Idol judges pale next to rugger buggers

[force addict]

THE Australian contender eliminated from this year's American Idol was ready for judges' slings and arrows. Michael Johns had faced far worse when he pulled on a boxing kangaroo costume as a mascot for the Western Force rugby team in his home city of Perth.

"All the yobbos after they'd had a few beers would lure you over with kids and then try to take punches at you, so I got really good at knowing when it was an actual fan who wanted me to say 'hello' and when I just had to come in swinging."

Johns made it to the top eight of the extreme karaoke contest, regularly wowing the judges with his blues-rock vocals - even earning comparisons with the late INXS frontman Michael Hutchence - until his surprise elimination on April 10. But the 29-year-old, who has lived in the US for a decade and married a Texan last year, refused to play the ethnic card, saying he had copped no criticism for being an Australian in an American contest.

"America really believes in the great melting pot."

Johns arrived in Sydney yesterday on a promotional tour before the series finale, which screens on FOX8 on May 22 at 7.30pm. After his Idol commitments are over, he hopes to work on an album and maybe one day collaborate with fellow expat Keith Urban. "You know, the two Australians' bluesy-country thing."

http://www.smh.com.au/news/stay-in-t...839556067.html

[jargan83]

Does he mean Western Reds? We haven't had a mascot have we?

[Swee_82]

Yeah I saw that on the news one night- I think it he was called "Boomer" or something- definately the Reds.

But the 29-year-old, who has lived in the US for a decade

Ah-ha there's the clincher- I guess we can't expect an entertainment reporter to know the Force is only 3 years old- they probably jsut googled 'rugby' and 'Perth'

[jargan83]

Poor Dragons mascot always cops it from the kids in the crowd as well

[fulvio sammut]

Either that, or he's a BS merchant. I never heard of any such incidents in the Red's days, even accounting for their Mungo proclivities.

How can someone who was a "mascot" forget the name of his team? Sounds like someone forgot about the spread of modern communications....

[LarryNJ]

All the yobbos after they'd had a few beers would lure you over with kids and then try to take punches at you

Now I know why there aren't any cheerleaders. You all can't control yourselves!