Australia is a sports-loving nation. It’s a part of everyday life. Channel Nine News (the former market leader now writhing near the bottom - a blog entry unto itself) has about 12 minutes on national and world events before it crosses to sports. Cricket gets more coverage than Kenya. Go figure.

So it’s no surprise that sports stars have numerous, high profile opportunities after hanging up their cleats or Speedos. Next you know they’re endorsing batteries or commenting on national television or swimming in endless spas to show us flabbies how to stay fit. 

We love them all - up to a point.

Wayne Carey was a football star who went onto media semi-stardom. He commented on Melbourne radio and had a spot on national television.

But then he got a little too wild.

I’m not talking about “all night in a bar verbally abusive to the 7-11 cashier” kind of wild. I’m talking “abusing women attacking police capsicum spray and handcuffs” kind of wild. And of course those ever-present security cameras caught it all. Thankfully an enterprising guard on duty had the foresight to auction the tape to news crews. Channel Seven won’t say how much they paid (or IF they paid) but they did say they’re glad they got it.

So there’s our former role model -in handcuffs, getting bullfrog marched to the back of a police cruiser.  Seems a spot he’s been in before, as media reveal today he’d been arrested in Miami last month for breaking a wine glass into his girlfriend’s face. And he headbutted the partition in that police cruiser after attacking officers. (See this clip.)

Today radio station 3AW and Channel Nine are distancing themselves from Carey - quickly. Carey will have to find another income stream to fund his legal defence. Too bad he’s not back in Newark. Tony Soprano’s always looking for a few good men.

Would “How Ya’ Doin’?” sound funny in an Aussie accent?