From ‘faster, higher stronger’ to ‘bolder, shorter, louder’ – athletics takes a great leap

September 12, 2026 — 12:15pm

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The black cat analogy wittily describes the differences between religion and science.

Philosophy, thus, is like being in a dark room looking for a black cat. Metaphysics is being in a dark room looking for a black cat that isn’t there, while theology is being in a dark room looking for a black cat that isn’t there and shouting, “I’ve found it”.

Sport, as a modern religion, has this week joined the analogous spectrum, coming in after metaphysicians. Sports administrators are blind people in a dark room looking for a black cat that might or might not be there but figure if they make themselves smaller and use TikTok the cat will come to them.

This week against the backdrop of the NFL – America’s biggest, brashest sport – liberating a new foreign land, other sports were wondering how they got bigger, brasher and brassier? But mainly bigger. It can’t be all Tay Tay and Travis Kelce.

New national tennis honcho Andrew Abdo floated the idea of cutting early matches at the Australian Open back to three sets, an idea quickly put back in the bottle by Tennis Australia. Abdo is a former NRL guy. The organisation he now leads runs the Australian Open, which these days has so many people queuing to get in they’ve stretched it out over even more days. Abdo wouldn’t be the first administrator to suggest more event, less sport.

New AFL chairman Craig Drummond has leafed through the same sport marketing playbook. Footy with a new Tassie team coming in will mean a longer season. They could have a shorter one (as if) and play each other once. That would satisfy integrity concerns over a compromised fixture. But they won’t do that. They’ll schedule more games but make them shorter.

Then Cricket Australia this week decided its shortest version T20,........

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