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Rowing on the Front Page For a sport usually starved of media interest and wide public appeal, the 2004 Athens Olympic Games should have been an absolute feast for the sport of rowing in Australia. For one unprecedented week, rowing carried the national public interest. There was a literal explosion of front-page headlines, impassioned editorials and sweeping expert commentary. The talking heads of politicians, celebrities and past champions populated the television screens - each earnestly wearing the national flag on their public sleeve. Public interest was insatiable; public opinion divided. A strongly held view could be had with the purchase of a coffee; public debate could last as long as a commuter's train-ride. It was tantamount to treason not to hold a viewpoint. Amateur philosophers drew life-lessons, cartoonist drew political metaphors and rowing barely had time to draw breath. No, rowing was not being lifted triumphantly on the shoulders of public acclamation; it was, instead, hosting a feeding frenzy that would leave its carcass publicly stripped. One rower had failed to finish a race. One crew was devastated. One coach walked away. One nation was divided. Let's open up this can of worms... At whom do we point the accusatory finger? What can and should rowing learn from this incident? Read the accompanying articles. What is your opinion? This controversy continues to evoke considerations pertinent to all rowing bodies and participants. Include your opinion in a letter to the editor and share it with the world-wide rowing community.
Letters to the Editor To send a letter to the editors at RowEd, use our e-mail submission form. All letters must include your name and location. Letters may be edited for space or content prior to publication. |
