The Game Played in Heaven ... and the one they'll be stuck playing 'Down South' (if you know what I mean)

The Super Rugby season is upon us to much my immense delight. The days of watching millionaire football players wearing helmets, pads, cups, towels, play books, ear pieces and black eyeliner move for a few seconds before a 1/2 minute break have given way to evenings watching real men protected only by uniforms, mouth guards and a smattering of sports tape smash each other for 80 full minutes under the guise of an organized ball game, all the while being paid a sum that proves they participate more for love than money.

I have such respect for the game and its players that I’d choose to watch a game of Rugby over any other sport save for Australian Rules Football which is basically in the same class of masculinity and dedication. And speaking of respect for a game and its players – I have almost none for most levels of Soccer (baring International during World Cup time, and even then my interest is tested) and here is a prime example of why:

Yes you indeed just saw a (presumably highly) paid professional athlete act like a 7 year old play fighting with his 8 year old brother in the back seat of the family sedan. Childish, petty, and as we’ll soon remember ‘Loco’ behavior unfit for a professional sporting arena – or so we’d like to believe.

And the worst part is - he got away with it!    (Bad parenting Mr. referee)

Though we can’t fully understand what the commentators are saying – if any of you can I’m interested to know all that was said between them – we can make out their surprised laughter at the absolute silliness of the circumstances. At one point one of the commentators says “Loco” (I at least know that means crazy). Agreed my South American friend, that is absolute bat s**t crazy right there!

But wait ... did I also catch an “E Spectatullllllor” from the other fellow? Perhaps he has mucho restecp (thanks Ali-G) for such an ingenious form of free kicking milkery (another word to add to my new dictionary). Because let’s face it, that is pretty much what 40% of Soccer is now days … a contest to see who can be awarded the most penalties via swan-like dives, arms upraised with heads thrown back and enough over acting to earn a gold statue. Otherwise known as deceit and cheating!

At least as the vide fades out a sting of “por favors” (I know that means please), can be heard indicating at least one of the commentators is asking for some form of sanity to be re introduced to proceedings.

But this is such a supreme case of petty deceit and cheating it leaves me flabbergasted. Flabbergasted AND at the same time glad this sport of soccer is a distant 10^th in the line of competitive team sports one can spend time watching in the coming months.

Thank goodness for a real man’s sport like Rugby (check out the top video in the sidebar to the right for an easy to understand illustration of soccer and its players vs Rugby) where and act like that would be laughed off as the silliness that it is. Well … unless your name is Bakkies Botha (Russ Fox knows what I mean) He just got an idea ;)