What it means, among other things, is that it is more important than ever for those of us in the business of #realnews to make sure our assertions are based on solid facts. Which brings me, as if you didn't know, to the #stadiumsplurge, and the constantly repeated assertion that the NSW government spending $2 billion to knock down two stadiums and rebuild them is OK, because the improved stadiums will pay for themselves by improving the economy! Premier Gladys Berejiklian went so far as to claim that the $2 billion would be paid back in two years, because NSW would be making $1 billion profit on the new stadiums each year. Thrice, I have humbly and publicly asked her to back that up with numbers, thrice there has been nothing forthcoming.

But I point again to the piece written by the Herald's Jacob Saulwick, when the idea first came up to knock down the SFS. Saulwick revealed the advice of Infrastructure NSW - the body set up by the government itself to provide independent and strategic advice on infrastructure - was clear.

"There was no economic benefit to the state of NSW from building a new stadium at Moore Park."

Boom!

When the news broke that the NSW government was going to raze and rebuild the two stadiums, The Australian reported on the same subject: "Ms Berejiklian's support was despite the cabinet minute pointing out that the benefit-cost ratio for the projects was well under 1, meaning they would not generate more money than their cost to the state's economy." (My italics.)

Boom!

It is a view, entirely consistent with the experience overseas. Roger Noll, a Stanford professor emeritus in economics, and an expert on the economics of sports, is flat-out in his condemnation.

"NFL stadiums do not generate significant local economic growth," he was recently quoted as saying "and the incremental tax revenue is not sufficient to cover any significant financial contribution by the city".

Such has been the common experience internationally. These publicly funded stadiums do NOT give back to the taxpayer more than they take from it.

Blithely repeating bullshit, that the stadiums will pay for themselves and give to the economy more than they take from it, does not make it so.

In good company

Listen, I am sure this might be guilty of a dozen "isms," - quite possibly including "misogyn-ism," - and for the record, I THOROUGHLY disapprove, honest I do. But anyway ...

On a Wednesday evening last May, the long-time All Black five-eighth through most of the '90s, Andrew Mehrtens, now a Sydney resident, was discussing on one of those Fox Sports rugby round-up shows, the most important rugby news of the week.

"I had to go with Wyatt Crockett," Mehrts, began, as footage rolled of the Canterbury and All Blacks prop stepping forward after a Crusaders match, to receive an award.

"What an amazing achievement," he continued, "to be outright the most capped Super rugby player. As is fine Crusaders tradition, you mark the occasion by being given a sword."

Again the footage rolls, of another iconic All Black presenting a large ceremonial Crusaders sword, in a glass case, as we go back to Mehrtens, who provides the commentary.

"He's getting given a sword there, by Ruben Thorne, which puts him in the same company as my sister, who is married to Ruben ... so, wonderful effort that ..."

Why is Ian Roberts nervous?

All is context. Sunday evening at the Olympic Stadium, a balmy spring evening. As the pre-match entertainment is getting underway for the NRL Rugby League Grand Final, no fewer than 80,000 people - gathered for what amounts to the climax of an annual national festival of hyper-masculinity - stirred restlessly. Among them, on my left in the NRL box, Ian Roberts is clearly nervous.

Roberts is two things. I have long held he is the toughest footballer to pull on a boot, at least that I have seen. His view is he is also among the gayest men who ever lived, having never felt the slightest flicker of sexual interest in females, ever. It was the way he was born and when he declared his sexuality in 1995, while still playing, it was enormous news. To this day he remains the only male professional footballer in Australia to have done so.

So why nervous? Because a month ago, when Roberts had written to NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg suggesting the NRL come out in support of same-sex marriage, Greenberg replied instantly they would do exactly that. Subsequently, Greenberg also announced the pre-match entertainment would be the American rapper, Macklemore, and he would sing his anthem for marriage equality, Same Love.

Hence, Roberts' nerves. The NRL's stance has caused enormous controversy. At the height of the same-sex marriage debate, here was a sporting organisation taking a political side! Tony Abbott, Cory Bernardi and Peter Dutton - all bitterly critical, receiving support from large chunks of the commentariat and talkback. So how would this pure rugby league crowd react, these truest of blue, in this most working class of games? Would they boo? Would they hiss? Turn their backs? If so, it would be a disaster, and vindication for the critics.

Ladies and gentlemen ... please welcome ... Macklemore! Comfortingly, when the rapper, who is straight, pranced and danced on to the stage, the crowd erupts. But we ain't seen nothing yet. He gets to the song that everyone has been waiting for, and utters those first lines - "When I was in the 3rd grade I thought that I was gay 'cause I could draw, My uncle was and I kept my room straight ... A bunch of stereotypes all in my head ...The right-wing conservatives think it's a decision / And you can be cured with some treatment and religion / Man-made, rewiring of a pre-disposition. Playing God ..." - the NRL crowd simply EXPLODES! They stomp they cheer, they sing along, they turn the lights of their iPhones on, and wave them in rhythm, instantly turning the arena into a sparkling wonderland.

Beside me, Roberts holds the hand of his partner, Daniel, and weeps. This is how far rugby league has come since the days where "yer a poofta" was the ultimate put-down for anyone who was different. As Macklemore gets to the end of the song and the league fans stand on their seats and cheer themselves hoarse, Roberts weeps some more. "Ian," your humble correspondent asks, "you have the right to remain silent. But anything you say can and will be used in my SMH column. What did you make of that?" Roberts rises to the occasion. "It will save lives," Roberts said. "Simple as that. It will save lives."

His point is a beauty. For all those troubled teens, alone in the dark as he was all those years ago, agonising over their sexuality, the lesson of that anthem being sung on that occasion is clear. You are not alone. And not only do many people feel an attraction to the same sex, and not only should it be no big deal one way or another, but even the most macho of sports recognises that. It was my sporting highlight of the year.

THEY SAID

Steve Smith, reaches for the long handle on the reason Glenn Maxwell was left out of the Australian One Day Squad: "Just looking at the way he trains, I think he could train a little bit smarter. We've all seen the way he can come out and play and do all his funky stuff and be pretty cool ... If he keeps his head switched on and trains really well and focuses on basic things probably more than the expansive things then I think that will help him have his consistency. If he's having those consistent performances he's certainly a person you want in your team." If I was Maxwell, I would thank my skipper not to make me sound like a flaky bludger, at least not in the public domain.

Giant Heath Shaw to Swan Tom Papley, mid-season: "You f---ing retard." Twitter made an interesting point. Why, when the most last word in the sentence is the one that caused the offence, do we in the media insist on blanking out the middle of the second-last word? Discuss.

Nick Kyrgios, channelling Perry Mason at the French Open as he argues with the umpire: "If I was speeding and you don't catch me, where is the evidence?" And if I ran over Schrodinger's cat, while speeding, but no one saw me, would I still be guilty?

Sergio Garcia, on winning the Masters in April, his first major after 74 attempts: "Because of where my head was at, sometimes, I did think, 'Am I ever going to win one ... ?' But lately I've been getting some good help. I've been thinking a little differently, more positively, and I've been more accepting, that if for whatever reason it didn't happen, my life is still going to go on. It's not going to be a disaster."

Kerry O'Keefe, off the long run himself, on the Australian fast bowler James Faulkner: "He'd only get a movement as a bowler if he swallowed a packet of Laxettes. I'm not unhappy with Jimmy Faulkner missing the list."

Josh Reynolds on leaving the Bulldogs: "It was so hard to look my mum in the eye. We've been at this club together 14 years. She's a Bulldog as well. When I told her, you'd think she had just seen a ghost. Just before I left on the day I told the boys, she broke down. That killed me."

Australia's first professional rugby referee, Wayne Erickson, on Twitter, expands on the virtues of being a whistle-blower: "Become a referee - travel the world, have the best seat in the house, meet nice people and penalise them ..."

Margaret Court: "Tennis is full of lesbians, because even when I was playing there was only a couple there, but those couple that led took young ones into parties and things ..." That was just for warm-ups.

James Spithill on the America's Cup and Australia, and why no one here gives a stuff any more: "Probably a lot of people think back to 1983 and when Australia II won. The next memory is Alan Bond going to jail and then followed by that is our boat, One Australia, sinking." And that was just the highlights reel!

Josh Dugan on joining the Sharks: "Everyone talks about loyalty but at the end of the day loyalty won't pay the bills when you're 40."

Shinichi Ueyama, who led a Japanese government investigation into the true cost of the Olympics: "Those numbers in the bidding file are almost fiction." The estimated cost of Tokyo 2020 is now $12.6 billion, nearly double the initial estimate.

TEAM OF THE YEAR

Karmichael Hunt. The way things are panning out, this could be the only team (sniff) he finds himself in this year.

Ange Postecoglou. He came, he saw, he conquered, he left, rather oddly snarling a little at TFF on the way out, but good luck to him anyway.

Sydney Swans. Bloody hell. Lost the first six matches of the year, and only came good when TFF started predicting the wooden spoon for them, reeling off 15 victories in the next 17 games, to make it all the way to the semi-finals. Ingrates.

Katherine Kirk. The Australian golfer won for the first time in 152 events on the LPGA tour.

The Olympics. Speaking of having passed high noon, with only two cities bidding for the 2024 games they gave them to Paris first up, and 2028 to LA as a consolation prize. 2032 is anyone's guess, but the way things are heading, if Dubbo put up its hand, it might be a chance!

Reserve Bank of Fiji. To commemorate their Olympic victory in the men's sevens, it has released a limited edition $7 note.

James Roberts. The Brisbane Bronco is so fast that, as Jack Gibson would say, "he could turn the wall light off and be in bed before it gets dark."

Sally Pearson. World Champion. RAH! Joins Cathy Freeman and Jana Pittman as the only Australians to have won two world track and field titles.

Usain Bolt. If TS Eliot was a sportswriter, and he'd attended Bolt's final race - where the Jamaican tore his hamstring - he would have had the perfect line. "This is how the world ends, not with a bang but a whimper."

RIP Betty Cuthbert AM MBE. Australia's "golden girl", star of the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, winner of three Olympic gold medals, died on a Sunday evening in August after a long battle with multiple sclerosis.

RIP Les Murray. The beloved football commentator who, with Johnny Warren and Frank Lowy was one of the three most significant people in the country in putting their code on the map in Oz, passed away in late July. Well done, oh good and noble servant of the game.

Twitter: @Peter_Fitz