In yesterday’s edition of Crikey former cricketer Stuart MacGill did something pretty ballsy. He told Crikey that even though he was contractually obliged to Cricket Australia’s “gold partner” — that’d be Kentucky Fried Chicken — as a player he had refused to participate in a KFC ad. In the same story he urged his former colleagues to stop spruiking junk food to kids:
“Cricket Australia and KFC would say they’re promoting a healthy lifestyle, but it’s absolute tripe.”
For that, he’s received brickbats and bouquets. To his credit, he’s answering his critics personally in the comments section on the website.
In today’s edition Paul Barry continues to roll out his Just Chew It series chronicling how fast food hijacked sport.
New research from the University of Sydney claims the vast majority of Australian elite athletes are unhappy about sports stars promoting junk food and alcohol. And then there’s Coca Cola.
The beverage giant told Crikey in a statement on Monday: “The Coca-Cola Company do not market to children under 12 years of age and this is a strict global policy that has been in place for many years. This policy also stands true for our sports sponsorships.”
But as we report today, for the past 20 years Coca-Cola has sponsored Little Athletics in New South Wales, which is for kids as young as four. Coca-Cola also sponsors or has sponsored a variety of junior soccer, cricket and baseball teams around the country for children as young as five, either with Coke or its Powerade brand.
Crikey asked Coca-Cola to explain the Little Athletics breach and a spokesman replied 24 hours later to say they were “still looking into it”.
We’ll continue to look into it too, just because they clearly need the help.
Big up, Crikey.
That Coke story might just have legs.
It is indeed good news that one Australian cricketer can and will stand up to the power of the cartel of global sports business. Now, where are the rest of his colleagues and where is the support for his stance from the Federal Government?
Perhaps it is also time for them (and us) to consider the fact that either Coke or Pepsi own most all of the world’s so-called caffeine-based energy drinks and that the jury is now definitely in on the lethal effects of those as well. Why are all of our governments such cowards when it comes to dealing with these mega-corporations. They don’t listen to reason – only to the law.
It’s difficult because people rightly contrast MacGill’s stance on junk food with his stance on alcohol. Now of course SCG is out there spruiking wine in fine wine magazines, not selling Vodka Fruitbox in Teen Dream Magazine. But alcohol still does harm, does it not?
And we can’t simply ban elite sportspeople from being the face of products. Some cases are clearcut but others are not. For instance:
Kieren Perkins for Uncle Toby’s? Pretty OK. Tim Cahill and Brett Lee for Weetbix? Very good. Warney for Maccas? Bad. Libby Trickett for KFC? Awful. Hungry Jacks and the AFL? Terrible.
But what about Andrew Gaze for moderately-sugared sports drinks specifically for physical activity sessions? Where does that drop on the spectrum? Or the legendary golfer Happy Gilmore for Subway’s dubiously-healthy-but-probably-better-than-a-burger sandwiche?
Beryceann rightly highlights that corporate ownership is also a complicating factor. Geez, it’s a complex one. So complex it’s making me hungry.
Great to see a sportsman realising his responsibility, now if only we had regulators with 1/10th of the courage we might get somewhere.