I am not particularly good company watching the footy on TV. I’ve attended my share of Grand Final free-for-alls. Regardless of combatants or result, I always end up wishing I was at home, in front of the muted box, with the ABC radio on, ideally alone.
My older son Marcus used to get on my nerves by asking “who’s winning?” at every stoppage, but has now grown up (12) to be a clone of me; pretty irritating, yeah, but not his fault. He says “Goal.” straight off the boot like I do and gets it wrong 55% of the time like I do. I am very used to his company now, and miss him a little when he goes to bed at half time of the night games. My younger son Michael has never shown the slightest interest in football or other organised sports, so he is off the hook here.
I raise this issue of watching habits because my role as a island-state stringer for TTBB really requires me to report back from gatherings of the faithful. There is a Hobart supporters group who watch together at a pub in New Town, as well as an official group in Launceston who launched this year but have understandably stalled as the object of their interest has done likewise.
I am a reasonably sociable person but prone to a few anxiety attacks now and again. Nothing makes my blood run cold like the prospect of walking into a pub full of strangers and announcing “Hi everyone, I am here to observe and report on you and your never-say-die attitudes!!” I’d feel like the psych student in The Glass Canoe who ended up welded into a keg and left on the roof. Whaddaya mean you haven’t read it? Geez.
I watch the Tiges on TV with the sound down and the radio up. No pay TV so sometimes just radio. Once a year on average I see them live, usually a loss to Carlton. (I’ve had about 10 of those, and one win.) I get to a few local TSL games, go up to Launceston to see the Hawks now and again. I read a hell of a lot about footy and yap on Twitter.
I cannot watch any football program on TV apart from an actual match. Even Marngrook gets up my nose now. I do not understand why people watch The Footy Show any more than I do people who watch Masterchef. The “serious” couch shows are arguably worse but no, you’re right, I really would not know as I don’t watch them.
So – it is from these threads that I weave my impressions of how the Tiges are going. I don’t watch them play while herding devils or cleanly greenly tending sustainable microherbs (or chasing my sister haha) so I really don’t think there is anything much intrinsically Tassie about my view of football. But you are welcome to it and I hope you’ll give me your views too from time to time, whether you agree with me or not.
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