Field Theory: Who won the weekend?
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Sport Review NZ covers the All Blacks v. Wales game - gold, as always...
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How did you get up there on the roof Haydn? Ninja grip methinks? ;)
Videos of the roller bout are pending.
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How did you get up there on the roof Haydn?
That was Mike, he's more than just a camera and kick-ass moustache
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So much more. No, unfortunately I didn't get to use my ninja equipment. Still looking for a reason to use my suction cups. The TSB Bank Arena has a large number of catwalks just below the roof to enable the light riggers up there. Fantastic place to photograph from, but not for those with vertigo. I was probably more nervous about keeping a grip on the camera gear - and of course, to paraphrase Princess Leia: the tighter you grip, the more the cameras will slip through your increasingly sweaty fingers. A camera dropped from 15-20m does no one any good.
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I don't think I have ever yelled "focus!" at the television before.
I think I yelled another word. Started with "f" though.
I swear every time there was a lineout the camera would zoom out, just as the jumpers were going up. The director must have thought we needed to know what the fuillback was doing at that critical time.
As for the game, it was alright I suppose. We won; we got in a lot of kicking practice (despite our brief runs being fairly successful); and Dan Carter got to be a "bad boy" for a day. Is he our Christiano Ronaldo now?
The hit by Carter didn't look high at the time. Even on the replay it isn't the worst high tackle you'll ever see, and if Carter's suspended it will be a bit of a joke.
It was a game Wales didn't deserve to win. They tried hard but didn't have the skill or agrression. There were a few times when I thought the floodgates were about to open, so I suppose they did pretty well to hang in to the end.
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Re Roller Derby - I won the free tickets you had offering so first off thank you!
That was my second derby and I gotta say the skill level is improving. It's an awesome night out, I call it the Nascar of Wellington but without intending to be so derogatory!
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Lucy Jawgone (though I don't get the name, is it like Hugh Jorgon?)
Lucy Jordan, made famous by the ballad?
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Who won the weekend? The Roller Derby audience did, that's for damn sure. My word it was a viciously awesome bout! Also, I won. Yay me!
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The British press desperately puzzle over the entrails of these November-December money makers for signs that Southern hemisphere Rugby is declining to their standard. But I get the distinct impression the All Blacks themselves don't like this end of year stuff and are doing what it takes to win and that is about it. Zac Guilford was the most excited New Zealander on the paddock, and he had a game that shows he might just go up another level again. I reckon Cory Jane, Shaun Maitland and Zac Guilford may just be the 2011 back three. I am pretty sure Brad Thorn will still be locking the All Black scrum in the 2051 RWC, where he'll pass away peacefully in his sleep the night after the final.
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Oh and someone has a sense of humour on Wikipedia - check out the crowd size for the 1978 Munster vs. NZ game.
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Also, I won. Yay me!
Nice sign. I cheered for it.
Another one that I thought was quite smart was "Suffer Jet gets my vote", which I was preparing to give a good cheer to, though it wasn't a contender in the end.
Ours said "Go Jet Go" with accompanying traffic light, which is pretty modest, but was designed by an enthusiastic 4-year old.
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Ours said "Go Jet Go" with accompanying traffic light, which is pretty modest, but was designed by an enthusiastic 4-year old.
Was that this one? (Great work, Mike)
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Great pix. I can see I'll have to get along and support the local HELLmilton Roller Ghouls. I saw a few of them out for a training jog yesterday, they look serious.
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HELLmilton Roller Ghouls
They sure are handy with the photoshop it seems. And yes, all roller girls are serious, though usually only during a bout
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Hadyn: You clearly missed members of both teams having a boogie at the start line while waiting for us to figure out who was meant to be in the bin!
That said, we're moving to the Waikato this week, so might just have to hook up with the Roller Ghouls for our derby fix. (Don't worry Richter City, we still love you #1, long time).
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and if Carter's suspended it will be a bit of a joke.
We're really going to need him against Italy.
But yeah, that tackle wasn't that bad, certainly not malicious or even reckless, just a bit careless at most.
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I call it the Nascar of Wellington but without intending to be so derogatory!
Oh, NASCAR is so exciting right now, if only you knew the political shitstorm that was going on between drivers [who think their safety is at risk], fans [who are bored and sick of being dicked around] and the organisation [who are saying stfu everyone]
I am pretty sure Brad Thorn will still be locking the All Black scrum in the 2051 RWC, where he'll pass away peacefully in his sleep the night after the final.
Earlier this year after the birth of his newest daughter he said he won't be around in 2011.
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We're really going to need him against Italy.
It did seem to me that the ABs are now playing a bit of South African game - kicking for territory and defence. Our back up first-fives don't really seem to shine in that mode...
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I went to the roller derby on Saturday, and it was the first time I'd experienced it.
Here's the thing. There are sports that involve teams racing around a track (like the Madison), sports that have an emphasis on physical appearance (like synchronised swimming), sports that have an emphasis on showmanship (like pro wrestling). So why was it that roller derby, that combines all these elements, left me a bit cold?
I think it comes down to the varied abilities of the individual skaters. Some of them are brilliant athletes and skilled roller derbyists, but others are more... amateur, and are less impressive to watch.
Maybe I fell for the hype, but I was expecting something of a higher athletic standard. Tutus and sequins and faux tantrums are fine, but that has to be supported by athleticism to work as a sport, and not just showbiz.
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So why was it that roller derby, that combines all these elements, left me a bit cold?
For me it was confusion. I didn't understand what was going on, and it seemed that some of the time the officials didn't know either.
And because I didn't understand why people were being sent to the penalty box the Brutal Pageant come back seemed a little scripted in a 'Sports Entertainment' kind of way.
Having said that, I went online afterwards to try to get a better handle on the rules and I think I understand better what happened.
In the first bout Brutal Pageant were getting sent to the box for major infringements most of the time, but in the second Smash Malice were accumulating 4 minor infringements.
I still don't get why the Smash Malice jammer was there so often though and to be honest didn't see what any of the penalties were for, but I guess that's why they have 6 referees.
I did kinda wish they'd turn the music down a bit so I could hear the commentary and then maybe get what was going on.
Oh and the people behind me who seemed to know what they were talking about thought the scoring was a bit weird at times, I have to admit I couldn't tell who was scoring what & when. I think that's reflected by the biggest cheers always being for the bit when the lead jammer is established and not actually scoring points.
Having said all that, I think armed with a bit more knowledge i'll give it another whirl if for nothing else than its fun being amongst a rowdy crowd like that. The guys making Off the Ropes for Kiwi Pro Wrestling would love to have that many people and that much noise!
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Tutus and sequins and faux tantrums are fine, but that has to be supported by athleticism to work as a sport, and not just showbiz.
I think roller derby works great as a sport myself. I'm far less interested in the costumes and attitude. It's the actual competition that I'm looking at and I found every jam to be exciting. It is also a really good sport in that skill and strategy make a real difference. And with 10 players on the court at a time, it is certain that there'll be someone with skill on the track in any jam.
Perhaps it was just a matter of expectations however. I went along to my first bout expecting to see something very amateurish and was hugely impressed by what I saw.
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Tutus and sequins and faux tantrums are fine, but that has to be supported by athleticism to work as a sport, and not just showbiz.
Are we talking about the Italian test yet?
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For me it was confusion. I didn't understand what was going on, and it seemed that some of the time the officials didn't know either.
I've been to four bouts now and most of what happens is a mystery to me. However, each bout I go to I find myself picking more up. In the first bout, all I could manage was to keep my eyes on the lead jammer, but by the fourth I could follow both jammers and a bit of what was going on in the pack.
I still can't follow the penalties or much of the scoring, but I am getting more used to not following it. (Which is a bit of a cop out I admit, but in a similar way, I've been following rugby for years and don't know why the whistle is blown half the time.)
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I think roller derby works great as a sport myself.
Another couple of things that really grab me about derby as a sport:
Firstly, it is such high intensity. There really is no let up right throughout a jam. Even when the jammers are away from the pack and not doing much to look at, there is still stuff going on in the pack that it worth following, so you know what the jammers will face when they get round.
Secondly, derby rewards a variety of different skills. I was talking about this with my friends after the last bout and we noted how the approaches of some of the players had changed as they worked out what they were good at. Punk Panther for example was more effective in the last bout as she was better at avoiding physical confrontation, showing some patience and waiting for gaps in the pack. Suffer Jet in contrast, does well as a jammer by getting into the pack and mucking in shoulder to shoulder with the blockers.
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faux tantrums... seemed a little scripted...
I can assure that there is no fakery or attempt to make games close or even exciting. The girls are out there to win and would really rather do that by a massive margin.
The hits are hard and a few of the skaters have told me privately that at times they really do get Hulk-like angry (my words). A good example would be Nah Nah being sent to the box, she was hella-pissed.
As for the confusion there are a few points:
1. yes there was a fair amount of confusion between the refs and the players and the between the refs themselves. Part of that is because it's really loud on the court and the skaters find it hard to hear the refs, the other part is that there are a lot of rules and some are subtle.2. The penalty boxes are at the other end of the court to the bench and in between are the refs and the scoring officials and boards. So while it looks like a clear view, once there are skaters everywhere you can lose track of who is in and not and then you lose track of how many skaters you're allowed. Where we could we tried to help with the commentary...
3. The music was a bit louder this time because there were requests for it to be, but joined with the commentary (which I think was louder) and the fact that we kept talking over the top of each other, it could just become a cacophony.
4. Derby is a fast sport with very technical rules, so watching it can take a few times before you get it. A bit like rugby.
I do take Robyn's point about the skaters not being incredible athletes. I suppose if you go along expecting to see professionals you'll be disappointed (I often think the same when watching the Phoenix). However I would consider our level of play to be similar to the bouts I've seen from the States (perhaps the American's have better blocking and pack skills).
And Ben, come have a beer next time!
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