Is it hunting season on Lions?

This past week, we received news that our minister of sport was not talking out of his ass earlier this year when he said that the Southern Kings would be in the Super Rugby tournament instead of the Lions. It is now official. The Lions, my team, the current Currie Cup champions, will not be playing in the next Super Rugby tournament.

I am a Lions supporter, I am well used to disappointment and heartbreak but this is ridiculous. We have been dropped from the premier rugby tournament not because of a lack of skill or performance, but because of politics. We don’t even get the opportunity to defend our spot, it’s just done. We’re out.

How do the Kings expect to compete at this level? They never have before. The only way I can see them not making complete asses of themselves is to poach players… probably from the lions. I don’t get it. How do politicians justify messing with the sport to this extent? Surely there are more pressing matters vying for their attention? Surely the South African representatives to the Super Rugby tournament should be based on the best teams? Right?!

I have always been a Lions supporter. I will always be a Lions supporter. This tragic political decision may derail our fine rugby union and force another few years of development before we can again compete at the highest level, but you know what? I will still be a Lions supporter, even if no one in government is.

-Odd

“Sports and politics don’t mix.” –Eric Heiden 

Well done to our athletes!

 So the Olympics have just finished and we ended up with 6 medals, including 3 gold! I’d like to start off by congratulating our whole team. You guys are fantastic and we’re all proud of you!

It is a truly incredible feat, considering the relatively insignificant amount of money that our government puts into the Olympic program and the ton of political B.S. that goes on around it. I hope that our leaders pay attention to the upwelling of positive emotion coming from the populace. I hope that they decide to put some serious clout behind our athletes and out athletic programs.

Community enrichment through sport is a very solid plan for improving disadvantaged communities and could go a long way to work against the thriving criminal sector in SA. People who feel that they have an opportunity to improve their situations through sport are far less likely to fall into a life of crime.

Just a thought. Use it, don’t use it.

-Odd

“The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part; the essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well.” –Pierre de Coubertin

In The News:

Manchester airport introduces hologram staff - that's right, if you travel through Manchester airport, you can be directed, assisted and reminded of security procedures by a helpful hologram... so cool!

520 day mock Mars mission nears landing - they're doing a dry run... that must mean we're pretty close to actually going... anyone besides me want to go to Mars?

Google beats Bing at Jeopardy questions - who would win if search engines played this popular US game show? Google of course!

Egyptians find new ways to get online - with all the unrest in Egypt, the government shut down the internet... which is troubling in and of itself... but as this article shows: The flow of information is far more robust than most people think.

Fernando Torres signs for Chelsea for 50 million pounds - 50 MILLION POUNDS?! For a guy that can kick a ball around a little? As signs of the apocalypse go... in my book this one is right up there with rains of blood and the appearance of the angel of death.