And then, just like that, everyone became interested in the Commonwealth Games.
Unfortunately, they did so because of a cold, calculated attack on Sally Pearson from athletics boss Eric Hollingsworth and weightlifter Francois Etoundi being detained by Glasgow police over an alleged assault in the village.
The Friendly Games? Yeah, good.
While Hollingsworth’s lengthy attack, via a PR-managed statement, on Pearson for failing to attend a pre-games camp because she was competing elsewhere stunned even his most ardent critics, those in athletics have been saying for years that the head coach is widely disliked.
His adversary: the no-nonsense, ocker chick from the Goldie, who was inspired by a space-suited Cathy Freeman in the 400 metres in Sydney in 2000, and went on to win Olympic and world titles in the 100-metre hurdles.
Hollingsworth’s PR flak should go back to PR school after trying to shoot down Bambi on the eve of her event in Glasgow.
After winning in London two years ago, Pearson signed every autograph book thrust under her nose, posed for every selfie and answered every inane question asked.
This column was fortunate enough to be on the roof of the London media centre the morning after Pearson’s victory.
For about two minutes, it was just the two of us as photographers set up for a celebratory shot.
“I’m exhausted,” she said. “I haven’t slept. But I don’t care.”
And she didn’t sleep. For another 24 hours.
Alas, there have not been enough stories of that ilk since that fabled, sparkly night at the Olympic Stadium when Freeman claimed gold in one of the country’s proudest and most significant chapters.
Then and there, an entire generation of budding athletes should’ve tossed aside PlayStation consoles and joined Little Athletics clubs.
Instead, Australian athletics has been nothing more than an undulating soap opera of spats between individuals, prima donnas and erratic coaches.
From Jana Drama to catfights between relay team members to John Steffensen’s racism claims, there hasn’t been enough Sally – or Steve Hooker for that matter – and too much ugly theatre and sideshows.
Such is the cut and thrust of all sports, particularly ones as individual as track and field, but there hasn’t been a true athletics “team” competing at worlds, Olympics and Commonwealth Games in recent memory.
Those issues didn’t start with Hollingsworth, but in his role as high-performance manager and then head coach over the past six years, they have not improved.
Now he's picked a stink with our New Cathy. Well done.
Athletics needs the same enema swimming has just endured. But will it be soon enough for Rio in 2016?
NEVER BACK A RAGING BULL INTO A CORNER
And now, to the other major cluster@#$% of the week … Wests Tigers.
Those who label Tigers captain Robbie Farah a "sook" should be careful about making sweeping assumptions about someone's mental state. He has some hurdles to overcome before he gets on the field.
His angst comes from claims he wants coach Mick Potter sacked.
To that end, has Gorden Tallis given up Farah cold, or has the Tigers skipper and his manager, Sam Ayoub, forced the big fella into really giving him up cold?
A quick recap for those playing at home: Tallis told Triple M listeners last Friday night that Farah didn’t rate the coach; Farah was filthy and told him so via text; Ayoub phoned Triple M on Sunday and asked, on air, for Tallis to name his source; Tallis did so … It was Farah.
Boom!
Gordie – who I rate very highly as a man and media talent – says he wasn’t going to be called a liar, which is fair enough.
But he’s breached the very essence of what an “off the record” conversation is. I’ll defer here to Chris Masters, legendary reporter of Four Corners fame.
Masters wrote in his 1992 book Inside Story: “There is frequent confusion and misunderstanding about what ‘off the record’ means – even among journalists themselves. So spelling it out is often worthwhile. ‘Off the record’ certainly means the source must remain secret and unattributable. Whether it means the information can or cannot be broadcast is something that has to be determined by the parties involved.”
Since Farah was the source, Tallis should never had raised the matter on air on Friday because he hadn’t discussed it with Farah first.
Ayoub, though, took a flame-thrower to the situation when he challenged Tallis on air. Never back a Raging Bull into a corner.
POLLARD DENIES WESTS TIGERS OFFER
The word all week was that Nine Entertainment director Joe Pollard was approached for the vacant independent chairperson's role at Wests Tigers. The word was that she said "no thanks" when told there was no fee involved.
"I really don't want to comment in any detail on discussions I have had with the NRL," she said via text message. "However, I will confirm that I was not offered any position at the Wests Tigers."
Said NRL chief operating officer Jim Doyle: "There is a process under way to reconstitute the board and it is not appropriate to comment on whether any individual has or hasn’t been part of a process. As a general point, it is not unusual for board members to be involved in an honorary capacity and we are very grateful to them for the hours they put in."
There is angst among some club chairmen and chief execs about the NRL wanting to parachute independent directors onto the board of every NRL club. Given it's taken 10 months and counting for them to find suitable directors for the Tigers, the process might take decades.
As the great former ARL boss Ken Arthurson would say when accused of Manly bias: "You've got to come from somewhere."
AOC IS GETTING SERIOUS
We’re hearing there will be some serious new directives issued at next Friday’s Australian Olympic Committee board meeting in Sydney.
Olympics boss John Coates wants to screen every coach and support staff member to see if they have any history of sexual assault concerning minors.
He will also endorse a coming directive from the World Anti-Doping Agency that targets an athlete's entire entourage, and that includes the dreaded “sports scientist”.
In light of the entanglement of the ASADA investigation into peptide use, Coates wants to protect athletes heading to Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
CARNEY AND CORBY MADE FOR EACH OTHER
And, finally, pictures emerged on Thursday morning of Todd Carney partying with Schapelle Corby in Bali.
The convicted drug dealer and the bad boy footballer without a club ... As a wise man once told me, God makes them and then they find each other.
Q&A: ANTHONY MINICHIELLO
We speak to the Roosters captain ahead of their clash with the Dragons at Allianz Stadium on Saturday night in this Marvel Comics-inspired round.
You're not Captain Bondi this weekend but Captain America.
Well, they call me the Mayor of Bondi.
Give yourself a rap. As the Mayor of Bondi, can you do something about the parking cops?
I was speaking to the actual mayor, Sally Betts, when they presented us with the keys to the city after last year's grand final. I asked, "Is that free parking for all of us?" She said, "Ah, no".
Were you a comic book reader as a kid?
No. But the jumpers look pretty slick. ISC has tried to get this up for a while. We're playing the Dragons, who are Ironman. It's a great promotion.
If your lovely wife, the Biv, was a superhero, which superhero would she be?
Wonder Woman. Maybe Catwoman, in that tight lycra.
Good as gold. She'll love that ... Now to some rugby league. What's doing with your side's form?
Last week was disappointing. We've been inconsistent at times through the year. But we're still believing that we can do something special in the competition. We need to start building some momentum, right now.
Against the Ironmen.
They're going well.
And Sonny Bill's injury is a loss. Is it a good test for you guys without him?
We've got a few niggles at the moment, including Sonny's thumb. It's a challenge for the guys to step up and come into first grade. We don't want to lose too much strike power. Sonny's a big loss, but we've played without him before. So hopefully we can build some wins before those guys come back.
Sonny is Captain Kiwi. See what I did there?
Yes. I did.
Your Moore Park neighbours, the Waratahs, have a massive game this weekend. Have you dropped into a video session and given some advice on winning the big ones?
They're looking good. We see them all the time. We had a joint session a couple of months ago.
Who's more talented, you or them?
I won't say.
THE QUOTE
"The cover drive is the easiest shot in the world to play. Every kid can do it, so why not someone as talented as Cook?" - Former England player Kevin Pietersen on his former captain, Alastair Cook.
THUMBS UP
Aussie Jarrod Lyle fired a two under 69 in the final round of the Midwest Classic in Kansas on Sunday to finish tied for 11th in his first US tournament since fighting off leukaemia for a second time. It's the greatest tied 11th placing in the history of golf.
THUMBS DOWN
Video killed the radio star, apparently. He's killing rugby league, too. The never-ending replays as the bloke in the box makes a decision on whether a try has been scored is giving me an ice-cream headache. They're taking longer and longer and longer ...
It's a big weekend for ... James Maloney and Mitchell Pearce. The Roosters need some spark, and it's about time the halves provided said spark.
It's an even bigger weekend for ... the Waratahs. Just win, would you? Win.
