Re: David Gallop - Disgusting
Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2011 10:43 pm
Here is my letter to the NRL. I cc'd in the Storm as well as Richard Hines from fairfax as he's the only journalist I know who shares his email...
Date: Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Subject: An email for David Gallop
To: "reception@NRL.com.au" <reception@nrl.com.au>
Cc: ">" <rhinds@smh.com.au>, "info@melbournestorm.com.au" <info@melbournestorm.com.au>
Dear David,
As a long time rugby league fan, and Melbourne Storm member, I'm writing to express my extreme disappointment in your comments likening 'passionate' Storm supporters to terrorists.
I was just one of the 15,000 Storm supporters there on Sunday. I'm glad to say I was also booing you with every ounce of my being. I certainly wasn't alone David. As passionate as we are in support of our beloved team, nothing has quite roused our voices like your presence that afternoon - not poor refereeing decisions, not a cheap shot by an opposition player, not even the much maligned Denis Fitzgerald. No David, you've outdone them all.
You clearly live on a different planet. It's hard to fathom just how you came to be so disconnected from a sport upon which passion is ingrained in every fibre of it's makeup and it's rich history.
Your analogy was poorly chosen and appallingly timed. Your actions have brought this game into more disrepute and connected more painfully than any mis-timed punch thrown by Adam Blair or Glen Stewart. I'm sure more parents and corporates are appalled by your actions in the last 48 hours than any of the brawlers on that Brookvale night.
You fined the two clubs $100,000 with hardly a punch landed and refused to announce any worthy cause to which those funds would be directed. Perhaps the new board might consider fining you a similar amount and put those proceeds towards the victims of the Bali bombings? Just a thought, David. I'm sure they in particular found your comments offensive. Try telling them they took it wrong. Some apology.
Your assertion that the Storm fans who booed you, must support the cheats that almost destroyed our proud club, shows again a stunning lack of insight and judgement. Far from supporting those 'rats in the ranks', most Storm fans accept the penalties. What we don't accept is the long list of grievances. Something you might have better understood if you even bothered to address it earlier.
1. There is plenty of doubt on whether you followed due process before handing down the punishments.
2. The punishments did nothing but penalize severely the victims of the crimes - the players, coaches and the fans.
3. To this day, not a single individual implicated in your very own 'internal investigation' has seen any charge.
4. The player agents whom you allege to be clearly implicit in the rorting continue to work and negotiate contracts in and amongst every NRL club to this day.
5. Peter O'Sullivan continues to get paid working in the NRL for the Rooster despite the NRL clearly implicating him in the rorts. As a side note - it was interesting to see Peter at the game on Sunday. He was in the stands not far from the coaches box when you presented the shield. Strangely it looked to me like he enjoyed the reception you received. Perhaps you could have asked him to make the presentation and thus avoided (again) the situation.
6. That it's taken 18 months for you to attend a Storm game. And don't use the invite excuse. Your the CEO and Melbourne is a critical market. You should have bit the bullet and addressed this much earlier than now. I think Manly fans can relate.
What the Storm have achieved this year is incredible. A remarkable feat against the odds, regardless if you hand them the trophy in Sydney or not. Surely rather than using their performance as continued justification for your punishments, if anything, its only firmed the opinion of many that the success of the Storm in recent years had little to do with the maligned cap, but more to do with hard work, great coaching, a healthy culture and just maybe...some good old fashioned passion.
Not that you'd know or appreciate any of this. Your lack of passion is as obvious as your insecurity and your insatiable need to defend yourself. Even Julia Gillard has a higher approval rating than you. And that's not very high, David.
Over the years we've grown tired of your awkwardness. The lack of any strategic direction. The crappy tv rights you 'negotiated' which mean late nights/early mornings courtesy of Channel 9 (use it or lose it? Seriously David), cramming into dingy pubs and having to ask the publican if we could "please sir, could we please have a little more sound for the league game...", or playing the "find the crappy Internet stream" just to get some pathetic chance to watch the code we love, by an inconvenient channel of our (limited) choice. What does the N stand or again? No Rugby League perhaps.
It's hard to fathom how you got the job. It's impossible to fathom how you'll keep it. Surely the new independent board must have an obligation to recruit the best possible CEO for this next vital chapter in rugby league? Then again...maybe it's just another sad example of "it's not what you know...but who you know"?
Mick Malthouse said it best recently. He observed that the Storm have excelled despite the assistance of it's governing body. The same however can be said for the rest of the competition. A great legacy looms.
I dare say you might want to work on developing a thicker skin. If you thought getting booed on Sunday was so unpleasant, I wonder how you'll cope the next time you visit?
[ Post made via iPad ]
Date: Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Subject: An email for David Gallop
To: "reception@NRL.com.au" <reception@nrl.com.au>
Cc: ">" <rhinds@smh.com.au>, "info@melbournestorm.com.au" <info@melbournestorm.com.au>
Dear David,
As a long time rugby league fan, and Melbourne Storm member, I'm writing to express my extreme disappointment in your comments likening 'passionate' Storm supporters to terrorists.
I was just one of the 15,000 Storm supporters there on Sunday. I'm glad to say I was also booing you with every ounce of my being. I certainly wasn't alone David. As passionate as we are in support of our beloved team, nothing has quite roused our voices like your presence that afternoon - not poor refereeing decisions, not a cheap shot by an opposition player, not even the much maligned Denis Fitzgerald. No David, you've outdone them all.
You clearly live on a different planet. It's hard to fathom just how you came to be so disconnected from a sport upon which passion is ingrained in every fibre of it's makeup and it's rich history.
Your analogy was poorly chosen and appallingly timed. Your actions have brought this game into more disrepute and connected more painfully than any mis-timed punch thrown by Adam Blair or Glen Stewart. I'm sure more parents and corporates are appalled by your actions in the last 48 hours than any of the brawlers on that Brookvale night.
You fined the two clubs $100,000 with hardly a punch landed and refused to announce any worthy cause to which those funds would be directed. Perhaps the new board might consider fining you a similar amount and put those proceeds towards the victims of the Bali bombings? Just a thought, David. I'm sure they in particular found your comments offensive. Try telling them they took it wrong. Some apology.
Your assertion that the Storm fans who booed you, must support the cheats that almost destroyed our proud club, shows again a stunning lack of insight and judgement. Far from supporting those 'rats in the ranks', most Storm fans accept the penalties. What we don't accept is the long list of grievances. Something you might have better understood if you even bothered to address it earlier.
1. There is plenty of doubt on whether you followed due process before handing down the punishments.
2. The punishments did nothing but penalize severely the victims of the crimes - the players, coaches and the fans.
3. To this day, not a single individual implicated in your very own 'internal investigation' has seen any charge.
4. The player agents whom you allege to be clearly implicit in the rorting continue to work and negotiate contracts in and amongst every NRL club to this day.
5. Peter O'Sullivan continues to get paid working in the NRL for the Rooster despite the NRL clearly implicating him in the rorts. As a side note - it was interesting to see Peter at the game on Sunday. He was in the stands not far from the coaches box when you presented the shield. Strangely it looked to me like he enjoyed the reception you received. Perhaps you could have asked him to make the presentation and thus avoided (again) the situation.
6. That it's taken 18 months for you to attend a Storm game. And don't use the invite excuse. Your the CEO and Melbourne is a critical market. You should have bit the bullet and addressed this much earlier than now. I think Manly fans can relate.
What the Storm have achieved this year is incredible. A remarkable feat against the odds, regardless if you hand them the trophy in Sydney or not. Surely rather than using their performance as continued justification for your punishments, if anything, its only firmed the opinion of many that the success of the Storm in recent years had little to do with the maligned cap, but more to do with hard work, great coaching, a healthy culture and just maybe...some good old fashioned passion.
Not that you'd know or appreciate any of this. Your lack of passion is as obvious as your insecurity and your insatiable need to defend yourself. Even Julia Gillard has a higher approval rating than you. And that's not very high, David.
Over the years we've grown tired of your awkwardness. The lack of any strategic direction. The crappy tv rights you 'negotiated' which mean late nights/early mornings courtesy of Channel 9 (use it or lose it? Seriously David), cramming into dingy pubs and having to ask the publican if we could "please sir, could we please have a little more sound for the league game...", or playing the "find the crappy Internet stream" just to get some pathetic chance to watch the code we love, by an inconvenient channel of our (limited) choice. What does the N stand or again? No Rugby League perhaps.
It's hard to fathom how you got the job. It's impossible to fathom how you'll keep it. Surely the new independent board must have an obligation to recruit the best possible CEO for this next vital chapter in rugby league? Then again...maybe it's just another sad example of "it's not what you know...but who you know"?
Mick Malthouse said it best recently. He observed that the Storm have excelled despite the assistance of it's governing body. The same however can be said for the rest of the competition. A great legacy looms.
I dare say you might want to work on developing a thicker skin. If you thought getting booed on Sunday was so unpleasant, I wonder how you'll cope the next time you visit?
[ Post made via iPad ]