The Serve

Wendell and Carey commentating does not send a bad message

Boy, weren’t they lining up to crucify Wendell and in particular Channel Nine for putting Dell in the commentary box? Suppose it was quite apt he was did his stint on Good Friday, Eh? Eh? Don’t remember hearing the same howls during Wendell’s all too brief stint on Dancing With The Stars. Perhaps there aren’t as many Daryl Somers fans out there as we think.

The objection to Dell’s presence on Nine’s league seemed to revolve around the fact he is still serving a sentence for drug cheating. (Yes, cheating. Cocaine taken the day before a game is a performance enhancer. Cheating). The same objection came when Shane Warne spent time behind the mic while he was suspended. Wayne Carey is still copping similar barbs, despite the fact his only crime was of a moral nature, years ago.

When did we become so moralistic about our sports stars? We live in a society that breeds contempt towards the ills of our athletes. Get drunk and belt someone at 4am? Fine. Just play well next week. So, why do we suddenly care when these offenders are talking about sport?

Nine, like any media outlet, has a responsibility to itself and no one else. They have a broadcast they have to make as interesting and as attention grabbing as possible. A better argument would be that Wendell didn’t really offer insightful comments and is quite green. Lines such as: “Darren Lockyer is a great player” didn’t particularly inspire. The same criticism can’t be leveled at Wayne Carey. His no-nonsense, straight to the point assessment of AFL is a breath of fresh air. Finally we have a former player who doesn’t care if he offends and has the communication skills to convey his ideas with brevity and intelligence. Did sleeping with his best friend’s wife suddenly deaden his ability to read a game?

As fans, we listen to the commentators in the hope they can give us perspective of why something just happened and what that means going forward. No baggage attached. Wendell didn’t use the air time last Friday telling us why he was wronged, or that he’s ‘looking forward to racking up after the game’. I don’t recall Carey on his new show remarking on what a good sort such and such’s wife is, either.

We are not in a one dimensional world. People that sin are not necessarily evil. Merely using ones talent does not automatically justify their previous actions. Wendell in the booth or Wayne on the panel is not a message that what they did in the past was acceptable. Society is not that simple.