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NRL shows AFL how it is done on a Friday night.

Ok, so  am in Melbourne, have a young kid, don't have pay TV (and never will) , and enjoy sport occasionally. Its 10.15 on a Friday night and channel 7 are just starting the second half. Checking the TV guide, its going to be on until 11.45. Bugger that. I check the score on thescore.com.au, see the saints are all over Freo, and switch it off. I don't care how good Better Homes and Gardens is, its too bloody late and way too bloody late for a crap game like the one that was just on.

So I have just got online to Sydneys TV guide, and low and behold, they are onto their second game of the night. The first one started at 7.30 - good one channel 9. Not only does it start an hour earlier, the games are shorter. Not being a huge sports nut, that suits me to a tee. At least you ge to see a game in its entirety before bed. At least your kids aren't as grouchy in the morning from staying up to late.

In fact, I'll go even further. I would rather go and see the 80 minutes of Melbourne Storm than my beloved hawks. You leave the ground still fresh, not like a draining AFL game of around 2 hours. Throw in the extra 2 breaks of quarter and 3 quarter time and its a long night. Can't the AFL see that it has become the 50 over game when we wnat the 20/20.

My son has been to 1 game of each. He preferred the Storm because of the fireworks and the dude riding the 4 wheel motorbike. He was also less fidgety and didn't seem as vague when the ball was on the other side of the ground. On a big AFL ground, the other side of the ground is the end of the world for a young boy.

Ok, so the AFL diehards probably want more, but hey diehards, what about when you are down by 40 points at half time. I bet if it hadn't cost you so much you would be quite happy to leave there and then. Ok, so 1 in 50 games you may come back for a fine win, buts lets face it, in this era when strong clubs are getting stronger, thats unlikely. Down 20 to nil at half time, an NRL team has every reason to belive it still has a reasonable chance of winning.

Alas, now I am getting down to the detail, but I certainly belive that Sydneysiders are currently much better supported by their TV channel when it comes to their friday night footy. For mugs like me doen here in Melbourne, Its a couple of beers with half a game and then off to bed. Hmmmm it just doesn't seem fulfilling, or attractive.

Why doesn't channel 10 bid for the A league and put it one of  their second channel friday nights at 7.30 in both cities. Hmm, that would certainly set the cat amongst the pidgeons. Maybe powerbrokers have paid for this not to happen already. You see many of us don't really care what sport it is. We just wanna see a fast game, a competitive game and a game that finishes by about 10.30. A game with a beer on a Friday night. Thats all we want.

 

 

"It's freezing in here", "I'm so cold", "Did you turn the heater down?"

Just yesterday, the Australian government announced the details of the carbon tax. It was timely, as last week my household just received a gas bill for $419. It seemed outrageous, but at the same time last year it was $379 - that just didn't sound so outrageous. A little question time around the office and it seems I am not alone. Why do we all use so much gas?

Its not the stove or the hot water as they use bugger all. The only culprit can be...... the central heating.

Ok, so we live in Melbourne, and it has been a cold winter. Not globally warming you say? Actually, my friends in Auckland have had a really warm winter, so lets not jump the gun.

So its more than just all the old homes with crappy insulation that haven't been intelligently designed to capture the northern winter sun. It's about the ones who can't get out of the bed until the timer kicks in on the central heating and its three quarters the way to 22 degrees. They then spend 20 mintues in the shower purely because they don't want to turn it off and face the cold.

They really feel the cold. Their also the one that mozzies really love. This year has been even harder because the economic decline means the EXPECTED trip to Queensland may have to be changed to Sorrento. Quite often this miserable person also CANNOT FUNCTION until they have had a non-instant coffee. You let them get cold without a latte and it is so unbearable, that you ensure that this does not occur.

Yes, they have to be  able to walk around the house in winter dressed in a t-shirt and a pair of shorts and of course a smiling face.

Get in the car after they have driven in winter, and the control on the heater is turned up to like 28. Yes, they were so cold when they got in that they had to turn the dial as fast and as high as they could so as it could have instant effect. For one fleeting moment, they wish the car was a large sandwich toaster. Of course it takes time because the engine is starting from cold and so for some moments, its freezing cold.

Remember when we were kids. Mum never allowed the heater to go on before school. If you inquired, you were told to go and put another jumper on. Yes, you were up and about, and off you went. The heater hadn't been on - and you lived.