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'Narcissistic, irrational, spoilt' All Blacks' fans slammed by own media
By Online Editors
Narcissistic, irrational and spoilt.
That was the response from Radio Sport listeners when asked to describe All Blacks' fans in one word.
The question was put to listeners of the Radio Sport Breakfast in response to a column by NZ Herald writer Dylan Cleaver following the impressive 36-0 victory in the second Bledisloe Cup test at Eden Park on Saturday.
"It was only when the All Blacks started to assert real authority and staked a handy lead that the vibe changed from a sort of edgy quiet to something short of raucous celebration," Cleaver noted in his column after attending the victory.
"That's when the realisation hit: New Zealand fans aren't interested in the contest, they're just in it for the confirmation.
"They want their fears eased; their collective confidence boosted by the knowledge that the All Blacks remain in the seat of power.
"The joy comes not from the sport itself, but the result… as long as the result is the right one.
"It makes for a strange sort of atmosphere, with the expectation of victory always getting in the way of the thrill of battle."
Listeners to the Radio Sport Breakfast weighed in when asked to describe All Blacks' fans in just one word.
"Narcissistic. Symptoms include an excessive need for admiration, disregard for others' feelings, an inability to handle any criticism and a sense of entitlement," said Mark.
"Searching" as ABs supporters it seems we are always searching for the perfect game and perfect performance which doesn't exist," said Mike.
"We thump Aussie 36 nil and still we get complaints about line outs, set-piece, and typical SBW talk. We are always left searching. We should just be happy and enjoy the moments, we get a lot of them," he added.
Other listeners used the terms insular, impatient, irrational, lucky, fickle and spoilt.
A sell-out crowd attended the test in Auckland as the All Blacks locked away the Bledisloe Cup with another year.
However, Fox Sports reported on Sunday the non-playing contingent of the Australian squad were abused by members of the crowd and had a full water bottle thrown in their direction.
No one was hit, but one member of the Wallabies said that it landed close to them, Fox Sports reported.
This article first appeared on nzherald.co.nz and was republished again with permission.
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Latest Comments
I've not watched any of the Top 14, but am I right that he was very very good for the first couple of weeks, and then has been pretty ineffective since?
Go to commentsVery good point. I think the CO2 cost of international sport is a big taboo today (and it doesn't look like it'll change anytime soon unfortunately for all humans).
Regarding your second point, I fully agree as well. We have seen this very one-eyed backlash of the French policy on the July tour, most people refuse to see that the best SA players are suffering from the exact same problem : accumulated fatigue from playing too much without significant breaks. The Boks and the Argentinians played the world cup, the URC/Top14/Premiership, the July series, the Championship, etc, etc, with almost no compulsary resting period. This has to change, for the sake of the players, and in fine for the sake of the sport !
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