I support the All Blacks….
Well no, I appreciate them, but being English I’ll support England first. Sure I know the names of the All blacks, and can even pick some of them out from their pictures. But it’s not really support is it.
It’s like the Ford/Holden thing, you pick one that you support, but when it comes down to it you’re picking based on it being a V8 supercar not the Ford Fiesta, or Holden Vectra, and most likely you show your support by driving Nissan or Mazda. (I prefer Ford, I drive a Holden).
Support for a team though, if you get the support thing you’ll know that it’s a lifelong thing, you don’t chop and change as it suits. I’ll always follow Crystal Palace, always. I’m a Ford man. I’ll never stop following North Harbour, and the Warriors will be my pick to win every time.
If you support something you do always, loyally. But you know what you can’t just pick the national team, that’s just being patriotic, You can support national team if it’s Wellington Phoenix, Breakers or Warriors, but they play in Australian competitions so that’s a bit different.
My support of Crystal Palace, it’s like a tribal thing, You pick your colours, team name, mascot, ground, sometime based on locality (almost always based on locality) and that’s it you’re in. Some of you might think you support Manchester United, or Arsenal, you don’t you follow them, it’s different (ok if you’re English and they’re you’re local team then you can, I concede). In NZ you’re a follower. And in NZ you don’t get many opportunities to tribal up (unless it’s city based rivalries.)
But I’ll tell you what you can’t do, create some competition, in this case Netball, and come up with some schmanzy names like the Mystics, Sting etc and expect it to catch on. There is no connection to anything, you can’t just invent names to suit a franchise you must have a base line and existent place to build from. I can’t get the Netball name thing, that’s whacked, and for that reason I can’t see myself supporting something I don’t or can’t connect with.
What would separate the follower from a supporter? Well it’s not wearing the replica jersey. It’s a life long thing, you can’t waiver. Patriotism isn’t support, support is following your team, thick and thin. The All Blacks will always have support and carry a nation that’s not in dispute, but if the number of shirt sales depends on their success, and not how much you want you want to look like them then that’s not support that’s like a disapproving parent and a child.
So I support England, and anyone playing Australia (in any sport). And I always will.
A life just as ordinary 