Where the Wild Things Are

Where? Penrose, this afternoon. The Beast and the Mini Beast rampaged all over the field and generally terrorised the Novacastrians.

Despite being terribly hungover, Kiwi Sports Blog spent hard earned dollars on child tickets to the Upper East stands.  Upon arriving, we were excited to hear that 'musicians' Dane Rumble and J Williams (aka "The douchebag who wouldn't give me his triple-A pass at Highlife" and "The guy that doesn't notice one of the dancers in his break-out video is sweating all over the set") were playing after the game finished.  But "Cruel" is a pretty fly song, so we briefly flirted with the idea of sticking around for it.  In the end we decided that the Fastcrew version of Dane was better and he wasn't nearly as enticing as an after-match feed at Wendy's.

Some of the NBA Offseason, and the Fantasy Fallout

Apart from the obvious constitution of the Super Best Friends in Miami, Kiwi Sports Blog is highly excited about a number of smaller player movements that have happened so far this offseason.  Even though it isn't the most exciting thing happening right now (the second Spanish Armada, the resurgence of the All Blacks lineout and Mils Muliaina, the emerging of the Warriors as contenders, the craziness of NFL drafts featuring Peyton Manning selected second overall and Rashard Mendenhall ahead of Ray Rice - see right), but there is just something about NBA teams transforming that is fascinating - either like watching a masterpiece being painted, or watching a train wreck.  To avoid this being the longest blog post of all time, I have only looked at a few teams - the Heat, the Spurs, the Bulls, and the three-way currently underway between the Raptors, Suns, and Bobcats.

The LeDecision Fallout

So the King will reside in South Beach, and razor blade sales will go through the roof in Cleveland.  What will this do to Cleveland?  What has LeBron James done to his home town?

The answer to the first question was pretty clearly answered by Dan Gilbert's letter - they will become like scorned ex-girlfriends lashing out.  Maybe they can get together with those ex-girlfriend websites that people load old sex tapes onto as revenge.  As this guy pointed out, it could be some sort of niche market.  But apart from the initial gut reaction of anger, what will their lasting impression of LeBron be?

State of the Faith Nation

With ten games to go in the season, the Warriors once again have it all to do to play Finals football.  Along with the Eels, we are the perennial bum boys of the NRL - we come from behind.  The NRL stats man has concluded that the magic points number to make the eighth spot will be 28.  Being on 18 points, we need to win five of our remaining ten - not a big ask for the second half chargers that are the Warriors.  But there are a couple of things making this task harder.

A Chronology of Draft Day Trades

There's something about draft day that compels NBA General Managers to drop their usual frugal, conservative approach to player movement, and instead go with their hunches.  Some are good, like Donnie Walsh's decision to take Reggie Miller instead of hometown favourite Steve Alford, and some are terrible, like Stu Inman taking Sam Bowie ahead of the greatest player of all time.  Kiwi Sports Blog has scoured the draft archives for existence of the phenomenon of draft day trades - when a GM feels that he has to do anything possible to get his hands on another player.  As can be seen in the most significant examples, one team is left with nothing but regret in exchange.  No doubt we will see the trigger pulled on a few trades today.  Will one of them be for the next Bill Russell, the next Scottie Pippen?

All Whites vs Italy Running Diary

0:00 - It's go time! Let's relive last game (make sure sound is on): click here.

4:03 - Mini dive by Zambrotta there. He gets up just before the 30 second rule would have kicked in, making a mandatory substitution. None of his teammates helped him up, the ref had to do it.  You stay classy, Zambrotta.

7:01 - GOOOOAAAAALLL!!! Fantastic cross, Reid with a good flick on (he can get under crosses well for a defender), Smeltz the man on the spot where there are free balls as always.  Cannavaro did a useless job there - did four years really change that much for him? Italy hasn't been this shocked since Mussolini said he was BFFs with Hitler.

The Greatest Show on Earth, Part 2

 
The Greatest Show on Earth was missing a bit of the 'Greatest Show' aspect last night.  It was a beatdown of historic proportions - was on track to the be the highest winning margin ever until NSW got a consolation try (Kiwi Sports Blog went to bed in the 77th minute and missed it).  The game ended 34-6, and the series is won by Queensland for the fifth year in a row.

I suppose as a Queensland supporter, I should be happy, especially since there were even a few good fights, but as a New Zealander I have no loyalty to the team beyond the fact I've followed them for years.  For that reason, most of the time I want to see a good contest in Origin, not five straight years of dominance and dead-rubber third games (only in 06 and 08 have the third games decided the series in this Queensland dynasty).  A friend of mine texted saying "Origin is dead, the Anzac test is a better contest now" - and during the game Sterlo and Gus were constantly saying they don't see any way NSW is going to turn it around and challenge the Maroons.  Maybe it's true, maybe international league is on the up (like this great deal - double header at Eden Park), but, somewhere, deep down in my heart, I still want Origin to be the biggest stage, the closest contest in league.

Anyway: