Golden Soft Sombrero Moment with Bruce McAvaney

Achievements:                       

Channel Seven Legendary Sport’s Commentator

Four Diegos Verdict:              

Second best sports commentator in the world.

Sorry Brucie, Martin Tyler gets first place because he has worked on SBS TV.

Some Golden Soft Sombrero Moments with Bruce McAvaney

The Diegos introduce Bruce McAvaney…

Diegos: “This week we share a special Soft Sombrero moment with one of Australia’s greatest sports commentators.

He is to Aussie Rules what Alan McGilvray was to cricket, what Martin Tyler is to soccer, what Benny Pike is to boxing and what Nana Mouscuri is to Greek music.

A big Four Diegos welcome to the ‘could’ve been great soccer commentator’, Bruce McAvaney.

McAvaney: “That into was getting worse as it was going on.

I didn’t mind Martin Tyler and Alan McGilvray but by the time we’d got to Nana I was getting a bit worried.”

Soft Sombrero Moment 1996

So you know everything there is to know about sport? Try these ‘Bucko’…

Diegos: “We’re going to start off with a short soccer quiz Bruce.

This will no doubt prove that you are in fact the encyclopedia of sports commentary.

Who scored the hand of God goal?”

McAvaney: “Diego Maradona. I only knew that because all you guys are Diegos.”

Diegos: “Whose Australia’s only FA Cup goal scorer?”

McAvaney: “Johnston isn’t it?”

Diegos: “Doing well Bruce…If we were to play the song ‘Kung Fu Fighting’ which former Manchester United player would we be talking about?”

McAvaney: “Oh ah Cantona?”

Soft Sombrero Moment 1996

Bruce on his sporting prowess…

Diegos: “The Four Diegos Research Department tells us that as a youngster you used to ride an imaginary horse and use a ruler as a whip.

The Diegos are wondering if you started juggling a soccer ball or bouncing an Aussie Rules footy whether you would’ve been a superstar in one of those sports?”

McAvaney: “I did play footy from a young age. My father was really keen. He was a bit of a ‘scrubber’ in the footy but he got to a reasonable level. He ended up becoming a league goal umpire. So I started kicking the ball at a very early age. I graduated up to A1 Amateur and that was as high as I got.

I gave it up when I was 21 because I was pretty keen on the horses.”

Diegos: “What position did you play? You remind the Diegos of one of those smart alec fast talking goal sneaks in the forward pocket.

McAvaney: “Yeh you got half of it right. I was a bit cheeky. I was a rover half forward flanker and didn’t mind a goal.”

Diegos: “Were one of those blokes that commentated himself while playing?”

McAvaney: “Oh Yeh. In fact I still dream about playing. I reckon one dream every fortnight is about been out there playing footy. I often play very well in my dreams. I was often the bloke that kicked the winning goal after the siren.”

Soft Sombrero Moment 1996

Dial a Prayer with Bruce McAvaney…

Diegos: “Again the Diegos Research Department that you used to work at Telecom.

In what capacity did you work there…was it telling the time, the Tattslotto results or Dial a Prayer?”

McAvaney: “If it had been any of those I’d probably still be there. They sound pretty interesting. My first job was as mail boy. They promoted me because I was so slow at it. I spent most of the time keeping up with the racing news in the papers. I was then the pay clerk. Eventually when I left it was one of the happiest days of my life and my Telecom boss at the time said it was one of the happiest days in his life too.”

Soft Sombrero Moment 1996

McAvaney on Carey as a World Cup Socceroo…

Diegos: “The Diegos marvel at the performances of the likes of Wayne Carey and Michael Long in Aussie Rules footy week in week out.

We as Socceroos fans reckon if these guys had taken up soccer then maybe we may have made a few more World Cups.

Do you think the great athletes of any sport could’ve been great at other sports if they had learnt the skills at a young age?”

McAvaney: “Absolutely. In America you’ll find at the College level their great players are nurtured and developed and channeled into one major professional sport. But what you find is these athletes tend to be very good at another sport also. A lot of the top American footballer would’ve been very good sprinters.

There’s no question that soccer has suffered in this country in Victoria because AFL has a higher profile and in NSW because Rugby League has a higher profile. The thing about this generation of AFL footballer is that they improvise a lot more. They use definitely use skills from other sports and even coaches are using tactics from other sports too.

There’s no question that top athletes would be very successful at any sport given the chance.”

Soft Sombrero Moment 1996

McAvaney on soccer playing racehorses…

Diegos: “You are a great race caller in your own right.

There are horses that have been named after great soccer players. There’s been ‘Vialli’ and ‘Schillaci’ to name just two.

You once owned a horse called ‘Toot and Whistle’ obviously proving that you are a great umpiring fan.

If you had a horse that you wanted to name after a current day sportsman who would it be?”

McAvaney: “Funnily he’s not a great player at this stage but I like Essendon footballer ‘Berbekov’.

I just reckon it sounds good as a horse.”

Diegos: “Apparently ‘Baghdad Note’ was a great soccer player…

McAvaney: “Really. Going back to Vialli. I’ve seen Vialli the horse. He’s a most beautiful chestnut from Europe…

Diegos: “Is he temperamental and bald?”

McAvaney: “Well he’s a chestnut so I guess you can say that he is almost bald.

The owners of Schillaci, the Freedman brother have named other horses ‘Merlene’ after Merlene Ottey and ‘Linford’ after Linford Christie.”

McAvaney on Channel Seven’s involvement in the round ball game…

Diegos: ““The Diegos grew up watching Channel 7’s legendary World of Sport.

It was a three-hour sports show where Fred Villers, one of the pioneers of Aussie soccer journalism, had all of three minutes to talk about the world game. Often Jack Dyer and Lou Richards would throw fruit and paper at our Freddie in an attempt to sabotage the segment.

Those days we saw very little respect for soccer on Aussie TV.

Happily you and Paul Wade can get through a full segment on Sportsworld without anyone throwing anything at you.

Do you think the game is being respected more nowadays?”   

McAvaney: “Traditionally, hasn’t had a lot to do with soccer. I can tell you that we did put in a bid for the World Cup in France 1998 not knowing that SBS had the double rights to America and France.

We wanted the World Cup in 1998. I think we are a bit elitist and like me a bit snobbish, we only want the best.

In respect to Wadey, the NSL is an important game and should be recognized. Rugby league obviously has a very high profile with the State of Origin matches etc. Rugby Union has got its act together very well playing annual events like the Bledisloe Cup and the Tri series with South Africa.

Soccer is now much better organised than it was.

The national league makes sense to people like me who follow sport on a national basis. It may be the fourth most popular football code in Australia, I’m not sure you’ll have to check the data on that, but it’s an important sport and that’s why we brought Paul in. It should be talked about at a regular time and on a regular basis. ” 

Soft Sombrero Moment 1996

McAvaney on whether he would’ve called the World Cup Final if Channel Seven had been successful in gaining the rights…

Diegos: “Would you have called the World Cup if Channel Seven had secured the rights?”

McAvaney: “Probably not. I would have put my hand up maybe, but I really don’t know enough.

As one of my great ambitions, when I have been asked in the past, I have said that I would love to call a World Cup final because I think singularly, its the most important match that’s played every four years in any sport.

It’s much bigger in my opinion, than the Super bowl and FA Cup, and it’s so much bigger than an AFL Grand Final. I can’t think of anything, the men’s 100 metre final maybe, that’s any bigger, so my ego tells me yes, that I’d love to do it, but reality tells me that I’d have to go off and really learn the game over a period of a few years and do my apprenticeship.”

Soft Sombrero Moment 1996

McAvaney discussing the merits of soccer…

Diegos: “You call the oval ‘pigskin’ game week in week out. But what are your thoughts about the round ‘pigskin’ game?

McAvaney: “In regards to soccer, I’ve always thought that a great game of soccer is superior to any other football code.

But I’ve always felt frustrated with a game that goes wrong. I have been bitterly disappointed with a couple of World Cup Finals that we have had, and even the 1996 FA Cup final between Liverpool and Manchester United.

I think in soccer at the highest level at times, when the stakes are so high, the players become too cynical.

They become too defensive and too ruthless. They take an opponent’s legs from under him deliberately and they will butcher, bite, scratch and snarl. At times there’s meanness in the game that shouldn’t be there. Now this doesn’t happen regularly but when it does, I think it spoils something that can be very beautiful.”

Diegos: “What changes could be introduced to soccer that can alleviate this problem?”

McAvaney: “I think strong refereeing is always important. In soccer obviously you do have outstanding referees at the top level.

Johnny Warren one said during the 1994 World Cup that the sport has almost got to the point that the players have become so athletic that perhaps there should be ten players on the pitch rather than eleven.

I’m not an expert but it made a bit of sense to me that more space was probably a good thing. Other than that I believe anyone who makes a cynical tackle or takes out a playmaker deliberately should be sent off immediately.

I’m painting a dark picture there because when the ‘beautiful game’ is played beautifully there’s nothing better. You guys know all that. That’s why you love it so much.

I’m a bit of a ‘snob’ though. Because I don’t understand the game as well as I understand a couple of other sports I do like to see it at the highest level. ” 

Soft Sombrero Moment 1996

McAvaney on the AFL Commission’s opposition to Carlton and Collingwood’s interest in running NSL clubs and whether John Elliot is justified in calling the AFL “a pack of pussies” over the issue...

Diegos: “This week Carlton Football Club president, John Elliot replied ‘Pigs Arse’ and called the AFL a ‘pack of pussies’ when they suggested that Carlton not go into it’s soccer venture next season.

What’s your view?” 

McAvaney: “I think it’s a fairly complicated matter. The big problem l have is the AFL telling football clubs what to do.

I don’t agree with that. I think football clubs have a right to pick and choose. I think the bottom line here is that they are frightened that football clubs like Carlton and Collingwood are going to bite off more than they can chew, and that soccer will drain them and that they’ll probably go broke.

That’s one of the problems, and the second problem is probably the bigger one, and that is, why should soccer benefit from the popularity of football? The second one we don’t know the answer to.

The first one I think, it’s up to Carlton and Collingwood. If they want to take that chance and take on a soccer club then I think they have the right to. So I’m with John Elliot on this, except for the fact that I don’t think the AFL are a pack of “pussies”.

I think the commission has done a pretty good job but in this case, I think Carlton and Collingwood have every right to take on a soccer club.”

Diegos: “Do you think that Aussie Rules football and soccer clubs can co-exist?”

McAvaney: “I don’t think it’s beyond the realms of possibility. In Europe we see big soccer clubs with other sports clubs attached to them like basketball and water polo. Real Madrid is one prime example.

Perhaps long term this is the way it can go. I think there is are lot of benefits particularly for soccer if they can be aligned to a Collingwood or a Carlton where they can be aligned to a base of fanatical followers who might get attracted to their team’s soccer club. From an economic point of view I’ve not looked at the fine print of all of this. Over the years I’ve wondered about the possibility and I’m quite excited about the prospect if it does get off the ground.”

Soft Sombrero Moment 1996

Bruce and the Diegos Heart balm…

Diegos: " Bruce, now its time for  ‘The Four Diegos Heart Balm’, where we ask you to give us your brief inner most private thoughts on the following topics…

Diegos: “Your favourite food?

McAvaney: “Pasta…good carbo loading for the tough calls.”

Diegos: “Favourite drink?”

McAvaney: “Depends on how tough the call has been but I reckon a dry white wine.”

Diegos: “Who would not get an invite to a Mc Avaney dinner party?"

McAvaney: “Jose ‘Throbbing Blue Gorgonzola’ Diego. He is one Diego that sound a bit rough to me. Any one who goes to Finland to coach a soccer team has got problems I reckon.”

Diegos: “If you weren't McAvaney the commentator who else wouldn't you mind being?"

McAvaney: “Pavarotti. I’d love to be able to sing like he does. Maybe lift people’s spirits and take them to another level.”

Diegos: “Advice to young kiddies?'

McAvaney: “Play as long as you can before you become a commentator.”

Soft Sombrero Moment 1996