AndyOG
Years ago
Murray Magpie Crows confusion
A few weeks back it was announced that the Adelaide 36ers and Adelaide Crows would forge a partnership to cross-promote the two South Australian sporting clubs. However, I for one find it some what ironic that the Crows are so keen to support a basketball club whose beloved mascot just happens to be a Magpie named Murray. Ironic because the Adelaide Crows spent a considerable amount of time and effort in the early 1990s trying to keep the Port Adelaide Magpie out of the AFL!
Surely the powers that be down at Alberton (if they gave a rat's toss bag about basketball I know they have a lot on their plate at the moment) would get a mild chuckle knowing that the Camry Crow and our own Murray Magpie will appear alongside each other as allies at school events and other promotional occasions in the not to distant future. The confusion for little Billy and Sarah "Crows fan" as to where their allegiance should lie will be palpable. How will their parents explain to them that despite the fact that the Crows hate the Magpies, it is okay to like this particular lovable magpie? For me, this scenario it is the definition of a contradiction.
I also fear also for young Murray, that he may become the ultimate martyr of South Australian sports history. Hypothetically, will uncouth crows fans turn on poor Murray if the Pies defeat the Crows in a nail biter AFL grand final due to the obvious fact that he is a magpie adopted into enemy territory?.
Furthermore should the Adelaide 36ers have concerns that Murray may be wheeled out at the next showdown down at West Lakes, stripped of his 36ers clobber, bent over and metaphorically rooted by the Adelaide Crow as a way of riling up Port Adelaide fans in the grandstands?
Even Joffa and his Collingwood brethren for that matter might take offence to a back flipping Murray celebrating a win by the Crows, and we all know how protective the team from Collingwood is of its image. They won't even wear an away strip due to their dyed in the wool love of all things black and white for crying out loud.
What really puzzles me though is how nobody at either club gave consideration to the fact that the Adelaide Crows are unashamedly, blatantly anti-magpies when they decided to join forces with the Adelaide 36ers. One thing that is apparent is that they were obviously oblivious to Murray the Magpie. So what other things have they overlooked?
Now you may think I am making a mountain out of a mole hill here, and that Murray is just tiny part of the 36ers storied history, but when the dictionary defines a mascot as
"A person, animal, or object believed to bring good luck, especially one kept as the symbol of an organization such as a sports team"
Are we not toying with the spirits of good luck with this bizarre and unholy union of enemy mascots?, particularly on the Adelaide Crows side the coin?
In conclusion, it makes no sense to me at all when we talk about lucky charms that the Crows would adopt a mascot who is so beloved and revered by their arched enemy. It makes no sense. It is on par with asking for a Big Mac at Hungry Jacks, like asking Marilyn Manson to stand in for the Pope on Easter Sunday, or asking president elect Barack Obama to be the guest speaker at the next national KKK convention, it just flies in the face of common sense and is hazardous to boot. I think my musings here show that The Adelaide Crows in particular are wearing egg on the face over this oversight. The sixers should fear less as they have no ill feelings towards crows of any description.
And that's my two cents worth.
* Andy OG is a life long supporter of the Adelaide 36ers and also supports the Port Adelaide Power in the AFL.
