Isaac
Years ago

Goorjian and Bogut rebut Sheedy's remark

Andrew Bogut and Brian Goorjian have answered Kevin Sheedy's "basketball crap" comment with some fair points featured early in Channel 10's sports report. An Essendon fan, Bogut appeared with Goorj in front of a Basketball Australia branded media conference to remind Sheedy that basketball is one of the most played sports in the world behind soccer, whereas AFL is limited more or less to Australia alone.

Goorj suggested that the AFL could have some rule changes ahead of it, much in the way that basketball has changed over time.

Channel 10 had two more basketball stories in their sports segment - one featuring Bogut and Goorj again, talking about the upcoming international games - and some footage and talk about the introduction of the Singapore Slingers.

Good support for basketball from Channel 10 and I think they have the interest to keep at it.

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Isaac
Years ago

From the Bombers site:

Goorjian predicted that AFL would become more and more like basketball with initiatives like the half-court line and shot-clocks, already making their presence felt on the football field.

"I think that Australian Rules football, over the course of time, is going to have to change its rules," he said.

"You know, we've done that in basketball and the clock, the half-court line, more points for deeper shots, all those things are going to come to footy."

And some from Bogut:

"Basketball is played all around the world, it's probably the number two sport in the world behind soccer, it can't be too crap if every country is playing it," Bogut said.

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The Spanish Inquisition
Years ago

Well said Bogut.

Stick that in your narrow-minded, redneck pipe and smoke it Sheedy

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MW
Years ago

How was he being narrow minded? He does not want a Basketball styled game for the AFL...simple as that. The "crap" comment was a bit much but it was only there for dramatic effect. I am sure he does not think of the game of Basketball as crap.

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Isaac
Years ago

It was a flippant remark from someone stalling in dealing with their predicament (loss after loss). I think you could call him narrow-minded in a pinch - his knowledge doesn't extend too far from the football oval if he thinks that a keepies-off style of AFL is anything like basketball.

Bogut needs to get him out to a decent NBL game to show that the game of basketball has left that style behind - time restrictions on in-bounds, in the back court, camping in the paint, on any possession - it has worked quite well.

I know that Mark Cuban has talked about the impact of rule changes on scores historically and so on. As Goorjian said, it's inevitable for the AFL - already they have a 30 second rule this season, right?

History will remember the winners, not the Sheedy's who took the high ground and refused to play that card to get his squad the flag. The slide to this style might not be drastic, but it will occur if the rules don't restrict it. Nothing but pride is stopping every team from using the same tactic.

To take the same line to its extreme, imagine allowing cigarette companies to come up with their own industry code of conduct (yay, fruit flavoured cigarettes!).

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FACT
Years ago

Why do you people care what Kevin Sheedy thinks about basketball? Not everyone is going to like the game. In fact, in Austalia, more and more people dislike the game every year. Don't you think the NBL would be on free to air tv if enough people would watch it. But, unfortunately, not enough people do care for, or want to watch our game so it's not. Sheedy is just one of many.

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Anonymous
Years ago

because it makes the game look unnecessarily bad in the public view?

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Anonymous
Years ago

But is the 30 second rule enforced? Supposed to be play on after 30 seconds but is never whistled!

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Doctor E
Years ago

Exactly Isaac, that was nothing like basketball. When was the last time anyone saw a basketball team maintain possession in the backcourt, or the front court even? That probably happened back in the days before the shot clock which is why they brought that in but that's going back a long long way. It was more comparable to soccer in my opinion. And they should look to that sport to see how they have tried to combat it (e.g. the back pass rule).

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Anonymous
Years ago

Game looked more like soccer to me. They should be more worried about becoming soccer!! If australia makes 2nd round of world cup and qualify again next time around I think we will see many good athletes going to soccer over AFL or basketball.

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Anonymous
Years ago

Thanks Isaac that's exactly what I was getting at. You can hardly liken basketball, especially at a fast-paced professional level, to the style of play Sheedy is criticising. He's just projecting the blame elsewhere because it seems so hard for people to accept that the AFL will undoubtedly have to undergo rule changes (as basketball did) to overcome the possession-biased nature the game is beginning to take. It was an ignorant remark to make, and it shows he is too eager to pass off the blame for his poor record this season without any knowledge of how basketball is actually played.

It will only be a matter of time until their is some sort of shot clock or rule against kicking backwards.

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Anonymous
Years ago

Thanks Isaac that's exactly what I was getting at. You can hardly liken basketball, especially at a fast-paced professional level, to the style of play Sheedy is criticising. He's just projecting the blame elsewhere because it seems so hard for people to accept that the AFL will undoubtedly have to undergo rule changes (as basketball did) to overcome the possession-biased nature the game is beginning to take. It was an ignorant remark to make, and it shows he is too eager to pass off the blame for his poor record this season without any knowledge of how basketball is actually played.

It will only be a matter of time until their is some sort of shot clock or rule against kicking backwards.

Reply #82969 | Report this post

Hoops

Goorjian and Bogut rebut Sheedy's remark

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