Sunday, July 8, 2012

Sonny Bill Williams----is he just looking after number one?

So Sonny Bill is going to Japan. So he is chasing the money. He is looking after number one. Is that so wrong in this time when that is what everyone else is doing the same.
I hear people saying that he’ can’t make up his mind’ or that he is ‘flip-flopping’ about between Rugby, Boxing and League. So what? Where does it say that one has to remain ‘loyal’ to one sport?
The life of a modern day ‘professional’ ----yes professional sportsperson is not necessarily a long one. Injury can play havoc with both the length of that ‘life’ and during it re availability. He needs to think about his future, his financial one. He may have a family to support one day and money saved now will help them have stability once Sonny’s usefulness has gone.
I can hear old buggers like myself saying that it wasn’t like this in the old days. So do we have to force the sportsperson of today into some ‘mould’ that simply doesn’t exist anymore, except at lower levels of sport?
We are going to hear many people lambast Sonny re his latest decision. The ‘tall poppy syndrome,’ will show its ugly face in the form of ‘talk-back radio’ shows and letters to the editor, just to mention a few outlets for their collective outrage.
Ignore them, Sonny and go well. It is after all your future. Unlike many others, I have enjoyed your short ‘stay with us’ in Rigby. You have a style all your own. Perhaps it is this that really irks some people.
Hell, you may even come back in time for the next Rugby World Cup--- hopefully playing for NZ and not some other country, simply because we treated you badly.
 Cheers mate.

Pitbulls--are they really as bad as the media portrays?

I read with horror the report from Northland that a pitbull attacked a man while he was trying to rescue his wife from an accident. It raises the question once again about just how safe these dogs are.
In this case the man went to get help for his (not seriously injured) wife. The pitbull came from a neighbouring property and attacked the man, taking a chunk from his leg. That would in my book indicate that this dog was dangerous. The man had not gone onto its territory and apparently the dog had chewed through its lead, thereby allowing it to attack. Does not that constitute a dangerous mix?
What makes matters worse is that the owners of the dog did nothing to help with the situation. From the newspaper report it does not make it clear that they knew so I won’t accuse them of not caring or allowing the dog to be out of control.
 I think others may be less generous in their judgments re this sad incident. The authorities no doubt took the dog away and yet another dog will meet an untimely death.
We have to ask the questions again---‘who is to blame? --- Slack uncaring owners, or the nature of this breed. I walk my dog down at the park and the pitbulls I meet are OK and have not caused any problems. If anything, my naughty Jack Russell has tended to like them, but what if she or any of the fellow dog walkers comes across one that acts like the one described in Northland? I notice that people flinch when they see a pitbull in the park.
To be fair, the only problems I have seen so far have not been caused by pitbulls, but from other dogs that one would assume to be harmless.
However despite this, I thought it was illegal for pitbulls to be bred--- I see many with their ‘appendages,’ still intact and they are not puppies, so someone please inform me what the law says. Maybe I am wrong.
What to do about these attacks. Well, I would like to know more about the ‘owners’ in this case and whether they knew what was going on. If they did and they failed to offer help--- then let the law take its course.

The seal was on TV tonight


It was so cool to see the seal I blogged about at the Onehunga Lagoon yesterday was today released in the harbour today. The SPCA came and got him/her and all those people who played a part in keeing it safe must now be really happy, especially that guy who watched over it for five hours. It was so cute and thank God Perdy didn't get a look in. I can just imagine her trying to 'play' with the poor thing.
Good on ya SPCA.