Socrates kicks his series of the greatest cheats in sporting history off by examining the illustrious career of the “great” Roman Emperor Nero. Bet you didn’t know that the mighty Nero competed in the AD 67 Olympic Games in the Chariot racing event. Like some other politicians, he wasn’t unprepared to go to unusual lengths to achieve a positive outcome. Read about his extraordinary efforts here. Click on the pic. Stay tuned for more talented cheater stories.
myths
Kahanamoku – Australia’s first surfer? Nah!
Was Duke Kahanamoku Australia’s first surfer? Tim Edwards looks at a possible alternative history of surfing around Sydney in the early twentieth century. Whatever the truth is, even one hundred years ago, celebrity counted more than truth!
coaching
Postecoglou coaching pointers
Celtic football coach Ange Postecoglou’s post League Cup interview avoided the normal “we knew we had to…”, “full credit to the boys…” and “we talked about blah blah blah during the week…” bollocks that is so common in post-match player and coach chats with the media. The coach actually revealed important insights into the way great coaches think and how they seek to get the best out of their players. Any coach aspiring to become a great coach, no matter what sport they teach should listen to this interview. Postecoglou is the real deal. There are few coaches better at getting the most out of their team.
Socrates and the cranky coach…
Socrates, the ancient well known busy body, grabs a forlorn famous sports coach when he is trying to enter the gym and pesters him about why he gets so upset with referees. The ensuing discussion tests the meaning of words like “cheating” and “rules” and asks whether a coach has a role in how his or her players should approach the rules of the game and the officials.
Best Model of Sports Leadership? King Henry V
What are the skills and qualities that enable a coach or captain/coach to lead their team to great victories against all odds? One of Australia’s greatest ever actors, John Bell, reckons that Shakespeare had this leadership business summed up pretty well with his character King Henry V. Henry crops up in a few of Shakespeare’s plays but, as a gun fighter and captain coach of a top-notch brawling army, he came into his own around the time of the Battle of Agincourt when his English troops gave the French army a good thrashing (much to the bookies surprise). Click the pic and get the full story here. What wins great battles and sports matches? Leadership or the technical skills of the boss?
Fashion – can good turn bad?
Toxic style
Surfing and cool sports styles have an odd thing in common. If you get too much of either of them, they become toxic! Addiction to surfing can damage health, careers and relationships! Addiction to a popular sports fashion may not be quite so physically or emotionally dangerous, but it can ruin your ability to project an original, modern and iconoclastic persona. Be careful with your sports styling. It’s unfortunate but some of the very finest examples of elegant design and thoughtful manufacturing can make the wearer look thoroughly mainstream! And toxic!
Are surfers sheep?
Where do you surf? What’s your primary source of information about where is the best place to choose to surf? Over several weeks I watched the surfing grape-vine drag punters from one surfing spot to the next according to what the latest “word” was telling them about where they needed to surf. It made me wonder whether many surfers were just happier being part of the mob than in actually surfing great waves. It wasn’t long before I discovered that more people suffer from the sheep syndrome than I originally imagined. It is a powerful disease.
Walking with Nietzche – John Kaag follows in the philosopher’s footsteps
While preparing a thesis on Friedrich Nietzche, philosopher John Kaag took at trip to the Swiss Alps to experience some of the places and pastimes that influenced the 19th century Swiss/German philosopher’s writing. While Nietzche didn’t specifically discuss his exploration of the high mountains in his work, the impact that the mountains had on his thinking became clear to Kaag has he emulated Nietzche’s hikes around Splugen and Piz Corvatsch. The significance and importance of suffering and the impact that walking has for humans in the way that it provides immediate physical benefit as well as liberates the mind and unleashes it’s potential for creativity were just some of the things made real to Kaag. The way that mountains enable humans to sense their own ephemeral nature also became clear. Take a walk with the young John Kaag and discover how important hiking, movement and mountains can be in the search for the understanding of human existence, knowledge and experience.
This excerpt from John Kaag’s book Hiking With Nietzche (Published 2018 – Farrar, Straus and Giroux) is reproduced with his permission.
To share John Kaag’s journey click on the pic… and discover how his search for Nietzche’s philosophy nearly cost him his life!
Sport changing lives
Sport made fun for all – Urban Rec
My son calls me on the phone. He’s desperate. “Can you play European Handball with my team at Urban Rec tonight?” he says. I didn’t know what Urban Rec was. I didn’t know what European Handball was either. But I found out. It was a blast. What’s the best mid-week thing you can do for fun, friendship and fitness without worrying that some jerk is going to take it all too seriously? Its probably Urban Rec. I talked to Australian Urban Rec founder, Madeleine Wilkie, to get the low down. Don’t miss this story… or you might be missing your sporting future.
How working with horses changes young lives
Most of us know that sport, exercise, and a whole range of other physical activities are great for mental health and provide positive relief from trauma. But physical activity with horses? Why horses? Could horses actually change the lives of young indigenous people (who have experienced extensive trauma in their young lives)? Professor Juli Coffin, who designed and runs an equine assisted learning programme (Yawardani Jan-ga) for troubled young folks between the ages of seven and twenty-six in Broome, Western Australia, is confident that the relationships that are formed between horses and programme participants are making a big difference.
Penalty shoot-out? Nah. Let’s play Murderball!
The League Cup is over, and Liverpool wins the comp on penalties, 11-10. When I read a post on Instagram that puts the victory down to Liverpool’s exemplary data driven approach, I slap myself in the side of the head, grunt “derr”, and make a silly incensed reply stating what seemed to me the obvious […]
reviews
Girls Can’t Surf – film review
The blokes said that the girls will never be able to surf as well as them. Did they have a point? Film makers Michaele Perske, Christopher Nelius and Julie Anne De Nuvo take a look at the early female surfers of the seventies and eighties and explore their lives and careers in their new documentary film, “Girls Can’t Surf”. Amazing characters from professional surfing history like Jodie Cooper, Pauline Menczer, Pam Burridge and Lisa Anderson describe the lousy treatment, horrible conditions and discrimination they experienced in the early days of women’s pro surfing. Check out Socrates’ review. Click the image and read on?
Road Test – Cameron Smith versus Tom Brady (Socrates looks under the hood of second hand athletes)
At their prime they were the best in their class… but twenty years down the track do they still perform? Do one, or the other, or both offer value for money into future years or does their advanced years and way too many kilometres on the clock mean that they should be avoided like the plague. Socrates test drives the 1983 model Storm hooker and the 1977 model Bucc quarterback, rates their present-day performance, and considers the likelihood of them providing a satisfying driving experience into the future. Is one a better buy than the other? Is one more likely to win future championships than the other? Don’t consider buying a Cameron Smith or a Tom Brady without having read Socrates’ road test comparison report first!
Philopher’s Cafe
Surfer philosophy – Let no wave be unridden, no flip-flop unworn!
Two surfers sat down to a post-surf coffee and the discussion turned to philosophy. While one lamented the ill-fortune he had been dealt in recent weeks the other pointed out that he needed to take a look at himself and learn some of the important philosophical lessons that the beach and the surf can offer. Click the pic and discover the critical life lessons… epistemological, ethical, metaphysical and logical… that one surfer offers the other that were hard won through a life of surfing.
newsdesk
To smash or be skillful? Can good defense be coached or are accidents like the Latrell Mitchell and Joey Manu incident inevitable?
In a tough body contact sport are occasional horrible accidents inevitable? Possibly. But probably not with the frequency that many former elite players and expert analysts argue. Socrates believes that good coaching and hard work from highly skilled players can prevent many potentially dangerous tackles and that accepting the horror accidents as inevitable and high level skills as “uncoachable” sells athletes, professional sports and coaches short. Get the story here. Click the pic.
Exercise is always good – but especially during Covid!
Recent research by a United Kingdom University highlights the potential consequences of lack of exercise and poor diet during a period of isolation. It found that patients who didn’t isolate prior to going under the knife were less likely to suffer post-operative pulmonary complications. This doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t lock down. But it might mean that we should watch out for our health during lockdown! This research and story highlight the need for exercise and sound eating practices while the pandemic rages around us. Click the pic for an inside look into this fascinating piece of research.
rugby test
Wallaby v France test – the moment that soared above all the others
There were many great moments in the final Wallabies versus France rugby test last week but according to Socrates, one stood our far above all the others. Was it a great try? A brilliant tackle? A perfect scrum or line-out? A fantastic bit of work at the break-down? According to the rotund Greek hooker it was none of those things. He reckons that the highlight of the game was a much quieter, simpler and more subdued moment. A moment that might have escaped the attention of millions of spectators. Find out about Socrates favorite moment of the test. Click the pic.
COVID IMPACT
RITUAL: BEING CHAIRED UP THE BEACH
Why do we subject professional athletes to embarrassing and cumbersome rituals at times when they should be celebrating. Why do athletes agree to participate in rituals that make them look like nongs? Chas Smith makes the argument for banning the post-contest victory chair-up-the-beach. Click the pic to get Chas’ important advice to the world of contest surfing.
True story from the world of sport
Just six words…
Have you ever wished that you could meet and have a conversation with someone you idolize? What would you say to your idol to convince them to want to stay in the conversation? What would they say in response to your brilliant social skills? How would the conversation go? How would it leave you feeling? An Australian ex-professional athlete who had played with and against some of the greatest basketball talent that this country has ever seen (Andrew Gaze, Ricky Grace, Shane Heal, Phil Smythe) once, by chance, had a meeting with possibly the greatest and most famous professional sports person that has ever lived. The superstar he bumped into, in a New York elevator, just happened to be the Aussie basketballer’s idol. How did the meeting turn out? Click the pic and discover the six most memorable words in this Australian point guard’s life.
rugby league shock
New State of Origin Format Proposal – Exclusive!
In an exclusive that is sure to shock the sports loving world, Senior Journalist for Sportsocratic, Socrates revealed that, according to a top football administrator, the popular State of Origin rugby league series format is about to be given a major shake up.
A senior Australian Rugby League official recently leaked to Socrates that the ARL are looking at tweaking the State of Origin team selections approach for future interstate matches. While not being totally dissatisfied with current arrangements the official argued that it was experimenting with selection rules that turned interstate Rugby League fixtures into the success that it is today, and decision makers should not rest on their laurels by not considering possible future selection possibilities. Get the details about the changes ahead in Socrates’ exclusive report. Click the pic and start reading.
learning about life through sport
Toxic style
Surfing and cool sports styles have an odd thing in common. If you get too much of either of them, they become toxic! Addiction to surfing can damage health, careers and relationships! Addiction to a popular sports fashion may not be quite so physically or emotionally dangerous, but it can ruin your ability to project an original, modern and iconoclastic persona. Be careful with your sports styling. It’s unfortunate but some of the very finest examples of elegant design and thoughtful manufacturing can make the wearer look thoroughly mainstream! And toxic!
Are surfers sheep?
Where do you surf? What’s your primary source of information about where is the best place to choose to surf? Over several weeks I watched the surfing grape-vine drag punters from one surfing spot to the next according to what the latest “word” was telling them about where they needed to surf. It made me wonder whether many surfers were just happier being part of the mob than in actually surfing great waves. It wasn’t long before I discovered that more people suffer from the sheep syndrome than I originally imagined. It is a powerful disease.
Waves of Pain
Teen’s toes attacked at Tallows Beach
The ocean never fails to surprise with its choices for methods of torture of its adherents… as Byron Bay young gun surfer, Jack, discovered a few years back. While Jack had his heart in his mouth when he turned up for his surf lesson to discover that the Ocean at Tallow Beach was in an angry mood, he would never have imagined, in a million years, that his session would end up as it did. Click the pic and read about Jack’s adventure and discover how weird the ocean can be when it gets grumpy.
The little surf that nearly ruined a promising career…
Imagine growing up around big waves, being addicted to surfing and then being transferred to a work place more well-known for its bears, forests and snow than surfing breaks. It can be a cruel world! Under such circumstances young folk would do almost anything for a surfing fix. Imagine yourself taking your “once in a blue moon chance” to get a wave and having that wave work you over so bad that it not only bloody nearly ruins your year but almost ruins your career. That’s what happenned to one young fella from Perth. Now that is a serious “Wave of Pain”. Usually, a day in the waves is bliss. Ocassionally it is hell. Read about one rare hell day here.
Philosopher’s Sports Bar
Surfer philosophy – Let no wave be unridden, no flip-flop unworn!
Two surfers sat down to a post-surf coffee and the discussion turned to philosophy. While one lamented the ill-fortune he had been dealt in recent weeks the other pointed out that he needed to take a look at himself and learn some of the important philosophical lessons that the beach and the surf can offer. Click the pic and discover the critical life lessons… epistemological, ethical, metaphysical and logical… that one surfer offers the other that were hard won through a life of surfing.
Sport 2021 – Sports philosopher No 2. Aaron Kearney
Multi-skilled and multi-award-winning sports presenter, sports expert, sociologist and philosopher, Aaron Kearney, joins Socrates in the philosopher’s sports bar to run through some of the changes that we might expect in our sporting lives when the dust from the Covid19 epidemic settles. Not only does Kearney describe a bunch of changes that are likely in the world of sport over the next twelve months but he has a bit of a wish list as well. Let’s knock the boring sports celebrities down a peg or two might be one of his hopes! Other than a democratization of the world of sports stardom there is not a lot of negative in the sporting world of 2021 that Kearney imagines. Check out his conversation with our beloved “Round Mound of Scrumming-Down” (Socrates) here. Just click on the pic.
melbourne cup
Research shows whipping horses doesn’t make them run faster, straighter, or safer — let’s cut it out
Like many others I have always viewed horse racing with ambivalence. Previous and current generations of my extended family have had strong equestrian links but, on the matter of horse racing, opinions of family members have been split down the middle for decades. Attitudes were so powerful and entrenched that it was strictly forbidden, at family gatherings, to mention to Aunty Betty and Uncle Dick that cousin Matt and Uncle Dave kept race horses. And so, as this recent Melbourne Cup came around, yet again, my feelings towards the event were mixed. I had immense admiration for the athlete horses and jockeys for the extraordinary and difficult sporting event that they were going to participate in but I had huge reservations about the potential cruelty of the race and the gambling, drinking and foolish outfit wearing (described by many as “fashion”) I found repulsive.
Anyway, the first Tuesday in November came and went and, yet again, the horror stories that came out of the event far outweighed the heart-warming and life-affirming stories. Another horse had died during the running… and yet another jockey was handed a punishment for excessive use of the whip. As the news unfolded about the running of the race, my former ambivalence was rapidly swinging towards opposition.
The next morning, I heard Sydney academic Paul McGreevy on the radio discussing the Melbourne Cup. In the course of the interview he raised an issue that surprised me and, I suspect, would surprise most people. He and his research colleagues compared the performance of horses competing in “hands and heels” races (races where whipping is not permitted) with performance of horses competing in traditional, whip-use-permitted, events. They discussed their findings in a report for “The Conversation.” Here it is. Click the picture above to get the story… and read on!
aphorisms, insights and wisdom… about fishing!
“You know when they have a fishing show on TV? They catch the fish and then let it go. They don’t want to eat the fish, they just want to make it late for something.”
Brilliant and unorthodox American comedian, Mitch Hedberg, who like so many other comic geniuses, died way too young.
Wisdom
“Rugby is a good occasion for keeping thirty bullies far from the centre of the city.”
Oscar Wilde
While I appreciate Oscar’s humour, I gotta say he is being a bit harsh. There are a few rugby players who are not bullies!
wisdom
“These are my new shoes. They’re good shoes. They won’t make you rich like me. They won’t make you rebound like me. They definitely won’t make you handsome like me. They’ll only make you have shoes like me.”
Who else but the incomparable Sir Charles “Round Mound of Rebound” Wade Barkley.
sports style – or lack of it
Seven deadly sins of sports sartorialism and style.
There are hundreds of fashion choices that look ridiculous, foolish, horrible and offensive in a sporting context but seven particular style choices brand the “sinner” almost beyond redemption. Socrates smugly sticks his massive nose in the air and points the finger of sartorial disgrace at the “sins” he finds most hideous.
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