Is Sonny Bill bigger than the game ?

[Beavers Headgear]

FMD SBW is having a big impact on NZ already !!

I'm the selector of all my clubs cricket teams, and had a bloke confirm himself available and said see you at practice, and 5mins later he emails me back and pulls out of the entire season !! :lol:

 

[Meth]

Plenty of truth in this. It's weird how people still hold onto all these ideals which still have a bit of a place in amateur sport and expect professional sportsmen to exhibit them in a completely different environment. More players would conduct their business like SBW (eg the short term deals, changing codes) if they had the ability to or were willing to take the risk. Best way to set himself up financially for life while achieving all sorts of career goals.

Top post

 

[Micistm]

Personally, I think SBW is the consummate professional sportsman. Get with it- this 'disrespecting the jersey' crap belongs to a past era.

Disrespecting your coach and other players does not though.

What he's done this week is the equivalent of the cat wanting out once you've shut the door, and as bright. Flakey and very unprofessional, leaving the coach in a really tough spot and a disappointed kid out of the WC.
Yes he's a superb athelete, and strengthens the Kiwis, but he can still be called a drongo when deserved, contrary to what his fanclub think. Sometimes they seem like Kiddies squealing for One Direction- anyone who doesn't adore anything and everything about him is a 'hater':lol:

 

[Fast Eddie]

Disrespecting your coach and other players does not though.

What he's done this week is the equivalent of the cat wanting out once you've shut the door, and as bright. Flakey and very unprofessional, leaving the coach in a really tough spot and a disappointed kid out of the WC.
Yes he's a superb athelete, and strengthens the Kiwis, but he can still be called a drongo when deserved, contrary to what his fanclub think. Sometimes they seem like Kiddies squealing for One Direction- anyone who doesn't adore anything and everything about him is a 'hater':lol:

I think there is probably a good balance between those people and people like Ozenud and BH :lol:

Although I guess I'm considered as one of those people, but thats just because I don't really care how he conduct himself off the field in terms of business dealings etc

 

[JoeD]

The fact is that the best players are treated differently. Thats just life. Look no further than the ABs and their sabbaticals. Or cricketers cautting tours short because of the IPL. We'll probably never know what was going on inside SBW's head on Monday (if anything) but it doesn't really matter. When you're the best you get to dictate.

 

[Bobby DIGital]

Agreed JoeD

In 1992 Michael Jordan told the USA basketball selectors that he wouldn't play in the Dream Team if Isaiah Thomas was selected.

Isaiah wasn't selected.

Boom.

 

[Micistm]

I think there is probably a good balance between those people and people like Ozenud and BH :lol:

Although I guess I'm considered as one of those people, but thats just because I don't really care how he conduct himself off the field in terms of business dealings etc

You were on newstalk last night...?;-)

Seriously, I can understand people with a passion for both Rugby codes admiring his skills, but some of these clowns were just apologists, making excuses for any idiot thing. If you've got interest in the onfield skills and only that, that's a little different to this. These morons were just being downright stupid, sounding not unlike the followers from Life of Brian, like he was some kind of messiah.

 

[Micistm]

Curious....
SBW has fronted about this little mini fiasco...on BBC! Not Aussie media, not NZ where most of the fuss has occurred, but BBC?
Could it be perhaps with the WC happening over there this is a good chance to parade the skills for a superleague contract, with a view to taking it or upping a Union or League contract value back here...? ;-)
Cynical I know Lol, and ultimately if he's doing it for self interest it doesn't matter, the Kiwis can use him while he's using the Kiwis, everyone wins. Except poor Harris!

 

[Meth]

The fact is that the best players are treated differently. Thats just life. Look no further than the ABs and their sabbaticals. Or cricketers cautting tours short because of the IPL. We'll probably never know what was going on inside SBW's head on Monday (if anything) but it doesn't really matter. When you're the best you get to dictate.

Yep

 

[Philip_Smith007]

Curious....
SBW has fronted about this little mini fiasco...on BBC! Not Aussie media, not NZ where most of the fuss has occurred, but BBC?
Could it be perhaps with the WC happening over there this is a good chance to parade the skills for a superleague contract, with a view to taking it or upping a Union or League contract value back here...? ;-)
Cynical I know Lol, and ultimately if he's doing it for self interest it doesn't matter, the Kiwis can use him while he's using the Kiwis, everyone wins. Except poor Harris!

He had a pretty well "news camera" documented meeting with NZRU officials today, paper work swapping hands, well managers hands.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/rugby/exclusive-sonny-bill-williams-secret-meeting-with-the-new-zealand-rugby-union/story-fnibc42r-1226736904344

 

[Blair]

Yep

And as fans we're supposed to support this charmless chase for money?

Maybe things are different now but it's not how I grew up following sport. It's getting less and less appealing by the year.

 

[Micistm]

He had a pretty well "news camera" documented meeting with NZRU officials today, paper work swapping hands, well managers hands.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/r...land-rugby-union/story-fnibc42r-1226736904344

Paperwork?! For Mr Handshake deal?!:shock:

That's a little different to fronting for the mess that he instigated but Kearney seems to be copping shit for now I see- And let's be honest, had Kearney taken the 'other' decision he would get shit for that too, he couldn't win. SBW has twitted n tweeted about it, but when our local TV news covered his actual response on this latest idiot action it's via BBC news. WTF?!

Over this bullshit again. In answer to the original topic question- He's bigger than the game(s) in the same way that the Kardashians are huge.:roll: Off to rugby union again? What can I say...BYYEEEEEE!!!:lol:

 

[Meth]

And as fans we're supposed to support this charmless chase for money?

Maybe things are different now but it's not how I grew up following sport. It's getting less and less appealing by the year.

It is different.

This is the bed we made when we wanted professional sport. Sonny Bill Williams is the conceived child of the professional era.

 

[Beavers Headgear]

So how come SBW is the only 'professional' that acts in this way ?

Are we calling the likes of Thurston, Inglis, Cronk etc amateur ? You can be professional without all the circus attached to it.

And do we now call Team Mundine the most professional outfit of the modern era ?

 

[Meth]

So how come SBW is the only 'professional' that acts in this way ?

Are we calling the likes of Thurston, Inglis, Cronk etc amateur ? You can be professional without all the circus attached to it.

And do we now call Team Mundine the most professional outfit of the modern era ?

There's a circus that surrounds SBW, I know. I am not really a fan of Khoder as a person.

In any event, SBW is a product, and he and his team are focussed on securing the best deal possible for him. He's close to the best and most marketable player on the planet, he know's his worth, and he operates accordingly.

 

[ozbash]

NZRFU have given him/them 12 days to make a decision, they need to know by Oct 22 to finalise S15 squads.

 

[JoeD]

As far as I know SBW hasn't

- been caught DIC
- taken a dump in a hotel hallway
- glassed his girlfriend
- taken PE ElephantJuice

Or any of the other things his fellow 'pro' footballers have done. Does this make him less of a pro as well?

 

[Fast Eddie]

As far as I know SBW hasn't

- been caught DIC
- taken a dump in a hotel hallway
- glassed his girlfriend
- taken PE ElephantJuice

Or any of the other things his fellow 'pro' footballers have done. Does this make him less of a pro as well?

Exactly. Always find it funny to hear people getting so worked up about SBW and his business dealings off the field, probably wouldn't care if blokes like Lui, Bird etc were playing in their team though.

Also those blokes mentioned above by BH have no where near the career earnings of SBW most likely. And I wouldn't mention Inglis as the most 'professional' bloke by the standards you are setting since from memory there was him backing out of his Broncos contract with some excuse about he didn't think the planes would be flying because it was raining :lol: They are also not in the same class as SBW when it comes to being able to make money for a club I feel.

 

[Rich102]

If he goes back to rugby this will all be academic.

 

[Meth]

If he goes back to rugby this will all be academic.

Why?