Don’t want to make song and dance of Halbergs but . .
The Halberg Awards come from a wonderful place. What a shame, then, that they seem to have ended up in a building that looks like a cross between a bingo hall and a Karangahape strip joint. That’s not good look Pacific fusion. So here are a few ideas to give one of the world’s best sporting awards nights a facelift.
I’m starting a campaign with Barry Saunders of the Warratahs to stop every muffin shop, clothes store and optometrist in New Zealand from piping music into our ears. Give us some peace, please. I thought Hollie Smith was terrific, but why did we have a diva in the middle of a sports event. This isn’t the Superbowl for goodness sake. It’s not as if Sergei Bubka turns up halfway through the Bolshoi Ballet and pole vaults into the audience.
Next up, please, please, Sky Television, enough already with unprofessional presenters. The Halberg trust chief executive, the courteous and considered Steve Hall, says: ‘‘Both Sky TV and us had an input [into the choice of presenters]. Rachel Hunter is an iconic New Zealander. She presented the Laureus Sports Awards in 2004 with John Mcenroe so she’s got some credibility. Rachel is supportive of the trust and she also came to a Wheelchair Basketball event which helped raise our profile.’’
It’s a good case until poor Rachel tried to do a job she is not remotely trained for. At one point co-presenter Stephen Mcivor became so frustrated, he barked: ‘‘You’re next, off you go, come on.’’ It didn’t help. The stuttering Hunter welcomed VC winner ‘‘Corporal Willie Apa [blank pause] Apiata’’ as if he were a rare species of bee.
I am a big fan of Sky for transforming sports broadcasting but could they start employing fewer untrained celebrities behind the microphone. Let’s have a professional interviewer working the floor. The other night I wanted to hear Steve Hansen’s plans for the All Blacks. I wanted to hear from Valerie Adams’s coach and all the rowers and other athletes who are going to the London Olympics. What did Ross Taylor think of the forthcoming visit by the South Africans?
So many wonderful