Scott Dixon, left, and Chip Ganassi celebrate after winning the NTT IndyCar Series Championship following an IndyCar auto race Sunday, Oct. 25, 2020. Photo / AP
WINNERS
SCOTT DIXON
I have long been of the belief that Dixon is the country's least appreciated sporting superstar. I kind of get why: he lives a long way from these shores and competes in a class of racing neither as immediately familiar as V8s nor as globally recognised as Formula One.
Yet what Dixon has achieved in IndyCars is staggering and should never be taken for granted: six championships across 18 years; 50 race wins; an Indianapolis 500 and a bunch of other hard-luck stories from The Brickyard. Dixon's consistency and class are indisputable and he did it by starting as a crowd-funded driver who used Kenny Smith to scam him a test drive with an Indy lights team.
From such humble beginnings Dixon is poised to pass legend Mario Andretti's 52 wins to move into second on the all-time list behind AJ Foyt, who Dixon thinks will remain untouched. He has a chance, however, of matching Foyt's seven championships, though youngsters like Josef Newgarden, Alexander Rossi and Colton Herta will take some holding back.
Even if he does nothing else, if he hands his keys back into Chip Ganassi's workshop tomorrow, the Iceman will be talked about for generations.
That's not likely, though. Of turning 40 he recently said: "It's just a number. I'm driving much better than I was 10 years ago and I'm still improving."
Here is a little secret, too: IndyCar is better than F1. They race each other for a start, even their own teammates. They race on ovals, on street circuits and on motorsport parks. One manufacturer doesn't dominate and turn it into a procession. It might not have the glamour of the other lot, but if you want entertainment, take IndyCar over F1 any day of the week.
CAMERON SMITH & CRAIG BELLAMY
Bit of a Captain Obvious moment here but there has not been a modern-day coach-captain combination in league history as dominant as the Melbourne Storm's power bloc.
They might be the smartest two men in the game and it should not go unnoticed that they have done their work in a city that, for all its success, really couldn't give two hoots about league. If they'd done this in Brisbane, for example, there'd already be seagulls pooping on their statues outside of Suncorp Stadium.
As for the final, I've seen it described as a thriller but that's stretching it. There was some late intrigue, yes, but it almost felt manufactured and by then Phil Gould's deflating monotone had sucked most of the interest out of the contest by halftime.
LOSERS
AMERICA'S CUP FANS
When the America's Cup first came to New Zealand it was transformational, turning even those cynical about sailing and the "old Auckland money" that propelled it into believers. The Viaduct is that event's legacy.
We're just a few months out from the third America's Cup to be held in this country and the public are still in the dark as to what this event will deliver. We know there is fewer teams here than should be; we know the boats are fast and otherworldly in appearance; and we know that the two most spectator-friendly courses have been vetoed by the challenger of record Luna Rossa.
This last point is jarring. Without boring the pants off the public with technicalities the only point you need to know is that the days of the America's Cup being held for the offshore pleasure of sailing aficionados only should be long gone.
You want public investment in the event, then the public needs to be able to be fully invested in the event. The rejection of the courses most designed for spectators seems unbelievably short-sighted.
OTAGO CRICKET
Sometimes it's better to tell the truth and the truth is this: Otago cricket continues to exist as a first-class major association in name only.
While the more random nature of short-form cricket flattens out the talent deficit they face against New Zealand's other five major associations, they are not a functioning first-class side. With a couple of exceptions they stunk out Eden Park Outer Oval last week.
Discounting a nightwatchman, their top six compiled scores of 14, 1, 0, 6, 0, 0, 30, 0, 0, 9, 1, 1 (the nightwatchman also chipped in with 0, should it be wondered). That's 62 runs across 12 individual innings, 44 of which were scored by Aucklander Anaru Kitchen.
Every team has bad days and even bad matches but Otago has bad generations. It's been 32 years since they won the Plunket Shield and that isn't changing anytime soon. It's become the province of cast-offs and new arrivals.
It used to be said that the easiest way to get into the Black Caps was to live in Christchurch. Now it's probably Mt Maunganui.
The easiest way to play first-class cricket is to buy a pair of pads and move to Dunedin. As long as you pick up the bat at the right end, you'll get a game or two.
Can you see the Black Caps playing a spinner in their series against the West Indies? Dave, Mairangi Bay
No. At the moment I'd be surprised if they played a spinner in any of their four home tests this summer. New Zealand pitches tend to break spin bowler's hearts at the best of times and there is unlikely to be any assistance in the surfaces they play on.
Also, New Zealand has four quality seamers in Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner and the rapidly improving Kyle Jamieson. To squeeze a specialist spinner in there who cannot bat particularly well – eg Ajaz Patel and Will Somerville – seems a luxury too far.
Am I crazy or is the easiest way to get fans to live sport is to just make the food and drink options way better? Brent, Mt Maunganui
It's taken a while to get to your question Brent so it probably seems out of context, but it came in the wake of the All Blacks failing to fill their home stadia for the recent Bledisloe Cup tests.
The short answer to your question is it certainly would help. The more considered response is that poor food and crap beer is probably one of many factors contributing to making live sport a harder sell.
You also have to factor in cost, the general unpleasant of the winter night sport experience, the broadcast quality, the entertainment choices available to families and, crucially, the fact that young people are turning away from our traditional sports in droves.
You can, also, throw food and beverage into that mix. Improvements made on the food front have not been dramatic enough while exclusive pourage rights remain the bane of New Zealand stadiums.
Stadia operators and sports administrators need to get alongside the food and beverage industry and chart a way forward. Ultimately it's in all their interests to do so. It seems crazy that with all the incredible independent beers being made in this country, and the phenomenal range of (healthy) fast food trucks doing the rounds of pubs, we rock up to the rugby and are expected to be satisfied with a generic lager and a punnet of flaccid chips.
If you call yourself a cricket fan and you haven't already subscribed to this, then there might not be much more we can do for you.
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