Each week, our resident sports columnist Omni Arona tries to justify wasting his life watching sport and tells you who’s been shit
This past week, Craccum received a letter asking us to provide more sports content for the “underrepresented male population of the University”. So now you, the reader, get to read this manly piece about manly men doing manly men things. MORE MAN!!
Harry Maguire is shit
The Premier League started up last week, with an Arsenal win over the mighty Crystal Palace.
The big shock of the week was Man United losing their season opener against Brighton giving the seagulls their first ever win at Old Trafford. This comes after their worst ever season in the prem last year. I managed to catch the end of the game, and can I just ask that Man U continue to start McTominay and Fred? Because it’s honestly the funniest thing ever. I feel sorry for Harry Maguire. Whenever Man U struggle, I think about all the lads in my year who loved the reflected glory of their team winning every week. I hope they’re all miserable. I do think Ten Hag is a good coach and hope he fixes that club. I don’t even hate Man United (Chelsea fans can go fuck themselves though).
The other shock of the week was Liverpool drawing with recently promoted side Fulham. Mitrovic looks to carry on his championship form with two goals against one of the best sides in Europe. Credit to Fulham, they played well and we should all expect Liverpool to improve in their form across the rest of the season.
As a Tottenham fan, it’s getting to the point where our last trophy win is becoming nostalgic. But we looked dominant after a 4-1 win over Southampton. Conte has the team playing well and with it being a world cup year, who knows what could happen (Big ‘Waka Waka’—Shakira vibes over here). That being said, Spurs are winning the quadruple COYS.
The All Blacks are also shit
So, the All Blacks have been getting pounded as of late. I’m sick of rugby so I’m moving on.
The Manley Sea Eagles Players are also shit (and homophobic)
Seven Eagles players stood down after the club announced that they’d be wearing a pride jersey featuring rainbow stripes and trim would be worn as a one-off. The players cited religious beliefs as their reason for the refusal.
Three players have reportedly backflipped on this decision. This also comes after Sea Eagles Legend Ian Roberts came out as openly gay, the first Rugby League player to do so. “This breaks my heart” said Roberts to the Daily Telegraph. “I can promise you every young kid on the Northern beaches (Manly) who is dealing with their sexuality would have heard about this.”
Religion doesn’t excuse being a bad person. Religion doesn’t excuse homophobia.
Fucking embarrassing.
Bill Russell is Not shit
Now here is someone who isn’t shit. Quite the opposite actually.
NBA legend and political activist, Bill Russell passed away at the end of last month. Russell lived a cinematic life. He is the most successful in North American sports history, winning 11 NBA titles with the Boston Celtics from 1956 to 1969, the most of any player ever (Lebron has four, Michael Jordan has six). The award for the most valuable player of the NBA finals is named the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award.
But his greatest success is arguably his work off the court. Bill Russell faced immeasurable hate being the first Black superstar in the NBA. Because of his staunch anti-racist advocacy, the FBI kept a file on Bill Russell, whom they described as “an arrogant ***** who won’t sign autographs for white children”.
He was active in the Black Power movement and stood tall alongside Martin Luther King Jr., Jim Brown, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Muhammad Ali at the Black Economic Union.
Bill Russell, the greatest champion in all of team sports, passed away at his home in Washington, on July 31 at the age of 88.
