Comments on: Portugese passion

By: Harry

Harry — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 22:10:09 +0000

Money speaks alas Peter L adidas is a global giant and can pay the Black’s more than Canterbury I’d guess. A shame. I think these marketing geniuses really miss out – or to use their language, lessen the potential optimisation of the brand – by not doing a bit of basic research on the traditions, tribalisms and customs of teams and games. But thats globalisation for you eh.

By: Peter L

Peter L — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 21:47:51 +0000

Harry – agreed that Adidas has it wrong not allowing jersey swapping and to me it seems a rather petty thing to have written into a contract anyway. truly bizarre, and as you say, out of whack with the traditions and values of the game.

I wonder if the Canterbury contracts have such a clause that would prevent the Wallabies doing the Jersey swap? personally I have been against NZs move to Adidas from the get go – the All Black brand is an NZ brand and they should be supporters of other leading NZ brands like Canterbury.

By: Harry

Harry — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 21:31:03 +0000

I wondered why NZ wouldn’t swap jerseys at the end. Fulfilling the sponsors requirement – ffs! Thats not even smart marketing, if anyone at adidas had a brain and was actually in tune with the game and its values and traditions, they’d realise they’d generate more coverage and positive images for their brand by allowing them to swap the jerseys.

A fine example of how big corporations get it wrong with their forumulaic and rigid thinking.

By: Bumper

Bumper — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 11:12:11 +0000

The ABs should be embarrased that Portugal put 10 points on them.

I think they will be exposed, particularly in the centres, when they come up against Australia.

By: Peter L

Peter L — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 07:12:16 +0000

Greg – put the AB game a little in context. Without meaning to be patronising, the ABs were pretty certain that if they showed up they would win – much as with the Wallabies against Japan.

The game plan was to stick to a 10-12 tunnel with backs and forwards running off passes (on varying angles) and into gaps. With the line broken it was try time unless the ABs then lay down and waited, a la a practice session – which would have been patronising.

If the ABs can’t break the line, they did pretty well to beat the Boks in Durban and Dunedin, and the Wallabies in Auckland. In fact, had there not been a certain yellow card in Melbourne they likely would have won that too, even jet lagged. For a team that can’t, they seem to manage OK, don’t you think?

By: Jeffrey Phillips

Jeffrey Phillips — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 01:01:51 +0000

I agree with Greg Russell’s observation that the passion shown by the Portugese singing their National Anthem has been a highlight of the RWC.The idea of putting life and limb on the line in a sporting or other context is admirable.In that way even defeat is honourable, as in Thermopylae.On the other hand I do not detect much of this quality in the ARC which is not based on the well-spring of passion,tribalism.These disjointed cobbled together teams have no tradition and unlike real organically grown clubs no ethos .In other words nothing worth dying for ,ergo no Spartans.
Jeffrey Phillips