Not that we’re trying to get all Gawker on you or anything (or are we?) but the Wellingtonista would like to set up a league. A bowling league, if you will. Details will be confirmed later, but there would probably be a round-robin of sorts, and much booze would of course be involved ( because have you ever seen any of us out in public without a drink in our hands?), and as we’re not famous for our love of the ‘burbs, chances are the venue will be right in town at The Lanes.
This post is going out to see if anyone would be interested in taking us on. It would be great if teams had some sort of affiliation, no matter how loose it was (although ring-ins would be fine) and it would be best if teams had a place on the web in which they could let their fingers write cheques that their butts couldn’t cash in terms of trash-talking about their opponents. We’re envisioning competing against teams from other blogs (or blogs + notorious commentators), or web companies, or media outlets. Are you keen?
To all those that left for the Yuletide, welcome back. We at Wellingtonista Towers trust you all had a sparkling time away celebrating Christmas and New Year, are refreshed and ready to take on another fun packed Wellington year.
Oh, and before I continue, just a word about the weather – don’t worry about it. If it’s “too” windy it means the beaches will be free of riff-raff, if it’s raining the cafes will be buzzing and if it’s “generally fine with the odd cloud and a chance of showers” it means the TV weather people have just told you that there’s gonna be “weather!” (it happened last night on TV One).
Anywho, on to 2007 and your Wellingtonista …
Here’s a bit of fun to be had – the Star Boating Club (that’s that cool place by the lagoon that you’ve probably attended more than a few weddings at, or other occasions & got yourself completely trashed & may or may not have ended up in the water in your dinner suit or ball gown…) in conjunction with Wellington Girls College, Queen Margaret’s College and Wellington College, is holding a 20 hour Row-A-Thon to raise funds for the current season of races, regattas & camps.
It takes place at the Reading Complex Foyer (Courtney Place) between 4pm Friday December 8, and Noon Saturday December 9.
And what is a Row-A-Thon when it’s at home? Well… they’re putting 3 ERG machines (that’s shorthand for Rowing Machine apparently – I’m not sure if it is acronymous, or if it represents the noise the average person makes while being subjected to operating it), one will be operated continuously for 20 hours by the boys’ teams, another by the girls, and the third dear reader, is for you to have a go at.
The rowers have been diligently scouring their neighbourhoods, families, and families’ business colleagues getting sponsorship, and on the day, those not ERGing will be shaking tins & persuading punters to part with a little Xmas dosh. All for a good cause – those ERGs & the boats don’t grow on trees you know.
So head on down for a look – 91FM & the Black Thunders will be down there at 4pm Friday dispensing cheer & freestuff – or if you happen to be passing, please do donate a little spare for, as I may have mentioned, a very good cause.
And of course, you have the opportunity to try an ERG for yourself. It has to be good for you right?, and there is almost no chance you’ll end up in the lagoon. Bonus.
…and if I had a cent five cents ten cents for every time that pun has been used…
Anyway, the Wellington Lions are indeed headed North this weekend to take on Waikato (who, like Hadyn in his Dropkick’s guise, doesn’t have an ‘official’ nickname) in the final of the NPC Cup. There they’ll be confronted by a very in-form team, a stadium full of fantical cowbell ringing Waikato supporters, and their own capability to implode in spectacular fashion.
Wellington haven’t won the NPC tournament since 2000, and Waikato fourteen years back in 1992 (the only time they’ve won it, in fact). Ominously though, it had been fouteen years since Wellington won their last trophy, and in this year’s round-robin play, Waikato were convincing winners over the Lions.
So, whadda we think? Are Wellington up for it? Will the fast and flashy Lions turn up? Or the bumbling and clueless Wellington team that occasionally takes their place?
Well, our initial short-list of potential under-achieving teams to support through the World Cup has proved somewhat too accurate: site favourite Holland weren’t in such Ruud health; personal pick Spain went down the drain like rain on the plain; and the poor old Mexicans wave goodbye to their cup hopes for another four years.
Of the initial shortlist, only Portugal remain. And of the other quarter-finalists who meet any of our criteria (under-achievers, exciting players, erratic form), you can’t consider the Ukraine, who are really too boring by half, as are one-time winner England, who might have come away with our sympathy vote if it wasn’t for the fact they’re playing such dour football.
Italy, Brazil, Argentina and Germany are all multiple winners, so that rules them out, leaving the other one-time winner France as our outside pick. They might be the go, actually, as on closer analysis, they certainly meet the criteria: only the one Cup championship in 1998, but then had the form-reversal of the tournament’s history when they couldn’t even score a goal in defending their title at the 2002 tournament. And plenty of flash players: Henry, Zizou, Saha, Vieira…
So, who’s it to be? Portugal, France…?
There’s been a bit of discussion up here at Wellingtonista Towers as to just who we should be supporting in the World Cup. We need a team with whom we Wellingtonians can identify with – soccer’s equivalent of the Hurricanes: a team that blows hot and cold; a team full of star names, but who inevitably fall at the final hurdle; a team that are a joy to watch, but typically lose to more dour, joyless sides.
To that extent, we came up with a short-list of four: Holland, Spain, Portugal and Mexico. All these teams have been frustrating their fans for years, making the latter stages on relatively regular occasions, only to lose to more methodical plodders like Germany or Italy, or falling to the perenially brilliant Brazilians.
At the moment, we’re veering towards Spain, partly because they’re sure to be a good source of sporting ups and downs, but mostly because they’re our Earth Sandwich partner, and if that doesn’t count for something, what does? Any votes from anyone else?
And, tell you what, there’s some ‘interesting’ hits for “World Cup” on Google image search. Keep your eyes on the ball, son!
I would have used some sort of pun based on the word ‘Hurricane’, but, well… Blues blown off park [NZ Herald] Second-half blitz blows Blues away [Dominion Post] Hurricanes storm to win over Blues [The Age] Hurricanes blow past Blues in opener [Sporting Life] Hurricanes storm home as newcomers face reality [RNZ] Gah! Anyway, the […]
If you happen to see a group of large, fit, young lads wandering about the Wellington streets this week, chances are you’ve either stumbled across the cast of Downstage‘s latest play ‘The Boys in the Band‘ , or, and more likely, one of the Rugby Sevens teams that are in town for this weekend’s tournament. […]
So, it’s lightly drizzling up here at Wellingtonista Towers at present, which is just a short walk from the Stadium, where today’s One Day International (or Oh Dee Eye as they seem to have taken to calling this form of the game on the telly) between the NZ Black Caps and the Australian, er, Baggy […]
In news that will surely warm the cockles of many a teenaged boys heart, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) have announced they’re bringing the SmackDown Road to Wrestlemania 22™ Tour (not sure if they’ve trademarked the number 22, or the preceding words as well) to Wellington’s Westpac Stadium, next year on March 4. Westpac Stadium Marketing […]
