As a fan, what do you want from your team or your favourite athlete? The list is, of course, endless and entirely subjective.
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If we made it easier and asked you to choose between scattergun flashes of brilliance or pinned down consistency, what would you opt for?
Hang on, this sounds a lot like that old cricket conundrum: "Which Waugh would you want batting for your life, Mark or Steve?"
Now let's turn it around and play devil's advocate - if you were a player, what style of management would you be hoping for from your governing body or employer?
Let's ignore all the textbook styles of management and let's just go for consistency. A consistent approach to decision-making, a consistent approach to personnel decisions, and even matters of discipline. That's probably not too far removed from the expectations of most workers.
There is always a clear and present danger involved in making sweeping generalisations. So no judgement will be poured on NRL footballer Nathan Cleary's head for his TikTok indiscretions during these times of social distancing.
If you're not aware, Cleary was filmed dancing with a bunch of people inappropriately spaced apart at a time when "popping over to dance" wasn't highly regarded by authorities.
After a dose of public humiliation, Cleary was essentially slapped on the wrist, fined some pocket money and told to behave. It was a $10,000 fine but the one-match ban and 60 per cent of the fine were suspended.
Cleary spoke to the NRL Integrity Unit and was not exactly as honest as he could have been. Let's remember all this was posted on a very pubic social media platform. Anyway, he's now been handed a two-game ban and a $30,000 fine.
Well, OK. But cast your mind back about a year, footy fans. That's when Brisbane Broncos wrecking ball Payne Haas was slammed for "disrespecting" the very same Integrity Unit. His club took a serious stand after the-then teenager fronted the unit on "family matters" last year.
The Broncos revealed they were "not happy with Payne's level of co-operation with the Integrity Unit" and promptly fined him a five-figure sum and benched him for the first four rounds of the season.
Of course, it's two different players, two different clubs and frankly, a lot's gone on since the Haas ruling of February 2019.
But let's see if any consistency emerges before the season restarts. Where would we be without another drawn out saga.
Janine Graham is an ACM journalist