the HACK is gone

[Scotty]

How did this thread turn into an aussie sporting legend bashing thread.

We should ALL be BANNED

How? as I said before, ignorance breeds ignorance.

[Garth Kay]

What classifies someone to be a wanker?

They play the sport the love, because they don't show any emotion or talk up a storm or create media frenzies they are a wanker?

Because a batsmen if great experience and holder of numerous records does not want to quit at something he has excelled at for 10 years, that makes him a hack? If every Australian sporting here was forced to retire due to sub par performance and public scrutiny we would be nowhere, if we all decided that the right thing to do was to quit because we just weren't up to form then again as a sporting nation we would be nowhere.

These gentleman you are talking about a sporting personalities that do earn a fair bit of money and as such should be looked upon as public domain, for the money they earn they sacrifice a lot in their lives, a hug amount, so if they don't want to be that public or MR Personality I will begrudge them that.

But this thread with all the name calling of Australian Sporting heroes, in my mind, is a disgrace. And I agree with Scott, just so many ignorant and arrogant comments from people that it disgusts me.

[Todd Rivers]

but in all seriousness, Ricky Ponting........come on

[BigPete33]

Ponting does seem to fancy himself a bit much

Has nothing to do with his cricketing ability though.

I think some of you are having problems keeping what we think of them as individuals separate to what we think of them as sportsmen.

eg: "<insert name here> is a wanker" gets a retort of "You can't say that! He's a brilliant <insert sport here> player."

They aren't the same argument!

At least Steve was being ignorant on the correct level

[Garth Kay]

The validation of why they are a wanker is what I am after.

You met someone briefly or you see the way they act on public or under media attenttion and the result is "oh he is a wanker".

I'm sorry but it's wrong. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and I am expressing mine. I do not believe you have the right to call anyone a wanker really based on what little you know of these people.

Just difference of opinion. I also dislike everyone is celebrating Hayden's departure in what could be the wrong manner or for the wrong reasons.

[Des]

As a human being, Leyton is a wanker.
As a tennis player, he used to be pretty damn awesome.

[Bacon]

hayden asked for less commitments and a pay rise. Then, when the selectors say he won't be in their plans for the world cup, he spits it and retires. Says it was always his plan to go now.... Yet always talked about the Ashes.

He cried to umpires when he was sledged, but was quite happy to dish it out. Bowlers worked him out, but he was too stubborn to change his batting style to play less aggressive and pick his spots.

Yes he had a great 6 year period in his career where i would've had him batting for my life, but his career was in freefall and he couldn't see it.

[BigPete33]

I do not believe you have the right to call anyone a wanker really based on what little you know of these people.

Suggesting they are not when it's based on even less information is, shall we say, silly?

If someone is going to get called a wanker (and in little ley ley's case it's a large portion of the country that can't stand him) it's generally because of how they seem to consistently behave in public, not just once or twice.

Keep in mind they are in the public eye an awful lot, even ignoring highly edited news stories, so the sample size for 'wankerness' (hehe) is surprisingly large.

Similarly, Greg Norman gets referred to as a choker because he just plain happens to have choked a lot.

In short, there's a reason for it.

[Origami]

Leyton = wanker
Female equalivant = Kylie Minow

[Todd Rivers]

OK moderators, could you please change the word wanker so that when it's typed it shows - "Arrogant, ranting, rude, aloof tennis player"

Can we set up a poll on Ley-Ley's wanker-worthiness?