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Joined: Dec 25, 2001 Posts: 34,395 Location: Poundland
Posted: Thu 30/Mar/06 9:05am Post subject: New Zealand Public To 'namby-pamby' To Support Athletes?
Is the New Zealand public so insecure that they need a overseas sporting achievements to make themselves feel better in their daily lives? Are we so obsessed with "winning" that we fail to support athletes who are still working up to the peak of their career?
In short, does the NZ public need to stop whining like a bunch of babies?
Stop whining about our whining...You're making me feel like whining about you whining about us whining, and if you make me whine about you whining about the whining I won't be happy.
Joined: Oct 01, 2003 Posts: 696 Location: Corbykistan
Posted: Thu 30/Mar/06 9:32am Post subject:
_jb_ wrote:
And the worst thing is that when they do get to the top the general populace goes looking for ways to knock them down...
That same trait runs thick in the British Treatment of performance athletes.
The Media grip on Sports TV coverage AND dish-rag tabloid papers plays havoc with a decent Athletes career.
If they are not over-hyped and then Slated on poor results... They are ridiculed to the point of complete Shame.
eg. Tim Henman. Promising and accomplished Tennis player... turned into a Pantomine showman every summer... with the whooping crowds Cheering him on, as One would a two year old baby taking it's first steps....
all secretly looking forward to him losing... So they can all for sorry for him instead of themselves.
One small point. Although I think the witchhunt against our athletes is all wrong (should be directed against a certain pair of evil urinating trackies ), it's not wrong for armchair punters to want our athletes to perform. The talent (or lack thereof) of the audience has zero to do with the expectations we have for those who represent us in "combat". If we accept mediocrity (I'm not saying our Comm Games team was mediocre-far from it...) we'll get mediocrity. High expectations get good results, whether it's the athletes expectations, the coaches, their families and friends, or the entire countries...
Remember - play hard, play fair, and KILL, KILL, KILL!!!
Joined: Jan 12, 2003 Posts: 32,882 Location: Derailled
Posted: Thu 30/Mar/06 9:41am Post subject:
I still don't get how the public can expect them to win everything all the time, some days you will simply be outclassed, the Aussies have spent a tihs load on their athletes as well as having a much larger gene pool to pick from, I think how the media have hyped up the amazing efforts of a few in the past has hurt our current crop, the underdogs rising above is such a great story but we can't expect it all the time.
What we should expect is a decent return for the cash we do pile into the athletes tho', if its going to be business like then there should be performance objectives, I reckon we did pretty well at the games, but perhaps we need some more focus on tactics and the mental aspects
Joined: Oct 01, 2003 Posts: 696 Location: Corbykistan
Posted: Thu 30/Mar/06 9:42am Post subject:
As a Foreigner, I would say The view of Kiwi Athletes... in any Field, is always one of respect for their potential.
That may come about mainly due to the All Blacks Awsome history, but the Percieved image of a Kiwi sportsperson is of one who prepares thoroughly and constantly drives for improvement.
Joined: Dec 25, 2001 Posts: 34,395 Location: Poundland
Posted: Thu 30/Mar/06 9:45am Post subject:
_jb_ wrote:
I still don't get how the public can expect them to win everything all the time, some days you will simply be outclassed, the Aussies have spent a tihs load on their athletes as well as having a much larger gene pool to pick from, I think how the media have hyped up the amazing efforts of a few in the past has hurt our current crop, the underdogs rising above is such a great story but we can't expect it all the time.
What we should expect is a decent return for the cash we do pile into the athletes tho', if its going to be business like then there should be performance objectives, I reckon we did pretty well at the games, but perhaps we need some more focus on tactics and the mental aspects
w3rd to JB
I think it's emotionally unhealthy that our nations self esteem is affected so easily by sporting losses. The fact that domestic violence noticeably increases when the All Blacks lose is a sad indicator of this.
As a Foreigner, I would say The view of Kiwi Athletes... in any Field, is always one of respect for their potential.
That may come about mainly due to the All Blacks Awsome history, but the Percieved image of a Kiwi sportsperson is of one who prepares thoroughly and constantly drives for improvement.
We think the same about the Welsh, boyo. Didn't Nicole Cooke do well for a team of one? She's lovely to talk to and gave my son an autograph with a cool personal message. I'm a big fan.
I think the public actually are behind the competitors. It mainly seems to be SPARC, Trevor Mallard and some of the media that are baying for blood. Everyone I speak to was bemused by the number of near misses yet proud of how close we are to success.
Joined: Jan 12, 2003 Posts: 32,882 Location: Derailled
Posted: Thu 30/Mar/06 9:50am Post subject:
Tama wrote:
w3rd to JB
I think it's emotionally unhealthy that our nations self esteem is affected so easily by sporting losses. The fact that domestic violence noticeably increases when the All Blacks lose is a sad indicator of this.
Do people really find their own self worth so shattered that if their favourite sports team loses they have to take it out violently on their partner or other people
WTF is up with that?? it's a gnikcuf game for christsake!
I guess we're not far away from the soccer hooliganism fueled riots of the UK
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), it's not wrong for armchair punters to want our athletes to perform. The talent (or lack thereof) of the audience has zero to do with the expectations we have for those who represent us in "combat". If we accept mediocrity (I'm not saying our Comm Games team 
