Field Theory: American Gods
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And as an addendum to my last post...
FA Cup LIVE and in HD on SKY Sport 2 from 1am (kick-off at 2am) Sunday morning!
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We're a pretty irreligious lot generally. I tend to approve of the failure to make gods from humans, but it does mean we don't get any gods.
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Also I can't help but feel that hockey would get a lot more viewers if it didn't schedule its playoffs at the same time as the more popular NBA.
Given that ice hockey used to be played on frozen ponds, which only occur during winter, I'm going to go with "we were here first".
Also, both sports have playoffs that go on for over 2 months. It would be difficult to have them not clash and still call them both winter sports.
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not a sport mind you, simply a way to pass the time
like cricket then...
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I can only think of two who are still revered in some way: Sir Edmund Hillary and Sir Peter Blake. Both are dead and both did work overseas.
Bring back Buck?
(on a completely "unrelated to sports" note, some wag had a "Bring Back Buck" banner outside the Christchurch City Council offices protesting something Sideshow Bob had been doing)
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Peter Snell?
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I can only think of two who are still revered in some way: Sir Edmund Hillary and Sir Peter Blake. Both are dead and both did work overseas.
Sir Richard Hadlee
Sir Colin Meads
Don Clarke
Grant Fox
Zinzan Brooke -
Peter Snell?
John Walker
Jack Lovelock
Ian Fergusson -
Murray Halberg?
Winston Whineray? -
Winston Whineray?
Wilson.
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I think Hayden's right,
A nation turned its lonely eyes to him.
Those listed above aren't so much pop culture icons as legendary athletes. With the exception of Buck (almost). They certainly don't feature in the lyrics of many songs of note.
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Winston Whineray?
Wilson.Crap - teach me to type when I'm not concentrating
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They certainly don't feature in the lyrics of many songs of note.
Hasn't Marcus Turner posted here from time to time? You haven't lived until you've heard The Ballad of Fergie McCormick.
Lyrics from Marcus' site here.
The Ballad of Fergie McCormick.
Lyrics and Music © Marcus TurnerNow, Fergie McCormick was walking one day,
When he noticed a building on fire.
The screams of a woman could plainly be heard
Through the flames, as they soared ever higher.
The trembling lady was clutching a baby.
The building was ten stories high.
It could plainly be seen that both she and the child
Were most certainly doomed for to die.
Now, the firemen were there, with their ropes and their ladders
And holding a big trampoline.
Though they tried to enourage the lady to jump,
She was, patently, not very keen
For, the babe was too small to survive such a fall.
And so, she refused to let go.
What could they do? They were right in the stew
As they helplessly gazed from below.
The up stepped the hero. “'Tis Fergie McCormick,” he cried. “Throw your baby to me!”
“Fear not: I will catch it! From death, I shall snatch it,
And save in my arms it will be.”
Now, the big fullback's arms and his masculine charms
Allayed all the young mother's fears.
She cried “Bless you Fergie!”.
Then tossed her child over the edge, as her eyes filled with tears.
Now, the rest of this story will long be remembered
In legend throughout all the land.
For there, on the ground, as the crowd gathered round
The wee babe landed safe in his hands!
“He's rescued the child!” said the crowd, going wild.
The excitement was plainly too much.
As they all stared in wonder, with a swift up-and-under
He kicked forty metres for touch. -
They certainly don't feature in the lyrics of many songs of note.
And let's not forget the Reuben Thorne song.
I shan't post the lyrics.
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not a sport mind you, simply a way to pass the time
like cricket then...
Oi! You take that back, sir! Cricket is not a waste of time. The life that goes on in between cricket matches, now that's a waste of time.
In fact, I'd go futher and say that the purpose of most sports - like religion - is to make you forget that some day you will die. Not cricket. Cricket does the opposite.
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I can only think of two who are still revered in some way: Sir Edmund Hillary and Sir Peter Blake.
He's right - the others are just old guys who used to play sport, and few under 30 will ever have heard of them
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Oi! You take that back, sir! Cricket is not a waste of time. The life that goes on in between cricket matches, now that's a waste of time.
Ain't that the truth.
I shan't post the lyrics.
Why ever not?
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..,the purpose of most sports - like religion - is to make you forget that some day you will die. Not cricket. Cricket does the opposite
indeed, cricket makes me think abouth death too
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I can only think of two who are still revered in some way: Sir Edmund Hillary and Sir Peter Blake.
He's right - the others are just old guys who used to play sport, and few under 30 will ever have heard of themJack Lovelock and Buck Shelford might be contenders. But the others... Hadlee and Meads especially have almost gone out of their way to un-deify themselves.
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I lived in the US for 20 years and largely avoided sports - but my boss had season tickets for the then new SF baseball park - I took my 9yr old son, not a baseball fan either - to watch - he was supremely bored, luckily there's a lot more going on in the stands to keep people's attention.
Turns out watching professional baseball is very much a thinking game - lots of thinking about positioning, strategy, etc etc - not much happens for long periods until bam! bases are loaded and a home run - no fun for a 9yr old and if you're not paying close attention all the time you'll miss the important 20 seconds of the game
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But the others... Hadlee and Meads especially have almost gone out of their way to un-deify themselves.
Oh c'mon. What self-respecting living legend doesn't hawk natural remedies and insurance in their spare time?
(actually when you list those two things together... does he not have faith in the former?)
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I lived in the US for 20 years and largely avoided sports - but my boss had season tickets for the then new SF baseball park - I took my 9yr old son, not a baseball fan either - to watch - he was supremely bored, luckily there's a lot more going on in the stands to keep people's attention.
That was my experience too - Toronto Blue Jays vs Boston Red Sox, 2006.
Watching the drunken fans abuse each other and get tossed out, followed by the 7th innings stretch cultural experience was way more interesting than whatever was going on on the field.
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You haven't lived until you've heard The Ballad of Fergie McCormick.
Lyrics from Marcus' site here.
The Ballad of Fergie McCormickI may be mistaken, but I don't think those lyrics are from here. For one thing I've heard the The Whiffenpoofs introduce one of their football songs with with that poem - about a player from their school's legendary football team (only with an Irish name, rather than a Scottish one)
The song went on to the describe his subsequent glory crushing their arch rivals, the Harvard team. Besides, where would NZ have had a 10 story apartment building?
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I've heard the The Whiffenpoofs introduce one of their football songs with with that poem - about a player from their school's legendary football team
Actually, on reflection, the poem was about a dim-witted player from their arch-rival's team, because I remember The Whiffenpoof saying something rather unkind about that "esteemed old correctional facility and technical school, Harvard", and they namechecked their famous alumnus, the Unibomber.
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where would NZ have had a 10 story apartment building?
Levin was a megalopolis before the Taupo eruption.
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