bully.
The national naval gazing that began on Day Three of the
London Olympics, when it became obvious that Australian
swimmers were not going to carve up the pool in the manner
expected, and has become a source of some serious angst.
The latest sporting failure was the suspension of four test
cricketers from the tour of India. The reason cited by the
management was that the players failed to do a homework
assignment. The assignment itself was testament to the
uncertain state of Australian cricket. After a dismal second test,
players were asked to make a presentation regarding what they
would bring to the next test and how they warranted a place in
the team.
Officially, one of the players, vice-captain, Shane Watson, has
claimed to feel sorry that he did not do his homework on
I
AUSTRALIAN SPORT:
A NEW NADIR?
By Timothy Mottram
© CHRIS BROWN