TPP,

'I think a sports team is similar to a gang mentality… a group mindset, attitudes, culture. NRL would be to blame for how these young men thought they could act or treat people.'

How then do you explain the majority of NRL players who (while under the same intense scrutiny) don't seem to be found to be involved in this type of thing. Perhaps they have a better upbringing?

'Cornflower... it isn't those who have acted disgracefully, it is just those who have been caught acting disgracefully.
See that's where you're more on the money. Take any profession, and scrutinise it in this way, and you can find examples of the same sort of thing. Take a look at young Lawyers or young Doctors, marketing, TV, music and you'll see a drug/party/sex culture too. It's noting to do with the NRL. Drugs, sex and rock'n'roll wasn't invented by the NRL.

Well done, socky! Is that your complete list? Surely you can find a few more than that? After all, since 1968 when your list starts there have been at least 5000 players in first grade rugby League (probably nearer to 10,000) meaning that the less than 50 players you've singled out for mention (not all of whom did anything illegal, merely in contravention of the League's own rules) are well less than 1% of the player roster. What do you think the rate of similar offending among young males in the general community might be? Take your time...

IOW, what you're saying is that Rugby League is a moderating influence on the rambunctious, poorly-judged behaviour that many young men indulge in. As I said in my first post:"It is a game of character - showing one has the guts and the self-discipline to continue to function at a high level while in pain, fear, fatigue and under pressure."

Obviously those traits reduce the incidence of bad behaviour among footballers relative to their contemporaries who don't play.

Thanks for pointing that out, socky. I knew you were up to it.

Dance little sock-puppet...

Anti – I told you to stay off this page.

Houel – where does your name come from?

Okay all professions have their naughty ones, can’t really excuse any of them but I can excuse upbringing and the parents in the vast majority. My parents are racist homophobes, I still believe I was right at a very young age to dismiss their opinions on everything.[smile]

Society here must agree or teenagers wouldn’t be allowed to drive a car or go to a pub without their mum or dad in tow. We wouldn’t send them to jail either but home to be given a good talking to.

I do think however that a sports team is more about aggression (like on the field) and regular celebrations, whole lot of acting macho would come in to it; more than say a bunch of lawyers. And as Anti points out – they must hide all normal emotions (well that one is like a lawyer).

TPP

There is no similarity at all between gangs and sporting teams, they are at either ends of a spectrum. In fact, sport is usually the first remedy and release valve used in poor and slum areas to fight against gangs.

It is not just understanding the value of sportsmanship and fair play that is at work in encouraging youth not to join gangs, it is the empowerment of body and mind and sense of pride, among other things.

For interest, Scouting (as in Britain's Baden Powell) is another very powerful tool that has been used to good effect in US slums and 'hard' areas to improve the sense of worth and power for the youth 'dregs' of society.

In the US, slums = gangs, both young and old gangs. Getting rid of slums reduces the pool of recruits for gangs.

I can understand how people could draw some negative assumptions about team sports and 'gang mentality' in the wake of the misleading and poorly researched Sarah Ferguson 4 Corners story (Johns) and the mendacious scuttlebutt and stereotyping of all footballers that followed. Current affairs shows are about entertainment and sensationalism and being subjective and editorialising are part and parcel of that. A lot depends on the particular journalist too. Some are certainly not there to be independent and to inform, that is the role of the daily news.

But Cornflower just watching them on the field and the sneaky elbows in the face and other tactics. It is encouraged to hurt others.

These poor boys are being stripped of sportsmanship.

Gangs by any other name… Where’s dwg? He’d stick up for gangs.

I bet one of these NRL players will step forward soon and sue the bosses for their behavior – saying the environment and pressure caused this and the other thing, that’ll be a good thread. Or has it been done already?

I haven’t seen any of the current affair shows. Truthfully I like talking about humans and different behavior but the actual sport isn’t my cup of tea.

Anyone here had this swine flu?

TPP, you are "DEFINITELY" correct about the bad sportsmanship of Thugby League players. It's as plain a day, only the blind can't see it. All anyone has to do is watch half a dozen games to see it.

They "target" weaker and injured players, often with the express purpose of injuring them. This is usually achieved in such a way that it doesn't "break the rules". Teams can be hyped up before the game to be "aggressive" and "intimidatory". I remember years ago the old Wests side (before they became the Wests Tigers) used to have players slap, push and punch each other in the dressing room before the game, in order to heighten feelings of aggression and violence.

Throughout NRL games players CONTINUALLY try to cheat. *CONTINUALLY*.

Throughout NRL games players often practice intimidation, both verbal and physical.

Throughout NRL games physical assaults (both outside the rules, and within the rules) are COMMON.

NRL players are NOT coached to play fairly: They are coached to play within the rules - - - - - rules that are quite "flexible" that allow lots of room for movement regarding bad sportmanship, violence and aggression. MANY fans prefer oler times when the game was even more violent than it is now; they LOVE the phrase "BRING BACK THE BIFF". They *WANT* the violence.

This is the culture of Thugby League. Many players play fairly within the game. Many do not, but still manage to survive well enough and don't get into "too" much trouble on or off the field.

But, other players are ripe targets for this type of "culture", and these specifically are the ones who get into the most trouble, and cause trouble for others, either on the field and/or off the field.

Thugby League has always been a game that "especially" attracts the "boofheads" in society. It gives them a sense of purpose. And be they fans or players, it gives them just one more outlet for their aggression and violence.

It really is a game for IDIOTS!

So TPP, you nailed it very well!