After Grog Blog

CROWDY DOODY

Jon Pierik, The Age:

On a delightful winter's afternoon, in front of the second largest home-and-away crowd between the clubs, the Demons proved that could well be the case with a 27-point win in a game marred by several questionable umpiring decisions. (link)

Michael Horan, The Herald Sun:

So it was that in front of 61,000 fans - the third largest home and away crowd for a game between these two clubs - Melbourne is back in the eight and Richmond's chance is gone for now. (offline)

THE HUMAN LIGHTWEIGHT

If Derryn Hinch was the hard core Demon supporter he claimed to once be, there is no way in the known world he would have mistaken Jim Stynes running over the mark in the 1987 preliminary final at Waverley, with Jim Stynes running over the mark in the 1987 preliminary final at the MCG:

Banishing my Demons

Was back at the MCG with Ron Walker the day Jim Stynes ran across the mark and incurred the 15-yard penalty from which Buckenara scored and we missed out on the grand final.

Niggled? Didn't check?

HumanHeadline Derryn Hinch

@Jesse_Hogan Correct. Niggled me when writing. Didn't check. I remember Pat Cash abused me for no reason.

What real Melbourne fan needs to check that?

THE SLAPRUDER FILM

The post below and the heading/picture combo at left have more than a passing acquaintance with each other - viz: The Irrational, clause 1, sub-clause i. - but really, I just wanted to use the heading.

Chuck Klosterman's article at Grantland is a top read, but should be a must-read for any TV executive in Australia:

Space, Time and DVR Mechanics

When it's come to sports, it's live ... or it's totally dead

Why is watching a prerecorded sporting event less pleasurable than watching the same game live?

It doesn't matter how much I sequester myself or how thrilling the event is — if I know the game has finished, it's difficult to sustain authentic interest in what I've recorded.

It is different when you support one of the teams in the recorded match. And here in Australia - especially Western Australia where the blackout has been an item of faith since at least 1987 when Wet Toast joined the then VFL - we have become inured to the concept of delayed telecasts by cynical Official Broadcasters all-too keen to bilk their viewers to maximise their revenue streams. What is undeniable, though, is that often on Friday Night Football I check the score at half time, then go to bed.

ABBEY LOAD

Been there, dumb that.

(PS: hate mail to the usual address.)

BUTCHER'S SCHNOOK

The sign is on the door of a butcher in the The Mall, West Heidelberg. I can't work out if the person who wrote the sign is confused by open, closed, until, or is just hedging his bets. (Stop right there! I've only ever seen men in the shop. Meow!)

YOU WOULDN'T HAVE WON IF WE OUT-BEAT YOU

Will Steve Johnson become the next Casey Stengel or Yogi Berra?

"We cannot rest on our morals."

~~ Steve receives the 2007 Norm Smith Medal

"Early on they out-beat us at every contest."

~~ Steve after last weekend's game against the Gold Coast Schoolies