The people who are worthy of my respect are certainly NOT sportspeople. How exactly is sports going to contribute to the advancement of our country? Answer = it's not. It's entertainment, basically, and obviously some people are better at it than others, but it's still nothing special.

The people in our country I admire/respect most are unfortunately dead, but they include Ernest Rutherford, John Britten (although it could be classed as a sports-type thing, at least he was an inventor as well), Kate Sheppard, Colin McCahon and so on.

I can't think of anyone alive that I am particularly impressed with at the moment.

Good one Nick! I agree with you, and also with Lord Winston even though I have a feeling Child Of Our Time may have been a steaming pile of pop-psychology. I may of course have got it mixed up with something else.

I'll second xLeahx #1 on Ernest Rutherford, Kate Sheppard and John Britten, and I'll add Rita Angus, Phil Clairmont and Murray Ball, to show that NZ can produce genuinely funny comics if it tries. But mostly, the people who inspire me aren't famous. They're regular people like my postgrad supervisor, my dad, my friends.

I agree with xLeahx. I enjoy rugby, soccer, cricket etc, but these guys are sportsman. Some of them seem like nice blokes, some not so much, but to hold them up as role models simply because they play well is ridiculous. The miedia have to share some of the blame, as do the public. The media are the ones who spent lots of airtime, and newsprint, telling us about Jesse Ryder being drunk, Tiger Woods affairs etc etc. These things are none of our business, and Jesse and Tiger (as just two examples) signed up to play sport, not to be role models. And the public play their part by buying these papers, watching the news etc, and demanding to know more. I am sure years ago sportsmen did silly things too, but it was deemed to be no one elses business. I agree with xLeahx about Ernest Rutherford too. I cant believe i went to school metres from where Rutherford had his laboratory in Christchurch, and made many of his more well known discoveries, and not once were we ever made of aware of that fact, even in science classes! And yet we all knew of the famous All Blacks who had been through the school. Colin Meads and Ed Hillary are two sportsman who do deserve their role model status....but not by their sporting abilities. By the fact they seem to be modest, sensible blokes, who demand respect naturally.

Of course we idolize the weather guy - we are OBSESSED with the weather in this country! LOL

Good blog :)

I do admire sportspeople, for the simple fact that they ARE industrious - they put huge hours and effort into training and competing. And they are talented. But the All Blacks impress me less than, say, a living legend like Danyon Loader. Mostly because the ABs get heaps of money for doing what they do (their jobs), whereas a lot of other sportspeople get little, if any, money, must have day jobs to make a living, and yet still dedicate heaps of time and energy to their passion and talent. That impresses me as I can imagine it would be hugely taxing personally.

I tend to admire and idolise great NZ artists, jewellers, designers and musicians, also. These people have talent and skill and artistry and again, I don't have the ability to create as they do, so I am a fan.

Helen Clark is an amazing woman who I admire for her achievements and astonishing mental capacity. And I think Tariana Turia is remarkable, intelligent and warm.

Can't think of anyone else at the moment, aside from obviously my lovely family and friends who I admire and respect for a myriad of different reasons!

What about Ernest Rutherford, Nancy Wake, Archi McIndoe, Jean Batten, Tim Finn, Charles Goldie and of course Sir Edmund Hillary to name a few. We are certainly not a nation who are only devoted to our sports people, we have some of the most talented and amazing people and they do deserve the respect and mana that is given to them. Sir Winnie should take a second look at the people and history of New Zealand and maybe do a little more research before making what can only can be called a very stupid and pointless statement.

Anyone who gets grease on their hands:

Ernest Rutherford, John Britten, the Fastest Indian, Sir Edmund, Jean Batten, yeah... and Michael Laws (whenever he touches himself).

I believe there are *some* sportspeople who are worthy of idol status, however, the current rugby and cricket players are not among them. They are the best in NZ at present, but certainly only average on the world stage and their off field behaviour is below average.

People like Possum Bourne who work with total dedication, succeeded against the odds and was an ambassador for himself, his sport and the country are worthy.

As far as the "scandals" that feature in the media, sure those sports people signed up for the sport, but like it or not, successful people in any endeavour become role models for others. Of course, it's not helped by the media making mountains out of molehills and focusing on such behaviour.

@xLeahx: "I can't think of anyone alive that I am particularly impressed with at the moment."

Well, that's the whole point, isn't it? New Zealand has plenty of scientists and engineers, some working here, some based overseas. Some of them are very clever, getting results or developing new technology. But, by and large, the media deems it all not newsworthy, and so you haven't heard of them.

We seem to obsess about anything or anyone that the idiot media put in front of us. No offence Nick, just a little touchy cause my GF has seen you several times in the last week and seems be doing some minor celebrity worship of her own. Grumble grumble...

On the other hand, she thinks that Lane looks like a gangling giraffe with spaghetti arms that flail around like a Thunderbirds puppet.