Comments
Booing the Opposition
In the last couple of months, New Zealand has become a nation of Football fans. This is because somehow we got good at it. Not good on a world scale, but good in terms of now we EXIST on the world scale.
When the Wellington Phoenix first started out, no one but die hards went along. Yesterday, the stadium sold out, and we were chanting, waving, cheering and applauding like we’ve been caring about football outcomes for far longer than three months.
One thing that strikes me though is how awkward I feel when we BOO. (UPDATE: Thanks JD for the head’s up on spelling mistakes)
It feels somewhat un-sportsmanly.
It is sort of ok at the football because we are such underdogs, it’s not so much arrogant as the crowd doing everything in their power to give the team a chance (and we wont 3-1)… But I started to wonder about the Rugby World Cup, where we there is no chance of us being considered for the ‘at least you gave it a shot’ award.
Sometimes New Zealanders get a wee tad uptight about the All Blacks and it would be a real shame for us to Boo all the opposing teams we are hosting. It seems just a little rude?
Is it just because I don’t ‘get’ sport?
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March 8th, 2010 at 4:05 pm
The majority of the booing at yesterday’s game was targeted at players who had been diving (especially Ali Abbas) and others who had been unsporting. This was also the case in the last cricket match between the Black Caps and Australia where the crowd were booing Mitchell Johnson for his antics with Scott Styris in the previous match. But Johnson just gave it back to the crowd too, at one point kissing his Australian badge while walking towards the fielders.
I’m not saying that booing is OK, but usually it’s targeted at players that have irked the crowds, as opposed to the crowds just being arrogant or rude.
March 8th, 2010 at 5:15 pm
I was taught at school in Britain to never boo at a rugby game unless someone had done some thing very very bad, and to be silent during penalties and conversions. It was a real shock when I arrived in NZ to hear booing regularly, especially before kicks. I prefer the Brits’ manners.
BTW; British rugby fans sing too, but Kiwis don’t (except the new Kiwi soccer fans).