Questions for James O'Connor

[Twoilms]

He would never get picked for a Wallabies team with Cheika in charge. Antithesis of the work ethic and attitude Cheika loves.

 

[Tex]

He's from a wealthyish background, is a good looking bloke, and is far more famous than most rugby players. A lot of guys like him have etched out media careers.

It's not so hard to go from controversial to just 'a lovable larkin', in time. Charles Barkly did so much stupid shit and he's a top NBA commentator, given there are more media $$$ and jobs in that sport. Brendan Fevola is another example.

I think priority 1 is just to spend the last 5-9 years of his rugby career with no controversies. Depending on the outcome of this investigation the 'Wallabies' are probably off the table, if they weren't already.

Fev is a good parallel actually. Has about three brain cells to rub together, a string of controversies and a playing career that could have been something great.

Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk

 

[Micheal]

Well now we know why Benny Barba signed with Toulon. How long till JOC (James O'Connor) gets a EBC tatt?

Jokes aside, this is a mountain out of a molehill.

As I've mentioned before I played Subbies last year. Everyone was on it there and the coaches actually lead from the front.

I've also mentioned that I have a fair few friends playing first grade Shute Shield. Everyone's on it there.

I have a couple of friends playing Super Rugby and in the AFL. Everyone's on it there.

I've seen Wallabies out on the town and on it.

I have friends who work for legal firms, accounting firms, investment banks; friends who work in marketing, digital media, and friends who are self-employed. I have friends who work as software developers, friends in IT, friends who drive cranes, friends who are carpenters and plumbers and so on and so forth.

Friends of all profiles and from all walks of life aaaaaaaand I can conclusively say that they're all on it. Sure they're all in their 20s / 30s but all of their bosses and colleagues are on it as well.

For some reason we like to pretend as a culture that no one's on it and people who use recreational drugs are monsters / idiots / liabilities.

I think its time for that to change. I honestly don't give a fuck what JOC (James O'Connor) or Ali do in their spare time.

 

[Slim 293]

I have friends who work for legal firms, accounting firms, investment banks; friends who work in marketing, digital media, and friends who are self-employed. I have friends who work as software developers, friends in IT, friends who drive cranes, friends who are carpenters and plumbers and so on and so forth.

Friends of all profiles and from all walks of life aaaaaaaand I can conclusively say that they're all on it. Sure they're all in their 20s / 30s but all of their bosses and colleagues are on it as well.

But they're not professional athletes who receive two year bans if they test positive for it...........

 

[Micheal]

But they're not professional athletes who receive two year bans if they test positive for it.....

Sure, but you've missed three things about the post and its inferences:

1. I said that I have friends, and know of people, who are in the same situation and are regular users regardless.

2. In many professional services companies you are subject to random drug tests and the stakes are somewhat the same. With the introduction of RDT's the average individual is now subject to random tests with serious implications.

3. The premise of that wall of text was that I don't agree with how we, as a society, view recreational drug use and how we react to those who use them. This view is held by most young people and the country's laws, as well as the laws of sporting bodies, are terribly outdated. Australia has the highest recreational drug use per capita in the world according to a report I read last year - why pretend otherwise?

That was a horribly selective quoting of my post and you really missed the crux of it.

 

[Slim 293]

No, I get what you're saying and completely agree about not being concerned with what people do in their private lives.........

But this same luxury doesn't apply to professional athletes for a variety of reasons.

 

[Micheal]

No, I get what you're saying and completely agree about not being concerned with what people do in their private lives...

But this same luxury doesn't apply to professional athletes for a variety of reasons.

I'd love to hear the reasons.

 

[Slim 293]

Well, aside from the health effects it has on a high performance athlete, however minimal, the fact that it is a banned stimulant by WADA and players who test positive face a 2 year ban means they shouldn't be risking it............

 

[cyclopath]

After a night in the cells and the mother of all hangovers, the boys are doing fine.

 

[Micheal]

Well, aside from the health effects it has on a high performance athlete, however minimal, the fact that it is a banned stimulant by WADA and players who test positive face a 2 year ban means they shouldn't be risking it....

But thats what I'm really getting at, why is it banned? Doing a line or a cap or a pill or a bong before a game won't help in anyway.

Sooner or later we'll have to ask that question and address it.

Its definitely not performance enhancing, so what is it? At the very core of it its predominantly moralising.

The mainstream Western stance on recreational drugs is somewhat akin to the USA's abstinence based sex-ed teachings. "Don't do it, its bad for you". Black and white, right and wrong.

Coming from a family with severe mental illness problems (perhaps drug induced), I personally don't touch anything but that was I was taught growing up and all it does is promote misplaced shame and fear. So as a 18/19 year old when all my friends starting using anything and everything regularly it was initially quite difficult for me to reconcile their use with what I'd been told.

As it turns out, recreational drug use isn't as black and white as people make it out to be. It hits some people (read: gene pools) pretty badly but for the majority its absolutely ok (in moderation).

I hope a more nuanced view is taught for future generations and I hope a more nuanced view is reflected within both national law and the laws of different governing bodies around the globe (be it sporting or professional).

So I guess thats my problem with it. People cry out "what a plonker" when things like this happen and JOC (James O'Connor) is publicly shamed again when at the end of the day what he's done isn't objectively bad, is very common for someone his age (with his income and even his profession) and has very little consequence on his playing ability.

We're getting worked up because we've been told to be worked up but its all completely inconsequential.

Who cares? Play on.

 

[Ignoto]

I think its time for that to change. I honestly don't give a fuck what JOC (James O'Connor) or Ali do in their spare time.

You may not care what either of those two do with their spare time, but their employer might, after all the company they are hired by are performance driven. Taking these types of drugs which are not performance enchanting have a detrimental effect on their ability to recover and then perform at the level they were hired for. An argument could be made that James's injuries have a correlation on how much powder he consumes.

Sure there are plenty of people who partake in recreational drugs or even drink themselves stupid ever night. You can say what a person does in their spare time isn't your business but what point does it become your business? Is it when they turn up to work too tired because they've been on a 56 hour bender, are too hung over to lead a teleconference or is it when they have to miss a session or two in the gym or field because they need more recovery time because they didn't rest during their day off?

 

[Micheal]

You may not care what either of those two do with their spare time, but their employer might, after all the company they are hired by are performance driven. Taking these types of drugs which are not performance enchanting have a detrimental effect on their ability to recover and then perform at the level they were hired for. An argument could be made that James's injuries have a correlation on how much powder he consumes.

Sure there are plenty of people who partake in recreational drugs or even drink themselves stupid ever night. You can say what a person does in their spare time isn't your business but what point does it become your business? Is it when they turn up to work too tired because they've been on a 56 hour bender, are too hung over to lead a teleconference or is it when they have to miss a session or two in the gym or field because they need more recovery time because they didn't rest during their day off?

I disagree an argument could be made that James' injuries have a correlation on how much powder he consumes. Hypothetically perhaps (which I think is what you're getting at) but we have no data so in this case, no it can't. I'm just being a pedantic prick on this one haha.

I think overall you have a good point, but why have a blanket ban on cocaine? If you have a night out purely on coke the recovery time is almost non-existant relative to a night out on the drink.

Why not have a blanket ban on drinking? Or smoking? (I'm looking at you Aaron Smith and Paddy Ryan) Or McDonalds?

At some stage we have to trust these players, as humans, to moderate their own consumption, whether it be of alcohol or other recreational drugs (I say that because alcohol IS a recreational drug).

Its completely inconsistent.

 

[Highlander35]

Why isn't there a blanket ban on pro athletes smoking? Doesn't make sense for medical people to allow it at all for mine.

 

[No4918]

Why isn't there a blanket ban on pro athletes smoking? Doesn't make sense for medical people to allow it at all for mine.

How many pro athletes smoke? Warnie wasn't an athlete so doesn't count.

 

[No4918]

But thats what I'm really getting at, why is it banned? Doing a line or a cap or a pill or a bong before a game won't help in anyway.

Source? Like a real one, not your anecdotal BS.

 

[amirite]

How many pro athletes smoke? Warnie wasn't an athlete so doesn't count.

On a Saturday night after a few? Many do.

A pack a day? Not many, maybe in the Top 14.

 

[amirite]

Source? Like a real one, not your anecdotal BS.

Surely the burden of proof goes both ways though.

Cocaine does improve alertness, mood, and energy, but wears off very quickly.

If you racked a line right before KO maybe it's performance enhancing a bit, but not at the club.

 

[Tex]

Fark, get as high as you like just don't get caught. It's the grand old game, and as Michael said everyone's on it or knows someone on it. Difference is a) profile and b) NOT GETTING CAUGHT.

Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk

 

[amirite]

Fark, get as high as you like just don't get caught. It's the grand old game, and as Michael said everyone's on it or knows someone on it. Difference is a) profile and b) NOT GETTING CAUGHT.

Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk

If he did get caught, I imagine he also 'did not get caught' many times.

 

[Micheal]

How many pro athletes smoke? Warnie wasn't an athlete so doesn't count.

There's a real difference between smoking and "smoking", e.g. having the odd cigarette when out and drinking. I doubt many players have a day-to-day smoking habit but loads of them smoke when out on the drink.

I'm Sydney based so I can't comment on many non-Waratah's players and its rarely publicised so ANECDOTAL BS INCOMING but I've seen Paddy Ryan, Ben Robinson (front-row master race?), Kurtley Beale, Nick Phipps and probably a few others out having a cigarette.

After the RWC (2015) I recall Aaron Smith, Beaudan Barrett (?) and Dan Carter (?) being photographed smoking outside the club they celebrated the victory at. To be fair, that was after winning the world cup.

I've seen Taane Milne of the Roosters and a couple of other league players I can put a face to but not name.

Look at me dobbing on everyone.