Such Is Life

Talk on the national game

Will you be watchin the doco

Yes
71
81%
No
17
19%
 
Total votes : 88

Re: Such Is Life

Postby The Dark Knight » Fri Aug 27, 2010 1:46 pm

Booney wrote:
The Dark Knight wrote:I must say I enjoyed the insight to Ben Cousins life we saw through this documentary. The things he did were and the things he put his family through were shocking and horrific.

The way Ben trained throughout his time was the thing that amazed me the most. He trained so hard and to the point of exhaustion until his body could take no more. The way he would run his butt off for a period of time, stop, throw up and then keep running as hard as he could was amazing.

Drugs were then he reward, his release from all the pressure he put himself was under.

IMO the doco was a insight to how drugs destroy lives for the person who's doing them and the effects it has on the people around them such as their families and friends. It didn't promote and glorify drug use IMO.


You think Cousins' life has been destroyed? Seriously. Cousins is fit, healthy, successful, financially sound with many family and friends still by his side supporting him. Destroyed? I think not. As far from destroyed as you can get.

As far as being an addict goes, he made decisions on when and what he was going to take and knew when he would next be able to get away with it, not the actions of a drug addict in my view.

His story, albeit interesting for the average footy fan does nothing to educate the youth of this land on what drugs could do to you IMO.

Yeah I guess detroy is not the right word to use, how about changing him for the worse?

The drugs he was taking were changing him for the worse on the inside, his metal health and state of mind rather than his physical health and the way he looked. He's an extremly fit man so his apperance didn't seem to change much when he was on the gear.

It had more effect on him on the inside where he would think about was getting through what he had to do, work as hard as he could and then reep the rewards, the drugs. As he said he would train as hard as he could and then "Get into and annihilate as many dugs as I could."
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Re: Such Is Life

Postby Footy Smart » Fri Aug 27, 2010 1:52 pm

Quichey wrote:
Psyber wrote:
Quichey wrote:I find it interesting how Cousins never developed a physical addiction. Yes, he went on binges when his spare time allowed him to yet he never developed the classic physical dependence associated with those drugs - was able to be at 'work' without using and could go weeks without using.
He was labelled a drug addict early on. I wonder if he really believes that was or is the case.
The duality of his life in those years is interesting. Without football to binge on, perhaps his other state of mind will disappear with it.
The going out at 3am and leaving his pyjama clad father at a bus stop in the cold sounds like a man driven by physical addiction to me, Quichey.
Perhaps he just managed to mask it with other stimulants when he had them available, but couldn't hide it if he were out of them too?


One incident. You and I know he didn't follow the classic pattern of a drug addict. His functionality away from drugs was barely affected.


You can say that about steriod users. They then one day snap, the rage that is a side effect of the Roids then makes them do some serious damage to themselves or others. The Candian Crippler(wrestler forgot his last name Chris ...) is a prime example, he killed his family and then himself. What you see on the surface is much different to what goes on and a trigger can set it/any effect off.

He said he was a highly functional drug addict purely to state thats how the addiction he had seemed justafiable to him as an addict.
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Re: Such Is Life

Postby Booney » Fri Aug 27, 2010 2:01 pm

Footy Smart wrote:
You think Cousins' life has been destroyed? Seriously. Cousins is fit, healthy, successful, financially sound with many family and friends still by his side supporting him. Destroyed? I think not. As far from destroyed as you can get.


Cousins lost a year and a half of AFL football, had injuries that could be associated with being out of the game, his name was dragged through the mud, he lost his best mate Chris Mainwhering(sp), he put his family through hell, he ended up in a hospital alone on the otherside of the world. His life will now be scrutinised 10 fold that of any other ex AFL player just waiting for him to relapse and or do something wrong.

As far as being an addict goes, he made decisions on when and what he was going to take and knew when he would next be able to get away with it, not the actions of a drug addict in my view.


He was an addict because the only way he felt he could reward himself was with drugs, not a car, a house but drugs as a drug addict can only get satisfaction when the stimulant tells them.

His story, albeit interesting for the average footy fan does nothing to educate the youth of this land on what drugs could do to you IMO


His story shows that when you feel your bullet proof on drugs and you feel nothing can go wrong, it will bitch slap you in time and you can loose everything. It also highlighted the issues of drug addiction and im sure that Drug info/helplines receieved many more calls as a result of the documentary.


Poor fellow lost a year and a half of football. Oh how tragic.

"...and you can loose everything"....or you can get re-drafted and carry on with life.

Mate, too many people, and some I have known, have ended up homeless with no family to support them, no AFL club and drug counsellors to stand by their side, no ritzy star studded Malibu rehab clinic to hold thier hand, no money to feed themselves and an insatiable appettite for their substance of choice. Thats if they dont end up in jail or dead. Cousins' a hard luck story of a "drug addict"? Give me a break.

If his drug of choice was alcohol he would be seen as a binge drinker. Someone who made a concious decison as when and where he was going to write himself off.

Sympathy? Sure, for his family. Pity? Not for him.
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Re: Such Is Life

Postby White Line Fever » Fri Aug 27, 2010 2:11 pm

Booney wrote:
Footy Smart wrote:
You think Cousins' life has been destroyed? Seriously. Cousins is fit, healthy, successful, financially sound with many family and friends still by his side supporting him. Destroyed? I think not. As far from destroyed as you can get.


Cousins lost a year and a half of AFL football, had injuries that could be associated with being out of the game, his name was dragged through the mud, he lost his best mate Chris Mainwhering(sp), he put his family through hell, he ended up in a hospital alone on the otherside of the world. His life will now be scrutinised 10 fold that of any other ex AFL player just waiting for him to relapse and or do something wrong.

As far as being an addict goes, he made decisions on when and what he was going to take and knew when he would next be able to get away with it, not the actions of a drug addict in my view.


He was an addict because the only way he felt he could reward himself was with drugs, not a car, a house but drugs as a drug addict can only get satisfaction when the stimulant tells them.

His story, albeit interesting for the average footy fan does nothing to educate the youth of this land on what drugs could do to you IMO


His story shows that when you feel your bullet proof on drugs and you feel nothing can go wrong, it will bitch slap you in time and you can loose everything. It also highlighted the issues of drug addiction and im sure that Drug info/helplines receieved many more calls as a result of the documentary.


Poor fellow lost a year and a half of football. Oh how tragic.

"...and you can loose everything"....or you can get re-drafted and carry on with life.

Mate, too many people, and some I have known, have ended up homeless with no family to support them, no AFL club and drug counsellors to stand by their side, no ritzy star studded Malibu rehab clinic to hold thier hand, no money to feed themselves and an insatiable appettite for their substance of choice. Thats if they dont end up in jail or dead. Cousins' a hard luck story of a "drug addict"? Give me a break.

If his drug of choice was alcohol he would be seen as a binge drinker. Someone who made a concious decison as when and where he was going to write himself off.

Sympathy? Sure, for his family. Pity? Not for him.


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Re: Such Is Life

Postby AFLflyer » Fri Aug 27, 2010 2:14 pm

Booney how can you make these comments wiothout even watching? Ironically brian (bens dad) shared THE EXACT same views as you and many others.. Now see what he thinks about addiction. He talked about this last night

Booney you're like too many and miss the point - you dont get it.

if you watched the pannel after the docco discussing this (including his dad) you might have got a better insight.. His dad's thinks Ben is lucky to be alive, he thinks for sure Ben could have taken his own life if he wasnt picked up by richmond.. There is a lot you don;t know and see about ben cousins. hardly all happy days like you think.
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Re: Such Is Life

Postby Bum Crack » Fri Aug 27, 2010 2:27 pm

AFLflyer wrote:Booney how can you make these comments wiothout even watching? Ironically brian (bens dad) shared THE EXACT same views as you and many others.. Now see what he thinks about addiction. He talked about this last night

Booney you're like too many and miss the point - you dont get it.

if you watched the pannel after the docco discussing this (including his dad) you might have got a better insight.. His dad's thinks Ben is lucky to be alive, he thinks for sure Ben could have taken his own life if he wasnt picked up by richmond.. There is a lot you don;t know and see about ben cousins. hardly all happy days like you think.

Booney would have watched it. Without a doubt.
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Re: Such Is Life

Postby Q. » Fri Aug 27, 2010 2:41 pm

I'm peeling myself away from this thread (I need a coffee and the rest of the weekend will be spent beered up), but two more things...

Cousins broke with AFL convention in a big way and IMO Cousins was labelled a 'drug addict' before he'd even reached that point. Hard to say what effect this had on him, but it's hard to believe it would have been positive.
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Re: Such Is Life

Postby AFLflyer » Fri Aug 27, 2010 2:42 pm

Bum Crack wrote:
AFLflyer wrote:Booney how can you make these comments wiothout even watching? Ironically brian (bens dad) shared THE EXACT same views as you and many others.. Now see what he thinks about addiction. He talked about this last night

Booney you're like too many and miss the point - you dont get it.

if you watched the pannel after the docco discussing this (including his dad) you might have got a better insight.. His dad's thinks Ben is lucky to be alive, he thinks for sure Ben could have taken his own life if he wasnt picked up by richmond.. There is a lot you don;t know and see about ben cousins. hardly all happy days like you think.

Booney would have watched it. Without a doubt.


he said he fell asleep by 9pm the forst night - not sure about the second? Either way, its nothing against Booney he thinks like probably the majority do..
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Re: Such Is Life

Postby Booney » Fri Aug 27, 2010 3:07 pm

AFLflyer wrote:
Bum Crack wrote:
AFLflyer wrote:Booney how can you make these comments wiothout even watching? Ironically brian (bens dad) shared THE EXACT same views as you and many others.. Now see what he thinks about addiction. He talked about this last night

Booney you're like too many and miss the point - you dont get it.

if you watched the pannel after the docco discussing this (including his dad) you might have got a better insight.. His dad's thinks Ben is lucky to be alive, he thinks for sure Ben could have taken his own life if he wasnt picked up by richmond.. There is a lot you don;t know and see about ben cousins. hardly all happy days like you think.

Booney would have watched it. Without a doubt.


he said he fell asleep by 9pm the forst night - not sure about the second? Either way, its nothing against Booney he thinks like probably the majority do..


Watched most of night two, enough of it as a fairly intelligent adult to feel I could form an opinion. Nothing against you either FS, I just didn't think the doco delivered on what it wanted / aimed to.
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Re: Such Is Life

Postby Dig » Fri Aug 27, 2010 3:09 pm

Is the drink driver who crashes his car into another vehicle, kills the occupant of that vehicle, gets sent to jail and permanently impacts the lives of two families, also a drug addict?[/quote]
If they're addicted to drinking, they're an addict. If alcohol is classed as a drug, then yes, they're a drug addict. I fn detest drink drivers.
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Re: Such Is Life

Postby Footy Smart » Fri Aug 27, 2010 3:39 pm

Booney wrote:
AFLflyer wrote:
Bum Crack wrote:
AFLflyer wrote:Booney how can you make these comments wiothout even watching? Ironically brian (bens dad) shared THE EXACT same views as you and many others.. Now see what he thinks about addiction. He talked about this last night

Booney you're like too many and miss the point - you dont get it.

if you watched the pannel after the docco discussing this (including his dad) you might have got a better insight.. His dad's thinks Ben is lucky to be alive, he thinks for sure Ben could have taken his own life if he wasnt picked up by richmond.. There is a lot you don;t know and see about ben cousins. hardly all happy days like you think.

Booney would have watched it. Without a doubt.


he said he fell asleep by 9pm the forst night - not sure about the second? Either way, its nothing against Booney he thinks like probably the majority do..


Watched most of night two, enough of it as a fairly intelligent adult to feel I could form an opinion. Nothing against you either FS, I just didn't think the doco delivered on what it wanted / aimed to.


Hey, each to their own. This convo has been purely bouncing individuals 'opinons' of eachother to make sense of a complex docco that depending on which way you look at it either 1. did what it was intended to do 2. missed the mark.

If nothing else its has raised the awareness of drugs in society and hopefully reached a few people who have similar dependancies (doesnt matter if it is crack, alcohol, caffine or sex) an addiction is an addiction and consequences result. It doesnt matter whether they be masked for years as in bens case and you can justify them in your own mind that one day it will catch up with you.
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Re: Such Is Life

Postby Johno6 » Fri Aug 27, 2010 4:50 pm

one this is for sure.
the doco has created a lot of chat and interesting views... but most of all its made people start writing extremely long posts that i cant be bothered reading
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Re: Such Is Life

Postby Punk Rooster » Fri Aug 27, 2010 5:39 pm

Psyber wrote:
Quichey wrote:I find it interesting how Cousins never developed a physical addiction. Yes, he went on binges when his spare time allowed him to yet he never developed the classic physical dependence associated with those drugs - was able to be at 'work' without using and could go weeks without using.
He was labelled a drug addict early on. I wonder if he really believes that was or is the case.
The duality of his life in those years is interesting. Without football to binge on, perhaps his other state of mind will disappear with it.
The going out at 3am and leaving his pyjama clad father at a bus stop in the cold sounds like a man driven by physical addiction to me, Quichey.
Perhaps he just managed to mask it with other stimulants when he had them available, but couldn't hide it if he were out of them too?

not that simple Psyber- maybe he decided "it was time", & nothing could stop him once he'd decided that.
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Re: Such Is Life

Postby Psyber » Fri Aug 27, 2010 5:41 pm

Quichey wrote: Is the drink driver who crashes his car into another vehicle, kills the occupant of that vehicle, gets sent to jail and permanently impacts the lives of two families, also a drug addict?
He may be but you would have to do a full history, and work up, and see if he gets withdrawal symptoms coming off it to be sure.
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Re: Such Is Life

Postby stan » Fri Aug 27, 2010 6:21 pm

I'm going to comment on this because I have actually watched ot, unlike Sam Newman where ignorance is a chance to shoot from the hip. Anyway I digress.
I do not have sympathy for him, but I do for his parents. His father is truely a legend, the length he went to, to try and keep Ben safe was remarkable.

Also if the AFL are looking for a mentor to talk to AFL players about drugs forget Ben, he still has his own demons to battle and would not be in the right area to tackle that. I would be getting Bryan Cousins as your man. Again I truely take my hat of to him.
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Re: Such Is Life

Postby Adelaide Hawk » Fri Aug 27, 2010 7:12 pm

Footy Smart wrote:If nothing else its has raised the awareness of drugs in society and hopefully reached a few people who have similar dependancies.


I have a different opinion. I have never indulged in drugs, I admittedly know very little about the drug culture in today's youth. However, the documentary didn't tell me anything I didn't already know. In other words, there just had to be so much more we need to know that wasn't discussed or revealed.

As for others with similar dependancies, I think they'd have seen the doco and thought to themselves, "Gee, that all seemed to work out well for Ben didn't it?". I'm worried about one thing. Ben continually gave the impression he could switch the drugs on and off when he pleased, and I imagine there would be a sector of Cousins fans out there thinking, "If it's good enough for Ben, it's good enough for me".

I don't think the documentary was anywhere near hard hitting enough.
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Re: Such Is Life

Postby Punk Rooster » Fri Aug 27, 2010 8:23 pm

It's interesting to note that watching a documentary about a footballer who uses drugs, a lot of people expected to find "the meaning of life", & when they don't, vent their spleen on the various forums available.
They expect anyone involved with the project, from The Director & Ben Cousins through to the AFL, to provide an answer on an issue, that society in general, has not been able to give.
People feel "cheated" that there was no turning point, no remorse, or no tears- it is a DOCUMENTARY, not a Hollywood scripted tear-jerker with a happy ending.
The only happy ending needed, is the Ben is still alive, & able to fight against the issues he has- or more importantly, get help.
I have a lot of respect for Ben, who has dealt with being demoted, then sacked by his employer, felt the wrath of an embarrassed AFL(who were more concerned about "brand-damage" than the fate of one of their meal-tickets), spent a year without income where he was expected to rehabilitate himself, & worse, judged by media who made it their purpose to cut him back down to size.
He lost his life as he knew it, & fought hard to get it back again- that's where I respect him.

The lesson that should be taken out of the Documentary is- too much (addiction) of anything is bad, & it will catch up with you eventually whether you're young or old, poor or rich.

Don't expect the AFL or Ben Cousins to provide an answer on an issue that is a social problem.
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Re: Such Is Life

Postby Freo HeaveHo » Fri Aug 27, 2010 9:28 pm

Spot on Punk Rooster .... Its funny how many Ben bashers there are out there ... Funnily enough they were all glued to their chairs watching it
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Re: Such Is Life

Postby dedja » Sat Aug 28, 2010 4:08 am

No respect whatsoever from me.

Self inflicted selfish bastard ... It's all about me.

The real victims are his family and friends. I respect and feel sorry for his parents and sisters.

Ben is about Ben and no-one else ... he has been given nine lives and blown them all.

And shame on those who aim to profit from this sorry bastard and pretend that they're doing it in the name of drug education.

Give me a break!

I saw part 1 and couldn't be buggered with the 2nd.
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Re: Such Is Life

Postby Royal City » Sat Aug 28, 2010 10:31 am

Punk Rooster wrote:It's interesting to note that watching a documentary about a footballer who uses drugs, a lot of people expected to find "the meaning of life", & when they don't, vent their spleen on the various forums available.
They expect anyone involved with the project, from The Director & Ben Cousins through to the AFL, to provide an answer on an issue, that society in general, has not been able to give.
People feel "cheated" that there was no turning point, no remorse, or no tears- it is a DOCUMENTARY, not a Hollywood scripted tear-jerker with a happy ending.
The only happy ending needed, is the Ben is still alive, & able to fight against the issues he has- or more importantly, get help.
I have a lot of respect for Ben, who has dealt with being demoted, then sacked by his employer, felt the wrath of an embarrassed AFL(who were more concerned about "brand-damage" than the fate of one of their meal-tickets), spent a year without income where he was expected to rehabilitate himself, & worse, judged by media who made it their purpose to cut him back down to size.
He lost his life as he knew it, & fought hard to get it back again- that's where I respect him.

The lesson that should be taken out of the Documentary is- too much (addiction) of anything is bad, & it will catch up with you eventually whether you're young or old, poor or rich.

Don't expect the AFL or Ben Cousins to provide an answer on an issue that is a social problem.


Well said!!!
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