Good morning Punters, Friday, and you know what that means, the bloody Olympics Games are almost over.  Thank Christ for that.  If I had to sit through one more Air New Zealand 'now flying direct to Beijing' add I would go insane.

TZNZ's coverage has been piss poor for me, adds every six seconds, between watching synchronised swimming, table tennis and rhythmic gymnastics does not an Olympics make.  Prime time play some of the decent sports, not a quarter final of the men's beach volleyball between Brazil and Taipai!  Replay decent events that Kiwi's are involved in or something of interest.

Oh, and the twats from TVNZ doing the interviews of the poor athletes.  Retarded questions galore.  The chicks look like groupies who just want to shag the pants off the athletes, while the men ask the dumbest questions (or do the chicks).  They athletes must cringe when they see the Kiwi contingent approaching.  Thinl the ratings from Sportboy are generous here...

Good though to see the Kiwi's grabbing a few medals at this game, well done those boys and girls.  As for the Charlies running the games, may as well hold the next ones in Zimbabwe and look the other way there too.  What a joke, but we won't go there.  Suffice to say the words 'human rights' have no translation from the English into the Chinese languages.

Rugby - what a rort - Northland getting the shaft from the NZRU.  WE watched a game of rugby last night (or some of us did, along with a crowd of about 300 at the match) on Sky that featured the team that should no longer be plying their trade at the top level.  Counties Manukau were, and are, just awful.  They have nothing to offer at the top level, and they offered it all up last night in their 8-22 loss to a just as awful Otago side.  As a rugby game, it was a great cure for insomnia, and a dire advertisement for the ELV's.

Back to the Olympics.  Sprinters.  The Yanks aren't winning this year.  Perhaps their drugs aren't up to it this year, or they are not able to take them, so they are not winning.  Interesting to see what a level playing field can get you, when it is left down to natural ability and training.  Not natural ability, training, and the best drugs.  I reserve the right to call the Bolt a rotten drug cheat though the instant anything along those lines rears its ugly head though!!

While I don't condone the drug cheats, couldn't New Zealand sport start breeding from our great athletes?  Get Adams the shot put chick to hook up with Carl Hayman and there would be a front rower ready for the All Blacks in about 2030 that no one would screw with.  Pity we don't have any sprinters going at the moment - Rokocoko would make a good stud to throw to a few quick females...

Rugby again - that epic All Black win last week.  What the hell is that dick Ratpoo on?  He obviously hates rugby, and the All Blacks, and Henry and compnay.  So stop watching them - it must be killing you that they keep winning and your, 'I told you so' drivel piece.  While it was not a scoring fest, I thought the game was brilliant.  Both sides just slugging it out, no quarter given or asked for, and the Bokke were the first to crack and look the other way, and thus lost. 

What's happened to the All Black wingers?  A year ago we had Howlett, Gear (R), Sivivatu and Rokocoko.  Any pair of those and we had world class wings.  Now we have a provincial centre in Kahui, and a utility back in Toeava winging it...??  Where are the new bread, anyone spotted any wings in the ANZC?  I know I haven't...

On the up side, what's happened to the All Black midfield?  We have a bit of continuity there at last.  It's turned into the Smith and Nonu show, and it's worth watching!  Maybe not a ratings buster now, but getting better and better all the time.  Add in the fact that Kahui can guest star now and then in place of Smith (for injury please), and the don't miss a beat, it is all good news.  More so if Kahui keeps getting game time on the wing.  Miles on the clock (or minutes on the field) is what it is all about as they gain experience at this level.  Ultimate goal, I hate to say (apart from winning EVERY test they play), a well oiled machine by 2011...

Also another up side - the ANZC has had some pretty good performances from some individuals from the lower rated teams.  The Bay's loose trio is on fire - Bourke, Latimer and King looking like the best 3 out there at the moment.  And those young Wellington inside backs - Hobbs and co, they are looking good too - although one smashed his shoulder up the other week.

North Harbour and Waikato play this weekend, meaning one of them will break their first class matches 'duck' for the season.  Neither has won a game yet!!  Check seasons results here.

Finally, I love the passion of the forums here, although some people take if FAR to seriously.  Hell, trying to change someone's opinion is a waste of time, get your point across, and walk away.  You're probably talking to a 25 stone, hairy, naked chick, sweating away at her keyboard in Christchurch, while waiting for the Pizza man to come, so she can chain him up inn her favourite gimp suit for a half hour...