When top sportspeople make the crossover to journalism, they don't always hit the same heights they reached in the sporting arena.
They often spend years being gagged by club spin doctors and protectors of the "brand". From the confines of their clubs and respective governing bodies, they tend to get punished for saying the "wrong thing" by self-appointed gatekeepers of speech.
It all becomes a bit propaganda-like and helps explain why interviews with sportspeople can be so bland.
But Mark Bosnich - the former Manchester United, Aston Villa and Socceroos goalkeeper - has successfully made the switch from sportsman to journalist.
Bosnich will be part of SBS's coverage of the World Cup, which begins on Monday.
Bosnich often displays strong self-belief when questioning the game's big kahunas, whether it's the coaches, administrators or top players.
"When I started to work in football journalism, I was told to ask questions and also to empathise with the subject.
"The bottom line was, if in doubt, speak the truth. You do have a duty to the people who are tuning in or reading an article to say what is on your mind. That got drummed into me when I first started in 2008. I've pretty much stuck to that."
Bosnich hasn't shied away from scrutinising Socceroos coach Graham Arnold and his predecessor Ange Postecoglou, both of whom have shown annoyance over his legitimate questions and opinions.
"I try to keep things as factual as possible. It's just to ask the question that needs to be asked, that's all," Bosnich said.
"I could ask them a searching question and get a very defensive answer.
"For me it's nothing personal. If anyone wished to carry on something, that's their prerogative. I understand that. I always hope they understand that I've got a job to do as well. I try to do it as emphatically as possible."
At the World Cup, the Socceroos have a tendency to create a bit of a siege mentality and media paranoia. Harry Kewell once said at a World Cup that the media should be supporting the Socceroos, not questioning them. Kewell is now part of the SBS team, so it will be intriguing to watch him on the other side of the fence.
So do the Socceroos need cheerleaders in the media, or objective reporting and analysis, or a bit of both?
"I think a balance is important," Bosnich said. "Of course, we all want the Socceroos to do as well as they possibly can. But I don't think being blind to things going on is helpful either. It's a World Cup, so national passions come to the fore. Relationships come to the fore. I have an ex-teammate of mine who I still remain quite close to in Gareth Southgate, the manager of England.
"It does have a little bit of an effect.
"You try your best to be as objective as you possibly can."
Socceroos' Chances
Asked how the Socceroos would go in Qatar, Bosnich said "I think we have half a chance".
"It's a minor miracle that we're there. Not many people, including myself, thought we'd get through the game against Peru."
The chances of progressing through the group stage, he said, "comes down to the players in terms of what they achieve".
It also comes down to coach Graham Arnold, who "came up with the goods under extreme pressure and made a massive call in changing goalkeepers before the penalty shootout against Peru".
"This is now the best 32 teams in the world. It's the World Cup. It is a tough group."
Australia plays France, Tunisia and Denmark.
"When I say half a chance and that they're underdogs, that actually suits Graham Arnold and his players.
"We saw that against Peru. And the majority of people aren't expecting them to qualify for the second round. This is why I think they're very dangerous."
Australia plays reigning champions France in their first game on Wednesday at 6am. Champions haven't traditionally done well at the following World Cup. It's known as the "champions' curse".
"The first game will be so important to our chances. If you look back, our best World Cup was in 2006. We beat Japan in the opening game," Bosnich said.
"That was so important to going through to the next round, whereas in 2010 we had the same amount of points but got walloped by Germany in that first game.
"The reality of the situation is that France could put out two teams and both would go close to winning the whole thing. So the Socceroos are up against it."
If the Socceroos don't win the first game and get beaten, but not too heavily, Bosnich believes "they're in with a shout".
"Tunisia is a winnable game, there's no doubt about that, even though they're ranked higher than us."
If the Denmark game becomes a sudden death match, anything can happen.
"No one's expecting us to do anything, so the boys should go and enjoy themselves. They have nothing to lose and we're very proud of them being there in the first place."
Human Rights
Qatar is under the spotlight for its human rights record, particularly around the deaths and treatment of migrant workers and draconian laws against gay people.
"I think we all have to acknowledge these are important issues. There's no getting around that," Bosnich said.
"We can voice our opinions and say there are issues that go against what we're about as a nation. Ultimately the spotlight generated from having the World Cup in a place like Qatar is actually a good thing. It's important for everybody to bear that in mind, but look forward to what this tournament should be truly about, which is the football."
