Two blokes walk into a bar...

Another one bites the dust. Yesterday saw news that Andrew Symonds, perhaps the most definitive example of the "troubled striker" in world cricket, has again been sent home from an Australian tour for disciplinary indiscretions, apparently related to alcohol. In the same time frame, another powerful, larger than life all-rounder named Andrew has been sharing his views on, well, everything actually, but one little nugget seemed particularly pertinent in light of Symond's sad, and perhaps final, slip off the wagon. Andrew Flintoff, it would seem, has some fairly lucid and illuminating views on the current state of the nation according to his latest GQ interview, but rap music, rather than sport seemed to be very much the culpable party in Fred's eyes. Sport can in fact, apparently help with all manner of societal ills including cultural violence, child obesity, drug abuse, and even binge drinking. The obvious hypocrisy of Fred's reactionary rant is not even worthy of comment, but the parallels between Flintoff's condemnation of drugs and binge drinking (would someone please define what that actually means by the way?) and the saddening demise of Symonds' career make for some interesting thought. Flintoff's public dalliances with alcohol have earned him the status of cult hero among many British cricket fans, arguably as much as his on-field endeavours, and have never truly undermined his playing career, yet Symonds has been made an example of on more than one occasion. While Flintoff enjoys the luxury of railing against the modern evils of binge drinking, Symonds faces the very real prospect of his chequered, but often brilliant career being over. But maybe Flintoff is right about one thing; maybe if, over the last year or so, Symonds had been given the opportunity to actually play more sport, he might not be in the predicament that he now finds himself. Roy, wish you were here mate, take her easy.