Field Theory by Hadyn Green

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Field Theory: Long Weekend

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  • Russell Brown,

    Only on a day where we win five Olympic medals can the All Blacks blanking the Springboks in South Africa (for the first time ever) be second page news. And that was a great game by the way, featuring Captain Tackles at his best.

    I liked the Guardian's mach report headline: All Blacks manage crisis.

    Oh, and Stephen Jones, still a cock:

    The contrast between the sides was massive. New Zealand are nothing special. They hardly offered anything in attack and Dan Carter, who missed five kicks at goal, is these days nothing more than a serviceable player with the odd decent flash of brilliance, but New Zealand’s tactical aware-ness and basic skills were on a different planet, and their defence was outstanding. Furthermore, they took massive advantage of the fact that yet again, a referee in charge of a match involving New Zealand was utterly hoodwinked by their infringements at the breakdown. South Africa, staggeringly, were penalised off the park at the breakdown.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    I liked the Guardian's mach report headline: All Blacks manage crisis.

    I'm printing T-shirts with the phrase: If only all our crises were like All Blacks crises.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Hadyn Green,

    Mike at the Dropkicks managed to unearth the Michael Phelps frame by frame.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2090 posts Report Reply

  • Mark Thomas,

    How about that Usain Bolt? He smashes the 100m record, cruising with his arms out wide from about 80m, all with one of his shoes untied (supposedly).

    Michael Phelps, bah.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 317 posts Report Reply

  • Bob Munro,

    Oh, and Stephen Jones, still a cock:

    Peter Bills for the Independent does much better.

    A towering mountain overlooks the beautiful Newlands ground in the Cape, and a towering rugby player graced it yesterday. Richie McCaw gave one of the greatest displays in rugby history to shatter the new world champions in their own backyard. South Africa finished a fumbling, broken outfit, laid to waste by the genius of McCaw on the floor and his brilliant reading of the game, allied to coruscating tackling.


    The Kiwi flanker and captain gave Schalk Burger a lesson in accuracy and precision. The Springbok lacks nothing in courage and commitment but when it came to detail, McCaw was in a class of his own. He won the loose ball constantly, cleverly slowed it down when the situation required it, and made tackle after tackle. No other player on the field was remotely in his class.

    I had to look ‘coruscating’ up in the dictionary.

    Christchurch • Since Aug 2007 • 418 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Mike at the Dropkicks managed to unearth the Michael Phelps frame by frame.

    Cool! Picture, thousand words, etc. It plays out like I thought I saw it live -- all in the last reach of the arms.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    I had to look ‘coruscating’ up in the dictionary.

    I had to buy one with laminated, wipe-clean pages. :)

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

  • Hadyn Green,

    How about that Usain Bolt? He smashes the 100m record, cruising with his arms out wide from about 80m, all with one of his shoes untied (supposedly).

    Michael Phelps, bah.

    Yeah but when Phelps won his medals he wasn't even wearing shoes!

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2090 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    But seriously -- does sports writing have to swing violently between the Grinch-y and the kind of prose an editor at Mills & Boon would find... well, ever so slightly over-wrought?

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

  • Bob Munro,

    I had to look ‘coruscating’ up in the dictionary.

    I had to buy one with laminated, wipe-clean pages. :)

    I think that's a fair point Craig. In all sports you have to buy into the importance of it to care about it. If you don't care it does look a bit silly. One thing about the Olympics is the level of skill on display. It's hard not to be impressed by a gymnast doing back flips on a beam, or two divers hitting the water simultaneously, even if the 'why' of it is remote. Same with the nationalism. If you care, Valerie's near tears on the dais brings a lump to your throat, if you don't care it all looks rather contrived.

    Christchurch • Since Aug 2007 • 418 posts Report Reply

  • Bob Munro,

    And ditto to the point about sports writing in general. Couldn't agree more.

    Christchurch • Since Aug 2007 • 418 posts Report Reply

  • Hadyn Green,

    This piece from Omega, raises something I should've thought of (by putting 2 and 2 together).

    With timing Olympic swimming comes the problem that it is impossible to create a pool where each lane is exactly the same length!

    So was it the fact that Phelps' lane was .001seconds shorter?

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2090 posts Report Reply

  • Sue,

    really interesting to read the blog of mr silver medalhttp://www.miloradcavic.com/portal/

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 527 posts Report Reply

  • Megan Wegan,

    the odd decent flash of brilliance

    Stephen? How can something be brilliance and decent at the same time?

    Welly • Since Jul 2008 • 1275 posts Report Reply

  • Rachel Prosser,

    can the All Blacks blanking the Springboks in South Africa

    Does this mean the All Blacks quaxed the Springboks?

    Christchurch • Since Mar 2008 • 228 posts Report Reply

  • Graeme Edgeler,

    With timing Olympic swimming comes the problem that it is impossible to create a pool where each lane is exactly the same length!

    Of course, it will also be impossible to create a pool where each lane is the same length as itself. Perhaps Cavic should have aimed for the part of his lane that was closest :-)

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

  • Craig Ranapia,

    In all sports you have to buy into the importance of it to care about it. If you don't care it does look a bit silly.

    Sure, but I think the baseline of all good writing is that it communicates enthusiasm and knowledge, especially when the subject in hand isn't necessarily something the reader knows or even cares about. I love good science writing, for example, precisely because I'm an utter tech-tard. But perhaps it's just me, but when the hyperbole gets cranked up to eleven I feel pushed out rather than engaged.

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

  • Sue,

    Well i think hadyn is a reall asset to the world of PA.
    and the thing i love about his posts is that he is writing as a sports fan, not a critic not some educated scientist, but a fan.

    and it's brilliant and it's fun and you know what if it's not your cup of tea, why not say your peace and leave it at that.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 527 posts Report Reply

  • Rachel Prosser,

    I'm printing T-shirts with the phrase: If only all our crises were like All Blacks crises.

    I'll take one

    Christchurch • Since Mar 2008 • 228 posts Report Reply

  • Bob Munro,

    and it's brilliant and it's fun and you know what if it's not your cup of tea, why not say your peace and leave it at that.

    I think the discussion was about hyperbole in sports writng in general and Craig's point about it in the Peter Bills quote. Not anything from this fine post.

    Christchurch • Since Aug 2007 • 418 posts Report Reply

  • 81stcolumn,

    not a critic not some educated scientist, but a fan

    And these are exclusive contingencies ?

    I know a few that might take issue with that.........

    Nawthshaw • Since Nov 2006 • 790 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    I think the discussion was about hyperbole in sports writng in general and Craig's point about it in the Peter Bills quote. Not anything from this fine post.

    Um, yes... Sue, if there were a few more sports hacks in the MSM like Hadyn (who in my not at all humble opinion is an enthusiast in the very best sense) I'd be a very happy chap indeed. Well, happier.

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

  • Hadyn Green,

    if there were a few more sports hacks in the MSM like Hadyn (who in my not at all humble opinion is an enthusiast in the very best sense) I'd be a very happy chap indeed.

    Hadyn begins to rewrite his CV...

    And thanks Sue! Flattery is always accepted.

    Although I suppose I should point out that I am an educated scientist too.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2090 posts Report Reply

  • Graeme Edgeler,

    I think the discussion was about hyperbole in sports writng in general

    When ever someone suggests that the All Blacks have played there finest performance ever (or that a particular All Black has) I always dispute this and ramble on about their great performance against Australia/The English/someone during some year in the 1930s or 1940s.

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

  • Che Tibby,

    michael phelps? meh.

    who was the african distance runner who won gold for 4 olympics straight? in a field where you could probably only win two medals in a games?

    *that's* a great athlete.

    the back of an envelope • Since Nov 2006 • 2042 posts Report Reply

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