The Silver Fern

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="TeWaio" data-cid="608089" data-time="1471854842">
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<p>So we ended up with 18 medals, our most successful games ever.</p>
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<p>In terms of golds, 4 in Rio is second only to London 2012 (6) and LA 1984 (8, which has an asterisk next to it given the boycott).</p>
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<p>Awesome performance  :good1:</p>
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_at_the_Olympics#Medals_by_Summer_Games'>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_at_the_Olympics#Medals_by_Summer_Games</a></p>
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<p>The boycott that spared us competing against the drug-fueled eastern Europeans.</p>
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<p>There should be no asterisk.</p>

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="JC" data-cid="606052" data-time="1471421736">
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<p>Lottery money - lots of it -, and expectations boosted by recent success have been the drivers by the look of things. You can't say it's come from nowhere, Obree and Hoy back in the day put cycling on the map in the UK to the extent it attracted significant funding. The current crop seem to have reaped the rewards of that investment.</p>
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<p>Probably Boardman more than Obree but, yeah, success has bred success and Obree and Boardman were early pioneers for British track cycling.</p>
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<p>On a kind of related note, the per capita medal table is a bit of a farce. Population has nothing to do with anything - I believe - it's all down to funding. If someone pumps money into (say) Brazil sport, we'd soon watch them fly up the medal table. Britain, like Aus before them, didn't suddenly get good at Olympic sports, they just got funded.  </p>

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Chris B." data-cid="606007" data-time="1471409908">
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<p>You're welcome to have him as the greatest swimmer of all time. Athletics can have Bolt as the probably the greatest sprinter of all time.</p>
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<p>But to say Phelps is a greater Olympian than Bolt, because he's won more medals? I think that is just wrong.</p>
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<p>Actually, for me, there are two medals that are fundamentally better than all the rest - the athletics 100 metres and the marathon. Fastest and best endurance.</p>
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<p>Those distances are actually arbitrary so even being the fastest and having the best endurance is just racing what's in front of you. Every single Olympic event is questionable if you really want to question it.</p>
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<p>I agree re Phelps, mind. Steve Redgrave won golds at five different Olympics. He had one chance every four years (at a brutal sport) and succeeded every time. That's pretty bloody good, and no less of an achievement than what Phelps has achieved. To my mind, anyway.</p>

What the fuck is that?

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="canefan" data-cid="604588" data-time="1470789027">
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<p>Clinical dismembering.  I like it :)</p>
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<p>Lorena Bobbitt would be proud</p>

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="mariner4life" data-cid="603159" data-time="1470357330"><p>
who wants to watch some bloke walking around the track furiously rubbing the poll?</p></blockquote>
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Funny stuff.

<p>Put <em>that </em>shrimp on your barby, cobber!</p>
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<p>Big up, England.</p>

<p>Pretty good knock.</p>

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Razbra" data-cid="548094" data-time="1450361974">
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<p>They talk about an eventual Parker fight on this side of the world but I think Parker would eat him up.</p>
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<p>Jeepers. Big call.</p>
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<p>Do we know if Parker can take a punch? Because we now know that Joshua can.</p>
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<p>Joshua is an obvious world heavyweight in the waiting. Parker must be seriously good in that case. Exciting.</p>

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="SammyC" data-cid="546820" data-time="1449696064">
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<p>Calm down, nobody said it was hilarious.</p>
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<p>He's playing the bad guy to get a reaction I think.</p>
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<p>Judging by the overreaction on here, it's been a raging success.</p>
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<p>I actually think he's just speaking his mind. I don't think he thinks he's a bad guy at all.</p>

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="sparky" data-cid="546798" data-time="1449685123">
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<p>I couldn't give a monkeys what Tyson Fury's political and religious opinions are. They are a private matter for him and his family. If the media find his opinions offensive they shouldn't keep asking him or broadcasting them.<br><br>
But the idea that a guy who has just defeated a legend like Klitschko and become heavy-weight champion of the world, shouldn't be on a short list of the 12 best sports stars in the UK is utterly ridiculous. Fury isn't standing for political office or offering to bring up anyone else's children, his job is knocking 7 bells out of another guy in a boxing ring. Something he is very good at.<br><br>
It's not like a nation that got dumped out of the last Soccer, Cricket and Rugby world cups (even when they had home advantage) in the group stages, is so blessed with sporting process and success that they can turn their noses up at a talented athlete like Tyson Fury.</p>
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<p>Some people, you know, get a little miffed by homophobia and misogyny.</p>

<p>Well, he just beat Klitschko so he's obviously a lot more than just a fat swinger.</p>
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<p>Massive bellwhiff, mind.</p>

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="kiwiinmelb" data-cid="544350" data-time="1448443239">
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<p>Klitschko is a very  unusual character for this sport , smart , educated ,well spoken ,  qualified doctor , speaks 7 languages , and his brother Vitali an ex champion is now a politician </p>
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<p>somehow just doesnt seem quite right for a heavyweight boxing champion </p>
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/34871218'><em>Urbanity and boxing have always made strange bedfellows. </em></a><em><a class="" href="http://www.britannica.com/biography/Gene-Tunney">Gene Tunney,</a></em><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/34871218'><em> a heavyweight world champion in the 1920s, was lampooned for his apparent erudition. After losing to Tunney, the great Harry Greb said: "Is it true, as people say, that Gene reads books?" Bad enough losing, but losing to an intellectual? The shame of it.</em></a></p>

<p>Wlad inside 6 rounds.</p>

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="DMX" data-cid="539028" data-time="1446587999">
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<p>If they were pissed about Redding decisions they should count themselves pretty lucky to be in the final after that quarter-final match!</p>
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<p>Indeed.</p>
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<p>But I don't think - in general - they are and that's my point. It's really good to see.</p>

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="booboo" data-cid="539005" data-time="1446583248">
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<p>then we can disagree that Australia got the rub of the green.</p>
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<p>Yeah, I guess we can.</p>

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="TeWaio" data-cid="539020" data-time="1446586383">
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<p>Just watching the RWC final replay on the couch with a beer. Good times.<br><br>
Man the commentators (especially Dayglo) are shite.<br><br>
The first half we were immense and left loads of points out there. They were lucky not to be down by 30 at the break.</p>
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<p>Not a fan of Dallaglio as a commentator but thought Nick Mullins was pretty good. I loved his comms after the drop goal. Classic bit of commentary, that.</p>

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Nepia" data-cid="539007" data-time="1446583793">
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<p>No I didn't.</p>
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<p>I just disagreed with you that Australia didn't get the rub of the green and gave you one example which helps explain why I disagreed with you. </p>
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<p>Righto.</p>
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<p>As I said, I don't think we got <em>all </em>the decisions but just felt we were on the right side of the ref (eg our - kickable - pen, their non - kickable - pen) on that particular day. It wouldn't have changed the result, mind as I think we were by far the better team. But I'd still be aggrieved if I was an Aussie. It doesn't seem they are though so, again, good for them; I believe it's the right spirit in which to take a (pretty fucking gut wrenching) loss</p>

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Kirwan" data-cid="538993" data-time="1446580551">
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<p>Nice way to deflect, but whole point of a forum is to have a discussion. You put out an opinion and people disagreed with it, with examples of why they did, and asked you to back up what you said.</p>
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<p>Having a tanty isn't going to make you any more right.</p>
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<p>As far as I am aware, no-one has asked me for examples, just called me obtuse. And, even if they did ask, I can tell I would get absolutely nowhere proffering them on here.</p>
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<p>As I say, I'll just sagely nod and agree from now on. Putting your head above the parapet in any walk of life generally attracts opprobrium and disdain. The internet just magnifies that.</p>
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<p>So, now, I've been talked round and am firmly in line.</p>
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<p>How good was that ref?</p>

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Catogrande" data-cid="538925" data-time="1446548760">
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<p>Poor old Ben, putting his head above the parapet and duly getting it shot off. All he is saying is that in his opinion NZ got a little more out of the officials than the Aussies. Not saying he's right and these things are almost always a matter of opinion, even if someone nerdy enough goes through the whole match listing the bad calls or no calls. Even then though it is still mostly a matter of opinion. Nowhere (that I could see) does Ben suggest the rub of the green influenced the eventual outcome of the match or that the Aussies should have won had so and so not done such and such etc.</p>
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<p>Ben. When will you learn?</p>
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<p>About now.</p>
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<p>I shall be towing the forum line from now on. Fuck this having a different opinion shit. No-one wins.</p>