These are unprecedented and uncertain times. We have a worldwide virus flooding every market. All of a sudden things we took for granted such as grocery shopping, travelling, going to the movies and of course going to watch our favourite warriors battle it out of a footy field are now in jeopardy.
I for one am getting increasly frustrated in the last 48 hours at the whinging NRL players and commentators and their bias and vocal opinions. In fact one player Cameron Smith who I have taken a particular disliking to.
His belief is that the NRL should suspend all games for a month to protect the players and their families as they are often traveling in and out of airports and quote “After finishing these matches on weekends, we go back to our families. Craig [Bellamy] has an elderly mother. My parents are in their 60s, players aren’t concerned about themselves, they’re concerned about their families and making this issue which is already global, making it much bigger than what it is in Australia at the moment”
Well Cameron why are you so different from us? Why Mr Smith is your family any more important than mine? Or my sisters, my mates or anyone else in Australia for that matter?
Myself and my wife we are both contractually obligated by our employers to go into work, day in day out and face this thing head on and potentially face the risk of bringing it home to our kids, our elderly relatives and babies. However we still have daily tasks to attend, lives to live and duties to perform. My company doesn’t get to ban people from coming into our workplace to minimise risk. We don’t get to go behind closed doors and let people just view us selling a product on Skype or facetime in an empty store.
What about the postmen and women who still have to deliver our mail and packages, or the grocerie workers who have abuse hurled at them for not having enough hand sanitizer or the garbage men (You know all these people are those little people you usually thank up on stage) taking away our used products that they themselves don’t have time to collect.
We have to battle it out and take precautions advised to us. cause thats life in the real world away from the NRL bubble.
So why mate, why are you any different? Are you not contractually obligated to turn up by your employer the National Rugby League until such time as they deem not necessary? Are you not obligated like the rest of us to go out and make a living to provide? Or are you under the old school assumption of money still grows on trees and the NRL will keep on paying you a wage, even if your not willing to work?
The fact that you spoke out of school, out of turn and against your employers and without thinking of the little people that pay your wage speaks volumes for the selfish and arrogant attitude that you feel you are entitled to take in the twilight of your career. A attitude that quite frankly has run its course with me.
Yes this is a pandemic, that has been recognised. Yes this can and has spread like wildfire that has also been recognised. As yes rugby league and sport is not the be all and end all of life. However is is your job, and this like everything if you take the right precautions, take the right advice and be smart then you are doing everything you can to be healthy.
Please Cameron take a page out of Tom Hanks book. An international superstar actor who as I write this has contracted this horrible virus and is currently quarantined on the Gold Coast.
Did you see that social media post of his about how he blamed Baz Luhrmann (director) and the movie studio his employer’s for making him travel internationally, to be here in Australia and in and out of airports travelling for the movie? No? what about the one complaining about how his wife, his family also contracted the virus because of their movements? No? Not that one either? That’s because he has respect. Respect for his fans, his employers, and everyone. Not to mention the faith in the GC hospital staff trusted with his recovery. Because he knows this was his job that bought him here and regardless of what was going on in the world he still had a job to do and got on with the job at hand. You could learn alot about humility from this man.
By all means should one, two, five or twenty people test positive shut it down. Please people do not think I am making light of this situation. I know in your JOB you are wrestling people, and you are in close contact and sweaty and breathing on each other. Should that worst case scenario happen and lets all touch wood that it never does, then like everyone else who has contracted the virus, you WILL be quarantined and away from your family where they will be safe. So please trust in those process and live your life like the rest of us.
The NRL may very well decide to suspend rounds soon, or maybe even cancel the season who knows? until that day comes Mr Smith shut ya mouth, trust your employers are doing everything in the best interests of both the NRL as a business, and you and your peers as players, go to work like the rest of us, stop whingeing and DO YOUR JOB.
Now remember these are just the amateur, raw opinions of an Aussie Armchair Commentator. Until next time readers.
AAC
The Aussie Arm Chair Commentator 