Prime shud get a nomination for "Grass ROOTS Rugby"

Actually, I think Three deserves a nomination for coating their coverage of that incident in such a thick crust of sanctimonious bullshit. OK, I expect Three to take every opportunity to sledge the opposition (and vice versa) but does anyone really…

I’d have thought it’s pretty hard for TVNZ to run the “It’s not OK” ads just before or after the sports ads now.

I think it'd be hard for them not to run the ads. Russell says "it's not ok" and then, cue Veitch.

But just so you know we…

Really? I mean, isn't it still the same year in which Tea Ropati's defense to a rape charge was, "We were so wasted no-one knows who consented to what"?

What a lineup: Mike King and his infamous answerphone message hate, Martin Devlin and his not famous enough email hate, and Matthew Ridge and ... I can't…

Obviously the beating is indefensible, but I’d almost say the hush money is worse.

Surely Veitch doesn't count as a sportsman?

From the blog:

Every week the Dropkicks do a segment called "Dick of the Week" where we select an athlete or someone involved in sports who has done something really stupid or harmful to themselves or others and "boo" them.

He's someone involved…

Can I put in an early guess for this week’s Dick of the Week?

Surely Veitch doesn't count as a sportsman?

http://jezebel.com/5021985/love-means-zero

Maybe there is a chance for Justin Marshall after all?

I think if there is one halfback that is probably considered as much a dick at NZRU HQ, it's probably Justin Marshall. That whole "I want to come back to NZ and contribute to NZ rugby after buggering off for…

Good on Maria, good on Maria's PR.... To focus on her general "awesomeness" at tennis last week would require acknowledging that 32 women were more awesome and they all earn a lot less money.

Gee, I wish I could see the forest! All these trees keep getting in the way...

Gimelstob just seems to be a misogynist troll, showing his true colours and ingrained attitudes.

So I'd vote for…

And there are no endorsements of that type at all for the male players? Like Raphael "I don't need sleeves" Nadal.

When representing a brand for several $million per year on tennis ability and good looks – getting knocked out of Grand Slam in the second round is going to…

For example, she doesn't grunt?

Also, women aren't allowed to do that high speed ski jump downhill as far as you can thing at the Winter Olympics, I think because the male sports administrators worry that their childbearing parts will fall off.

Only the latest in a long line of sports women have been forbidden…

Not that Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign didn't amply demonstrate that.

It did demonstrate you can get given a free pass for employing racism if you cry about sexism enough.

Physicality is part of the attraction of sport, why do so many women watch rugby/league. Toffee-pops anyone?

With the speed of the ball in…

My issue is headlines like "Maria is spanked", "In fashion, but out of Wimbledon" and "Glamour leads to defeat".

Several years ago, the Guardian produced one of my all-time favourite headlines: "Beckham leaves field with broken wrist, silly haircut".

This was during the brief cornrows period.

He’s not allowed to drink for 8 months HG.

You name me one other 25 year-old NZer, not in prison, with that restriction.

All of the pregnant ones?

The boys will be boys vs abject paternalism thing often pops its head up in sport – there was a debate a…

Rugby at the AB level is a mental game. Would a man who cannot stop drinking when it obviously going to get him into trouble have the mental capacity to do the right thing in a tight game.…

Off topic, but the latest Federer ad, featuring our very own Rhys Darby, is excellent

So, for that matter are Maria's

But it has a huge impact on her ability to earn money during and after a fairly short playing career. And good luck to her.

No, absolutely, that's not what I am saying at all. If she can parlay her looks and her skill into endorsements, more power to her.…

Nor for Roger 'Nike/Rolex/Prada' Federer.

Off topic, but the latest Federer ad, featuring our very own Rhys Darby, is excellent

The reality is that at least part of the reason that people watch sport is that sportspeople can be quite good to look at. It's certainly part of the appeal of the Olympics.

You wouldn’t be thinking Beach Volleyball there, would you RB?

Nor for Roger 'Nike/Rolex/Prada' Federer.

It's also worth pointing out, they don't "portray her as appealingly good looking", she is appealingly good looking.

Something that has no bearing whatsoever on her abilities as a tennis player.

But it has a huge impact on her ability to earn money during and…

And there are no endorsements of that type at all for the male players? Like Raphael "I don't need…

You name me one other 25 year-old NZer, not in prison, with that restriction.

Making it "stop" is real easy, all you have to do is buy out Maria Sharapova's contracts with Tiffany, Sony-Ericsson, TAG-Heuer, Parlux, Land-rover, Colgate that like to portray her as appealingly good looking.

And there are no endorsements of that type at all for the male players? Like Raphael "I…

There’s a great example of that in the moment here with cricketers from the 80s and 90s. They are bright, shiny green with envy with the current crop playing…

Gimelstob has apologised, and yet continues in his role as both a commentator and ATP player representative.

Which is just appalling, and a depressing reminder of just how misogynistic someone has to be to get reprimanded for it, even now. Not that Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign didn't amply demonstrate that.…

I've seen at least one quote along the lines of "oh, Justin's a great friend of mine, and he really respects women, so of course we all know he was just joking

It was Nicole Vaidisova

And she's a lot more forgiving than me.

Even if he's joking, or is…

I actually support that action taken; I’m just not sure it…

Making it "stop" is real easy, all you have to do is buy out Maria Sharapova's contracts with Tiffany, Sony-Ericsson, TAG-Heuer, Parlux, Land-rover, Colgate that like to portray her as appealingly good looking.

Yes, it's advertising that leads to men being gimps about sportswomen. It's never anything to do with…

Ooh good; I was hoping we could get round to somehow making Henry the Dick of the Week.

Where the All Black management have strayed into dangerous territory is that you can’t help but get the feeling he’d have been dealt with more harshly if there Leonard was fit.

I…

Beyond the clear fact that this is the kind of guy who gets turned down in a bar and then calls the girl a slut for doing it; this sexualisation of sportswomen has to stop.

Making it "stop" is real easy, all you have to do is buy out Maria…

And nobody's making excuses for him.

I've seen at least one quote along the lines of "oh, Justin's a great friend of mine, and he really respects women, so of course we all know he was just joking".

Where the All Black management have strayed into dangerous territory is that you can’t help but get the feeling he’d have been dealt with more harshly if there Leonard was fit. Especially…

However, Cowan + the All Black management as a package would win. For example why was Cowan allowed to attend the Prime Minister's reception last night? Shouldn't he be made to sit in the hotel alone (with the minibar locked shut).

The person Cowan is most likely to hurt is himself. As in Jesse Ryder.

But who's more likely to actually hurt somebody with their dickishness? Cowan.

Gimelstob is a pantomime character. "Look at me!!! I'm being sexist!!! I don't like women!!! Look at me!!" He's just doing it to get attention. Ignore him and he'll stop.

But Cowan didn't get up to his bullshit antics for attention. He needs to learn to drink…

Gimelstob, hands-down. Cowan's idiocy is pretty much self-directed; Gimelstob was repulsively misogynistic, and all the worse because he expected to get away with it.

Yup, that pretty much sums it up for me.

Perhaps we can have a repeat of the Battle of the Sexes: Serena for Billie Jean King…

Gimelstob's misogyny is inexcusable.
Cowan appears to have an alcohol problem.

Cowan may be able to sort his life out, but I doubt that Gimelstob will ever stop being a complete dick ...

Cowan's behaviour, wrong headed and out of order as it was, showed himself a bad 4 in the morning drunk and represented himself…

I think i was trying to get at the fact that he will either be judged as a sportsman or a pretty boy, but never at the same time

Au contraire, I have been convinced for years that DC's poor performances over in South Africa are the result of the…

And they’re allowed to get drunk & disorderly. In fact it’s been positively encouraged in the past.

But I certainly found the “He’s a role model to kids” (at…

This was, after all, the third time this kind of thing has happened, and he was on remand for the second incident.

I wasn't sure if I was allowed to mention the third incident due to legal, um, things? (where's Graeme Edgeler when you need him?)

I don't buy the…

I seem to recall the odd talk-back caller going on about how he spent too much time in front of the mirror as a cause

I think we can agree that sports talk-back is all dicks, all the time.

You have obviously not been in the company of a bunch…

Cowan’s just behaving like most 25 year-old Southland men. He is not a role model, and neither should he be.

I don't buy the role model thing either, but I think there's a difference between that and behaving in a manner that reflects poorly on your employer and, potentially, your…

As my three year old can explain.... something that's closer looks bigger.

Therefor, from a New Zealand perspective, the All-Black looks to be a bigger dick just for being close by....

when Carter steps onto the field no one (except maybe the opposition) are making comments about his prettiness,

You have obviously not been in the company of a bunch of women at the rugby on a Friday night after work then :),

Following is lame exit from a certain game in Cardiff last year I seem to recall the odd talk-back caller going on about how he spent too much time in front of the mirror as a cause.

Cowan’s just behaving like most 25 year-old…