E-Sports, or E-Sledging?

As we all know, I'm a huge fan of sports both virtual and real, but what eludes me to this day is just how unsportsmanlike people can be online.

On a football field, sure there is unsporting behaviour occurring here and there, but that's nothing compared to what you would experience online. Playing an online game and making a simple mistake could result in an earful of a 15-year old who hasn't had his medication and thinks he is a god at the game.

That right there is the one word a lot of the players seem to forget; Game. When I was young, I remember a game being fun, being something to look forward to, being a reward for working hard. Now, a game has many meanings. There is the World Game, Football, which is still amazingly fun, and to be rewarded you had to work hard in the game, but I have always looked forward to a match- I have never thought about it and thought "You know.. I really don't want to play.."

I thought that if I enjoyed something, I'd continue doing it until I found something else that I enjoyed more. This isn't so much the case with online gaming now. The world of the Cyber-Warrior is a vicious one. For example, everyone knows Mario, and we have probably all played the New Super Mario Brothers game, where 4 people can play. If this were an online game with other people, children would probably be in tears if they were grouped with some of the people I've come across.

Say for example, you're running to a Green Mushroom, and someone else takes it. Now a normal, level headed person might be a bit annoyed, but they'll wait patiently for the next one. The kids I've come across will call you all sorts of names, yelling at you and screaming them at volumes that would probably be heard across their neighbourhood. Not to mention the amount of expletives coming from their mouths.

I've quit many online games purely for this reason, I don't need the strife or the drama of a kid who didn't get his Epic Purple drop because I rolled higher, but something always draws me back in. As you're reading this, you may not have guessed what it is that draws me in. It is exactly what I'm saying is wrong with online games. I love a kid arguing at me, because at the end of the day, he's wasting his time on someone who doesn't care. As the saying goes, you get what you give, and that is usually the case. If people want to have a go at me or my friends, they better be ready for one of the biggest digital battles they may ever have.

Those of you who know me well know I can argue for hours, and make almost anything sound plausible or turn the simplest of sayings into a huge insult. I don't back down until I have made the other person look like a complete fool to his peers. I will hassle them, niggle them, and give them a hard time about just about everything they do.

This is also what my demeanour is on the Football field. If people want to start having a go at me for messing something up, you will note that it is not a frown that comes to my face, but a smile. I relish a challenge, and they will have just presented me with one. It's easy to turn the tables on someone physically if you can defeat them mentally. Then it is my turn to get back at them, and make them angry, therefore they become more likely to make mistakes, and that will fuel their rage.

What I want to know is this, we've all seen what can happen when someone becomes aggressive and reckless in sports- Cantona fly-kicking a supporter, Kevin Muscat's recent tackle.. So is the sledging in sports becoming too much of a problem on-field as it already is online? Or is sledging still an aspect of the game that will remain eternally?

Battle of the Sexes

In the last 24 hours I have witnessed two quite amazing games, with the same scores, but with different outcomes. What I'm talking about are the games of Canberra United vs Perth Glory, and Australia vs Japan. 

Watching both games brought a lot of attention to my mind, and if I look back into the deep recesses of my memory to find my youth days, I remember when my father would take me out to the Australian Institute of Sport to meet the Matildas. I believe this was the spark that set a flame to my interest in Women's Football. Meeting the girls when I was young was one of the greatest experiences I've ever had in my life, even if I was really too young to truly appreciate just how lucky I was.

Looking back, I remember all the games the girls would win, how many times I'd be eagerly waiting for my favourite players to score goals, make great tackles, or make some spectacular saves. Although I must admit, the part I looked forward to most was when the girls had finished playing and came up to say hello to me. Although, that's all child psychology, and I don't want to delve into that. What I am getting at though, is that the Women's game is completely different to that of the Men's. I have never been to a match where the Socceroos have won, at least, not that I can remember. 

This is also channeled down into the state leagues. At the same time that my father would take me out to see the girls train or play, he would also take me out to see the now-nonexistent Canberra Cosmos. While the guys in the Cosmos were nice as well, they were really no competition for most of the teams, especially Sydney or Brisbane. If we look at the Canberra United girls, they've gone pretty well so far, and this week shall be coming up against Brisbane Roar. Should they win that game, one would expect they would face Sydney again in the Grand Final.

So, while the Australian women have never actually won any of the World Cups, and neither have Australia, there is definitely a disparity in reigning countries. To put it into perspective, the USA is a high placing team in the Women's competition, but are rarely anywhere past qualifying in the Men's. So it makes me think, do some countries favour the men, or favour the women in their sporting ventures?

Also, make sure you tune into the game between Brisbane and Canberra this Saturday at 6pm!