Sonny Bill Williams
A great athlete? Or an athlete that has made poor decisions, mixed them with good sporting talent, used the media coverage from all of them to create a media icon?
Exactly.
Ladies and Gentlemen, lay your eyes upon the Americanism that is the professional "athlete".
They are good at what they do, but they can't be content with what they have, potentially already millions of dollars.
They never wake up to the fact that they are not business geniuses, that the plethora of "advisers" around them are actually making as much or potentially more than they are out of every deal that is struck. No. They are just as worthy of business as a monkey is to long haul space flight.
Where was he loved and accepted? On the Rugby League field.
Where should he have stayed? EXACTLY THERE.
It was only a few years ago that he cowardly just up and left from the Bulldogs in the NRL, got on a plane and quite simply flipped the bird to the Rugby League community and took a stint in Rugby.
Well, the NRL and the Bulldogs weren't taking that crap. SBW had to end up paying some A$700,000 just to settle his contract. Who paid that may you ask? Well funny enough, many say it was loud-mouth boxer Anthony Mundine. Now, this angry half-drunk blogger actually has severe respect for Mundine, why? He isn't a coward. He didnt just up and leave from a contract, he didn't say to League that 'you guys aren't good enough' and just left the sport altogether. No. He played the game with passion, then moved onto Boxing of where he became world champion and one of the most entertaining boxers this blogger has ever laid eyes on.. (clearly Pacman and the likes of Tyson and Ali and Lewis are another league altogether, but Mundine was great nonetheless).
My rant question is this. SBW, where is the love for League.
How about you wake up with a slap to the face and see that the lovers of the sport are normal people, now I am not unfamiliar with high business, but you must respect those who made you who you are. Six60 said "Don't forget your roots", yet you have gone and done exactly that.
I believe your career is tainted until you return to league, take all the pay you may get from any respective club (FYI YOU SHOULD BE A TRUE KIWI AND SIGN WITH THE WARRIORS) and give those funds to the development of the youth of the sport that look up to you so much so that you are considered a god to those kids.
Nobody remembers the twat that pulled in the big fights, the big cheques, the big money.
Everybody remembers in their heart the guy that took from the big time and gave those who looked up to him the path to succeed and gave them a smile on their face at the same time.
It was Mundine that possibly paid your way out of the Doggies? Well we should have seen you would have gone to boxing after that. Human beings after all are normally only human. But we expected more of you. Seeing your talents are superhuman, your actions in these matters have not been.
Give back to League, the sport that made you who you are. Otherwise forever more there will be that cloud over your head with persons thinking you are a media-monger and the $ and cents are your end game.
Bain (an avid league fan FYI)
