Are you watching the death rattle of all authentic sports?
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@Nepia yeah the public statements gave the impression that they were not following due process, which blew the story up bigger than it really needed to be. They essentially poured petrol on the fire which is a terrible option in today's culture of outrage.
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@NightmareHitter said in Are you watching the death rattle of all authentic sports?:
@KiwiMurph said in Are you watching the death rattle of all authentic sports?:
@NightmareHitter said in Are you watching the death rattle of all authentic sports?:
Many would say on form Falou has been the best player in the world the last two seasons. Once again subjective but if he was a kiwi he would be in the All Blacks.
Claims many wallabies will sit out if he is allowed to play on. And rumours starting to circulate that a few pacific island players will sit out the world cup to if he is not allowed to play.
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There's a big difference between being the best player in the world and being in the All Blacks. Even if he was in the All Blacks he wouldn't even be amongst the top 2 outside backs in the team (Rieko, Ben Smith). That's a long way from arguably the best player in the world.
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Claims and rumours do not equal "most likely".
Ben Smith cough cough cough get off the meth.
Ben smith maybe 4 years ago. Falou way ahead of Smith.
Rieko is faster not better than Falou.
Falou all time best try scorer in super rugby.
By that logic Caleb Ralph is the third best ever. Shit, the carthorse will be thrilled.
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@No-Quarter Either that or maybe they had legal advice that they were good to go but didn’t bank on a “religious discrimination” defence - which is a failing of its own if they didn’t anticipate it.
I 100% won’t be watching the soccer WC - but that would be true no matter where it was played. 😉
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@MN5 said in Are you watching the death rattle of all authentic sports?:
@NightmareHitter said in Are you watching the death rattle of all authentic sports?:
@KiwiMurph said in Are you watching the death rattle of all authentic sports?:
@NightmareHitter said in Are you watching the death rattle of all authentic sports?:
Many would say on form Falou has been the best player in the world the last two seasons. Once again subjective but if he was a kiwi he would be in the All Blacks.
Claims many wallabies will sit out if he is allowed to play on. And rumours starting to circulate that a few pacific island players will sit out the world cup to if he is not allowed to play.
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There's a big difference between being the best player in the world and being in the All Blacks. Even if he was in the All Blacks he wouldn't even be amongst the top 2 outside backs in the team (Rieko, Ben Smith). That's a long way from arguably the best player in the world.
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Claims and rumours do not equal "most likely".
Ben Smith cough cough cough get off the meth.
Ben smith maybe 4 years ago. Falou way ahead of Smith.
Rieko is faster not better than Falou.
Falou all time best try scorer in super rugby.
By that logic Caleb Ralph is the third best ever. Shit, the carthorse will be thrilled.
He's no Chresten Davis apparently
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@NightmareHitter said in Are you watching the death rattle of all authentic sports?:
Many would say on form Falou has been the best player in the world the last two seasons.
Yeah, nah
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@NightmareHitter you've gone a bit quiet, these photos should give you a few things to get you back in the zone again
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The inclusion thing is interesting. If we were going to look at pure numbers (players, supporters etc.) who would be more important to be involved in rugby union in Australia? The gays or the PIs who think gays (and everyone else apparently) are going to hell? In other words does the game need the gays more or the religious zealots? Obviously the sponsors are pro gay (and pro fornicating and drinking) but it would be interesting to know how many in the pro-Filau camp would make this issue the hill they choose to die on.
Ideally we'd treat sportspeople like actors and musicians - just ignore whatever batshit crazy stuff they have to say and just enjoy what they do when they perform. Unless they commit a crime, nobody should really give a shit what they say.
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@NightmareHitter said in Are you watching the death rattle of all authentic sports?:
I feel greatly saddened and wanted to express this. Not sure others feel the same way but....
After almost 38 years of passionate (and i mean passionate) sports following of Rugby, league, cricket and boxing etc I feel we are now watching the death of true competitive sports.
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Politics has fully taken over now.
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Freedom of speech no longer exists
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Money dictates the ruling opinion
This rugby world cup potentially could have a host of world-class athletes sitting on ths sidelines and a lot of people not tuning in because of peoples beliefs. To believe in and to believe not.
The end of true sport is almost here.
Why? Because of politics.
End of the day everyone is different and everyone should be allowed freedom of speech and belief. Whether you agree with their opinions is up to you.
An atheist, a Christian, a Satanist, a Muslim, a capitalist, a socialist should all be welcome to play and all welcome to have their own opinions they can express. We dont have to agree with them.
Isn't that normal life anyhow?
Politics is using sports to enforce cultural identity. The day this was allowed was the day true sports died.
The days of the best playing the best are about to leave us. What we will be left with is an inferior product.
And not true sport.
What we are left with is what we are conditioned to be allowed to watch.
Politics should have no place in sport.
Its not about right or wrong because they are clearly subjective.
Enjoy what true fair sport you have left now because its almost over.
The last 38 years were a pleasure.
Since when did the Politicians get involved in this mess, fuck they ruin everything. They should be at the front of the queue at the gates of hell
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@NightmareHitter said in Are you watching the death rattle of all authentic sports?:
@KiwiMurph said in Are you watching the death rattle of all authentic sports?:
@NightmareHitter said in Are you watching the death rattle of all authentic sports?:
Many would say on form Falou has been the best player in the world the last two seasons. Once again subjective but if he was a kiwi he would be in the All Blacks.
Claims many wallabies will sit out if he is allowed to play on. And rumours starting to circulate that a few pacific island players will sit out the world cup to if he is not allowed to play.
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There's a big difference between being the best player in the world and being in the All Blacks. Even if he was in the All Blacks he wouldn't even be amongst the top 2 outside backs in the team (Rieko, Ben Smith). That's a long way from arguably the best player in the world.
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Claims and rumours do not equal "most likely".
Ben Smith cough cough cough get off the meth.
Ben smith maybe 4 years ago. Falou way ahead of Smith.
Rieko is faster not better than Falou.
Falou all time best try scorer in super rugby.
Who is Falou?
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@Rocky-Rockbottom said in Are you watching the death rattle of all authentic sports?:
Most interesting thing about this thread is the increasingly creative misspellings of Filua's surname.
I like the Vietnamese one
Pho low
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My formative years were Olympics cold war boycotts, Black African anti NZ boycotts, and apartheid South Africa isolated in our 2 most popular sports.
This is nothing. I don't give a shit if Folau plays or not. I just don't care about this 'controversy '.
Although I would be amused if some plastic Aussies revolted in solidarity, a little sad, but a little amused
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Since most of us (with the exception of that asshole millennial) experienced the amateur era or the transition to the sterile corporate product we now see, I guess it's easy to look back on the past with some nostalgia and long for the olden days. But, there are tens of millions of people who have only witnessed the "modern" world of sports and they seem to be enjoying it. I would say the biggest threat to sport (and certainly and unfortunately in my household) is computer games and those farking iPads.
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I don't think it's sport per se which is becoming ruined, it's just that sport reflects society, business and consumers.
In today's society freedom of speech and the right to hold dissenting opinions seems to have given way to "safe spaces" and the right "not to be offended". The impact on sport is a bit more insidious than the politics-in-sport we've had in the past.
Still, it's bloody funny listening to equalities campaigners tying themselves up in knots arguing transgender athletes are equal in society - but just not on the sportsfield
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Personally, I sometimes wonder if there's just too much sport in the professional era. One reason Lion tours have their magic is they don't happen all that often.
Used to be an avid cricket fan but over the last 5-10 years I've slowly lost interest as there's just too much of it.
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@Victor-Meldrew said in Are you watching the death rattle of all authentic sports?:
Personally, I sometimes wonder if there's just too much sport in the professional era. One reason Lion tours have their magic is they don't happen all that often.
Used to be an avid cricket fan but over the last 5-10 years I've slowly lost interest as there's just too much of it.
I think that has alot to do with it. It used to be great with the clearly defined seasons. Now it's pretty much the entire year with a relatively short break in between. Cricket is absolutely ridiculous.
It's also a shame that we'll probably never see any more crossover athletes.
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In the end money dictates everything. People who yearn for the good old days where sport was in its purest amateur status were likely blind to the inequalities that abounded. You also need to look at the quality of the sports themselves - rugby and cricket are prime examples. The standard of play, fitness, coaching, facilities, match day experience has all improved substantially.
Political interference comes and goes but money is always there. I have two fears surrounding the sports I love and both are money driven. Firstly there is over exposure as mentioned previously. Too much rugby and cricket to extract more money. More is not always more. Secondly is what I think of as the Americanisation of sports. Interfering with the basics of a sport to make it more spectacular and more TV friendly, like the way gridiron has gone over the long years. It is no longer a game of attrition but a game of interrupted plays that are sometimes breathtaking but are artificially put into the game like some form of gambit in a game of athletic chess. To me it seems to be a simplification of the game coupled with and increasing coaching complexity that takes something away from it all.
