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Oz Horse's avatar

"The five stages of press release monstrosity".

Haha. I like it. Is it a real thing, or did you make that up?

This is what happens when Sports admin gets 'corporations' involved. It all becomes corporate, and 'corporate' is bad way for a Sports body to operate. CA has experienced this with the 'independent' director model - proposed of course, by a corporate suit. Business expertise needs to sit in the hands of the CXOs of an organisation, and those CXOs need to report to and be guided by a body of experts in the sport, not a bunch of generic 'suits' who are only capable of spewing guff from the list of phrases above. But as long as the board is 40% non-male and 30% non-white it gets the external tick of approval, and that's what they all seemed most concerned with.

I think I'm at stage 4...

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Robin Newstead's avatar

Manners, listen to a song by Weird Al called Mission Statement. A total takedown of this corporate bullshit and hilarious to boot! Also based on a couple of Crosby, Stills. Nash & Young songs which is never bad!

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Thuso Ramoetelo's avatar

Hahaha, I have just listened to it now, I think I laughed at every single word, thank you, haha!!!

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Robin Newstead's avatar

Glad you liked it!

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Barry Skjoldhammer's avatar

Great piece Manners... is it only Atherton, Manthorpe and the over 50 coaches that are concerned.

I truly hope the "SA20" is a success. My hope. "....Dropping the T in T20 cricket shows our intention to be different" could well have been in Athertons list of examples of corporate jargon....

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Colin Smedley's avatar

Are you, perchance, suggesting that your general readership is not important? I bet those international and franchise coaches didn't buy you a coffee.

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Max Cromarty's avatar

I’m sure Manners used, ‘important’ as reference to folks with clout (or fame) within the cricket industry.

By the humility in his writing, better still, by that fact that he’s even writing (for us), shows he knows that we readers are important.

Good flag on the impact of word choice, Colin!

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Marek's avatar

Never underestimate the power of discerning consumerism Colin...:-) You may have more influence than you realise...

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Colin Smedley's avatar

Of course, I was only joking about the importance or otherwise of Manners-on-Cricket's readership. There's important and there's influential. What point is there for those who can seriously influence the game in hiding behind the cloak of anonymity? And my influence on the game only stretches as far as turning off the TV or not buying a ticket to an event.

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Gwen Johnson's avatar

Do the powers that be at CSA even understand the "Corporate Gobblegook" Ivery much doubt it

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David Thomson's avatar

the 'copywriter' must have been drinking Paarl Perle, on the Rocks. Good one Neil! Yes, will Tristan Stubbs ever play test cricket? I hope so, but doubt it. Cheers.

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Paul Morkel's avatar

Neil--spell the Test Cricket part out as it is , you seen to protect them!---1st Test superb performance.

Fab four have arrived--written up by Pommie Press.

Being in a position to bowl Poms out for under 150 for a 3rd time and scramble their eggs our little Dean---1--changes the 4 to 3--plays a spinner who hardly used till we were up the creek and then just decides TO BAT! By the i think Jansen IS a better bat than Harmer.

At the end of the thumping interview he proudly justifies all his decisions----set up a meeting withj the Rugby coach and they can both tell each other how brillliant they are! Instead of a rocket ascending we turned into a bunch of very damp squibs. 36 and 40 year old quickies got there numbers very quickly.

White Ball Cricket will come down to IPL----what makes it are the crowds and superb cricketers.

----Paarl Rocks---hhhhmmm sounds name for a cheap SA Brandewyn

Afraid CSA are going to be left with a serious babbeljas--take the $$$$ and run Boykies!

From Straight Bat Morks.

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Anthony Cole's avatar

Pommie press and poms! Are you Australian? English folks don’t enjoy obvious slants deleivered to them by use of those terms. So if you are Australian then I shrug my shoulders, but if you are a South African then what the hell are you doing?

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Marek's avatar

Speak for yourself Anthony...:-) I'm one of those English folks and the word Pom doesn't bother me, used by Australians or anybody else...and in any case if anything the comment seems to be slanted against the Proteas. Are you sure you're not being a tad over-sensitive?

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David Thomson's avatar

to be fair our selection for 2nd test was a total fail. I hope our Proteas bounce back in the 3rd.

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