Titus O’Reily on the best strategy for navigating conversations about sport.
Australia’s success in all-things-athletic is built on a nation of zealous sport enthusiasts. Discussing sport tactfully is a skill; if done recklessly, it can lead to catastrophic consequences, such as being excluded from the next round at the pub, or given an end slice of bread at a sausage sizzle (and you can forget about the onions).
As Titus O’Reily explains, ‘sport is the closest thing Australia has to a culture, to the point that even the few Australians who hate sport define themselves by their opposition to it.’
With that in mind, here are his recommendations for the best and worst things to say to the Aussie sports fan.
Romantic things to say to a sports fan
‘One day I hope to make you as happy as your team does, but I also hope to not let you down as often.’
‘Even though the team you barrack for isn’t playing, I know this match is important to you.’
‘My love for you burns as bright as this flare I just smuggled through security soon will.’
‘If it clashes with the footy we should just reschedule it.’
‘We should get a bigger TV.’
‘Why don’t we make our honeymoon a trip to England to watch the Ashes?’
‘I hate the Fanatics too.’
Worst things a person can say
‘Why are you watching this? Your team isn’t even playing.’
‘We’ll get a great rate if we have our wedding on grand final day.’
‘The government should be giving money to health and education, not sport.’
‘Why would you watch a replay of a game you just went to?’
‘Are you just going to sit around and watch cricket all day?’
Can you not like sport and be Australian?
Titus O’Reily shares the story of the first code of laws for Australian Rules Football.
In Cheat, Titus O’Reily offers a handy how-to guide for the professional athlete in your family.
Three go-to defence mechanisms for sporting ‘Good Blokes’ who’ve done wrong.
Wondering what YA books are coming out in 2027? From spellbinding new fantasy books to unforgettable contemporary stories, there’s plenty for teen readers to look forward to.
Penguin Random House (PRH) has been made aware of people impersonating our authors, including Richard Flanagan, and contacting members of the public by email or through social media.
Every great author must start their story somewhere.
Both audiobooks and paperback books offer different ways to experience a story, each with its own distinct benefits.
October is Dyslexia Awareness Month, a time to build greater awareness and understanding of dyslexia and the different ways people experience reading. Author R. A. Spratt shares some of the techniques she uses to make her books more accessible for dyslexic readers, along with practical reading and writing tips drawn from her own experience.
The Dashwood sisters return to the big screen in a new Sense and Sensibility adaptation starring Daisy Edgar-Jones and Esmé Creed-Miles.
This is Jack and the Beanstalk like you’ve never seen it before! An exciting action-packed graphic adventure story set in the world of Jack in the Beanstalk. From award-winning author Sofie Laguna and monster-illustrator extraordinaire, Marc McBride.
