Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: The truth about "Party Central"

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  • chris,

    I don't think it's good sportsmanship to mock casualties of alcohol abuse. Our love and sympathy is enough to help him face the truth and be able to begin his healing process.

    I'm suggesting alcohol is a dangerous drug, and one that the Government should take no interest in promoting the sale of.

    Mawkland • Since Jan 2010 • 1302 posts Report Reply

  • Andre,

    I'm currently fighting my way through tender documents for the fan zones and it's been fun talking with councils up and down the country gearing up for the RWC. There are literally hundreds of kiwis working on it already and thousands more when you count suppliers. It'll be a huge nationwide party and "party central" is really a distraction. I wish they all requested their information in similar formats though - we're talking various 100-page documents all asking the same questions in a different fashion. Bureaucracy gone mad!

    New Zealand • Since May 2009 • 371 posts Report Reply

  • 3410,

    Bombay Skateboarders

    Much as I hate to bring up the Scottish topic, the Herald has a pretty strange idea of giving credit where due.

    Vid-poster WhaleOil writes on the YouTube page, "Not my video, saw on Facebook..." NZH notes the name of the guy who shot the one-take video, calling it "footage of Andrew Chapman" but credits it - you guessed it - ""Courtesy YouTube/WhaleOil". Huh?

    Auckland • Since Jan 2007 • 2618 posts Report Reply

  • FletcherB,

    Remind me, what are the ambassadors for ?

    To ambassadate, surely?

    West Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 893 posts Report Reply

  • FletcherB,

    It's "chocks" actually </pendant> ;-)

    Normally, I'd agree... but on further reflection of steep hills, skate-boards and beer all in the mix.... "chuck" may well be involved :)

    West Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 893 posts Report Reply

  • Rich of Observationz,

    how many extra visitors

    Less all the visitors who choose to skip NZ because it's expected to be full of rugbyheads

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Less all the visitors who choose to skip NZ because it's expected to be full of rugbyheads

    I hate to break it to you Rich, but New Zealand is full of rugbyheads already.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    I hate to break it to you Rich, but New Zealand is full of rugbyheads already.

    Some, even have little bodies attached and they are called Rugby fans. :)

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report Reply

  • recordari,

    Actually, if the Pacific Islands can guarantee good coverage, given that I'll be watching it on TV anyway, might as well be on an Island in the sun drinking pina coladas. I've half a mind to start a tour group. No bloody yoga though.

    Maybe that would create a rugbyhead deficit?

    AUCKLAND • Since Dec 2009 • 2607 posts Report Reply

  • dc_red,

    Cue another hissy fit from McCully.

    I would think he'd be on a warning by now.

    McCully has a long leash because he's National's fixer (of leadership contests).

    I say the rugby heads party on John Quay.

    Oil Patch, Alberta • Since Nov 2006 • 706 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel,

    Bouquets and Brickbats...
    Wahoo! well I'll be able to watch the show on telly tonight as I have discovered that unbeknownst to me TVNZ7 & 6 has been added to what we get thru our Telstra / Clear TV, Phone, Internet package. (TVNZ7 is channel 97 - which is easy to remember as the other channel I use most is 79 - The Arts Channel)
    Snedden's revelation really damns Key & McCully as head-desk-banging heavy meddlers!
    Gawd forbid the Govt or the new Supercity tries to enact an anti-eye-rolling law as is being mooted in Illinois...

    ...and what is about small town politicians?
    I just passed a billboard for Chch ACT type, power junkie and Elvis Impersonator Aaron Keown - announcing – "it's time for a zero tolerance on crime" – he seems to have an odd idea of the purview of a local council's powers...
    maybe he thinks he's running for sheriff ...

    ...and don't start me on the vampiric and soulless "Twilight Twins", Bob and Jo Parker, and their people-funded power breakfasts with Tony "pay me more" Marryatt - Bob ya don't take your wife to work!

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Rich of Observationz,

    Rugby support is in decline though. The Phoenix typical gate count is within hailing distance of the rugby now.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    I have to be hoenst I've been pretty impressed by how up front and sensible he has been on the planning of the RWC.

    You're joking, aren't you? I suspect there's going to be a hell of a story to tell about the very far from up front and utterly nonsensical flim-flam deployed to extract the maximum amount of corporate welfare for the RWC. Then again, I suspect nobody in the MSM is going to be unpatriotic enough to bring the mixture of expertise in forensic accounting, the dark art of lobbying and abnormal psychology required.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    Rugby support is in decline though. The Phoenix typical gate count is within hailing distance of the rugby now.

    It may be in decline in absolute terms, but if you add up all the people who see rugby games at all levels in the course of a year versus those in any other sport (there's one Phoenix team, and they play ten home games per season plus the playoffs; without getting into their long spells of paltry attendance), I think you'll find it's still a nation of rugbyheads.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Wow good work. A nice frank admission from Snedden, I have to be hoenst I've been pretty impressed by how up front and sensible he has been on the planning of the RWC.

    You're joking, aren't you?

    Why would he be joking? The response from people who've dealt with Snedden has been uniformly positive. He seems competent and straightforward.

    The experience of other stakeholders with the government, and McCully in particular, has, I gather, been quite the reverse. I think we're going to hear a lot more about this.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Joanna,

    The Phoenix typical gate count is within hailing distance of the rugby now.

    I can't believe I find myself defending rugby, but I believe it is actually possible that people attend both rugby and soccer games. Although the only sport that I myself follow is roller derby, I'm pretty sure that I'm pretty rare and special.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 746 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Campbell,

    No rugby's definitely in decline, the local city council released a survey last month that shows that more people visited cemeteries in Dunedin last year than went to Carisbrook. Even fewer people went to a city park to watch a game. They get about 5000 to a Highlanders game these days

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2006 • 2623 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Why would he be joking? The response from people who've dealt with Snedden has been uniformly positive. He seems competent and straightforward.

    Yes, he certainly was perfectly competent and straightforward in lobbying for "clean venue" legislation that served precisely no public interest, as opposed to the commercial interests of RWC sponsors. Snedden might well be a perfectly nice chap, but pardon me if I don't have an unqualified admiration for everything he does.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Yes, he certainly was perfectly competent and straightforward in lobbying for "clean venue" legislation that served precisely no public interest, as opposed to the commercial interests of RWC sponsors. Snedden might well be a perfectly nice chap, but pardon me if I don't have an unqualified admiration for everything he does.

    Craig, that's simply wrong. The clean stadiums commitment was made in 2005, two years before Snedden was even appointed.

    It was part of the original bid to the IRB, and it's been standard practice for years for events of this nature.

    And it's not about Snedden being a "nice chap". It's his ability to do the job, which doesn't seem to be in question for anyone I've talked to.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • 3410,

    The clean stadiums commitment was made in 2005, two years before Snedden was even appointed.

    In fact - correct me if I'm wrong - it was NZ's initial inability to make that committment that caused us to actually lose hosting rights last time.

    Auckland • Since Jan 2007 • 2618 posts Report Reply

  • LegBreak,

    Can we please get over the notion that Clean Stadiums are an evil thing? Lets move on from 2002.

    Every major international event, not just sporting ones, has a Clean Stadiums concept. It’s just a modern reality.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1162 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    he seems to have an odd idea of the purview of a local council's powers

    you'd be amazed how many voters similarly have no idea

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • George Darroch,

    I think you'll find it's still a nation of rugbyheads.

    Versus:

    No rugby's definitely in decline, the local city council released a survey last month that shows that more people visited cemeteries in Dunedin last year than went to Carisbrook. Even fewer people went to a city park to watch a game. They get about 5000 to a Highlanders game these days

    I think those are both right. New Zealanders still love and enjoy their game, but the intensity of their passion seems well down from the 1980s. At least as far as my fuzzy childhood memories of that decade would indicate. Rugby is in a definite decline from the early 2000s in Australia, when it reached its peak (22% of spectators by some metric I forget). That related to a strong patch, and then a subsequent inability to beat NZ.

    WLG • Since Nov 2006 • 2264 posts Report Reply

  • simon g,

    I can't believe none of the MSM has asked Snedden this question yet.

    Compare and contrast:

    6 pm TV bulletins: Coverage of the All Whites' parade, yesterday. Coverage of this story, today. And for good measure, coverage of Andy Haden's surrealist poems (or "inappropriate comments"), at any time.

    TVNZ's Mr Flannery might want take a break from the "re-structuring" and ask how his own flagship news programme somehow manages to bury the lead, when it's sitting there in the same building.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1333 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel,

    Dem bones, dem bones...

    ...the local city council released a survey last month that shows that more people visited cemeteries in Dunedin last year than went to Carisbrook.

    Hell! People are dying to get in!
    maybe they could charge the visitors,
    with the right marketing and if they...
    "... found a promoter who nearly fell off the floor
    He said I never engaged in this kind of thing before
    But yes I think it can be very easily done
    We’ll just put some bleachers out in the sun..."

    (ta Bob)

    Lets make a Boodle, Boodle, Boodle...

    The clean stadiums commitment ...

    Tally Ho! Point that thing (somewhere else)...
    I guess I'd go see The Clean in a stadium
    but smaller venues are better...
    :- )

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

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