We had some absolute class posters form the NH.
I rememeber meeitng Gailimh, Irish Richard , and PDP in a Irish bar in Dublin on the eve of the AB's playing a grand slam game in 2005, it is my Wifes 30th and we had a roaring night... my wife quickly got over the fact her long awaited 30th birthday evening in Dublin was crashed by a bunch of Irishman and a Frenchman that I had met online and had never seen before....
At about 11pm we got news that there had been a fire at Landsdown road and that one stand would be unavailable and tickets refunded. It was the stand the wife and I were going to. Gutted, as we were going to all 4 grand slam games, and would have been one short.
PdP stepped up and gave us one of his tickets, and I think Gailimh gave us another. Refused money, just took a guiness each.. actually I think Pdp took a whiskey..
Next afternoon we were on the terraces amongst a sea of Irish fans... BEST MATCH EVER.

Thanks TSF.

@Baron-Silas-Greenback said in Black Caps v Pakistan:

Bad declaration imo.

Check out this clown.

This thread is again open for new applicants..

Ardie Savea is not fit to lace up Canes boots

This kid is going to have a hard time in life if this is the attitude he is being instilled with.
Life as an adult is about adapting and being a bit of a chameleon, some of the highest flyers I know are complete and utter muppets when hanging with the mates form the 'ole days'..... I know some guys who look like a member of the Sons of Anarchy with a shirt off and look like finely cut gentlemen with a business shirt on.
Newsflash to this youngster and the people in this thread defending him, society makes arbitrary and no logical rules/social norms all the time, and nearly everyone follows them, of course you don't have to, but there are always consequences, sometimes good, sometimes bad.
He wants to look like Hansen.. fine. Go to a school that allows that.
This isn't about the length of his hair, this is about him wanting the school to bend to his wishes rather than the other way around.

After some heavy in depth analysis, listening the experts, scientists and facebook.. I have decided

I have no fucking idea what to think. Like none at all. I swing between just saying fuck it, lets just lift all bans and let it play out and get back to normal faster as the disease doesnt seem that bad, to lets lock everyone down it s gonna be a disaster.

I have now settled on... having no idea what to think about it. I have found myself agreeing with posts that contradict each other....

I do know I hate the media though.

And anyone who hoardes toilet paper should be stripped of the right to vote or drive a car.

I was enjoying myself until today. Then within one hour had two different grown men on the phone in tears about their situation. Fucking sucked , put one on to lifeline as was clearly looking for that sort of thing, the other prob needs it but would not accept it.
Those calls made me evaluate this situation in a whole new light. This lockdown is taking a massive toll, that is mostly unseen inside bubbles.

@hydro11 said in Tennis:

It's amazing that you can abuse an appointed official by calling them a liar and then say it is sexist when you get punished for it. I'm no tennis expert so I can't speak to the coaching and racquet violations and whether they are consistently enforced. Sexism comes down to just being disrespectful to women so if you are going to throw those terms around, you should make sure you treat other people properly.

I can. I am a qualified Tennis referee.
Coaching at lower levels is always a warning. Always. At ATP and WTA tournaments, they sometimes are, sometimes not. Could go either way. In this case the coach admitted it so.....
Raquet breaking is always a violation, umpires don't even have discretion with it.
Personal abuse is more discretionary, but is usually a violation. Guys get waaay more violations, but they usually calm down after the first or second. She just kept going at it.

Men have lost points and games before. McEnroe even forfeited a match at a grand slam tournament,.

Williams is a disgrace.

@voodoo said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:

@Godder said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:

@voodoo said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:

@Godder said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:

I'd have stuck with this week, but 2 working days and avoiding a bunch of region breaches for the long weekend has some merit. Businesses being allowed to prepare from today for opening is obvious but at least it occurred to someone.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/well-good/121126817/auckland-restaurant-group-which-lost-60k-worth-of-food-nervous-about-level-changes

Seems a good reason to avoid yoyos between levels.

I absolutely fucking hated it when JA said "2 working days". What fucking decade is she living in??? Has she spoken to the Queenstown cafes and restaurants that do the vast majority of their trade on the weekend?

And what on earth are the criteria that we didn't meet to achieve 12pm on the 23rd, or that we must meet to hit 12pm on the 27th?

This is so stupid. If people's livelihoods weren't being destroyed, it would acrually be comical.

14 people in hospital. Less than 10 new cases per day. And we are killing the economy.

The Queenstown hospitality sector is going to be in ruins no matter what the government does. That's not to say that every business is going under, but when a region goes from 20,000 people + 3.9 million annual visitors to whatever the current numbers look like, there will be a lot businesses going under.

Likewise hospo in general - take away tourism and throw in a GDP hit, and a lot of the sector is finished. If the margins are so thin that week or two is unsurvivable, maybe the new economy was unsurvivable as well.

It was interesting to me that Hospitality NZ thinks this is doom for everyone, while the Restaurant Association think takeaways and delivery should be enough for their members to get through this.

Just give them all a fucking chance . What does taking away these 4 days do for the Covid "fight"? Because we can totally quantify whatvos does to the local economy.

@voodoo I am not sure howto phrase this without getting trouble with the other mods..... so I will try to be delicate.
Fuck off you stealing bastard, everyone and I mean EVERYONE knows that I am the alpha anti lockdown grumpy bastard. I have been whinging and complaining about this lockdown since you were in your lock down nappies son. Dont you dare think you can jump on MY bandwagon of curmudgeonly govt bashing and think you can out curmudgeoun me. You johnny come lately cockwomble. I have been most perturbed recently as you have repeatedly tried to outscore me in the anti lockdown stakes, I have engaged my lawyer and if you persist in your serious and triggering behavior I will issue you with a cease and desist letter. I know you have jumped on my train toot toot but dont for a second forget that I am the driver and you are but a lowly caboose boy.
May the fleas of 1000 camels infest your armpit you semen saturated daughter of a Laos transgender Green party member.

Good day to you sir!

I think after 22 (20 as a moderator) years on TSF. I deserve a good bye message.

After to many complaints I was removed as mod.

But thanks to all those who I have got to know over the last 22 years, my posts have often been caustic and have run afoul of the rules a few times. The only poster still posting that has been here longer is possibly @Donsteppa ?

I have been on beers with nearly 40 Ferners, watched rugby with them at various stadiums around the world with them, in Ireland, Wales, England, Aus , SA and Scotland. Played golf with them, played rugby with them, the last time I pulled on the boots was in a TSF selection team at a Whangamata tournament with the true godfather of TSF Bartman. I have met some fantastic memories and have never refused a meet up even with people I disagreed with most vehemently such as @MajorRage , I always had the attitude that if you talk shit on a forum you should be able to meet up face to face with those people... and I did.
Congrats to the complainers, you win. I am sure things will be more harmonious around here without me, but I think some ideas will go a lot unchallenged now, maybe that is for the best to.

Special mention to @Donsteppa @taniwharugby, @JC, @JK, @KiwiPie , @Smudge (who doesnt much like me, but I still know he is a good egg)bloody great guys who I have known for a very long time now. And of course @BartMan , PDP (my favourite frenchman and who I spent some good nights in London sipping cognac and talking shite), Irish Richard, and Gailimh who shared my wifes 30th in Dublin at a great little pub. A lot of them are not around any more, and they were great.

@Rembrandt @TeWaio (I like to think I actually changed some minds which is a minor miracle, (I think I got cancelled via sheer volume of complaints like a Fox news host though.....) )

Even all the my detractors I wish well, I actually never really paid attention to who posted contrary views and would suddenly get an 'out of the blue' angry post towards me from someone whom I must have annoyed months earlier. I didn't keep any grudges.

I think 22 years is long enough and I think being demoted makes staying on as poster a bit to hard.

I would like to act like I don't care, but I am actually pretty disappointed. But the new management @Duluth @Kirwan is not like the old management, and I firmly believe if you put the time in and you run a site, you decide who posts and who does not. And the new management are what keeps this place ticking. If it wasn't for them TSF wouldn't still exist.

So long and thanks for the fish.

@Hooroo said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:

@Baron-Silas-Greenback said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:

@Crucial said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:

@Baron-Silas-Greenback said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:

@Crucial said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:

@Baron-Silas-Greenback said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:

@Godder said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:

Media took a 30% hit to advertising revenue after the GFC (because spending didn't rebound after), and that's the fear again. We can hate them all we like, but that's an industry at risk, unless we just want state-owned news sources.

or news sources that actually provide what people want and not just left wing propaganda outlets. Stuff is great example. iT has a ludicrous left wing slant, especially around climate change, and yet wants a handout, perhaps if they were not so shite they would have more advertsising.

Sadly they do try and provide what people want.
Often however, it just isn't what we as individuals want to read. You, because you dislike any view to the left of your political position. Me, because Mark Reason.

The fact that we both know that they provide thing that we don't like shows that their usual metheods work to a degree.

I do admit that when they started asking for donations to continue quality journalism I thought that maybe they shoud look at starting first.

They are incredibly left wing. They dont try to provide what people want, they try to provide what a sub section wants. They even try to justify to not allow any views arguing against climate change action can be allowed on their platform. That is not journalism, that is activism.

and you know this how? because you read it there? target achieved.

Readership is not always people who agree with the message.

If we are solely talking about advertising revenue then that is based on reach not quality.

If we are talking quality, then I agree with you ion some aspects.

No because I used to read there quite abit, now I hardly ever go there. Maybe once every few weeks instead of once a day. So no.. target most certainly not achieved.

So you used to read it when National were in power and didn't mind it but now Labour are in power you dislike it?

Nope. Stopped reading when national were still in power. Similar time to when a thread started about how shite they were.

@Crucial said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:

@Baron-Silas-Greenback said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:

@Crucial said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:

@Baron-Silas-Greenback said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:

@Godder said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:

Media took a 30% hit to advertising revenue after the GFC (because spending didn't rebound after), and that's the fear again. We can hate them all we like, but that's an industry at risk, unless we just want state-owned news sources.

or news sources that actually provide what people want and not just left wing propaganda outlets. Stuff is great example. iT has a ludicrous left wing slant, especially around climate change, and yet wants a handout, perhaps if they were not so shite they would have more advertsising.

Sadly they do try and provide what people want.
Often however, it just isn't what we as individuals want to read. You, because you dislike any view to the left of your political position. Me, because Mark Reason.

The fact that we both know that they provide thing that we don't like shows that their usual metheods work to a degree.

I do admit that when they started asking for donations to continue quality journalism I thought that maybe they shoud look at starting first.

They are incredibly left wing. They dont try to provide what people want, they try to provide what a sub section wants. They even try to justify to not allow any views arguing against climate change action can be allowed on their platform. That is not journalism, that is activism.

and you know this how? because you read it there? target achieved.

Readership is not always people who agree with the message.

If we are solely talking about advertising revenue then that is based on reach not quality.

If we are talking quality, then I agree with you ion some aspects.

No because I used to read there quite abit, now I hardly ever go there. Maybe once every few weeks instead of once a day. So no.. target most certainly not achieved.

@Hooroo said in Other Cricket 2020:

@Baron-Silas-Greenback said in Other Cricket 2020:

Womens cricket is pretty rubbish viewing. If they think putting womens cricket on TV will bring eyeballs.. he is kidding himself. The product just isnt good.

""We're very, very focused on making sure we've had a very strong lineup of women's content on Spark Sport because we think that's a terrific opportunity."

Happy to let ratings decide? Yeah I bet not.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/cricket/121211412/more-cricket-on-screen-during-covid19-lockdown-as-new-zealand-cricket-and-spark-sport-launch-new-partnership

If it was the only cricket/sprt on, I would watch it in a heartbeat. Would even pay for Sky Sports again

You realize they arent talking live cricket during the covid timeframe? You would watch competitive marbles at the moment.

Womens cricket is pretty rubbish viewing. If they think putting womens cricket on TV will bring eyeballs.. he is kidding himself. The product just isnt good.

""We're very, very focused on making sure we've had a very strong lineup of women's content on Spark Sport because we think that's a terrific opportunity."

Happy to let ratings decide? Yeah I bet not.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/cricket/121211412/more-cricket-on-screen-during-covid19-lockdown-as-new-zealand-cricket-and-spark-sport-launch-new-partnership

@Godder said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:

@Baron-Silas-Greenback said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:

@Godder said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:

Media took a 30% hit to advertising revenue after the GFC (because spending didn't rebound after), and that's the fear again. We can hate them all we like, but that's an industry at risk, unless we just want state-owned news sources.

or news sources that actually provide what people want and not just left wing propaganda outlets. Stuff is great example. iT has a ludicrous left wing slant, especially around climate change, and yet wants a handout, perhaps if they were not so shite they would have more advertsising.

I'm sure the world will be a better place when Stuff, the Herald, Newstalk ZB and TV3/Newshub disappear, and we get left with blogs, TVNZ and RNZ.

Also not sure where this advertising revenue is coming from if they pivot - advertisers usually want eyeballs/ears above all else.

You mean like what the govt is doing to the rest of the economy with its overkill lockdown? They are shredding players in every industry.. and leaving consumers with fewer options. Part of a govt induced deep recession... maybe they should, have thoughtthat the draconian lockdown a little more.

@Crucial said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:

@Baron-Silas-Greenback said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:

@Godder said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:

Media took a 30% hit to advertising revenue after the GFC (because spending didn't rebound after), and that's the fear again. We can hate them all we like, but that's an industry at risk, unless we just want state-owned news sources.

or news sources that actually provide what people want and not just left wing propaganda outlets. Stuff is great example. iT has a ludicrous left wing slant, especially around climate change, and yet wants a handout, perhaps if they were not so shite they would have more advertsising.

Sadly they do try and provide what people want.
Often however, it just isn't what we as individuals want to read. You, because you dislike any view to the left of your political position. Me, because Mark Reason.

The fact that we both know that they provide thing that we don't like shows that their usual metheods work to a degree.

I do admit that when they started asking for donations to continue quality journalism I thought that maybe they shoud look at starting first.

They are incredibly left wing. They dont try to provide what people want, they try to provide what a sub section wants. They even try to justify to not allow any views arguing against climate change action can be allowed on their platform. That is not journalism, that is activism.

@dogmeat said in Coronavirus memes:

@Baron-Silas-Greenback I don't disagree with you at all but we got the same pathetic shit from the right when Key was the greatest living leader on earth.

Our politics and especially the reporting of it has become more and more presidential - especially at the moment. Massive fucking own goal.

Of course, but not memes. Memes are best when mocking, not spouting propaganda in favour of politicians,.

@Godder said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:

Media took a 30% hit to advertising revenue after the GFC (because spending didn't rebound after), and that's the fear again. We can hate them all we like, but that's an industry at risk, unless we just want state-owned news sources.

or news sources that actually provide what people want and not just left wing propaganda outlets. Stuff is great example. iT has a ludicrous left wing slant, especially around climate change, and yet wants a handout, perhaps if they were not so shite they would have more advertsising.