Recent Posts
Canterbury Bulldogs (NRL) winger and goalkicker Hazem El Masri has followed the lead of other out of touch footballers by expecting to receive special treatment from police. In an incident at Regents Park in Sydney's south-west El Masri and his lawyer friend Adam Houda refused to give proof of identity after requests from police.
Clearly the two would prefer to ask questions of police and create trouble rather than assist them. El Masri tells us he was not legally required to show I.D. unless there was due reason. What is due reason and what isn't is subjective. Police records show that Amy street where the pair were seated at the time, has had 162 complaints (call-outs) since 2006. This is three times the average for the area. So maybe the boys in blue might have good reason to be a little more stringent in there investigations.
At the crux of the matter is the supposed over reaction by police to call for backup. El Masri counted up to nine officers before eventually being identified by one without requiring drivers licenses to be passed to officers.
The law man Adam Houda says, "we dont want lawsuits, just the right thing to be done." And alongside him El Masri tells us he just wants an apology. The pair argue that if this sort of thing could happen to a registered lawyer and a first grade footballer, what would happen if it was just some young Lebanese kid.
And what will an apology give Hazem? Victory. Yes, it will be another victory for civil libertarians, and in particular the Lebanese community over our powerless police service. Lets stop there though. Just imagine if the three involved (a third un-named man was also present) simply complied with the request in the first place.
El Masri a poor role model
None of this would have occurred. Instead we have this role model for young Lebanese telling his mate Danny Weidler in a television interview that police think they can get away with anything just because thay have a uniform on.
If a police officer can't even ask you for identification, I wonder what powers Hazem would like our police to have, if any at all. Judging by the backlash from readers of the Daily Telegraph today (17/04/07), Hazem has lost a lot of the support from members of the public that he previously won over. I just hope he teaches his children and anyone prepared to listen that members of the police srevice in New South Wales are to be respected, no matter who you are or where you come from.
Shared on
Woe is me. Woe is me. What came over me. I actually had the naivety to believe the 'bunnies' might have the goods against the dogs.
Reality check!
South Sydney will be on the lookout for a new half and five-eight in season 2008. It's obvious Joe Williams just isn't up to it and Jeremy Smith . . . well he'll always just be another first grader. Jeremy Smith will never be brilliant and Williams doesn't want to raise a sweat, as simple as that.
Judging by the pre-season Rusty and Holmes owns a' Court aren't going to run out of funds in the not to distant future, so you can bet that there will be plenty of names bandied about by the middle of the season onwards.
One thing for you to ponder is the criteria a player must meet to be on the bunnies hitlist. Lets look at the big purchases for the '07 season. Nigel Vagana, Roy Asotasi, David Kidwell and Jeremy Smith. Then there were the rumours around the following players, Sonny Bill Williams, Wendell Sailor and Lote Tuqiri. There is one thing thing all these players have in common and I'm not sure what the motivation is behind this agenda.
The result of Friday's match is one that bunnies fans will so easily get used to. South Sydney have been getting their butts kicked for about twenty years on the trot. What made me sick was the abundance of fans coming out of the woodwork wearing those ugly red and green jerseys because they thought they were on a winner. This is the kind of behaviour I associate with Parra and Easts fans. It's a vicious desease which attacks the hearts of sports fans. Known as 'Fair Weather Fans' desease it seems the bunnies supporters aren't immune. But no doubt after next week copping a drubbing from the Newcastle Knights the plethora of South Sydney fans on the march will be heading underground where they belong, in their burrows.
Pride of the league my a*#@.
Touch Football
Shared on
Hi I'm Willy Mason eveyone. Did you know most of my friends are tradies. I come from Toronto West near Newcastle and growing up I had bugger all money.
I'm a professional rugby league player and I don't think me and my friends are getting paid enough. Not only do we have to get paid to do what we have a love and passion for, but we also have to do all this television and other stuff that makes us famous. Wah wah wah.
I gotta wear all these fancy pin-striped suits that I have to buy with my own money, unless the sponsor actually helps us out and that. And when I sign my autograph for kids I actually have to sign my own 'coz I got in trouble once when I signed with a bogus name. Don't they know I have A.D.D. I need lots of attention. Wah wah wah.
Why are people who work long hours angry? Did you know tradies are basically running the country (they wish). They get to work a career for 20-40 years. They forget me and my footy friends only get to work for about 10 years. I have to get paid a lot. Coz I'm not gonna work after my cumbersome football career is over.
I wish I played footy in the old days when you had to work and not train so hard, or for six days a week. It's tough for footballers these days. Did you know back in the eighties we didn't get suspended for fighting on the field as much and doing head highs tackkles and stuff. Bring back the ol' days.
The life and times of a modern day rugby league player seem to be getting to big Willy Mason. Willy isn't happy getting three hundred thousand dollars a year he wants more. In his appearance on The Footy Show recently he told us about his struggles and how his pleas were all about raising the minimum wage for league players. They only get a healthy fifty five thousand a year. Thats more than I've ever earned in a year and whats more when they do something good at work they get cheers and applause. I hope next time I arrive on time for my courier job I can have people cheer and worship me. Somehow I don't think it will happen.
WIlly says fringe first graders dont get the minimum and we should feel sorry for them. Well they don't always train like first graders but they get the bonus of playing first grade when they get a call up.
Fad Dangals (they pay to play)
I ask Willy to imagine a world where you have to pay to do what you love. I know guys who pay to play for their local footy side. I'll bet everyone else knows people like this. I wonder how Willy would cope in a world where you had to work during the day then go down to the local park and train, and on the weekends during the little spare time you have you commit yourself to your footy team's cause.
Wake up call Willy!!!
Touch Football
Shared on
It seems that all of online America is anti O'Reilly. Okay, Im just a naive Australian boy from working class Fairfield, west of metropolitan Sydney, but I gotta admit to being perplexed to the war on Bill.
Every chance I get I turn on Fox News at 10am or 12pm to watch the O'reilly Factor, and what I see is a Patriot and defender of the basic rights of all Americans. It's a great show and it makes for a change from the usual anti U.S. sentiment that is screened on every other worldwide news service.
I got particular joy out of seeing Bill O'Reilly rubbing shoulders with American troops in Iraq recently where we actually got to here from some of the people on the ground. These guys and girls didn't paint the same bleak picture as everyone on the other side of the world did. Cudos to Bill O'Reilly, here was a man who had the support of the grittiest Americans around
[ Click here to read more ]
Shared on
I couldn't help but be repulsed by the final of Australia's Dancing with the Stars. The competition was eventually won by Anthony 'Kouta' Koutoufides in a grand final dance off against Arianne Caoili.
Now cudos goes to Kouta, but my major 'erk' is with the petulance of the judges on the show, in particular Todd McKenney. McKenney took great joy in tearing down the young chess master Arianne. For those who watch the show I've no doubt they would already be aware that Arianne repeatedly struck back at Todd via a taped retort between each show. This only seemed to anger Todd more and in turn Arianne received a judging backlash. Eventually Todd went as far as painting Arianne as a cheat, for having done as much as having dance lessons in the past and not revealing it to the viewers.
[ Click here to read more ]
Shared on
It's official the ARU have gone into panic mode. Australia's Wallabies are experiencing woe on their tour of Europe with defeat from Wales and Ireland, and a close shave against the Italians. Embarrassing.
As a result the press have already told us of an impending raid on rugby league ranks which David Gallop (NRL boss) has branded as immoral. Well lets forget the morality side of things and focus on the ARU's alternatives
[ Click here to read more ]
Shared on
What is the story with 'poms'. They're at it again. If it isn't Rugby League players having to go home with excuses of being overworked, it will be cricketers telling us they can't cope with being away from their 'sceptered isle'.
The events of the last fortnight have prompted me to come up with a list of reasons for being depressed based on your place of birth. In Australia we have an endearing phrase that gets a great deal of airplay when describing the character of Britain's inhabitants. We call them 'whingeing poms'. And the performances of Marcus Trescothick and Sean Long recently, only serve to reinforce the famous Australianism
[ Click here to read more ]
Shared on
Ever since the 1956 Olympics Victorians have been telling us how their state, and capital city (Melbourne) is the home of sport in Australia and possibly the world. As an outsider I get the feeling they're having themselves on.
Okay, Melbourne attracts huge crowds to the spring horse racing carnival, and week in week out people fill stadiums to watch Australian Rules Football. But seriously who outside of Australia knows what AFL is, personally I've lost count of how many times I've had to explain to foreigners what this version of football is all about. And as for the spring carnival I've heard stats on how many interstate guests are at the spring carnival and it's over thirty percent.
[ Click here to read more ]
Shared on
GOTCHA!!!
If you haven't read this blog before you would probably think that you've been taken for a ride by another internet phoney. For those who have, I know they wait in eager anticipation for my tips for the Melbourne Cup.
[ Click here to read more ]
Shared on
In my previous blog I promised to help my readers put themselves in the running to win tens of thousands of dollars. At current I'm still going through the process of narrowing down the contenders and the pretenders. That post will appear in around twenty four hours.
However, some people I understand will simply want to pick the winner of the Cup for bragging rights in the workplace or at home. So this post will provide you with the opportunity to tell the rest of the world who will win and why
[ Click here to read more ]
Shared on
|
|
|
Comments (14)
Add Comments
Read More
Comment by Les
on El Masri Faces Backlash
Rightback