Drowning out The Haka

The New Zealand rugby team has to be the most formidable in the world. Aside from during the world cups, they’re pretty much the best side in the world. They always have the most amazing players! Perhaps they have too many good players. Their rugby is intricate and fluid. They do everything right. Good scrimmaging, as well as a decent defence. They get the basics done right and have a great amount of “razzmatazz” as Minister Mbalula would say. 

I have a gripe with the fellas from the long white cloud though. Their pre game ritual. We are regularly reminded that this is an ancient piece of culture.  We are regularly reminded that we should respect this cultural practice. We are regularly reminded how long this cultural practice has been a part of rugby union. “It’s a tradition ok?!” I think very few people have a problem with this. I’ll talk for myself though and ask, why can’t the All Blacks carry out this cultural practice in their change room? Why does it have to be on the field? Even more than that though, why can’t the challenge be accepted by the opposition crowd chanting Ole Ole Ole? Further still, why can the opposition team itself not accept this challenge by shouting back at the All blacks? I recall one occasion when Corne Krige and his Bok team decided the best way to deal with this challenge was to holler back obscenities at the haka. Well did they receive a grilling in the media?!  Both local and international!

I must admit I was saddened at the reaction to what was I thought an out of the box solution to a problem that had never before had a solution. Such was the ferocity of the outcry, that I was even afraid to voice my objection against the objection of what I thought was a fairly good plan. I did mention to my old timer once on our daily trip to school, that I thought, the Springboks were being treated unfairly and that, there was an element of bullying prevailing in the media and court of public opinion. But that was just my opinion.

All things being equal, I firmly believe that the opposition and the opposition fans should be allowed to respond to this challenge, however, they perceive best. I don’t think there should be a prescription for the acceptable acceptance of this challenge.

It’s a debate that will rage on for some time. Of this I am certain. I am also pretty comfortable in the knowledge that my idea will never be accepted as best practice. It would be nice though, to open the debate and see how many people-rugby people- agree with my “outrageous” point of view.   

Master Key Offers Insight

My sister Makhiba Mollo's cynical, amusing, and thought provoking thoughts on the world!

Utopia;  a world imagined

Amidst all  the  talk these past two  weeks around Julius Malema and his elicit or not elicit trust fund dealings, yesterday (Monday) I heard about a comment made by an Australian girl  in response to young Malema.

While discussing the fall out/brouhaha around everything being said about  the Ratanang trust fund by people with in  the media and with out  the media alike, my brother told me of this comment.

He said that even   an Australian guy  had  posted a comment to Malema on Facebook, stating that he, Malema, hates white people but he likes white peoples things, and to substantiate this,  he pointed out Malimas use of and ownership of cars.

Had I not been as shocked as I was  about this comment, I probably would  have been amused. I must admit though, I had a serious sense of humor failure.

“White people’s things?!” and what exactly are “white people’s things?”.

Evidently the human race  hasn’t developed and advanced, progressed and created,  invented and produced because it is the human race, but because there are white people in it. Really?!  Is this how  prejudice informs us, is this prejudice or pure ignorance, are people really that narrow minded even with all the knowledge in the world today?

In my bewilderment at this (white peoples things) statement, and my realization that I myself had been involved in an exchange with an elderly white lady a few years ago after she chastised my friends and I for wanting to live “Eurocentric:” lives, I got to  thinking.

The details of how the exchange with the elderly white lady began are perhaps not important, save to say that we were having a party and  she was complaining about the level of noise. Her accusation (as this is really all I can  call it) seemed to be one she held as fact/truth/pronouncement, and I was determined to get to the heart of what was meant by “you want to live Eurocentric lives).

She  went on about us driving nice cars, living in  the nice areas,  that we have all this money and we want to lead Eurocentric lives. She mentioned that she didn’t have the opportunity to get an education (another Eurocentric thing I guess, and from her level of thinking, very clearly something that alluded her) but that we are clearly wanting to lead Eurocentric lives and we  don’t have any courtesy (perhaps another Eurocentric trait).

 Much as  we argued, I never did get to know what she meant by this, but one thing for sure, as I was on the balcony of my friends apartment in a complex in the northern suburbs of Johannesburg, it wasn’t ambiguous that she had an issue with us (black young people) having   a party in these surroundings).  

So with my creative thinking cap on last night, here is what I imagined.

Imagine a world of only white people, only white people inhabiting all the continents and no other races, what would it look like, and where  would it be today?

 1. The whole world would probably be lit, electricity through out the world;

2. All the roads would be paved and all the traffic lights would  work;

Buildings would be sky high and air conditioned (unless not so desired)

3. Cars, television sets, music systems, IPods, iPads, Phones, and cars would be freely available and everyone would have one.

You see, it would be a hub of culture (I mean art and literature) technological  advancement, progress, development, capacity, advancement and well, advancement.

All the economies would be constantly booming (nix Greece / Italy and America with or without a raised debt ceiling) and the Eurocentric lifestyle would be all the world would know.

This world would be good because by virtue of it only having white people in it, it would only have “white peoples things”.

I’m not sure what the clothing would look like, but that doesn’t matter because what ever form it would be, it would be one that shows advancement, because you see, this is what the world would be.        

  Then I wondered, ok, so say the world was only made up of Chinese people, what would it look like then?

Well, if it only had Chinese people, maybe it would be somewhat similar to that with only white people, but you see, it wouldn’t have white peoples things.

1. So there might be electricity, there might be sky high buildings, there might even be a whole lot of art and literacy (as literate as you can be with those pretty drawings called an alphabet) but you see, there would be no real  technological advancement.

2. There clearly wouldn’t be cars (because these are white peoples things) but there would probably be televisions, music systems, Ipads, Ipods, Iphones and the like, but with one major difference, they wouldn’t be rip offs, because there wouldn’t have been the original off of which to rip them, so that leaves me to wonder, would they then be there at all?

Ok, so let’s  play around some more, what if there had only been Indian people in the world, what would it look like then?

Well:

 1. This world would be rather vibrant, it might also be bereft of cars, oh  wait a minute, there might be a few Tatas around, but other than those, what else?  

2. It would be very colorful, bright, vibrant and  bejeweled.

2. The food would be tasty (although we wouldn’t know because we wouldn’t be there to try it) and everybody would   be spiritual  because they would be practicing of yoga, and there would be peace and harmony.

Ok, ok, because we have to get on with it, then let’s get to the heart of the issue, how about a world with only black people? 

Well this is a lot harder to imagine, not because all blacks do is copulate and have loads of babies and they have really filled the world to the point that really, one can’t imagine one without them, but because it’s really difficult to conceptualize what there would be.

Well, how about what there wouldn’t be:

1.       No  disadvantaged people;

2.        2. No unemployment;

3.        3. No struggling developing market economies;

4.        4.No   poverty;

5.        5. No famine- no crime- no illiteracy- no backwardness.

It would just be the black person and his way of life, him, his animals, his culture, his ubuntu and his um, what else, his um, his way.

No cars obviously, that shouldn’t even be stated, but otherwise it would just be utopia, just the black man, his goodness, his self respect and his dignity.

 You see, black people are actually very good people, they have ubuntu, and they just want to be left alone to live and practice their own culture. Everybody acknowledges that it was wrong to take their land and to oppress them, so in this world, there would   be none of that, they would just live forever with their cows.

Oh well, this is a world we’ll never know, and for as long as we all inhabit the same world (because of someone’s lack of vision) there is no hope.

Oh but wait, there is hope, actually there is hope and salvation.

Thanks to” white people’s things) we have cars now, we have technological advancement, we have culture, and we are also cultured (art and literature) we are able to live in beautiful houses (well if we have money) and we can work in sky high buildings with air-conditioning.

Really, this is truly the way things should be, all of us as one, the  world currently with al the races, and the black people liking the “white peoples things”

Thank you young Australian girl, your comments made me look somewhat cynically at the world, but thanks to that introspection, I see, truly that we (blacks) should be grateful for white people’s things, (NOT) and you young man, should grow up, and if you want to tackle/question  Malema for his ubre   opulent lifestyle, then do so with some intellect please…

The EPL season. My thought on the transfers

The big fours tansfers

Premier League resumption:Transfers

And so the first round of EPL fixtures has come and gone. Fantasy football managers have either licked their wounds, or reminded all and sundry of their superior knowledge of the game. I suspect males across the length and breadth of the world danced a merry jig, when the referee sounded his whistle signalling the recommencement of the greatest spectacle the television has ever offered us! The results were fairly surprising in some games. Not so much in others.

Unsurprisingly Manchester United got off to winning start! After watching their Community/Charity shield performance-Magnificent-it was hard to imagine them going down to Roy Hodgson’s West Bromwich Albion.  That West Bromwich side is well organised, and are fairly dangerous at set-piece time, but they’re limited in terms of quality. Teams will find it difficult to get a result at the hawthorns though this season, and West Brom may spring a few surprises there too. United though shaded them on Sunday.  Mainly due to the extra bit of class they possess. In my humble opinion Ashley Young will prove to be a good acquisition. He’s adding great value already with his pace and guile down either flank. Phil Jones looks a really good buy too. He’s big and strong, built like a real British centre half, and looks comfortable on the ball. The much maligned Davide De Gea will grow into the role too. I am very sure the Spaniard can and will adapt to the English game. Having seen him play for Atletico Madrid a couple of times, and seen him at the U21 world champs, I do believe he is the real deal. He’s going to have prove his mental toughness sooner rather than later though because everyone is waiting for him to be the next United keeper flop a la Massimo Taibi, Mark Bosnich, and some say Fabien Barthez(though I’m not convinced on the last one). All came in with plenty of expectation heaped on them, and left without having enhanced their reputations!

Liverpool has been really busy this off season, acquiring some half way decent players too. Jordan Henderson looks good-though a little over hyped by an overly enthusiastic British press-and Stewart Downing is always a threat flying down the left wing. I’m not entirely sure about how good a buy Jose Enrique is, I don’t remember him setting the scene alight at Newcastle but I suppose we should wait and see.  Charlie Adam is for me, the scousers best buy. He’s got a great left foot, a good football brain and will regularly find Andy Carroll. It seems a balanced Liverpool side although, they are still a little under done at the back in my opinion.

Chelsea has surprisingly resisted the urge to splash the cash as has become customary of the north Londoners. Romelo Lukaku looks a good long term replacement for Didier Drogba, and perhaps he’ll be able to strike up a better understanding with Torres.  Getting a Sturridge who looked full of goals at Bolton will also be good, though it remains to be seen whether he will actually stay. The rumour mill is abuzz with talk of him being included in a swap deal to move across London to Tottenham (where I’m sure he’ll loot three points from a couple of teams-is it too soon?). It remains to be seen whether the Modric Deal does go through. If it does, then I suspect that will be the best piece of business done this off season by any of the top four teams.

Arsenal seems to be becoming a selling club. The Ajax Amsterdam of the EPL! They’ve made some fairly obscure signings in my view. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain looks a decent prospect, and I’m assured young  Jenkinson is a talented centre half, but these are hardly names that will strike fear into in opposition hearts. Gervinho looked pretty good in France, but so did Maraoune Chamakh... perhaps he’ll find his feet quicker than Chamakh has done. The gunners have lost Fabregas and it seems only matter of time before they lose Nasri. The only really world class players they have, are moving to pastures new. I wonder whether Arsene Wenger will do the long suffering Arsenal fans a favour and buy some quality big name players? I’m not holding my breath.

Man City seems to be positioning itself as the new Chelsea. They are splashing out mega bucks at every turn! Clichy blows hot and cold, but he’ll in all likelihood settle in nicely into the fullback role. Savic I haven’t seen much of, but perhaps he’s City’s diamond in the rough. The big money move of the off season has been Sergio Aguero. I think he will be a good signing for “the noisy neighbours”. He will in all likelihood score a bucket load of goals for the blue half of Manchester, and the partnership between him and Edin Dzeko may prove very fruitful!

In my eyes the team that’s done the best business in the off season is not a top four team. The black cats-Sunderland have been very shrewd and bought very well this English summer.  Their three best buys for me, are John O’Shea, Wes Brown and Seb Larsson. The trio will bring quality, stability and irreplaceable experience to a budding top seven side. They’ll be difficult to beat as always at home, and may nick a couple of surprise results away from home.

Bring on the weekends and the remote I say! It’s time for soothsayers and naysayers alike to keep quiet. And time for the new signings to show us a thing or two!

Test Cricket

I am by no means a purist. In fact I often times speak of purists with a measure of disdain. Partly because I’m not entirely sure what purists value add is. Why should sport not be dynamic like everything else? Why should sport not change-organically-with the requirements of its viewing public?

I love test cricket. I love it because of that old age cliché, “the contest between bat and bowl”. As a self styled quick bowler in my time, I have really started to resent the dominance of the bat over the ball in recent times. “It’s for entertainment. Fans want to see sixes!” Do they? Perhaps they do, but more than sixes I suspect fans want to see a contest. If you skew the contest towards a particular side, said contest loses its validity. Essentially what you end up watching is a bit of slap and tickle.

T20 is of course the greatest culprit in this regard. The fielding restrictions favour-pretty heavily-those that wield the willow. I keep hearing commentators talk about how bowlers have worked hard at their skills, and have found a way to counter this skewed contest. Frankly I don’t believe it. The bowlers have got some cool new innovations like the slower ball bouncer (I love this with all my heart) and other such wily deliveries. But really this is all the poor bowlers have. Wily innovations. The odds are still stacked up pretty heavily against them! Besides, as a quick you’re only allowed to bowl that bouncer of yours once an over. Variation is supposed to be the new key to success. Why should the bowlers have to learn all these new tricks? Bowl to a ridiculous field. Learn how to bowl the slower ball out of the back of the hand as well as with the fingers. Vary the pace. Get your line and length spot on. Bowl the Yorker from the first delivery. Gee whiskers!  What are the batsmen doing? Waiting for you to make one slight error, so as to punish you by slapping the ball straight back over your despondant head for maximum. As a member of the fast bowlers union, I can confirm that there is no fate worse than this. Imagine you’ve already bowled your bouncer for the over and can’t counter the Batmen’s insolence with a blazing jaw high quick one. Look at the run rates now, if a bowler goes for less than 6 an over, he’s considered miserly.  

This is all beside the point though. You see test cricket is still a genuine competition between the two. The bowler must out think the batsmen, who in turn must second guess the bowler, and ensure he ends up on top. The tactical nature of this form of the game is entirely captivating!

 I fell in love with Test cricket by accident. It was a game between England and South Africa that got me hooked. The game was actually between Allan Donald and Mike Atherton. Cricket lovers will know what I’m talking about. It was riveting! Intensity like that, I have not seen in another sport! If we can get more contests like that, then I guarantee more people will be drawn to the sport, and we won’t have to talk about creating a world test match cup. This is where my contradiction comes in. While I’ve stated that I am in no way a purist or a fan of such people. I am forced to stand with them on this one. Leave the game of test cricket alone! The spectators/supporters have got what they require in T20 and ODI. Let us have something too.       

I hate Carling black label! Through no fault of its own though, I think I just consumed too much of it in my heady days of youth. Too much of a good thing and all the rest of it...  But all that’s neither here nor there. You see the contempt with which I hold the beer is the same contempt, I hold the new competition it sponsors! Who would’ve thought that a seeming match made in heaven (beer and football) would make such a horrible partnership!

First and foremost, why is the Charity spectacular being replaced? It was in my eyes, one of-if not the best local pre-season competition. The Vodacom cup is pretty cool when United come through, but it has no edge because the only competitive game is the Thursday derby between the Soweto giants. The Mangaung cup, well quite simply, my team doesn’t play in it, so I don’t watch. The charity spectacular was a football fans dream! Particularly if you are a supporter of the mighty Amakhosi! We won that competition, the most times, but that’s no surprise. We are after all the cup kings! But it wasn’t just the idea of the Glamour boys zasePhefeni  emerging victorious that inspired one to get tickets for the spectacular as it was once known. It was the idea of a whole day of football! The live entertainment acts. The possibility of a derby final, if the derby hadn’t been served up as a semi final. The opportunity to look inside the coach’s head and see what the plans were for the squad, for the ensuing season.

It was like watching an entertaining version of “the making of”. All the right elements were in place, and more often the not, the end product was magnificent! As a veteran of over a dozen Charity Spectaculars, I can’t remember ever witnessing a bad one. Even the rain soaked edition in world cup year at the Bafokeng sports palace was a lively well attended event. Well for the first game at least, after Chiefs lost the first semi final, the myriad of Amakhosi fans decided an afternoon at the beer garden was a better idea than sitting around watching “small teams” (Pirates vs  Platinum Stars). But those of us who stayed on, still had a magnificent time.

It’s fair to argue that the quality of the soccer was not always particularly good, however, as a fan one had primed himself for that. It was after all a pre season friendly competition. And yes, you can have friendlies between Chiefs and Pirates... They just have more bite than other friendlies out there.

It was great though because in terms of interactivity, the fans chose which teams they wanted to see in the completion. If Sundowns, had made some big signings, invariably they’d be there. I always liked when unfancied teams made the cut as well. I remember one year Amazulu-with its terrible twins Si Magagula and George Deanerley-taking part. And off course more recently, it was great to have Dinaledi (Platinum Stars) competing in their own backyard. So the competition in essence was open to the whole league. Okay, in reality the other fourteen teams were competing for two spots as it was unthinkable that either one of the two Soweto giants would have been left out. But every team had a fair chance of competing in the spectacular.

The new competition, however, is nothing like the old one in terms of opportunity, or even jamboree! This new competition is exclusively between Chiefs and Pirates.  There is an interactive angle with the fans being allowed to be the coach, by choosing the starting eleven of both sides. This is a better idea in theory than in practice. The fans don’t know who is carrying what injuries. Who’s got what fitness problems at that stage of the season, and who may or may not be battling with a psychological problem or whatever else. All the fans seek is to see their favourite players.  The balance of the side, is neither here nor there. An opportunity to see untried, or untested players is not too important to the paying public.

Add this to the idea that it reinforces the boo-brigades point-they know all about soccer and ‘their’ players’-and you have a in my humble opinion created a ticking time bomb. By essentially agreeing with the fans (as well as the boo-boys) that they are the all knowing, you’ve opened yourself up to a situation where in the future, the fans are going to demand to have their voices heard. This may not always be for the better(ment) of 

the team.

I empathise with Chiefs head coach VV who wandered what the point of him even being on the sideline was. But even more than that I empathise with him, because he’s lost an opportunity of one last dress rehearsal before the main show one week later!

I’ll have to deal with this for the next four years. Let’s hope thereafter, people will come to their senses and return the Charity spectacular to its rightful place! Perhaps by then I’ll have re-acquired my taste for Black label too...