Rugby - Last Feet!

[finbar]

Originally posted by Tamerlin
Yes, but during the qualification games you will almost never have the delicious tension you can feel when your team is playing a semi-final or final, especially when you reach the last minutes of a game.

Well, yes, but there's delicious tension at the end of every close game, isn't there? Certainly, there would be more at the end of a close semi-final or final, but is that sufficient reason to justify a final series?

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by finbar


Well, yes, but there's delicious tension at the end of every close game, isn't there? Certainly, there would be more at the end of a close semi-final or final, but is that sufficient reason to justify a final series?

Yes!

[finbar]

Originally posted by Tamerlin


Yes!

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by finbar

It seems we are on for short answers tonight.

You might be surprised but I must go to bed dreaming of another french championship final with the Stade Toulousain in the Stade de France.

[ravagon]

Originally posted by finbar

This really is a case of a money-making exercise, because the team that finishes top, having already played every other team twice, can already, rightly, be called the champion team.

While I like the idea in principle (ever since a few Cricket WC's ago when NZ beat everybody but Pakistan , then promptly lost in the final ), money-making is important too. I've no idea exactly what proportion of revenue comes from finals (anybody?) but just imagine if they had to make it up in other ways - advertising and the like?
*Fade to finbars favourite team running onto the field with "Vote Liberal" in flourescent yellow lettering embossed on the backs of the jerseys*

[finbar]

Originally posted by Tamerlin


It seems we are on for short answers tonight.

You might be surprised but I must go to bed dreaming of another french championship final with the Stade Toulousain in the Stade de France.

*Tamerlin wakes screaming in the night after dreaming that Toulouse go to the wrong ground by mistake and forfeit the championship final*

[finbar]

Originally posted by ravagon
While I like the idea in principle (ever since a few Cricket WC's ago when NZ beat everybody but Pakistan , then promptly lost in the final ), money-making is important too. I've no idea exactly what proportion of revenue comes from finals (anybody?) but just imagine if they had to make it up in other ways - advertising and the like?

The finals make sh*tloads. If only because they crank up the prices. The reality is, the finals systems are never going to be abolished so it's all academic anyway.

*Fade to finbars favourite team running onto the field with "Vote Liberal" in flourescent yellow lettering embossed on the backs of the jerseys*

I notice the Art Forger hooked up the Kiwi Government behind George Witless Bush's mindless "attack Iraq" steamroller. I expected better.

[ravagon]

Originally posted by finbar

I notice the Art Forger hooked up the Kiwi Government behind George Witless Bush's mindless "attack Iraq" steamroller. I expected better.

We have to be extra nice to people with large navies and air forces now - given that we, practically, don't have either, period.


Btw, "forgery" is a bit of a misnomer, given that forgers actually do the work themselves - credit where credit is due. Even plaguerists rewrite their stuff. She wasn't even able to do more than sign on the wrong dotted line.

[finbar]

Originally posted by ravagon
We have to be extra nice to people with large navies and air forces now - given that we, practically, don't have either, period.

Yeah, your entire airforce was based on the NSW South Coast before it was disbanded.

Btw, "forgery" is a bit of a misnomer, given that forgers actually do the work themselves - credit where credit is due. Even plaguerists rewrite their stuff. She wasn't even able to do more than sign on the wrong dotted line.

I had a quick look at the NZ-India one-dayer on FoxSports today. NZ were 3/5 in about the third over. I must go and get an update -

Back again. NZ made 168. India just scored the winning run in the 49th over.

[Tamerlin]

Why I like finals...

In France, final phases are played on a neutral field and the supporters travel to the town organizing the game. The travel in itself is already part of the pleasure, I can assure you that hearing at the comments of the die hard supporters is worth the trip. You can also meet and have some fun with people you are not in contact with the rest of the year.

When you reach the Stadium, a brightly colored crowd wearing the colors of their favorite team has already taken their sits, they sing supporters' songs, have fun with each others.

Then you walk to the stadium, when the supporters of the two sides meet, good natured and fun comments are the rule. When you enter the Stadium and see the crowd and hear all the noise (the songs, the drums and so on), thrills are suddenly coming from the inside and a tension slowly overflows you. As the stadium is getting full, the songs and the drums are becoming more powerful as more and more people sing, the game has already started between the supporters from the two sides. The beginning of the game is now close, supporters from both sides are often sat side by side and they exchange their point of view in a passionate debate.

In a few seconds, the players enter the field under the acclamations (and booing... ) of the crowd, the songs and the drums are at their tops. Curiously, a few seconds before the engaging kick there is a kind of silence where the tension of the crowd can almost be touched, when the referee whistles and the fly-half kicks an ovation releases the said tension with once again songs and drums at their maximum.

Then the suspense takes hold of you as you know one team will be eliminated after this game and you really hope it will be the others' team. Nothing else is more important than this game at this moment, nothing... The flow of the game is rythmed by the songs, the drums and the booing translating the hopes and the deceptions of the supporters. When the half-time comes and the players have left the field, the supporters speak together trying to gather some confidence wether their team is dominating or is dominated.

The game starts again and the tension is becoming almost unbearable towards the end of the game, especially when the teams are closed to each other. Then you reach the end of the official time, just a few minutes to wait before happiness or deception. The last hopes, the last fears and then the referee whistles and the game is over, one side's drums and supporters are celebrating their heroes of the day, the other side thanks their players for the good season that is now over for them, all in all both teams are celebrated by both sides.

Then you leave the stadium, some supporters have a smile on their face, others feel sad, supporters of both teams speak together and the winners say that next time it will be their turn.

Then the trip back home, the losers of the day are replaying the game and the occasions that have been botched but no one regrets having made the trip and they will all come next year if their team is qualified, the season is over.

The winners keep on celebrating their players all along the trip back home, the game is replayed over and over and the supporters are already thinking about the game coming next week already playing this game...

Yes, I will be here next week because nothing will be more important than this for 80 minutes, nothing...

[Havak]

We get that 'final' feeling from our cup competitions though. So why we tag play offs onto a highly successful league is precisely why Finbar said - dosh.

The money men don't want the title decided at Welford road (that holds 17000), they want it at twickers (72500). simple maths.

All i want form my season now (well apart from the European Cup) is to turn over the tractor boys at Kingsholm - and demonstrate to them what pretenders they are.

[finbar]

Re: Why I like finals...

Originally posted by Tamerlin
In France, final phases are played on a neutral field and the supporters travel to the town organizing the game. The travel in itself is already part of the pleasure, I can assure you that hearing at the comments of the die hard supporters is worth the trip. You can also meet and have some fun with people you are not in contact with the rest of the year.

When you reach the Stadium, a brightly colored crowd wearing the colors of their favorite team has already taken their sits, they sing supporters' songs, have fun with each others.

Then you walk to the stadium, when the supporters of the two sides meet, good natured and fun comments are the rule. When you enter the Stadium and see the crowd and hear all the noise (the songs, the drums and so on), thrills are suddenly coming from the inside and a tension slowly overflows you. As the stadium is getting full, the songs and the drums are becoming more powerful as more and more people sing, the game has already started between the supporters from the two sides. The beginning of the game is now close, supporters from both sides are often sat side by side and they exchange their point of view in a passionate debate.

In a few seconds, the players enter the field under the acclamations (and booing... ) of the crowd, the songs and the drums are at their tops. Curiously, a few seconds before the engaging kick there is a kind of silence where the tension of the crowd can almost be touched, when the referee whistles and the fly-half kicks an ovation releases the said tension with once again songs and drums at their maximum.

Then the suspense takes hold of you as you know one team will be eliminated after this game and you really hope it will be the others' team. Nothing else is more important than this game at this moment, nothing... The flow of the game is rythmed by the songs, the drums and the booing translating the hopes and the deceptions of the supporters. When the half-time comes and the players have left the field, the supporters speak together trying to gather some confidence wether their team is dominating or is dominated.

The game starts again and the tension is becoming almost unbearable towards the end of the game, especially when the teams are closed to each other. Then you reach the end of the official time, just a few minutes to wait before happiness or deception. The last hopes, the last fears and then the referee whistles and the game is over, one side's drums and supporters are celebrating their heroes of the day, the other side thanks their players for the good season that is now over for them, all in all both teams are celebrated by both sides.

Then you leave the stadium, some supporters have a smile on their face, others feel sad, supporters of both teams speak together and the winners say that next time it will be their turn.

Then the trip back home, the losers of the day are replaying the game and the occasions that have been botched but no one regrets having made the trip and they will all come next year if their team is qualified, the season is over.

The winners keep on celebrating their players all along the trip back home, the game is replayed over and over and the supporters are already thinking about the game coming next week already playing this game...

Yes, I will be here next week because nothing will be more important than this for 80 minutes, nothing...

Beautifully written, Tamerlin. I understand completely. OTOH, I still think they're largely money-making exercises.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Havak
All i want form my season now (well apart from the European Cup) is to turn over the tractor boys at Kingsholm - and demonstrate to them what pretenders they are.

I've heard of gluttons for punishment but this takes the Eccles Cake!

[Havak]

It all depends on whether we need to win that game to make the play offs. In important games I would still back us every time - however bad our form may be.

[Tamerlin]

Originally posted by Havak
It all depends on whether we need to win that game to make the play offs. In important games I would still back us every time - however bad our form may be.

Isn't it the duty of any genuine supporter?