BS: Mike Tindall fined and kicked off team

Subject: RE: BS: Mike Tindall fined and kicked off team
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 12 Nov 11 - 12:37 PM

As I understand it, any public area in a substantial UK city is considered public and likely to have cameras. You could make the point that the fine leveled was to discourage flamboyant stupidity.

Subject: RE: BS: Mike Tindall fined and kicked off team
From: Howard Jones
Date: 12 Nov 11 - 12:33 PM

Bill D, drinking and horseplay were part of the culture associated with rugby long before it became a professional, ocmmercialised sport. I'm not saying that's a good thing, but it's the reality of the game.

From what I've read, I don't think his behaviour was "extreme", especially compared with the excesses of some soccer stars. He and some team-mates went out and had a few drinks - admittedly in a bar with dwarf-wrestling, but according to reports "no dwarves were thrown". If he wasn't married to the Princess Royal's daughter, and hadn't been caught dallying with a blonde, and not long after his wedding at that, the news would have been confined to some mild criticism on the sports pages, and he'd have got away with a bollocking from the team management. If England had been playing better, it would probably all have been ignored. It's only because of his royal connection that the story achieved the prominence it did - and yes, of course he should have known better.

Subject: RE: BS: Mike Tindall fined and kicked off team
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Nov 11 - 12:08 PM

Surely not another freeloader to be kept in the manner he is acustomed too by the taxpayers of this country.

Subject: RE: BS: Mike Tindall fined and kicked off team
From: Bill D
Date: 12 Nov 11 - 11:23 AM

"...drinking too much and being an arsehole is part of the job-description for rugger-buggers."

And isn't that a sad commentary on a commercial 'sport'?

Perhaps is just that arsehole drunks need a 'sport' like Rugby to reflect their character.

...and perhaps *I* am just tired of ANY sports figures assuming that they will get a pass on any extreme behavior because they are famous and overpaid.

Subject: RE: BS: Mike Tindall fined and kicked off team
From: Howard Jones
Date: 12 Nov 11 - 10:33 AM

To be fair, I don't think the cameras caught any evidence of an actual snog, but he was certainly getting cosier with her than a newly-married man should - especially when the wife is going to see it on the evening news!

Subject: RE: BS: Mike Tindall fined and kicked off team
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 12 Nov 11 - 09:48 AM

...unless there are special penalties because of the Royal Family connection.

Subject: RE: BS: Mike Tindall fined and kicked off team
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 12 Nov 11 - 09:46 AM

It was probably unwise to snog a blonde under the CCTV cameras, just weeks after his wedding to a member of the Royal Family,

So that's what he did. I didn't see reference to it in the BBC articles I read.

I can't help feeling his punishment is out of proportion and that he is being scapegoated for England's failure in the tournament.

Seems that way to me too.

Subject: BS: Mike Tindall fined and kicked off team
From: Howard Jones
Date: 12 Nov 11 - 09:10 AM

Mike Tindall has been fined £25000 by the RFO and kicked off the England rugby team, for doing what rugby players do - going out and having a few beers, and making an arse of himself.

Now his behaviour was certainly inappropriate and he undoubtedly deserves to be disciplined, but this seems to be a bit over the top, especially when compared with the punishments given to two other players who made inappropriate remarks to a female member of the hotel staff (arguably a more serious offence), who were given suspended fines of £5000 each.

Of course, as a senior member of the squad he should have set a better example. It was probably unwise to snog a blonde under the CCTV cameras, just weeks after his wedding to a member of the Royal Family, but that's surely between him and his wife. The attention and furore all this caused was probably a distraction, but England's failure to progress in the World Cup can hardly be blamed on this.

Simon Barnes in today's Times nominates Tindall for "Arsehole of the Year" and it's probably well-deserved, but drinking too much and being an arsehole is part of the job-description for rugger-buggers.

Whilst his behaviour was clearly unacceptable, and he let his team, his country and his wife down, I can't help feeling his punishment is out of proportion and that he is being scapegoated for England's failure in the tournament.