Field Theory by Hadyn Green

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Field Theory: It's really a dick-move

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  • Danielle,

    Do you want the mens' competition, which has been going on since 1930 and has n-times the following, to rename itself? Earn it.

    Yeah, I'll get right on that. After I sort out everything else. Also, what does that even *mean*? Earn what? Followers? Players? Sponsorship? Cute outfits? How do these measures of achievement work? Who decides? If they get to, say, 63% of the level of support of the men's competition, are we going to graciously allow them equal naming rights? Or what?

    I don't see young women desperate to play knocking on the doors of a male dominated sport.

    That's a much bigger question that I don't think anyone really has a definitive answer for.

    ETA: I know it's technically correct nowadays, but man I hate ending a sentence with a preposition like that.

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report Reply

  • Danielle,

    Also, I don't even *like* soccer. :)

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report Reply

  • Newsprint,

    ETA: I know it's technically correct nowadays, but man I hate ending a sentence with a preposition like that.

    Respect.

    Wellington • Since Mar 2008 • 42 posts Report Reply

  • Newsprint,

    Also, I don't even *like* soccer. :)

    What?! Don't make me revoke it . . .

    Wellington • Since Mar 2008 • 42 posts Report Reply

  • simon g,

    Ooh, a football thread on PA. There is hope yet!

    Bahrain will qualify for the World Cup after earning their place in Asia, seeing off the likes of China and Iran. Or - let me dream - NZ will defeat Bahrain. The likes of Sweden and Poland will miss out, and feel hard done by, but really, Asia is not over-represented at the World Cup. Oceania may be over-represented in Asia, but that is a separate issue, for Asia, not the Europeans. And it's not as though NZ is a privileged football nation: players from small countries in Europe can play in bigger countries' professional leagues with no bureaucratic obstacles at all, just by turning up, and that access is the key to improving the national side.

    If the All Whites qualify for South Africa, and lose three games, it will still mean more, wider, global media coverage than a hundred Bathursts or Bledisloes. New Zealanders are (contrary to our media cheerleading) invisible in world sport - see grand slam tennis, golf majors, Formula One, NBA, Tour de France, track & field, etc (Valerie is a joy, but nobody else notices). So let's make the most of it, if ... if ... arise, Sir Ricky, Sir Ryan, Sir Shane.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1333 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    Also, what does that even *mean*? Earn what? Followers? Players? Sponsorship? Cute outfits? How do these measures of achievement work? Who decides? If they get to, say, 63% of the level of support of the men's competition, are we going to graciously allow them equal naming rights? Or what?

    Enough young women wanting to play will do nicely, and everything else will flow from there - you don't build a sport from the top. I can tell you that at the soccer club that my son has attended since age five, the more girls there are, the more the organisers are delighted. At year one there are both mixed teams and girls' only teams, and now that Joseph is in his third year there are very few girls left indeed. He does athletics and tennis in the summer, and there is no such dropoff. I don't know why, except anecdotally speaking to his friends it seems that the girls themselves prefer to play other sports or do other things.

    In cricket two years ago there were barely any girls at year one in Wellington.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Danielle,

    In cricket two years ago there were barely any girls at year one in Wellington.

    That's depressing, seeing as it is the Best Sport Ever. (Note: you couldn't pay me a million dollars to personally play *any* sport, at school or now, so I probably have no right to an opinion on this.)

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report Reply

  • st ephen,

    ...since 82 (when Hungary potted ten against El Salvador)...

    They came right in the rest of their pool games though (imagine the shimmying if NZ held the defending champs to 0-2), and in the end only conceded one more goal than that rabble from Oceania...

    And they drew the rematch.

    dunedin • Since Jul 2008 • 254 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    All that got me thinking "Is there a rule preventing Women from playing in mainstream football?"
    So I went looking and found This from the BBC

    Should women be banned from men's football?


    The world football governing body, Fifa, has ruled that a leading female Mexican footballer should not be allowed to play for a professional men's club.

    And, while we are tearing down the walls of heartache.
    How's this for totally ripping the guts out of stereotypes?.

    Why not, this will promote gender equality. I don't see any reason for not allowing women to be part of men's football team.
    Mohammad Rafi, Kabul, Afghanistan

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    Should women be banned from men's football?

    That I could just never, ever understand.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    ETA: I know it's technically correct nowadays, but man I hate ending a sentence with a preposition like that.

    This is the sort of bloody nonsense up with which I will not put.
    (stuffs cigar in mouth and goes off to build a wall. For fun)

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Knowledge Bro,

    Rules are made to be broken
    The whole "never end a sentence with a preposition" thing comes from Latin and dates back to the 17th century poet, John Dryden.
    In the 18th century bishop Robert Lowth urged his readers not to end sentences if they could help it but acknowledged the fact that the English language had no such concrete rule.
    Ken Dog Blower

    Behind the fridge • Since Mar 2009 • 58 posts Report Reply

  • Graeme Edgeler,

    That's a much bigger question that I don't think anyone really has a definitive answer for.

    ETA: I know it's technically correct nowadays, but man I hate ending a sentence with a preposition like that.

    There was something wrong with:

    That's a much bigger question for which I don't think anyone really has a definitive answer.

    ?

    Wellington, New Zealand • Since Nov 2006 • 3215 posts Report Reply

  • Danielle,

    Yeah, Graeme, I know *how* to form a sentence without using the preposition at the end. My point was that I didn't, because it's now technically correct to put the preposition there, but I wanted to note my discomfort. Because I am old-fashioned and a weirdo, etc.

    (This edition of Pointlessly Overexplaining My Own Posts is brought to you by the letter Q and the number 9. And delicious cookies.)

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    In the 18th century bishop Robert Lowth urged his readers not to end sentences if they could help it

    And some of them are still writing or reading or...

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • simon g,

    Argentina have qualified. Forty million people now having group sex. Diego Maradona somewhere underneath them.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1333 posts Report Reply

  • LegBreak,

    According to the Grauniad Argentina used over 80 players in the campaign. Taking the piss, or is he really that mad?

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1162 posts Report Reply

  • Graeme Edgeler,

    Yeah, Graeme, I know *how* to form a sentence without using the preposition at the end. My point was that I didn't, because it's now technically correct to put the preposition there, but I wanted to note my discomfort. Because I am old-fashioned and a weirdo, etc.

    If you were old-fashioned, wouldn't you just follow the old rule?

    The rule may no longer be that gentlemen should offer their seats to ladies on omnibuses, but the old-fashioned ones still do.

    Wellington, New Zealand • Since Nov 2006 • 3215 posts Report Reply

  • Danielle,

    If you were old-fashioned, wouldn't you just follow the old rule?

    Do I contradict myself?
    Very well then I contradict myself,
    (I am large, I contain multitudes.)

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    to ladies on omnibuses

    I believe it's omnibusii.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • LegBreak,

    Speaking of things grammatical, I’ve been asked to critique a draft of a book (on this year’s Ashes series) with the following instruction:

    “Any pedantness on this chapter would be great”

    Where to start...

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1162 posts Report Reply

  • 3410,

    Where to start...

    Well, that's obvious. :)

    Auckland • Since Jan 2007 • 2618 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    New Zealanders celebrate winners, not qualifiers. Anything else is for losers.

    Good to know. Do we get these rules given to us on a wee card at birth?

    At the moment the level of participation, quality of the players, geographical spread, interest among the sports' viewing public are just not there.

    I can't buy your argument Giovanni. There might be other reasons why one gender should have the 'main' name, and the other gets their gender tacked on as part of the name, but "you haven't earned it" doesn't seem like a valid reason. Surely being the best at that sport is enough?

    Would we apply that to a gender in the rest of society? And be happy about it?

    On the note of females not being allowed to play men at football. Ice hockey only allows this if the female plays in goal, womens ice hockey being non-checking. Despite the fact that it's a rule based difference, I'm sure it's primarily sexist in origin.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    On the note of females not being allowed to play men at football. Ice hockey only allows this if the female plays in goal, womens ice hockey being non-checking.

    That's really interesting.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    That's really interesting.

    So interesting, in fact, that I think I'll write a book abou...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZ

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

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