Aled Summerhill of the Cardiff Blues is tackled. Photo / Getty
OPINION:
Joel Kulasingham runs through the big news from the extremely online world of sport.
In the same month that the All Blacks highlighted the problem with using social issues like feminism to market your own brand, another rugby social media manager has fallen victim to the tone-deaf post.
The United Rugby Championship has fired the company it used to update its TikTok after its official account made a post making light of head injuries.
The post, long deleted by now, mocked a video of Cardiff winger Aled Summerhill getting knocked out in a tackle, which was editorialised by the TikTok account with an animation of "Zzzz" as the concussed Summerhill hit the ground. Brain injury and CTE worries – hilarious!
After Summerhill took to social media to highlight the inappropriate post, the URC apologised: "The URC would like to extend its apology to Aled's family, friends, team-mates, his club and anyone else who rightly found the relevant post to be inappropriate. The URC has investigated the events that led to this post with the content agency contracted to post to the URC TikTok account and as a result the supplier's relationship with URC has been terminated."
Sonny Bill Williams is the perfect athlete for modern-day boxing.
Boxing has long abandoned the sporting pretence – its thrilling heyday when it was known as the sweet science – and is starting to resemble something more akin to pure entertainment or speculative get-rich-quick schemes; crypto currency for athletes and social media stars.
Lately, the sport has embraced – and relied on – those with social capital to sell big-money fights as it battles to stay relevant in the face of the increasingly popular MMA. And oh boy, do people love fights.
"Boxers" like YouTube stars Jake and Logan Paul sold more pay-per-view buys than basically everyone in the sport last year thanks to their army of fanboys, and haters wanting to see them get knocked out.
To compare SBW to the Pauls would be a disservice to the cross-code superstar's sporting ability – and the Pauls' massive social clout. But his latest boxing comeback has a strong whiff of opportunism about it.
If he's serious about rising up the ranks, he has already sparked interest from promoters in a potential bout with Justis Huni, one of Australia's most promising young heavyweights – solely because of the potential earnings for both parties. That fight will be a true test of Williams' boxing ability after his mismatch against Barry Hall.
But if he's only in it for just another pay cheque, and fair enough if that's the case, then there's always Paul Gallen.
IT'S OVER 🤯 SBW has a first-round knockout! #StanEvent #TurfWar #SBWvHall pic.twitter.com/0Wd4Ydejo7
— Stan Sport (@StanSportAU) March 23, 2022
Speaking of the Pauls, Jake has weirdly become a big advocate for fighter pay and continues to criticise the UFC for its poor track record of underpaying fighters in a sport where athletes literally risk their lives.
Whether his intentions are sincere or not, his criticisms of Dana White and the UFC, a company that was sold to WWE-IMG in 2016 for $4 billion, holds serious weight.
The latest news to shock fans was how little Paddy Pimblett, who many believe will be one of the UFC's next stars, got paid for his fight at last Sunday's UFC London – with the Liverpool native revealing he only got paid a meagre US$12,000 guaranteed and a further $12k for winning.
Paddy Pimblett getting pimped.
— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) March 23, 2022
Who manages these guys? https://t.co/GCXZ2EJ6Ds
Even if you count his $50k bonus for finishing his opponent Rodrigo Vargas, it pales in comparison to the stupid money the UFC makes, especially considering UFC London broke records with a $4.5 million gate – the most in the history of the O2 Arena – which Pimblett definitely played a part in.
It's worth noting that Paul also recently announced an investment in Endeavor, the UFC's parent company, so who knows what his motivation is behind his sudden worry about fighter pay and welfare. But you can't deny based posts when you see it.
Happy new year @danawhite. Here is a real challenge for you…
— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) January 1, 2022
I will immediately retire from boxing and fight Jorge Masvidal in the UFC if you agree to: pic.twitter.com/bJScDVITvL