Sunday, May 16, 2004
Super 12 Semis
So last night both Super 12 semis were screened live on satellite tv in Korea (which I have).
And here's what struck me about the games:
-The Crusaders are still playing that incredibly boring yet effective football that they have been for several years.
-That when they really want to prevent teams from scoring they can flick a switch and good luck getting through them.
-That the game was a horrible advertisement for the Super 12. Those were supposed to be the 2nd and 3rd best teams in the competition to that stage of the season. Instead we see a Stormers team that we knew would lose trying their best and looking decent in parts but really not that fantastic losing to a Crusaders team that just play reasonably tough football.
-Semi finals are supposed to be a step up in terms of quality and intensity from regular season games. But it was so hard to see any difference. The first half just looked like any other game. The second half picked up a gear but this was as much to do with the expressions on the players faces looking more determined than anything that was actually taking place during play. Also the commentators were trying to talk it up a bit. Unlike the NRL playoffs the Super 12 just doesn't really reach any nerve tingling heights unless the final is very tight. It's very much like a cartoon competition that needs a real kick up the backside.
-That there were 5-10,000 empty seats at Jade Stadium. Come on Canterbury people. Support your teams ;) On a side note guess which is the only 'football' organisation in the world which does not officially release crowd figures (well unless the crowd is big)??? That's right, the New Zealand Rugby Union. Want to know why? Because the figures are lower than everybody would think. It's something else I am saving for a later blog when I can get a lot more info.
-Why are big games played at night? They may rate better but they sure look worse. I suppose it's like drinking when you go out. The more you drink the worse you start looking but the better people think you look. Perhaps the same thing is happening with night games. People drink, pay no attention to the game or what little they do concentrate on looks much better through their beer goggles.
-That the Brumbies are a good side to watch and hopefully for the sake of the game they beat the Crusaders by 30 points so the Crusaders will learn a more expansive game for next season. I shouldn't really say that as a kiwi but fuck it, I don't watch football to waste 80 minutes of my life just to see the higher number in 'my teams' column.
-That the Chiefs looked like a bad version of the Crusaders. They were very determined and certainly looked much better in the forwards than past years but their backs were tits on a bull. Injuries wrecked what slim chances they had but if that was the 4th best team out of 12 than ouch, it's ugly!
And enough of that.
Thanks to my tipping advisor (bennyasena) I placed $580 dream dollars on the Bulldogs to beat the Dragons (which they did 38-12) rather than the Broncos to beat the Knights (which they didn't 16-17 in 'Golden Point' time).
That means a return of $1,102. I'm off to the dentist on Monday once again and probably again later in the week so the pot is going to grow and shall be placed all on one option next weekend. I'll be looking for some advice again :) Perhaps we can rename this "bennyasena's fantasy dental tipping fund".
Regarding celebrities who can think ... well Schwarzenegger, Jessie "the body" Ventura, and Ronald Reagan all apparently could think according to the American voting public, but as the rest of us know ... they can't/couldn't. Well I suppose "the body" isn't so bad.
I'd throw in perhaps Susan Sarandon's hubby - Tim Robbins, Chuck D, and my mind is a blank, though I know there are many others.
And here's what struck me about the games:
-The Crusaders are still playing that incredibly boring yet effective football that they have been for several years.
-That when they really want to prevent teams from scoring they can flick a switch and good luck getting through them.
-That the game was a horrible advertisement for the Super 12. Those were supposed to be the 2nd and 3rd best teams in the competition to that stage of the season. Instead we see a Stormers team that we knew would lose trying their best and looking decent in parts but really not that fantastic losing to a Crusaders team that just play reasonably tough football.
-Semi finals are supposed to be a step up in terms of quality and intensity from regular season games. But it was so hard to see any difference. The first half just looked like any other game. The second half picked up a gear but this was as much to do with the expressions on the players faces looking more determined than anything that was actually taking place during play. Also the commentators were trying to talk it up a bit. Unlike the NRL playoffs the Super 12 just doesn't really reach any nerve tingling heights unless the final is very tight. It's very much like a cartoon competition that needs a real kick up the backside.
-That there were 5-10,000 empty seats at Jade Stadium. Come on Canterbury people. Support your teams ;) On a side note guess which is the only 'football' organisation in the world which does not officially release crowd figures (well unless the crowd is big)??? That's right, the New Zealand Rugby Union. Want to know why? Because the figures are lower than everybody would think. It's something else I am saving for a later blog when I can get a lot more info.
-Why are big games played at night? They may rate better but they sure look worse. I suppose it's like drinking when you go out. The more you drink the worse you start looking but the better people think you look. Perhaps the same thing is happening with night games. People drink, pay no attention to the game or what little they do concentrate on looks much better through their beer goggles.
-That the Brumbies are a good side to watch and hopefully for the sake of the game they beat the Crusaders by 30 points so the Crusaders will learn a more expansive game for next season. I shouldn't really say that as a kiwi but fuck it, I don't watch football to waste 80 minutes of my life just to see the higher number in 'my teams' column.
-That the Chiefs looked like a bad version of the Crusaders. They were very determined and certainly looked much better in the forwards than past years but their backs were tits on a bull. Injuries wrecked what slim chances they had but if that was the 4th best team out of 12 than ouch, it's ugly!
And enough of that.
Thanks to my tipping advisor (bennyasena) I placed $580 dream dollars on the Bulldogs to beat the Dragons (which they did 38-12) rather than the Broncos to beat the Knights (which they didn't 16-17 in 'Golden Point' time).
That means a return of $1,102. I'm off to the dentist on Monday once again and probably again later in the week so the pot is going to grow and shall be placed all on one option next weekend. I'll be looking for some advice again :) Perhaps we can rename this "bennyasena's fantasy dental tipping fund".
Regarding celebrities who can think ... well Schwarzenegger, Jessie "the body" Ventura, and Ronald Reagan all apparently could think according to the American voting public, but as the rest of us know ... they can't/couldn't. Well I suppose "the body" isn't so bad.
I'd throw in perhaps Susan Sarandon's hubby - Tim Robbins, Chuck D, and my mind is a blank, though I know there are many others.
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