Mitch Robinson gets into a fight at BDO

[Andrew]

What I'm surprised about is a professional footballer not being in the VIP section at the Big Day Out, but just in amongst it. That's the incorrect call from Robbo right there. All the high-profile people attend festivals either backstage or in the VIP section. To go in the "mosh" (or the general 18+/drinking section, whatever) is, unfortunately, asking for this kind of trouble. But only because you have attitudes like this being so readily accepting in Australian society:

all i'm saying is if they go out drinking in public don't expect sympathy from me if they are hassled

No, "killbluff" (maybe "killjoy" is more appropriate), if professional sportspeople go to events like the BDO they don't deserve to be hassled, just like anyone else in the crowd doesn't deserve to be hassled. Once you go into a public venue like this, you are just a member of the crowd and Robbo shouldn't expect any special treatment. But he also shouldn't expect to get hassled just for who he is, just like you or anyone else shouldn't be hassled for who they are. Fantastic to hear that AFL players won't be receiving any sympathy from you, but if you ever get hassled at a public event, don't expect any sympathy from me.

Because I'm sure I won't even hear about it seeing as it wouldn't be splashed across the National nightly news...

[kilbluff1985]

that's just it though

i wouldn't expect sympathy from anyone

why are you saying this when above my quote you pretty much agreed with what i said?

[mezzoculo]

Interesting thread  ???

Don't quite understand the logic behind the 'he's a footy player so isn't entitled to a life' argument. Wouldn't want to live in a world where you stand at the bar etc while a guy gets sniped by showerbirds just because he is successful at what he does.

Let's not mince words either, blokes who get into fights with / hurl abuse at elite sports men just cause they see them on tv every weekend and think they are fair game pretty much fall into the 'detritus of society' category. Cowards and scumbags the lot of them.

[SydneyRox]

Cowards and scumbags the lot of them.

+1

[Grazz]

Cowards and scumbags the lot of them.

+1

+2 Dont care who you are you should be able to go out without the threat of abuse or assault. Sadly among us theres always some knob that see's a celebrity/footballer as fair game. This is where as a community we need to take better care of each other and just clean the clocks of these knobs. Once bitten twice shy.

[mezzoculo]

Would be interesting to see the average age differential between the two opposing views. Putting it out there, but I'll hazard a guess and say those who say footy players are fair game would be younger.

[SydneyRox]

You might be right Mezz. 10 years ago, you never had to worry about going to almost any pub in any place and wonder if some idiot was going to try and have a go for no reason or something stupid.
The amount of times mates have gone for a drink in the last 1-2years and got caught up in something like this is wrong, with these idiots looking for trouble.
The older guys dont accept that this is the way it should be, cos we know what it was like before, but the younger guys have been dealing with it the whole time, so "they should know better" makes sense to them (and me)
Not that I think we should accept or want to live in a society where that statement is actually right, but we do.

[owenbond007]

You go out enough and eventually you going to get in a sticky situation. Same shower was happening 10years ago, its just gradually gotten worse. I don't have a problem with footy players going out, and if some d$$kh$$d picks em, more often than not they are going to get their teeth knocked out and so they should.

The fact is the majority of the players are on pretty average money for guys that are continually scrutinized, watched. Comparative to most elite athletes around the world there pay is sh!t. 

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2013-01-25/millionaires-club-explodes

I reckon the media and the afl needs to back off a bit and let these guys live their life's the way they want.

[Ziplock]

that's true.

http://www.businessinsider.com/highest-paid-soccer-players-2012-10?op=1

the 10th highest paid soccer player gets 12 million a year

http://www.hoopsworld.com/nbas-top-50-highest-paid-players/

the 50 highest NBA player get 10 mil a year

http://www.businessinsider.com/the-25-highest-paid-players-in-the-nfl-2012-9?op=1

25th highest nfl player gets 10 mil a year.

compared to that, we average like 1-2 million dollar players a year. This year we had more mostly due to front loaded contracts with players like scully, ward, davis etc.

[tbagrocks]

Are pole vaulters profesional athletes? How much do you recon they get paid? You are just talking about the high end paid sports

[Ziplock]

Im talking about the most widely followed team sports in various countries. AFL's the biggest intra- country competition in australia, I'm just pointing out that they get paid a pittance in comparison.

ftr, high class pole vaulters earn around 1 million per year, about on par with AFL players, but in a smaller and less publicised sport.

[Grazz]

Feel for the bloke cops a 1k fine and 2 months volounteering with the Salvo's all cause a knob. Now the media suggesting he got off lightly. White Goodmans.!!!!

[Ziplock]

he was clearly the one getting beat on, the media are cocks.

[elephants]

Poor Robbo :(

[Football Factory]

Poor Robbo :(

+ 1