Pride in NZ sport comes before a fall

Peter Montgomery, of 'Liquid Himalayas' fame, talked us through one of the rowing heats. It was the single, double, light, heavy, sculls or something. He was in a good mood. By then the rowing team had zipped past everyone sharing the heat, the smog, and the mossy water with them.

He told us, 'The team's not getting its hopes up. They are staying calm, keeping control, going about their business as usual'

Fine. That's great for them.

Back here on the couch history we aren't doing calm. Around here it's 'Get the celebrating going early'. History has taught us this is a good and wise thing to do. History has also taught us expecting great things from our other sports teams has been known to dump us into a collective spiralling depression, from which only the next hint of winning something can save us.

Remember the last rugby World Cup? As if anyone could forget it. The bookies had closed off the All Blacks, because they simply couldn't get anyone betting against them. One forward pass and those hopes were zooming through the pipes en route to the treatment ponds.

The last America's Cup sailed here was the same. Dave Dobbyn did the song. We had the red socks. In the first race the socks and the boat both filled up with water. A couple of races later the mast snapped.

So long Cup.

It's sound like the same deal with the rowers. Glory awaits. The Irishman's anthem 'God Defend New Zealand' will float across a deserted venue - as most of the venues seem to be, except for the Brazil v New Zealand game, when a big crowd turned out to see some real soccer, for which the New Zealand team had easily the best view.

Cue the warming Telecom, Air New Zealand, cheese, and power tool ads featuring oarspeople.

Only, doom lurks. The boats could sink. A rower might forget to turn up. Someone drops an oar in the water. Anything can happen.

The sorrow would be unconfined.

Unfortunately, and we know guilt over this, it will make for great television.

Photo / Kenny Rodger