Shane Warne retires from cricket..
Who cares?

Arent we sick to death of this so called 'hero'of Australian sport.

He has let himself and and his country down by his off field antics one too many times.

Arrogance is nauseating in the extreme.

I think this country places too much importance on the culture of sport.

Plenty of heros go unrecognised..scientists, doctors, ambulance officers and other people in every day life who relly do desrve these accolades..not these buffoons.

I agree with you, HS. Australians do place too much importance on sport. Even the most unlikely sportsman in the country, John Howard, makes sure he gets in his say on sport.

I suppose it depends on whether or not spectators and fans of sport have actually had a sporting history themselves. I don't understand people who have not played sport themselves being the slightest bit interested in sport. I was one of those who was always left until last when teams were being picked. I wouldn't care if there was no such things as sport, although I like Australia to win the Ashes.

You are right about Warne. Magnificent leg-spinner, but not much of a person. Certainly not a suitable role-model for the kids.

The worst of it is that sport is taking the minds of people off more serious matters that really affect their lives and the wellbeing of Australia.

I agree with holyshadow and Leigh.

Australia has, for too long, ridden on the sheep's back, dug it out of the ground or simply buried it's collective head in the "hero" worship of sportspeople. It was sickening to watch the orgy of self congratulation when Juan Antonio Samaranch declared the 2000 Olympics 'the best ever'. I had to cringe at the posturing of the whole class of 'sports administrators'.

It has been a long time since I heard the phrase "the clever country". I probably never will again in my lifetime. We continually waste time, energy and resources on fruitless spruiking for what is a pursuit that will never help anyone other than the participants.

When will Australia learn that we only have our collective intellects when the coal/oil/uranium runs out? Who will invent & develop the new technological aids required to meet our new challenges? Not the gormless boofheads on the football or cricket field !!

Oh well... John Howard has won again.

He will continue to dumb down Australia by giving them "bread and circuses" (Big Macs and cricket) to keep the rabble happy.

Sad really....

They say you get the politicians you deserve, but I say you get the future you deserve!

I hadn’t thought of it until I read this question. Nobody I know has mentioned Shane Warne except briefly a stranger at a Xmas party breaking the ice. Warne came second best to the weather which took the conversation further.

A similar phenomenon occurred with Steve Erwin’s death. Erwin came to the notice of Australians when he held his baby in front of a crocodile but his shows were not a big hit here. When he died the media exploited it for all it was worth and many were convinced they –previously had- been avid fans. Again I cannot recall anybody talking about it except mention it when it happened. I do know a couple of people actually becoming annoyed and mentioning they were sick of hearing about it.

I think the media has to fill up space and empty news is space filler. Of course for those obsessed with cricket Shane Warne is big news but regular Australians don’t care. The media seems to only employ the sports obsessed or at least those who can feign sports obsession. To the sports obsessed it must appear that the rest of the world is also obsessed.

The media especially the sports shows really have nothing to report but a repetitive series of scores and injuries and so fall back on constructing a soap opera. We the audience are kept up on who is sleeping with who. Who is sick and who misbehaves, who feuds. Sports players have become the soap opera actors of the real world. I suspect the attraction to sports obsession is exactly the same as the attraction to soap opera. There has to be something added to watching somebody play with a ball or running and jumping because without the glitter and soap it would soon get boring. Heroes are made of glitter.