Grown men threatened by a 22-year-old model

Pete says:

02:38pm | 10/03/10

We need more Bingle! The Aussies might have a chance of winning with Clarke out of the team!

acker says:

02:38pm | 10/03/10

Not enough grown men being threatened in the selection of the Australian test side for New Zealand. Clarke got selected even though he deserted the touring side and North got selected with a terrible form line. This side realy has become an exclusive mates club.

Ray says:

02:52pm | 10/03/10

Toby, I know you must be only taking the snakes hiss. But really the slightest hint that this is to do with pre-feminist ideology is absurd in the extreme. This is about having class and having respect for your partner by behaving appropriately. I’m afraid Lara fails on both counts. While you fail just as comprehensivly by reading into this matter a shallow offence to womanhood. Although I know under feminist doctrine the first position for women is not to respect their menfolk. And no one is saying she shouldn’t have a career. They are in true feminist fashion saying she should get one. And really to interpret down that path is an insult to your own and your readers’ inteligence, something along the line we would expect from Bingle’s track record. Cheers, Don’t take it hard just take a deep breath and learn from it as Lara should.

Ray says:

02:52pm | 10/03/10

Sorry Tors, I meant Tory. Anyhow have a nice day.

Lee from WA says:

03:01pm | 10/03/10

What happened to yesterday’s call that he could never be captain Tory? All of a sudden it is ok for him to return?

The Cricket says:

03:03pm | 10/03/10

Peter Roebuck’s typically overly-elaborate prose aside, his basic point is correct. Michael Clarke is the vice-captain of the national cricket team. He is a professional being paid a substantial amount of money for this honour. And he has now pulled out of a tour - and thereby hurt the team and let down his team-mates - to deal with more of hbis girlfriend’s self-inflicted problems. It’s not like her mother has just died or she’s been diagnosed with cancer here. Her silliness is now starting to harm his career,
I’m sure there are many woman with unstable partners who face the same dilemma. It’s not about gender, it’s about behaviour and responsibility.

bella starkey says:

03:15pm | 10/03/10

What freaks me out is that she is only 22. She looks about 30!

SLF says:

03:23pm | 10/03/10

Don’t think anyoen says He should not supprot his family in times of trouble.

The issues is whether this leatest episode in the Bingle Media Circus is a time of trouble, or just another ploy by an attention seeking media wannabe in an attempt to remain in the spotlight.

If any sports player want to head home for the birth of a child, ill family members or even for relationship problems then fair enough. The problem in this case is that their life toghether is such a circus, we wait for the next installment to come along. Seriusly what will be next as (from an ill informed speculative position ) i reckon Lara Bingle has 20 crises a day ranging from forgetting who she is, to failing to open a jar to losing her Aston.

representing women says:

03:20pm | 10/03/10

I am a woman and irrespective of cricket, a well known sporting identities,  circulated text snaps I actually find lara bringle offensive. I do not for one minute find her advocating for ‘womens rights’ as she says is . It seems she has engaged whole heartedly in sexualised sale techniques - seductive bikini modelling (which I find boring and more offensive to any feminist movement). What exactly is her loss? and what about the wife that has to be reminded about this stuff? A litte bit of grace on everyone’s behalf?? possible?? Finally, one hit wonders making our media - just when I thought there were more pressing issues.

Bob H says:

03:28pm | 10/03/10

Cricket should be thanking her, she has raised the sports profile (I did not even know Australia were playing).  In fact put her on the team, the empty stands would certainly be less embarrassingly empty.

julia says:

03:33pm | 10/03/10

Roebuck’s an idiot. Bingle isn’t beautiful. But the rest of what he said is about right.

RJB says:

03:44pm | 10/03/10

Clarke has not demonstrated what is needed to be an Australia test captain. Maybe it is time he took his brat and balls and bailed out.

shane says:

04:05pm | 10/03/10

hi tory,you are way off the mark,bingle must like geting her face on the tv anyway she can and tell me tory if she was so upset with the photos why did she just sell them for $200,000 and gave a full interview!! she want the world to look at her but just as long as they are paying for it!!!!! she is a sad lonley girl!!! clarke should do the smart thing and dump her like a bad habbit!!! he may then get his mind on cricket instead of worrying about what else is going tocome out of the closet!!!!

Shama says:

04:23pm | 10/03/10

God why is everyone going on about the Bingle manipulating the media…judging from the posts, sports fans seem to live with the illusion that the sports-industrial complex does not exist and everything is as gentlemanly and pristine as in some old pre pre WAG era. Which would have been the amateur era where people would have been praised for snucking off and attending to life instead of being paid obscene amounts to play, endorsing every product around and ensuring that sports fans get their daily fix.

And yes, Peter Roebuck has been sounding derailed for a long time (remember all that Aus-India hoopla).

Col says:

04:21pm | 10/03/10

Why don’t you ust bloody well shut up Tory? And get me a beer, too ...

Pablo says:

05:24pm | 10/03/10

Good on Michael Clark for being his own man, if he’s so in love with the young lady, that he needs to, or wants to be by her side, so what? it’s his call, It shows a lot of maturity, especially knowing the backlash this would bring, as far as I can see he was never going to please 100% of the people so he chose to please himself.
PS. Michael Clarks error here is, that he’s young, well paid, good looking and on top of that has a equally good looking partner, HOW DARE HE!. Lets bring him down a notch..
It’s that other favourite aussie pass time..

me says:

05:48pm | 10/03/10

Well said Pablo.

This article is nothing more than femi-nazi ranting.

Simon the Pieman says:

06:11pm | 10/03/10

Is this Australia 2010 we are in? all this fuss over a couple of low res white pointers

julia says:

06:32pm | 10/03/10

At the very least, this topic has made me laugh. Thanks. I needed it today.

Melody says:

07:00pm | 10/03/10

“The smoothness of the relationship, however, seems to rest on the shoulders of the woman at home. The “dignified”, “supportive”, “low profile”, woman.”

Bullshit.

What about Lee Furlong?

Bob Jones says:

08:17pm | 10/03/10

I Just broke up with my fiance because I am a garbadge collector will some one pay me 200 grand to get my story out. From Bob the Garbo

Brett L says:

08:43pm | 10/03/10

I think what this is really about is that Clarke had the final straw, and his team mates told him to go and do the deed (dump her). It woun’t look right to do it by text message or phone. So the guys probably said go and tell her face to face. That’s the honourable way, and cricket is honourable.

peter warrington says:

09:53pm | 10/03/10

i reckon it’s all a smokescreen put up by North and his lackey, Hilditch. The equal worstest selection in my lifetime, up there with bringing Martyn back in ‘06. and bringing Dougie back to drop him 6 tests later in ‘81. and not taking a leggie to the Windies in 84. and taking Graeme Beard to england in ‘81. and not taking Graeme Watson to the Windies in 73.

Mat says:

10:27pm | 10/03/10

The cricket world is not threatened by a 22 year old, they are frustrated that an individual with an obsession for fame is generating unwanted attention on one of our national sporting teams. This is not a gender issue. This is not a sport issue either. They are people with a genuine interest in one aspect of life, and wanting a paid employee to perform at their best. If Liz Ellis had married an undignified, unsupportive drama-king and his behaviour caused her to quit the team mid tour, all the netball commentators would be frustrated by his impact on the team. If an accountant was not performing and had to rush home during tax time, his employers would be concerned.

Success in our professional lives, whatever our pursuits, is significantly affected by the stability of our private lives, regardless of gender

cam says:

10:37pm | 10/03/10

LB says, ” Honey, they’re being mean in the media to me, come home and support me, I need you”
MC says, ” You said you didn’t have an affair with Brendan and I believed you”
LB says, ” I was embarrassed and just wanted it to go away and I thought it had until that photo appeared, then Max said lets sell the story and you can defend yourself as well “
MC says, ” But you told me you didn’t have an affair with Brendan and I believed you”
LB says, ” I didn’t want a scandal and I love you and I can’t wait to marry you”
MC says, ” But you told me you didn’t have an affair with Brendan and I believed you”
LB says, ” If you really love me, you’ll come home and support me, there’s media outside our house and I feel lonely and scared, I need you “
MC says, ” But you told me you didn’t have an affair with Brendan and I believed you, and YES, I’m coming home now”
LB says, ” Thanks baby, I love you “

MC thinks ,” my fiancee lied to me “

This is about trust and honesty…not cricket.

Ben says:

10:54pm | 10/03/10

perpective people. he is a nice young man who can throw a bit of wood at a piece of leather engaged to a good sort who likes to make money out of taking her gear off and seems to have recruited a bad pr agency. not exactly what I would call heroes (both of them) ........or role models. and as for the commentators, are just describing what the common people think and that is popular opinion about sportspeople or scantily clad models. who cares? where are the real people in all of this?

Adrian Kirkby says:

11:19pm | 10/03/10

2 points- 1st DAMN RIGHT!!!! 2nd- There are plenty of good cricketers in OZ, leave him & find another!!!!

jed says:

03:58am | 11/03/10

when she makes boneheaded decisions to be managed by a turd like max markson, this is the outcome. no markson and they’d probably still be together.

KS says:

06:08am | 11/03/10

I’ve always wondered what the price for total loss of credibility and utter stupidity was. APPARENTLY,... it’s $200,000

stiffy says:

06:35am | 11/03/10

Now that they have busted up it will be New Ideas turn to tell HER side of the story.$$$$ then it will be the mens magazine spread.$$$$. then the my new love with (insert leading sportsmans name )story$$$$$ then the “why I still love Michael” story$$$$ then the .............

BTS says:

06:46am | 11/03/10

Less your agent’s fee…

@BlokesLib says:

07:36am | 11/03/10

Ah Tory I think you got this one totally wrong. A part of any relationship is respect. Respect for your partner and in this case respect for the responsibilities he maintains within his job. Whether it’s cricket or the controller of a nuclear reactor it doesn’t matter. There are situations in this world where you can’t expect a partner to come running every time you throw a temper tantrum.
From where I sit it appears that the absurd amount’s of money involved, the whole country telling her how amazingly hot she is, the endless supply of practically brain dead men turning to jelly in her presence has created a monster. A spoiled child most likely fits the illustration best.
Lara’s activities and media stirring during the past few weeks has shown little regard to the commitment he has shown by building a relationship with her. It’s shown next to no consideration for the ramifications to his career. If you plan to be the future wife of the future cricket captain representing the country, then a certain level of decorum is expected. I’m not sure if the relationship should be disbanded but if nothing else it should be a wake-up call that life in public circles contains certain expectations and responsibilities.

Passing Wind says:

08:35am | 11/03/10

Bingle is just a publicity seeking ‘celebrity’ who is milking the situation for all it is worth. How else could she manage front page exposure, etc. Woman’s magazines will be queueing up to buy her story and it might even lead to a job. Who knows?

I’m quite sure she could afford a ticket to go and visit her boyfriend anywhere in the world rather than demand he drop his bat and run.  Doesn’t make sense, though, that he dropped his team, rushed home and then dropped his marriage plans. Sort of a lose, lose situation

As for Clark? Not being a cricket nut I don’t care whether he burns his bat and enters a monastery, but he had a responsibility to his team and he blew it.

George Grubar says:

09:18am | 11/03/10

Scared of Bingle?....lol…more like embarressed…..she’s clueless.  Women she be scared of her for portraying such a ditzy, self-aborbed attitude…...

nice try

Rob says:

09:20am | 11/03/10

Bingle is clearly a liability not because she’s not “plain, quiet, tolerant” to use Tori’s suggested ideal wife for a cricketer in this semi-feminist rant, but because she’s a nightmare in general. She’s famous for being famous. She associates with the wrong people, including “colourful Sydney nightclub identities”. She kept shopping herself around sportsmen until she found one that would have her. Here’s a wake-up call Tori—none of this is very endearing for ANY husband—it doesn’t matter whether you’re destined to me the next Aussie cricket captain, or just the bloke who lives around the corner. Pretty soon the dollybird image wears thin and you realise you’re left with very little real substance. I’m sure that’s what Clarkie’s just woken up to.

Weary says:

09:56am | 11/03/10

What a stupid piece of garbage, dressed up like a prissy tart, and passed off as opinion.  Can’t tell if you’re upset because you burned your favourite bra or whether it just really really really bothers you that you can’t provoke the same kind of response from males?  Either way, no-one cares, you had your little rant, got paid, now go buy yourself something pretty.

Jim says:

10:18am | 11/03/10

“Grown men threatened by a 22-year-old model”
Says it all, doesn’t it. Move on sister! You feminists are a dime a dozen!

Chris McKay says:

10:29am | 11/03/10

Bingle is a walking nightmare for any relationship.
Rumours are constantly circled she ‘plays the market’ when Clarke was not around, she slept with a married man and continually coverts her time in the lime light and it has finally bitten her right where it hurts - the wallet.
Bingle is concerend about two things in life - cash flow and status. Both of which are about to really take a hit.
No one has sympathy for a spoilt princess who lives the high life and tries to play the victim.

Leon says:

11:04am | 11/03/10

All I’m wondering is how this pointless ‘controversey’, coupled to the equally meaningless Fevola photo ‘scandal’ is going to make people think any less of her than they already do?

Traxster says:

11:30am | 11/03/10

model ??
model??
more like Australia’s answer to Paris Hilton !!

James says:

11:54am | 11/03/10

It’s funny how people can somehow find a way to turn any issue into an issue of feminism. This is not a case of misogyny, and is certainly not a case of grown men feeling threatened by a 22 year old model. The funny thing is if the roles were reversed and we were talking about a female sporting star and her boyfriend who was causing her all sorts of grief and humiliation, we’d have the same journalists demanding that she not give him the time of day and that she not let his indiscretions get in the way of her successful career, especially if she was aspiring to captain her national team. They also wouldn’t be defending him like they are defending Lara in this case, they would be screaming for the woman to leave him to show the world that she’s independant or whatever convenient bullshit spin they want to put on it.  At the end of the day, whether any of them want to admit it or not, it’s got a lot to do with the fact that some women desperately want to feel as if they are victimized by society. Not to mention insecurity and selfishness. Michael Clarke has done the right thing leaving her, for himself and his career.

Uttrai says:

11:56am | 11/03/10

“I’ve been thinking for a while now that the Australian cricket team and the huge machinery around it contained a bunch of over-paid, under-developed, spoiled brats ...”

Tory, You should think longer and harder before writing such a degrading remark about a group of men from such a distance.  You are not helping feminism causes by publishing such a poorly written article. In fact, you do more harm than good. Imagine the uproar if someone substitutes the “Australian cricket team” from the above quote with a one that denotes a group of women. Go equality.

George says:

12:05pm | 11/03/10

I don’t think this concept is exclusive to cricket.
Military wives, big business executives wives and a whole bunch of women in between are expected to put up with the indulgences of their husbands careers. When the wife/girl friends don’t behave they way they are expected to men move on. And just like Michale Clarke (will) they take a week off to sort it out and then its back to work. That is why there is a first wife club

Gerry Sinclair says:

12:25pm | 11/03/10

Too much criticism of Lara’s behaviour not enough focus on Clarkes.
Cant blame her for trying, can blame him for being weak as ...

Interesting though how many of the fairer sex think it is wonderful that a man would consider destroying his career just for them, shades of the chauvinist Knight in white shining armour thing I presume, and I thought you girls said you were all over that!
Wonder what the situation would be if the roles were reversed?
Actually I dont wonder I know exactly what the respnse would be and it would not be Clarkes.

Bob Dylan summed it up decades ago “gave her my heart, but she wanted my soul!”

Bottom line to me is that Clarke has shown that he is indeed just a “pup” and is not mature enough to handle an adult relationship or the Captaincy of the Australian Cricket team
Re the latter there have been other instances providing evidence of that for anyone who is observant or cared to look - the removal of Australia’s most exciting cricketer Andrew Symonds as mentioned by some, merely being one of them, the Simon Katich episode another but there are more.

Andy says:

12:31pm | 11/03/10

This ‘story’ (garbage) highlights the following

1) Australians are far too obsessed with Sport (and don’t get me wrong, I love my Cricket and footy, but I only care with what happens ON the field)
2) Australia is such a small and isolated country that we have a Z-grade celebrity get more than a week’s worth of publicity for essentially doing nothing.
3) Australians is becoming more and more like America everyday - Trash.
4) Too many stereotypes still exist in our society… there are 22 year olds that are a lot more mature than a fair few 55 year olds in society (don’t get me wrong… Bingle is white trash and has the maturity of a 12 year old, but there are a lot of successful 22 or younger aged people that are doing great jobs/things in our community that no one ever really hears about)
5) Most Celebrity’s and Sportspeople have no real concept of the real world.

Bogart says:

12:42pm | 11/03/10

I stopped following cricket 7-8 years ago, the Australian team are a bunch of exclusive ‘mates’ who whinge like the POM, play dirty like the Italians then cry foul.

But in this respect, they are professional sportsmen, and have responsibilities.  Lara should of known what she was getting into. 

A partner being ‘“dignified”, “supportive”, “low profile”, goes for both sex.

Otherwise you’re just hurting/hindering your partner.  If you can’t do that, then you shouldnt be together,

Carl says:

12:49pm | 11/03/10

You’ve gotta be kidding me.

This whole article is built on your one sentence of presumption, “According to Peter Roebuck, Robert Craddock, Mark Waugh, and just about every other bloke with an opinion on this”. Well EVERYONE doesn’t include me and I think Michael Clarke was pretty sure he knew what he was getting in to.

I don’t think Lara ‘ex-mistress to brendan fevola’ Bingle was ever giving off any rays of sunshine that Michael was confused by.

Get a grip Tory!

You think Michael is scared???

Maybe think about this… how about making a decision not to write about topics that should be left to the privacy of someones relationship. A journo doing that… Now THAT is scary!

Bryan says:

12:50pm | 11/03/10

Tory, age and experience, whilst not always the governing factors - play a great part in being able to look at (relationship) situations - sometimes in hindsight - and deduce that some will work and some will not. There are some women that are voodoo for some men and there are some men that are voodoo for some women. Also, there are some men and women that are voodoo for everyone. Maturity allows you to work out which men and women fit where.

QLDer says:

12:53pm | 11/03/10

While I do think there are some over-the-top expectations of the type of life which should be embraced by the partners of sportsman, I think that holding Lara Bingle up as a shining beacon of wronged womanhood and a champion of the feminist cause is a terrible mistake. Thus far she’s made a career (YES, career) out of removing her clothes, adhering herself to famous men and then crying victim. Let’s just stop and ask ourselves when these pictures were taken….............okay so have we remembered? Oh that’s right, it was in the course of a relationship with a married man. But I didn’t KNOW he was married, cries the poor wronged little miss, despite the fact a 2 second google search would have told her otherwise. So here we have case number one of her being the naked, celeb velcro, victim. Then, she hooks up with Clarke, pics of her are released which show her scantily clad that were taken for a magazine (which she posed for!) and she wants to take them to court for violating her - naked, celeb velcro, victim case two. THEN after she is forgotten (again), upstaged and outclassed….out come the years old pics of her starkers in the shower taken by the afforementioned married man and lo and behold she’s realeased a statement within a blink of an eye saying she’ll take him to court for violating her privacy and betraying her.Really honey, he’s a married man….we’re you expecting a lifetime of fidelity and flowers? Go ask his wife about betrayal. So there’s the NCVV case three. But wait….how did these pics come to light now? Presumably Fevola hasn’t held onto them for this long and suddenly sent them around. Coincidence that they come to light just as we’ve slipped into a Bingle-free existance. I doubt it.

Stoic and conventional she may have been, but at least Jane McGrath never spent her time working hard to be a victim, despite the hurdles life threw at her. I doubt anyone expects the man to choose a staid and martyr like wife, but surely a little decency isn’t much to ask for?

As for it’s effect on his career, if Shane Warne still has a career despite his carry on, I think the bland and self-promoting Clarke will survive. Not our loss if he doesn’t.

Jamers Hunter says:

01:18pm | 11/03/10

If the press stayed out of their hair this would be unimportant and everyone could get on with life.
who in the media is going to step up to the plate? (sorry crease) cant see that happening,

Sydney Dude says:

01:40pm | 11/03/10

I take issue with the sardonic nature of your third last paragraph “not the way things are meant to happen”.You dont get out of you claims that easily.Couples who are far apart for a long time can have problems trying to maintain relationships.Your hideous and disgraceful lasooing of Brett Lee’ and his former wife’s personal trevails has no place here, you are so far out of line to be less a journalist , more a pimp.Finally, I take issue with your comments in the last paragraph that if Clarke wants to be Captain of Australia he needs ” a nice plain, quiet, tolerant girl son – if you want to captain your country”. Regardless of the complex mix of personalities ( and character) that make for relationships you so disdainfully simplify by your comments, to stupify men, what Clarke has done is end a relationship.This, clearly was not the relationship that would last. Dont try and make out because of the way it fell apart it is more than that or some beacon for the tired rant of Cricket vs the wives or Men vs. Women.

How about just being honest enough to recognise in your spiel that Clarke no longer loves Bingle enough to MARRY the woman.Is this personal relationship really worthy of your and Roebuck’s faux hypothesising any more than the next bunch of prominent Australian’s?.What is less interesting to you is that two people have ended a relationship, but that the sleaze you feed is grist for the mill.

They seem like nice people and all the best to them in life.

S.L says:

04:24pm | 11/03/10

Now we see Michael Clarke selected in the test team against New Zealand when his heart and energy is concentrating on something else and players like Dave Warner, who only has to walk out to the pitch to get the crowd shaking in expectation for what is about to happen don’t get a look in. Sink or swim, crash and burn or belt the ball everywhere bar the next suburb, he’s the only Aussie cricketer this season I’ve seen that stirs a crowd like Warnie, Dougie Walters or Lillee and Thommo from days gone by.
The life of a touring cricketer isn’t fair on a partner in my view but no one holds a gun to their heads!

Old Bert says:

04:39pm | 11/03/10

Michael Clarke ought not desert this beautiful creature sent from heaven, not take his bat and ball and go home, after all, he should remember Lara’s theme,
” You’ll come to me out of the long-ago
Warm as the wind, soft as the kiss of snow
Till then, my sweet, think of me now and then
Godspeed, my love, till you are mine again”.

Ah, the joys and agony’s of young love.

isis says:

06:29pm | 11/03/10

Lara sold a story about a nude photo and set up with Max Markson. You can’t go much lower.

sha says:

06:45pm | 11/03/10

Poor Lara..she will never win.Not pretty enough.Not smart enough.Not sensible enough.Not tall enough. As a mum it breaks my heart to read the sheer nastiness today.Then again, I haven’t watched cricket since the first day night match whatever year that was.The cricketers today are all business men.No personality,no larrakin…. no anything really…..as cold as last nights custard.Now ...Lara makes me laugh ....as i watch her making fools of all of you.

Mike says:

07:45pm | 11/03/10

I think you’ve got it wrong, Tory. I’m a strongly feminist male but I really think it’s not too much to expect for one partner to keep things together while the other goes away for 5 or 6 weeks on business. What ever personal crisis Bingle has endured in the last week is nothing compared to the damage that has now been done to Clarke’s career. Although I do feel he is culpable too - he should have been stronger.

And you have used the Border quote in a ridiculously out of context way. The quote could easily read “get your house in order or don’t bother coming”. Professional women struggle to maintain long distance, irregular relationships too due to the same kind of problems.

Please spare us the dogma. Let’s just laugh at the twitty pseudo-celebs getting it all wrong in public!

Sol says:

03:32am | 12/03/10

I liked Alan Border’s opinion because I think he would have said the same thing in any occupation. Great headline too.

It seems very unprofessional to drop out of any game just to prove something, especially while a whole country is watching. This is a young guy judging from the photo; I would forgive his moment of naivety and hope he returns to doing what he does, having learned something from his actions.

As for Lara Bingle, she has an interesting story now and her agent must be over the moon. Where could her career go from here? I think she is becoming very famous from this incident.

shere khan says:

07:55am | 24/03/10

So much time playing Cricket denies a man “facial savvy”.  He is so used to seeing only THE BALL.
Lara’s bottom lip would have warned a “savvy Bloke”.