admincms's blog
by admincms — Sun, 2009-08-30 07:20 — Last Updated: Sun, 2009-08-30 11:39
About three years ago, I wrote an entry on my blog here at AFANA.com on "Why AFANA Is Important Even If You Don't Get The Footy Now". My argument then, in a nutshell, was this: If the only time you support what we do is when you are happy with the coverage, we might not be there on the day when you are not. Or alternately, if you only visit our site when you feel you need us, don't be surprised if we aren't able to help you. read more »
by admincms — Thu, 2009-08-06 13:43 — Last Updated: Thu, 2009-08-06 18:02
One of the luxuries of being the "Chairman Emeritus" is that I get to help but I'm no longer responsible for the nitty gritty between the AFL, networks, and AFANA on TV issues. I can also offer my perspective as the "old man" on the block -- the gray haired veteran with (hopefully) sage wisdom. Now that the details are finally being published on the new AFL contract with ESPN and TSN in North America, I can also talk more freely without jeopardizing contract negotiations.
Fans are already starting to weigh in and predictably read more »
by admincms — Wed, 2009-04-01 13:55 — Last Updated: Wed, 2009-04-22 13:30
Fellow footy fans,
Today is my last day leading AFANA (see announcement here). It's been a ride that at times has been frustrating, exhilarating, discouraging, hopeless, thrilling, fun, and just plain hard work. Now, at the end, it is a relief and as one door closes, another is opening. More on that later.
First, I need to publicly thank a few people. First, to my two co-founders: Wade Hinkle and the late Richard Lipp. Without their encouragement, foresight, and motivation, I wouldn't be here and AFANA wouldn't exist. Thank you for your belief in me and in the potential of this organization. To our outgoing editor, my long time friend and colleague, Ann Solomon: You've never failed me personally or professionally and I can never repay you. You have always listened read more »
by admincms — Mon, 2008-09-08 16:01 — Last Updated: Mon, 2009-09-21 23:53
In the following article in the Herald Sun, AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou defends the AFL's case for a 2nd team in Sydney: Two into Sydney a nice fit I read this with some interest and a couple of the numbers he uses caught my eye: He makes the interesting argument that the one team in Sydney is equivalent to 1 player for every 159,000 residents while the same number for Melbourne is just 1 per 11, 000. Hmm, well let's see what that really tells us. read more »
by admincms — Sun, 2008-09-07 20:22 — Last Updated: Wed, 2009-04-22 13:30
With the conclusion of the 3rd International Cup this past Friday in Melbourne, it is probably time to take a look at the future direction of the sport in North America. As I wasn't there in person and depend on the match reports of our friends at worldfootynews.com to evaluate the results, I will not critique the performance of the USA and Canada squads in detail, as that would be unfair. Rather, I want to discuss what it tells us about the future of the sport here. I am sure it is a great disappointment to both teams that they finished 6th (Canada) and 7th (USA); particularly as the US team had high hopes of winning the Cup. read more »
by admincms — Sat, 2008-04-19 21:21 — Last Updated: Sat, 2009-05-23 22:34
As this article in the Courier Mail (and other newspapers) notes ESPN recently had fun with the Barry Hall incident in the AFL. Sadly, this is not the kind of attention that really helps the sport here in North America. It simply reinforces the stereotypical image of footy that we need to move beyond. read more »
by admincms — Sat, 2007-04-07 09:49 — Last Updated: Sat, 2009-05-23 14:01
Editorial by Rob de Santos, AFANA Chairman
Perhaps the most common complaint that AFANA gets about the TV coverage these days is from fans whose TV provider is not DirecTV: "I don't/can't/won't get DirecTV, so the coverage is no good to me until it is on my cable or satellite provider."
We understand that and very well. It affects the majority of our own officers, volunteers, web staff, and journalists based in the USA and Canada (believe it or not) read more »
by admincms — Sun, 2007-02-18 18:57 — Last Updated: Wed, 2009-04-22 13:29
The AFL and the Australian media are caught up in a story about 4 players accused of betting on AFL matches or some aspect thereof. All of the players, to the extent public comment has been made, deny betting on their own club and claim that the bets were small potatoes stuff, as little as A$10. Perhaps that will prove to be the case. But no one, not the AFL, the AFLPA, the Aussie media, or sports fans should be surprised.
For the record, I am not an anti-gambling crusader and while I think most gambling, particularly by non-professionals, is money wasted and you would be better off putting it in a bank, I don't believe that we should completely outlaw it. However, past incidences in other leagues and professional sports should have long ago told the AFL that it's open embrace of organized betting in Australia and it's endorsement of gambling on it's matches was at odds with it's warning to young, wealthy footy players not to be bet on their own sport. If mother AFL can reap the rewards why shouldn't some 19 year old sitting on an AFL bench with cash in his pocket? read more »
by admincms — Sun, 2006-09-17 17:44 — Last Updated: Sun, 2009-06-28 21:33
The question arises as a result of an article in the Winston-Salem Journal: Nascar Nation: The sport that drives America . In the article, H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler, a longtime NASCAR leader, is quoted as saying: "...American sports fans want big things, they want heavyweights not featherweights, they want contact - American football not soccer. They want contact. And they want something easy to understand - don't give 'em cricket or Australian- rules football. And they want something unexpected - the Hail Mary pass, the sudden drama, the wreck, the crash, the last-lap pass. More than anything, they want drama. They want a soap opera. And you couldn't write a soap opera better than NASCAR."
Mr. Wheeler raises two issues we need to consider to answer the question at hand: Is Australian football actually hard for Americans and Canadians to understand and does it lack the other ingredients that Mr. Wheeler mentions? We can dispose of the second part pretty easily. The sport certainly has big players and great personalities. It has lots of contact. There is always the chance for the unexpected and there is drama. So, if all that is true, that leaves the question of whether it is in fact too hard for Americans.
For most people, once you get past the radical nature of how different it is than what you think of (as an American or Canadian) as football, it is a game you can appreciate almost immediately -- even before you know most of the rules. And yes, there are rules. AFANA offers a quick 2 page summary of what you need to know to begin to appreciate the sport. It's called our Table Top Tent Guide. Print it out and it will fold up nicely to sit right on your coffee table.
In fact, one of the things that we know about the sport is that once you expose people to it, it makes fans all on it's own. The sport sells itself in many cases. Does this mean you can "get it" by being a couch potato and just flipping through a few minutes of it while channel surfing? I doubt it, but if you can explain the NASCAR points system and restrictor plates to me in less words than I can outline Australian football, I'll buy you the American beer of your choice. If I win, I get Australian wine.
It's easy to assume that because we all drive cars that we automatically recognize and understand modern racing but I suspect that is not entirely true. It's also easy, for those with no knowledge at all of Australian football beyond an old Foster's commercial, to assume that this is some arcane, difficult to understand foreign sport. That would also not be entirely true. If you aren't interested in broadening your sporting horizons then I can't interest in you in anything beyond the sports you learned as a 10 year old. But if that's the case, and you weren't born in a family of racing fans, then NASCAR will never get your attention either.
Australian football is not hard to understand. All it takes is a little bit of interest and a few mintues with one of the many Americans and Canadians who are already passionate fans. read more »
by admincms — Mon, 2006-09-11 18:06 — Last Updated: Wed, 2009-04-22 13:29
There is a fascinating article at:
http://libcom.org/history/1883-today-the-radical-history-of-aussie-rules-football
There's material there for use in our on-going series about the history of footy on this site and you may find it of interest just because it is unusual. Complete with references.
Australian Football Association of North America
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