SPORTRITE - Art for art's sake, sport for North's sake

With Tim Eves
SO the battle lines are now drawn. Singh or Symonds. Hillary or Barack. Rob or Mahe.
In case the idiot box has drawn you into that classic drama Dancing with the Stars, just where do your loyalties lie - with Tina Cross or Martin Devlin? Admit it, it was hardly a surprise that a follickly challenged bloke with the China-girl as a dance partner got the axe early on, was it? Some of my best friends are bald, but that won't stop me from voting them on to a slow boat to China if presented with the choice.
But who could have known there is such a divide between supporters of the Hundertwasser Art Museum (all of them, quite obviously, upstanding members of our community) and those who want a Soulless Town Basin filled every weekend with booze-fuelled idiots, most of them probably ignorant sports people not blessed with a knowledge of art.
At least that's the conclusion, judging by the rabid response to, in essence, taking the mickey, out of the sudden and surprising revelation that our worship the Mayor is so keen on displaying art works in a Hundertwasser-style building that he is allocating $9 million to the idea.
On the evidence presented, there seems to be section of our community hell-bent on completely expunging the north of hedonistic activities like hitting a small hard ball with a stick, throwing a bit of leather through a hoop or, heaven forbid, chasing an oval ball around every Saturday.
Either that, or the sheer audacity of mentioning Hundertwasser in the same piece of newspaper that contained the latest Super 14 rugby score was a step too far. Even for me.
The trouble here is that many of the most vociferous objectors to a few cynical words about an art museum could not cope with somebody drawing a few pithy comparisons between it and a planned sports stadium. Especially the one who called the cellphone at 11.45pm. Thanks for your call, your opinions are valued.
From here, it seems like some people don't seem to see contradiction when it smacks them between the eyes.
Surely, there is either a drastic need for our local political bodies to tighten their purse strings and start building more access ramps, providing more meals on wheels and cleaning more sewer pipes, or there isn't. You can't object to wanton expenditure on things like - oh, let's see - a sports stadium, by pleading poverty then suddenly find the prospect of an arts museum as essential as a sewer pipe.
That rumble you hear is the stampede of walking frames and pottery wheels. Thank goodness the editorial office is upstairs in a centrally located building. The stairs should hinder the first wave of assassins. The potters will find the mere prospect of a trip to town a hurdle not worth navigating ... we hope.
But what cuts even deeper is the wrathful distaste from the anti-sports stadium brigade at the mere prospect of spending local government monies on a venue that could provide economic spin-offs far beyond its presently allocated budget.
There are several points worth debating here, the most obvious being this one: one international rugby game, for example an All Blacks rugby test against an easy beat like Tonga, would inject millions of what is termed "new spending dollars" into the Northland economy.
Not all of that money would be spent in a transaction for amber liquid either.
Believe it or not, rugby fans buy art too.
The point being laboured here is this: the prospect of an art museum - of any design - will be greeted with generous enthusiasm by those who think a sports stadium is something the region needs as well. Present company included.
But, if the sometimes rabid response to the original plans to boost the sporting community is any indication, the reverse is hardly applicable.
I think that's called hypocrisy.