By Tony Veitch
We are truly a strange nation at times - utterly brilliant and terribly disappointing all in the space of one sporting week.
We love the fact that we are a little player at the bottom of the Earth, achieving wondrous things on the sporting stage.
From our Olympians to our guns of motor sport, to Team New Zealand - so proud.
But, then comes the nasty side of Kiwi supporters.
Two high profile footy stars went in different directions this week.
Sonny Bill Williams went to the naughty room for four weeks, for a stupid shoulder. Yes, I get it, he should've known better.
Manu Vatuvei, the Warrior blessed with the golden front tooth - he's likely to follow a common trend of league stars and finishing his playing days in the Northern Hemisphere.
Both, in my humble opinion are fabulous footballers at their peak, but both are hugely polarising figures.
If I'm being brutally honest, I've never really got Sonny Bill, the person.
As an interview subject, he and I just don't gel. I remember him berating me post a face to face interview ahead of the 2011 World Cup.
I can't even remember my question line, but SBW was not happy.
That is not to say I don't utterly respect the man, his beliefs, his discipline and his ability to morph into basically whatever his sporting heart desires.
By comparison, Manu Vatuvei is not a code jumper, he does not have special clauses in his contract... he's just a really good human.
Complicated yes, as evidenced by his football over the years, when the high ball became his greatest nemesis.
Last year, it was terribly hard watching this colossal figure shed tears on my radio studio, when he revealed the abuse his kids were copping at school.
You know the line, 'Dad is a dud.. loser... crap player.'
Manu is a true Warrior - one of the few this club has produced.
The Warriors have anointed five players from their history in the NRL who represent everything that is good about the club.. Manu is one of them.
This is a man who first aligned himself with this club aged 14, even then he was a beast.
I remember former Warriors coach Daniel Anderson telling me of the 'sand pit story', where the forwards, one by one were asked to stop a youthful Manu running past them in the long jump pit at Mt Smart number two.
The big boys never questioned their chances.
Anderson had a quiet word in Manu's ear - don't hold back.
As if out of a line from that classic Kenny Rogers song - the Coward of the County - not one Warrior was left standing.
Look, I know you can easily state a case that both SBW and Manu have not always been absolute value for money.
SBW can change matches, like he did in the 2015 Rugby World Cup Final.
Manu, is a try scoring machine - stats over the year's don't lie.
But, this week I was terribly disappointed to read some of the reactions to the decisions of both these players.
SBW haters went to work with their usual gusto and vigor.
Manu's detractors could not wait to bring up that infamous match against Parramatta all those years ago, when Manu forgot how to catch.
I don't expect Kiwi sports fans' to be cheerleaders, but wouldn't it be nice to see and hear some balance and respect.
Two men - one common bond. It doesn't matter what the stats say, how many coaches that have continued to pick these guys, I've learnt again this week, that 'haters are gonna hate'.
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Let's just give up on Kiwi Sport
Clearly, not my words, they come from those that have driven me insane this week.
The Team NZ funding debate, is the most boring and predictable discussion point to fire up every four years - lose or win in this case.
I'm over it. Sick of the naysayers who believe our tax payer dollars should only go to the bare essentials of keeping society functioning.
This is not just about $5million bucks going to a bunch so called ' rich, white yachties'.
This is big picture stuff.
Selling New Zealand to the world, which sports does a pretty job of - at least I thought it did.
Let me ask you this.. Did you enjoy the Rugby World Cup in 2011?
Attend a few matches maybe?
Go nuts, that night Beaver slotted the kick to win us the Cup.?
Well if the government had not forked out for the enormous Tournament fee to World Rugby, then sorry NZ, no Cup.
They also paid for the upgrade of Eden Park and a further $20 million to make sure towns and cities of New Zealand benefited from this global event.
Call that icing on the cake.
Was that a waste of money? Hell no.!
While the Cricket World Cup in 2015 was a completely different economic model, which did not require the same level of tax payer money.
If the government had also said NUP.. no money, no thanks - then to quote an unnamed official who worked on the Cup - it would've looked like 'shit.'
What about the Olympics. Let's not fund that either. Waste of money, who cares about a bunch of rowers, kayaker, cyclists, etc,....
Look, I get plenty of you don't like sailing, don't like sport and certainly don't support your hard earned cash going to places, you believe are not worthy.
But, let's cut to chase. Under that logic, do we just give up on sport?
Stop spending $250 million every four years on our Olympians.
Stop believing sport unites us, like nothing else.
Stop having fun full stop.
Debate is great, it's what all great democracy's are built on.
But, to say sport is not a worthy element to the overall happiness of society is not only ignoring reality, quite frankly, it's compete rubbish.
Questions:
Who out of Team New Zealand will get a knighthood?
What do we with our lives now that the America's Cup and Lions tour are over?
On that note, who's leading Super Rugby again?
And here's the big question of the day, will Kiwi sporting fans ever learn to sing, lighten up and just be loud and proud? I guess.. after watching the Lions tour, the answer is no.
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