For those of you thinking I'm going to be talking about the SMRC 7's tourney this weekend....you're in luck. Aztecs won, we came in fourth, it's gonna be a showdown at the Belmont Shore corral later this month. Dolphins will be packin' the heat, don't you worry.
But, I got bigger fish to fry this morning. The Lions have announced their roster for the final test match against the Wallabies on Saturday morning (wee hours by LA time) and well, some people (not all Irish but Lions supporters in general) seem to be staring aghast, slack jawed and wide eyed. Ireland's star centre and legend Brian O'Driscoll is not on the roster, not even on the bench. What seems to be even worse than this (according to some of my Irish friends) is that Welsh standard, Jamie Roberts, appears to have been chosen in his place. Outrage even has a hashtag #odriscollgate
Now this kind of thing can happen on Lions tours. You get that many rock stars on one stage and sure enough you find that four bass players is a tad excessive and someone has to sit out on a few stops on the tour. It happens. Do we really need all the kerfuffle?
What also seems to keep many Lions supporters fuming is that with Sam Warburton out, O'Driscoll should have been the easy choice for Captain. First, let me break down that last phrase for you, "easy choice for Captain". Anyone who thinks picking a Captain for the Lions when your #1 is sidelined before the last game of the entire tour needs their head examined. There is no easy choice for Gats this week. Lions backs are against the wall and his butt is on the line. So please don't sit back and presume that Gatland threw darts at a squad sheet after a few pints.
Roster choices are nerve wracking on a club level, imagine it on this level. You've got an entire corporation ready to pop champagne bottles over all the merch money they're going to make "when" you win. You've got malicious headline writers foaming at the mouth just waiting for you to blink wrong and so they can write about it. And these are just the things I've thought of in the last few moments. I don't even want to know what keeps Gatland up at night.
Second--for the select and scant few twitter-ites who seem to think Roberts = plague. Or let me see how did one tweet put it -"Roberts should be ashamed. He should step aside. He's a coward for not reliquishing and making Gats use BOD" (And that's by a Welshman!) Really? Really? Stop it. Just plain stop it. Even the most adamant Irish friends of mine, who's blood runs green and their hearts are shaped like shamrocks, will step up and say Jamie is a good choice at centre against the Wallabies. He didn't pick the squad and I doubt anyone I know would give up a spot in a Lions jersey to one of their friends. So sit down. He's a doctor, he knows what he's doing. And overly insane crying for attention twitter rants are starting to piss me off. (There by the grace of Gods goes the unfollow button.)
Third, it seems bloodthirsty "kill em all" Lions supporters really do have huge mushy hearts, because it seems a large portion of outrage comes out of a need to say goodbye. A need to have one last glorious run onto the pitch and score the game winning try at the last minute of the last lions game. Guess what, we've seen it. I hate to be so blunt, but didn't we get that goodbye moment last Lions tour? Didn't we see the waving and the tearjerking gut wrenching tribute videos play over and over on BBC. What about the 2012 6 Nations, the 2013 6 Nations, hell O'Driscoll has been retiring from Internationals almost as long as KISS has been on a farewell tour. Yes I own that that last comment sounds crass and bitchy, but....
That's just it--the Lions Tour is not the Brian O'Driscoll Farewell Extravaganza--it's just not. It's the LIONS TOUR. It's bigger than the Welsh, the Irish, the Scots and the English. It's bigger than one player or one game or one try. It's bigger on a corporate level, sponsor level, player level and supporter level. The Lions are even bigger than the corporation that runs it. For six weeks every four years, the British and Irish are one - we are all Lions. Look at the roster--it's not lacking in talent, skill, experience or leadership.
Dollars to donuts, hand to Rugby Gods, we'll all be watching O'Driscoll final international game tribute videos during fall internationals and probably even 2014 6 Nations. I, for one, wouldn't mind seeing another one sometime. The man's a brilliant rugby legend that crosses all nations and all teams. He has had the most shining heart racing moments in the sun. He will have another before it's all over. Saturday will not be one. And it really is ok.
Personally, I'd rather O'Driscoll not been on the Lions tour--I might have had the chance to photog him in Houston.... Don't worry about your leadership going forward Ireland-you're in good hands. O'Mahony is also just fun to say.
If we lose to the Wallabies-well I expect all of you to be on here with a ton of "I told you so's" and guess what - if the resounding chorus is that O'Driscoll would have given us a win, then I'll deserve it. But we won't - Lions 21-Wallabies 18
But, I got bigger fish to fry this morning. The Lions have announced their roster for the final test match against the Wallabies on Saturday morning (wee hours by LA time) and well, some people (not all Irish but Lions supporters in general) seem to be staring aghast, slack jawed and wide eyed. Ireland's star centre and legend Brian O'Driscoll is not on the roster, not even on the bench. What seems to be even worse than this (according to some of my Irish friends) is that Welsh standard, Jamie Roberts, appears to have been chosen in his place. Outrage even has a hashtag #odriscollgate
Now this kind of thing can happen on Lions tours. You get that many rock stars on one stage and sure enough you find that four bass players is a tad excessive and someone has to sit out on a few stops on the tour. It happens. Do we really need all the kerfuffle?
What also seems to keep many Lions supporters fuming is that with Sam Warburton out, O'Driscoll should have been the easy choice for Captain. First, let me break down that last phrase for you, "easy choice for Captain". Anyone who thinks picking a Captain for the Lions when your #1 is sidelined before the last game of the entire tour needs their head examined. There is no easy choice for Gats this week. Lions backs are against the wall and his butt is on the line. So please don't sit back and presume that Gatland threw darts at a squad sheet after a few pints.
Roster choices are nerve wracking on a club level, imagine it on this level. You've got an entire corporation ready to pop champagne bottles over all the merch money they're going to make "when" you win. You've got malicious headline writers foaming at the mouth just waiting for you to blink wrong and so they can write about it. And these are just the things I've thought of in the last few moments. I don't even want to know what keeps Gatland up at night.
Second--for the select and scant few twitter-ites who seem to think Roberts = plague. Or let me see how did one tweet put it -"Roberts should be ashamed. He should step aside. He's a coward for not reliquishing and making Gats use BOD" (And that's by a Welshman!) Really? Really? Stop it. Just plain stop it. Even the most adamant Irish friends of mine, who's blood runs green and their hearts are shaped like shamrocks, will step up and say Jamie is a good choice at centre against the Wallabies. He didn't pick the squad and I doubt anyone I know would give up a spot in a Lions jersey to one of their friends. So sit down. He's a doctor, he knows what he's doing. And overly insane crying for attention twitter rants are starting to piss me off. (There by the grace of Gods goes the unfollow button.)
Dammit Gats..I'm a Doctor not a...wait.....
Third, it seems bloodthirsty "kill em all" Lions supporters really do have huge mushy hearts, because it seems a large portion of outrage comes out of a need to say goodbye. A need to have one last glorious run onto the pitch and score the game winning try at the last minute of the last lions game. Guess what, we've seen it. I hate to be so blunt, but didn't we get that goodbye moment last Lions tour? Didn't we see the waving and the tearjerking gut wrenching tribute videos play over and over on BBC. What about the 2012 6 Nations, the 2013 6 Nations, hell O'Driscoll has been retiring from Internationals almost as long as KISS has been on a farewell tour. Yes I own that that last comment sounds crass and bitchy, but....
That's just it--the Lions Tour is not the Brian O'Driscoll Farewell Extravaganza--it's just not. It's the LIONS TOUR. It's bigger than the Welsh, the Irish, the Scots and the English. It's bigger than one player or one game or one try. It's bigger on a corporate level, sponsor level, player level and supporter level. The Lions are even bigger than the corporation that runs it. For six weeks every four years, the British and Irish are one - we are all Lions. Look at the roster--it's not lacking in talent, skill, experience or leadership.
Dollars to donuts, hand to Rugby Gods, we'll all be watching O'Driscoll final international game tribute videos during fall internationals and probably even 2014 6 Nations. I, for one, wouldn't mind seeing another one sometime. The man's a brilliant rugby legend that crosses all nations and all teams. He has had the most shining heart racing moments in the sun. He will have another before it's all over. Saturday will not be one. And it really is ok.
Personally, I'd rather O'Driscoll not been on the Lions tour--I might have had the chance to photog him in Houston.... Don't worry about your leadership going forward Ireland-you're in good hands. O'Mahony is also just fun to say.
If we lose to the Wallabies-well I expect all of you to be on here with a ton of "I told you so's" and guess what - if the resounding chorus is that O'Driscoll would have given us a win, then I'll deserve it. But we won't - Lions 21-Wallabies 18
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