Push play, otherwise it's all just a crock

Relevant offers

Opinion

The winner is...the Halbergs, of course! Get runs, stop theirs to win in 50-over game Hard to take that jab on the chin Zimbabwe so poor we are being misled Rugby the deserving winner at Halberg Awards Sir Bob Jones' boxing tirades becoming tiresome Sports awards ceremonies can be divisive Terry's racism trial exercise in hypocrisy Contador judgement doesn't feel like justice Adams lighter and brighter

You may know how to saddle a donkey, but that doesn't mean you can tame an elephant: Surely Olympic chef de mission Dave Currie must have had that thought in the back of his mind when he declared that Crocs would be a very "stylish shoe" as part of the official New Zealand Olympic uniform.

He must think Crocs are a flip-flop designer label. Ha! Ha! Go Dave. Crocs look cute on little kids but naff on adults. If you're going to look ridiculous why not just wear Jandals. After all, Kiwis invented them.

They say laughter is the best medicine and heaven knows the Olympic selectors are in urgent need of a good dose.

It seems they go out of their way to suck all the fun out of the games. Every four years they put up this huge wall between themselves and the athletes.

Come on guys, lighten up and let your athletes have a go. Let's face it, when it comes to competing against the world little old New Zealand just isn't going to stack up in most cases when facing the superpowers.

Hell, China has more people in one of its back alleys than in the whole of New Zealand but that certainly doesn't mean that you shouldn't send as many athletes as possible.

This constant equation of X amount of dollars must produce X number of medals reduces sport to an accountants' game and is the antithesis of the Olympic creed which clearly states: "The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part."

Why not send a big team; have an army of New Zealand athletes across all the Olympic sports. Where does it say that one must make a final in order to participate? These curmudgeonly gatekeepers are so stingy they're not even picking athletes who actually make the mark go: Marathoners Liza Hunter-Galvan (who's taking legal action) and Michael Aish have both met the A-standard time and still didn't get selected. What gives? They sure as hell wouldn't disgrace themselves as do so many rugby and league internationals who year in and year out get pissed up, get in fights, allegedly rape women and stagger around Sydney in a drunken state.

One would like to think the selectors would be open to getting as many of their fellow Kiwis to the games as possible and yet the angst between the athletes and the selectors is palpable with Aish sniping: "When it comes to them [Athletics NZ] my dog comes a lot higher than they do."

Wow, where's the love?

The biggest hurdle for Kiwi athletes is not the opposition but the poor attitude of the selectors.

Before the Athens games four years ago hugely respected selector Bruce Cameron spat the dummy and resigned over the inclusion of the women's basketball team who went on to upset China in one hell of an exciting game and finished in the top half of the field.

This time around former athlete Roy Williams is packing a sad, moaning that the women's soccer team is belittling the Olympic movement.

What twaddle.

In fact, it's just the opposite. It's crusty, sour, former athletes such as Williams and out of touch mean-spirited selectors who are making a mockery of the Olympic movement by holding back the country's finest athletes.

Encourage don't discourage - let 'em play.

- © Fairfax NZ News