So today it was announced that the NZ government has pumped $36 million dollars into the 2013
America's Cup event. To be fair to the National government they were contractually obliged to give this money because the previous Labour government signed up a deal with the Team.
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| "Yes that's right, sign under where it says you will give us anything we want" |
What a ludicrous waste of money, does anyone outside the NZ media actually give a rats arse..
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| Gross |
...about the America's Cup event? I mean I know it keeps Peter Montgomery employed but that is about the only purpose its seems to serve, I think they may have edited that immortal line of commentary.
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| "The Americas Cup is now New Zealand's Cup! and I am employed for 5 more years" - Peter Montgomery |
None of the other NZ sports journalists complain about the existence of Team New Zealand either, because it means instead of doing war stories, in Baghdad, or Kabul, they can just sit in the French Riveria, or off the coast in Spain, and send back puff pieces about how Team NZ has won some trophy, when they entered their multimillion dollar boat into some local boat race in the mediterranian.
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| This may get me a Pulitzer... |
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| ...but I would rather just chill and get my tan on. |
Seriously no mainstream media outlets outside of NZ actually cover the America's cup, or at least not as a sporting story.
Your are more likely to see a story on CourtTV or the Economist, then you are on ESPN or SkySport UK. The Americas Cup has always been about social elitist sailing their boats against each other.
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| "I say Old boy, after we have shown these foxes what's what, we should go have jolly good yacht race" |
In the recent past it has descending into madness, we too rich men, who both for some reason want the trophy have been fighting each other in the courts over how the race should be played. As soon as the fighting started and when people starting buying our yachties Team NZ should have quit. Larry Ellison and Ernesto Bertaralli could probably both buy our country so we have no business getting into rich man's fight, we will never win.
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| "We have both brought small countries, and we will be having them go to war, to see who is the best rich guy" |
I mean where does the America's Cup actually rank on a world yachting event? There seems to be multitudes of races, and events in the yachting world, which shows the best dominance? World Cup? Olympics? Round the World race? See I would put all of those events above the America's Cup because they have set rules that don't change. You want to win the Gold in Board sailing you better turn up on a windsurfer, and not a Sunburst.
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| Dave and Fred kept wondering why they kept get disqualified from the boardsailing. |
Whereas in the America's Cup if you win the cup, you can change the rules to what ever you want, hence you see 3 mast ships, catamaran's, trimarans, single hull warships winning the America's cup of the year.
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| NZ plan for the America's Cup if they win it next time. |
Imagine if other sports let the current champion write the rules for the next competition.
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| If NZ wins this years World Cup, look out for some big changes. |
The argument many people put forward is it helps promote our yachting industry?? I mean I know we make good boats, but surely if we just sold a good boat to Larry or Ernesto this would be just as good as marketing?
