All Blacks - Tumblr Posts
agentpoptart:
I watch Rugby for the men and the shorts. I watch football for the same reason.
If the team wins, then that's a nice bonus.
Rugby; Where being a Queen is bad but being a Whore is a wonderful thing.
So, this is a tumblr. In the world of tumblr there is a popular meme called Topless Tuesday. In NZ, it is a Tuesday.
TOPLESS TUESDAY!!
Once you click on the link (embedded in the heading) you get taken straight to a neat little interactive thingy that has 5 Super 14 Players. They are all top-notch to look at and probably heinous to drink around (except for Jimmy Cowan who has reportedly sobered up some since his infamous smackdown 2 years ago) and then you'll be able to make the players take part in one of the most popular traditions of Rugby - shirt swapping! Pick any two players and make them swap shirts. There is even a slow motion option available.
This is actually quite an old link. Do I care? Hell no! Apparently this was an ad campaign to draw attention to the players shirts? I don't know. I don't really care. Let's face it, you probably don't care either. I'm gonna go ahead and say this is safe for work. I'm probably wrong.
Yes, I do have an idea for a proper post today. I just wanted a reason to talk about this.
Bullrush was one of the bestest games ever when I was a kid. I really enjoyed it. Dunno if I'd ever play in this game though. Still, it's one of my favourite ads.
Oh shit! Ted's plan got snapped!
You bet that photographer will get a bigger ass-kicking. If the All Blacks lose then it won't just be the team who dishes out the hiding - it'll be the rest of the rugby-watching public in NZ.
I don't really watch rugby, so why do I care? Because I'm a degenerate gambler who put money on this game before this photo was snapped.
Above is a picture of an auction for an All Black test cap. I was alerted to this late last night and, like everyone else who found out about it, was quite saddened by this.
All Blacks test caps are extremely prestigious and rare. They're only ever given to those who play an All Blacks test match. To date, only 1,108 caps have ever been given out in the 127 year history of the All Blacks. These caps have to be earned, and they are only given out to the very best. To be given one of these is an honour. Which is why it was so sad to see one of these up for auction last night.
Shayne Philpott was the All Black who put this cap up for auction. Google his name and the first thing that comes up is an article deriding him as one of the worst All Blacks ever. He played 2 test matches in the 1991 Rugby World Cup and was never a considered a starting player. His games was criticised to the point where he still gets given abuse by the public. It got to the point where he no longer wanted this memento of his time spent as an All Black. How awful is that?
Philpott would have devoted hours upon hours of time training and slogging away until he reached his ultimate goal, only to be called the worst person to have ever played in his position. Ever. And he still hears about it 20 years later. That's gotta be heartbreaking. Unbelievably so.
Sure, you could tell him to harden up. He's already hard. He's taken crap from All Blacks/New Zealanders (there isn't a difference. Don't kid yourself) fans since 1991. You put up with that shit and see how you handle it. What he put with was bullying. It was abuse on a national level. And you can bet that there were dickheads who came up to him in the street or while he was by himself and let him have it. The worst part is that you still see this today. Look at the crap Stephen Donald goes through. Google his name and it's distressingly easy to find people throwing death threats at him or screaming for him to leave the county and never come back. Fuckin hell.
Have we forgotten that these players are people too? As it really so damn hard to be polite and respectful/not act like an asshole? Sure, have your opinion don't be a dick about it. I'm not gonna stop that. I'm guilty of going too far as well. Some of it's on this blog. But surely we know where to draw the line? Please don't prove me wrong.
I don't have any answers here. I just think it's sad that a guy who worked and sacrificed for years to achieve a incredible goal received so many knocks that he decided to sell a something that symbolises his achievement. His since withdrawn the auction, but that was only after the kind words of some people in the question and answers section.
I really fucking hope that the All Blacks win the 2011 Rugby World Cup. I don't want to think about what this country and their 'fans' will do to them if they don't.
Conrad Smith is a smart and talented Taranaki boy, so I have a lot of time for him and will forgive him for most things.
Except this. Socks and sandals? In Hong Kong? During Summer? No, Conrad. No.