Play Nice James Hird rushed to hospital - suspected overdose

[PetterdHoisted]

couple of comments:
Media camping outside the Hird's place: I agree it is useless now given they are just going to see family say 'no comment' as they get in their car, but 'gutter' journalism/bin dipping has its place in breaking stories. No coincidence that media outlets were the first to be threatened with legal action in this saga, and that it apparently stopped the story breaking for several months. We need an inquisitive and aggressive media or we simply won't hear about most corrupt activities.

The blame game here: The official media and social media have copped it, fair enough, but little said about Essendon's role, and I mean that in a nebulous sense, let's say 'elements' of the club, members, fans, coteries etc., in what Hird has been through in the last 4 years. Hird was no doubt a willing participant, but some of these elements clearly championed him, enabled him, to be the face of a campaign that fought to a long and bitter end against the AFL/ASADA/WADA/CAS. After every defeat along the way, heads were scratched, 'who is advising him on this course of action?!!'...indeed, who advised him, who assisted, who encouraged him as the face of such a long, arduous, adversarial, mentally stressful campaign?

 

[jaguaress]

Best wishes for James getting help and recovering.

 

[Beerfish]

Gee, we can't all be perfect like you, Westicle.

I hope, one day, you do stuff up and hurt someone, and they refuse to forgive you, no matter how often you say "sorry". Then you will see what unforgiveness looks like.

To err is human.

Good post. Well said.

 

[mxett]

They were charged by the court of arbitration for sport.

a sporting body, not a criminal court............. Where is the perspective for crying out loud? Professional sport is merely entertainment. If we are going to hate people for effecting our entertainment we might as well chuck it in

 

[Rod Stroker]

a sporting body, not a criminal court............. Where is the perspective for crying out loud? Professional sport is merely entertainment. If we are going to hate people for effecting our entertainment we might as well chuck it in

It's a court presided over by judges to resolve legal disputes.
It's not a court presided over by ball boys and linesmen.

And to be clear, I'm not hating on anyone. That's others in this thread doing the hating.

 

[matwt73]

couple of comments:
Media camping outside the Hird's place: I agree it is useless now given they are just going to see family say 'no comment' as they get in their car, but 'gutter' journalism/bin dipping has its place in breaking stories. No coincidence that media outlets were the first to be threatened with legal action in this saga, and that it apparently stopped the story breaking for several months. We need an inquisitive and aggressive media or we simply won't hear about most corrupt activities.

The blame game here: The official media and social media have copped it, fair enough, but little said about Essendon's role, and I mean that in a nebulous sense, let's say 'elements' of the club, members, fans, coteries etc., in what Hird has been through in the last 4 years. Hird was no doubt a willing participant, but some of these elements clearly championed him, enabled him, to be the face of a campaign that fought to a long and bitter end against the AFL/ASADA/WADA/CAS. After every defeat along the way, heads were scratched, 'who is advising him on this course of action?!!'...indeed, who advised him, who assisted, who encouraged him as the face of such a long, arduous, adversarial, mentally stressful campaign?

I don't know That I agree with all of this post but it raises some useful points.

Sometimes good journalism = effective journalism = fearless journalism = ugly journalism.

Whether this was one of those times (either four years ago or now) is a moot point and probably owes too much to our existing biases (positive or negative) about the club and the people involved.

 

[mxett]

It's a court presided over by judges to resolve legal disputes.
It's not a court presided over by ball boys and linesmen.

And to be clear, I'm not hating on anyone. That's others in this thread doing the hating.

it presides over sports issues, not criminal cases, which was my point all along. Hardly a hate-able offence

 

[kirky]

The "I'm doing my job" line is bullshit.

People CHOOSE what job they do, and how they conduct themselves. If someone like Caro goes into the media, it ISN'T her job to have agendas and run smear campaigns, and present one side of the story, just for awards and to show that a woman can make it in a man's world.

The media need to be held responsible for any consequences which come from ruining someone's reputation.

You obviously don't follow politics coz that is exactly what our written media do (meaning News Corp). They run agendas and smear campaigns - that is what journalism has sunk to - be it sports, politics or whatever.

What people need to do is filter it and assess it and make your own judgements.

 

[BRWB]

a sporting body, not a criminal court............. Where is the perspective for crying out loud? Professional sport is merely entertainment. If we are going to hate people for effecting our entertainment we might as well chuck it in

Perspective indeed. Sport is big business. And at a minimum doping is fraud. If someone fraudulently stole my money (eg a membership paid in blind trust of a level playing field) - I'd have every right to be pissed. And what's more folks have been jailed for it in the States.

The other issue of players not knowing what they were injected with - well that could range from nothing to something approaching industrial manslaughter depending on how things pan out with regard to any long term deleterious affects of the unknown chemicals.

And then we have the Hal Hunter sad situation - but he isn't a star so let's not talk about his mental health.

While I am sympathetic to Hird and his family's situation - lets not rewrite history either.

 

[mxett]

Perspective indeed. Sport is big business. And at a minimum doping is fraud. If someone fraudulently stole my money (eg a membership paid in blind trust of a level playing field) - I'd have every right to be pissed. And what's more folks have been jailed for it in the States.

The other issue of players not knowing what they were injected with - well that could range from nothing to something approaching industrial manslaughter depending on how things pan out with regard to any long term deleterious affects of the unknown chemicals.

And then we have the Hal Hunter sad situation - but he isn't a star so let's not talk about his mental health.

While I am sympathetic to Hird and his family's situation - lets not rewrite history either.

Hal's issues were well reported and he deservedly got sympathy. As for the other points, there were multiple people involved in the saga yet Hird was the tallest poppy and was effectively an easy target

 

[Lance Uppercut]

It's a court presided over by judges to resolve legal disputes.
It's not a court presided over by ball boys and linesmen.

And to be clear, I'm not hating on anyone. That's others in this thread doing the hating.

Sports law. Not criminal law. Not even civil law. Sports law.

And whilst it's referred to as a court, it is actually what in Australia is called a tribunal.

 

[Forward Press]

It's a court presided over by judges to resolve legal disputes.
It's not a court presided over by ball boys and linesmen.

And to be clear, I'm not hating on anyone. That's others in this thread doing the hating.

It is not a court. There's a reason no-one is in jail as a result of it. Don't let the name fool you, it is merely the mechanism of a sporting body, not the government.

 

[matwt73]

It is not a court. There's a reason no-one is in jail as a result of it. Don't let the name fool you, it is merely the mechanism of a sporting body, not the government.

Lots of courts don't exercise criminal jurisdiction though.

 

[The_Wookie]

Ive cleared up the thread a little. Nazi comparisons? really? Days off have been issued for the time being.

Folks time to get a little perspective here. This is a human being who, made mistakes - and served the time given him. You want to relive the drugs saga, theres a board for that. You want to have a crack at the media in the drug saga, theres two boards for that. This thread realistically should be a little more humane than people have been willing to let it be.

End of the day - we DONT know the circumstances that led to this, we DONT know how it happened, but we do know that Hird is a human being, a father to several kids and a husband who is likely enduring a tough time mentally.

If you cant post with some sensitivity, then stay out, or Ill be carding folks for the rest of the night.

Its hot, I have no air conditioning, Im cranky and Im at work until 8am. be warned.

 

[nobbyiscool]

What an indictment on the ****ing gutter journalists in this city that his wife has to release a statement asking them to leave her driveway. I can only think that these people never learned ethics as part of their studies or their cadetship, because it's pretty unethical to do this in any circumstances - it is belong unethical, and nothing short of outrageously ****ing scummy to be doing it in cases of death, suicide or attempted suicide.

I don't have a lot of time for the Hird's after the last few years, but I felt for his wife over the last few days. The statement she should have been able to release was simply thanking family, friends and fans for their support.


I guess I didn't love the comments of people like Nathan Buckley and Rohan Connelly (who I actually really like as a journo when he's not discussing Essendon.) Undoubtedly the last few years would've weighed pretty heavily on James - mental illness doesn't discriminate, and it doesn't avoid people who are well off, or who have options in life, or who have young kids.

Which is part of the reason why I feel it's a bit untimely for Buckley in particular to grind his axe over how he thinks the media invades the private life of those involved in footy. Hird's had the Essendon stuff, he lost he's job, there's the rumours about his family life that we've all heard over the last year, and we don't know that he doesn't have long-standing mental health issues that precede the last few years. It's premature to "blame" his circumstance on his treatment (or his own actions) at Essendon - it's premature to blame what happened on anything. We just don't know, and people like Buckley and Connelly are guessing. That doesn't help anyone.

 

[Beerfish]

What an indictment on the ******* gutter journalists in this city that his wife has to release a statement asking them to leave her driveway. I can only think that these people never learned ethics as part of their studies or their cadetship, because it's pretty unethical to do this in any circumstances - it is belong unethical, and nothing short of outrageously ******* scummy to be doing it in cases of death, suicide or attempted suicide.

I don't have a lot of time for the Hird's after the last few years, but I felt for his wife over the last few days. The statement she should have been able to release was simply thanking family, friends and fans for their support.

I guess I didn't love the comments of people like Nathan Buckley and Rohan Connelly (who I actually really like as a journo when he's not discussing Essendon.) Undoubtedly the last few years would've weighed pretty heavily on James - mental illness doesn't discriminate, and it doesn't avoid people who are well off, or who have options in life, or who have young kids.

Which is part of the reason why I feel it's a bit untimely for Buckley in particular to grind his axe over how he thinks the media invades the private life of those involved in footy. Hird's had the Essendon stuff, he lost he's job, there's the rumours about his family life that we've all heard over the last year, and we don't know that he doesn't have long-standing mental health issues that precede the last few years. It's premature to "blame" his circumstance on his treatment (or his own actions) at Essendon - it's premature to blame what happened on anything. We just don't know, and people like Buckley and Connelly are guessing. That doesn't help anyone.

Well yes, everyone is guessing really and love him or hate him Rohan is good value and actually had the balls to stump up on this very site and take any and all questions.

 

[Bokonon_]

I recall Lindsay Tanner saying he hoped he could be involved in the club in some way. I think he's a very smart dude. I genuinely curious as to how that would work.
I get he'll always be a Bombers great as a player. Would his presence always be divisive or is there some kind of role for him in the future. Maybe it could be cathartic.

 

[Beerfish]

I recall Lindsay Tanner saying he hoped he could be involved in the club in some way. I think he's a very smart dude. I genuinely curious as to how that would work.
I get he'll always be a Bombers great as a player. Would his presence always be divisive or is there some kind of role for him in the future. Maybe it could be cathartic.

It's probably too early to say given we don't even really know what happened and where he's at and is going to be at later.

 

[Stan The Caddy]

I've stayed out of the Essendon Drugs scandal on BF for the most part and for good reason I believe. I enter this with trepidation but here I am. James Hird was a magnificently talented footballer. He had the silk of M'cleod, the toughness of Voss and the overall talent of well, just about anybody that has ever played the game. For anybody, I don't care which club they barrack for, to wish him or his family any harm should take a good long hard look at themselves. Speaking for myself, I know that I've done much worse things than he has yet copped not even a skerrick of the blame that he has received over the last 4 years.

Has he made mistakes? IMO yes. Has he paid for them? IMO yes. To wish this man any harm at a time like this says more about that person than it does anybody else. He's an icon of this sport and deserves our respect.

 

[Bokonon_]

It's probably too early to say given we don't even really know what happened and where he's at and is going to be at later.

Fair enough was genuine, but get l probably jumped the gun.

 

[Barney_stinson]

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/es...d/news-story/28bf6dbff21d7bfbd823db9d9c8fd5a9

TANIA Hird says her husband’s health is her “primary focus” as a close confidant on Friday night accused the AFL of hounding the Bombers great.

James Hird’s former lawyer, Steven Amendola, on Friday night said the ex-Essendon coach was the victim of years of bullying by league chiefs.

Details also emerged on Friday of a stinging verbal assault aimed at Hird by the wife of a prominent judge at a Christmas party last month.

Hird had also been told incorrectly — according to the AFL and SEN — the league had blocked a move by the radio station to recruit him for its 2017 football broadcasts.

And to anyone who said the AFL are not involved in this...

An AFL spokeswoman told the Herald Sun “that did not happen’’ and an SEN spokeswoman said “that’s categorically untrue”.

Hird, 43, remains under care in a specialist mental health centre after being treated for a drug overdose at the Cabrini Hospital on Wednesday.

“They (AFL) have relentlessly trashed his reputation and misrepresented the facts and the context,” Mr Amendola told the Herald Sun.

“I hope they are satisfied now but it should hardly be surprising — even for someone with mental health as strong as James’s — that this has happened.

I love the crows and love watching the game, but categorically HATE the AFL with a passion. They will do whatever it takes to burn someone who challenges them. **** off AFL you bunch of living, cheating arseholes campaigners. The commission is a joke.

 

[PoppedCorn]

It does?

Can you spell it our for me then?

Seriously?
It said mind your ****ing business didn't it?

I thought it was spelt out rather well

 

[Barney_stinson]

Seriously?
It said mind your ******* business didn't it?

I thought it was spelt out rather well

I guess i didn't read your mindset. Plenty of posters have this infliction to post crap about him.

My apologies if that wasn't your intention.

 

[Beerfish]

Fair enough was genuine, but get l probably jumped the gun.

I didn't mean that in a snarky way.

 

[Bokonon_]

I didn't mean that in a snarky way.

I got that. Dave Mathews said it will be great to have the club back next year, and I never disagree with our CEO or coach as a matter of principle. Just curious how it plays out long term. But your post made perfect sense, sometimes time and space are the first priority for healing.