What price a young man?
Is it just me or does everyone agree there is more to life than elite sport?
I know bad behaviour by public figures is not a new thing but the modern media misses nothing – and in a way, I think we might be doing young sportsmen a favour.
NRL player Tim Smith quit the Parramatta Eels yesterday, after a short but tumultuous career.
He’s only 23 years old and he’s a fine half back but his personal life is a mess.
His mother reportedly called his manager over the weekend and cried "Parramatta can get a new half back, I can't get my son back, please send him home."
For three years there have been constant rumours about Tim Smith.
An assault charge, a fine following after a bar-room slanging match with cricketer Michael Clarke, then at the end of last year a caller to Sydney talk back radio claimed they had seen Tim Smith so drunk outside a pub in Parramatta that he abused a grandfather and a young girl.
He was fined $1000 and banned from drinking until the end of 2008. Less than a fortnight later, he was found drunk in another Parramatta pub.
At the time, young Tim Smith was spared the axe, but sent home to the Gold Coast for a stint in rehab - where it was revealed he suffers bi polar disorder. According to all reports, he is taking medication, but at this stage, the black dog is winning the battle.
In recent weeks there has been more trouble with alcohol, missed training sessions and the media always on his tail – yesterday, finally, he threw his hands in the air and quit.
His team mates think he’s probably played his last match.
There’s no doubt Tim Smith worked very hard to get where he was in rugby league and probably sacrificed a lot. That might seem like a terrible waste to some, and I guess it's why time and time again as long as someone is performing on the field…or the track...in the surf..... or in the pool, then sporting administrators are happy to be part of a cover up.
But for my money, there is no contest. If elite sport is being used to hide problems with drugs, booze, violence or gambling - then it's time we reminded ourselves what is really important.
I know bad behaviour by public figures is not a new thing but the modern media misses nothing – and in a way, I think we might be doing young sportsmen a favour.
NRL player Tim Smith quit the Parramatta Eels yesterday, after a short but tumultuous career.
He’s only 23 years old and he’s a fine half back but his personal life is a mess.
His mother reportedly called his manager over the weekend and cried "Parramatta can get a new half back, I can't get my son back, please send him home."
For three years there have been constant rumours about Tim Smith.
An assault charge, a fine following after a bar-room slanging match with cricketer Michael Clarke, then at the end of last year a caller to Sydney talk back radio claimed they had seen Tim Smith so drunk outside a pub in Parramatta that he abused a grandfather and a young girl.
He was fined $1000 and banned from drinking until the end of 2008. Less than a fortnight later, he was found drunk in another Parramatta pub.
At the time, young Tim Smith was spared the axe, but sent home to the Gold Coast for a stint in rehab - where it was revealed he suffers bi polar disorder. According to all reports, he is taking medication, but at this stage, the black dog is winning the battle.
In recent weeks there has been more trouble with alcohol, missed training sessions and the media always on his tail – yesterday, finally, he threw his hands in the air and quit.
His team mates think he’s probably played his last match.
There’s no doubt Tim Smith worked very hard to get where he was in rugby league and probably sacrificed a lot. That might seem like a terrible waste to some, and I guess it's why time and time again as long as someone is performing on the field…or the track...in the surf..... or in the pool, then sporting administrators are happy to be part of a cover up.
But for my money, there is no contest. If elite sport is being used to hide problems with drugs, booze, violence or gambling - then it's time we reminded ourselves what is really important.
posted by Caroline Hutchinson at 12:33 PM
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