Why ugly crying can be a beautiful thing
The hard men of our footy codes show they are human after all
I ONCE heard a sporting great describe the games we play as the toy department of human affairs. Another scribe I’ve met who once did the crime rounds regularly calls sport the dessert carte of life.
Put simply, it’s an indulgence and it makes us happy. This week sport may have felt a little extra trivial, given the calamitous state of affairs in our world. I can’t pretend to have any better answers than the next person in that regard.
But sometimes, like last weekend, sport gives us so much joy that we cry – and that should be OK too. Usually those cries aren’t of the single tear rolling down one cheek variety. They’re much uglier than that.
This weekend’s AFL and NRL grand finals treated us to two fairly average contests but some of the greatest, most hyper-emotional ugly crying of all time. For that, we thank our protagonists in Dustin Martin and Billy Slater.
Martin, the monosyllabic Richmond midfielder festooned in tattoos with a trademark mohawk that’s rapidly becoming a fashion statement, can alienate people.
But his game, full of verve and punk rock attitude draws you in with captivating passages of play that leave you sitting on the edge of your seat enthralled and screaming involuntarily. Martin’s facial expressions never tend to give much away during a game.
But he did something spe- cial at the weekend when he fell into the arms of his coach and occasional confidante Damien Hardwick after Richmond’s defiant win.
He cried, then he sobbed and soon after he wailed. Just like a baby.
In an instant of unadulterated emotion, for those who were sitting on the fence when it came to Dusty, I think he won them over.
On Sunday night, the Melbourne Storm’s Billy Slater was moved to tears too as he thanked his wife Nicole for putting up with him during the two most testing years of his rugby league career.
He choked up, covered his face with his hands. He did all the things media trainers tell sporting stars not to do.
But he was also candid, sincere, loving and affectionate.
Billy doesn’t need many more fans, especially not in our part of the world, but he showed something that made him infinitely more likeable and for the first time – in my eyes – seemed like something more than just an amazing athlete.
I hope we see more ugly crying soon. I think we need it.
Because sometimes ugly crying can remind us how beautiful the things around us really are.