Jesse Ryder

How do you Blow Millions of Dollars, just ask Jesse Ryder.

Here is a guy, who should be at the top of the world, going on television a few weeks ago, saying he's curb his wild ways, cementing a place in the Black Caps at the tender age of 23, yet he blows it, and it just may cost him long term.

Now of course people are talking about, how he got drunk after the deciding match and smashed a window with his hand, of course they are talking about how he verbally abused Hospital Staff that were treating him, and of course they are talking about how he is out of action for 12 weeks, missing most of the return tour to England.

What I found most disturbing is his actions before the match,which shows he has no Professionalism whatsoever. Now don't get me wrong, how have I got the right to comment?, In my only proper game of cricket I made a Golden Duck, not playing a shot, but then again I ran out the School Bully with a bullet like throw from square leg. So I must of been doing something right.

Anyway, there wouldn't be many Professional sports people on the face of the Planet that would have Ryder's attitude. Can ya Imagine before the World Cup Final, Ronaldo deciding to go out Boozing, can ya Imagine before an NBA Playoff series, Dirk from the Mavericks deciding he wanted to party it up before the match, Can ya Imagine those in the Gymnastics events for the Olympics/the Swimmers all deciding that they would rather go on a Bender the night before the Gold Medal Event.

An American Journalist who has been living in New Zealand for over25 years, the Great John Digby's got it right, if Ryder was in a sporting team in Europe or the USA and did what he did before the deciding match of the series, he would be cut.

Ryder is very lucky though, there is not many people who can take his place in the team, and the drinking cultural of New Zealand, seems to support him, most the calls to Sport Radio in New Zealand and on the message boards, have been the same, "The players of yesteryear use to get drunk before a match, never did them any harm, or "My mates and I are always getting Drunk and we go to work"

Well maybe that worked 30 or 40 years ago when Sport was Amateur in New Zealand and you could get away with it, but its 2008 and things have changed.

If Ryder was a true Professional, he would of been looking at Game Tapes the night before the game, He would be going over his notes, he would be having team meetings with the other players, he would be working with everybody possible to get the best out of himself, its no use saying, "Well the Players have to have a life" Let the players have a life in the off season! Can ya imagine Peyton Manning saying to his coach, "Nah, I'm not going to go over the set plays, Im off drinking.

If its good enough for Footballers, Basketballers, Swimmers, Sprinters, Baseballers, Rugby Players etc etc etc, to give up going out, the night before their big event and getting Drunk, it should be Good enough for Ryder.

If he doesn't learn this, he will cost himself Millions of Dollars and let the cricket loving public of New Zealand Down and more importantly he will let himself down.

I hope he learns his lesson quick.

Posted in: cricket