May 1, 2025 • 42 mins
D'Arcy Waldegrave returned to wrap another day of sports news! Highlights for tonight include:
Dean Lonergan - Boxing Promoter and Former Kiwi International - On the new Runit Championship coming to New Zealand.
Talkback
Nick Mills - Wellington Saints Owner - On the Indian Panthers being suspended.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Darcy Waldegrave
from News Talk ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Bang. This is it Sports Talk on News Talks ABM
Darcy water Grave seven. I have to see it. It's
a Thursday, it is the first day of May coming
up in this edition of Sports Talk. It's kind of sport.
Not entirely sure it is, but leads pretend it is
(00:51):
for the purposes of this program. What am I talking
about talking about? Run it straight? This new sport? I'm
not sure you know what it is. This this new
sport is how a slap on legs, That's what it is. Anyway,
we'll talk more about run it Straight with for Mercewe
(01:13):
International Boxing promoter mister Dean Lonigan. Dino joins us. Surely
it's coming to New Zealand. What the dinia give us
an idea? We'll take some tour back after that eight
hundred and at ten eighty, like, do this sport need
to be stopped? They step in and ban this fro
(01:35):
from entering New Zealand. I don't know if you can
stop stupid, though, can you? Stupid is as stupid does
given the opportunity. I mean, Darwin Award winners everywhere in
this event. But anyway, we'll hear more from Dean, then
we'll hear from yourselves, and toward the back end of
the program we carry on with the sALS NBL drama.
(01:55):
But wait, there's more. Owner Willington Saints, Nick Mills It
joins us on the Panthers investigation. They have been officially
suspended from the NBL. Is a ongoing investigation and we'll
see what they'll pull up out of that and release
the media statement today to that effect. So we'll get
(02:18):
Nick on to talk about that. I've been on the
phone to a number of players and the like. No
one's going to speak fair enough still under investigation. I
get that, but this is chaos. It is nine minutes
after seven before we go into any of that. Let's
do a weird of this sport today and in sport today.
(02:40):
Indian Panthers CEO Paving but insists his team will be
back in the NBL after being suspended today by the
Commission for Payment and player welfare issues.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
There's no scale to seriousness. We have to make sure
that we fulfill everything the Commission asks us to do.
We'll work closely with them over a period of time
to make sure that we were able to do that.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
Okay. Ryan Fox has called on the cavalry head of
the PGA's event in Texas starting overnight, Coach Marcus the
wheely Bin Wheelhouse. I can say that because I know
him joins the golfer whose family aren't there, so he's
making the best use of his non dad duty time.
Speaker 4 (03:22):
I'm by myself this week, which.
Speaker 5 (03:24):
Makes it easier to be completely focused on golf in
that respect and do a bit of grinding with him
on the range and around the ship and green, et cetera.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
Top bloke Ryan Fox and Marcus Wheelhouse Blues Fallback Braxton
the ghost Runner Sirenson mckeel. Honestly, have you've seen her run?
I swear it's like she's not even there. Will of
a whisp, She's now a black fern. The eighteen year
old athlete was selected today to play in the upcoming
pack for tournament. Happy Days. A little nervous waiting for
(03:56):
the message to see if otherin or not, But when
I got the messages, I was over the moon.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
About it, overly excited to be a part of this.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
Team Superstar and the making sorry about that, No pressure
at all, brats and just ignore me. And Hollywood propped
up football club wrex And is coming to Wellington, maybe
the old school Welsh club owned by a couple of
Californian celebrities investigating a possible trip down under. We heard
(04:24):
that it's not Auckland DFC. Looks like it's going to
be the Phoenix though finished coach of gian Carlo Italiano
is all over it.
Speaker 6 (04:31):
It'll be a competitive game early preseason as well for
both teams. So any tenant starts out a game in
July grossly underdone physically, so you won't have like an
utmost quality, but it will still be a good contest.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
And ioul adventure to say it would sell out, especially
if the two Hollywood superstar good looking boys are there,
whatever their names are. And that's sport today. Honestly, I'm
stick the Ryan guy for the other Ryan guy. Couldn't
tell the difference between who is it Ryan Reynolds and
Ryan the other bloke. He it's until Ryan to eight
eleven minutes after seven, and that the sport today right here,
(05:10):
right now. They we're going to venture into this sport,
run it straight. A new competition that's turning up and
to explain the ins and outs of that before we
get to Dean Longigan. This is the rules. This is
from Monstrous rugby league player Nelson A Soffer Solomona.
Speaker 5 (05:30):
The rules of the game are simple, with a run
zone of ten meters. One player carries the ball and
the other defenders rules.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
If you're running, the job is simple. You run it straight.
So how do you win?
Speaker 7 (05:45):
You win by.
Speaker 5 (05:46):
Dominating contact four rounds to impress the judges, hit hat
and dandel ground and inflect damage.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
And you're wondering what's in it for you? Twenty thousand
dollars cash. Well, that's the ambassador for run it Straight,
Nelson A Sofer Solomona, twenty grand Okay, yeah, you've got
to wave some baits, don't you get that right out
and try and drag people along to talk about that.
(06:13):
Now we're joined by form kiw In's national boxing boxing promoter,
Dean Longigan. Dino, good evening. I'm going very very well,
and I know you are because that's the way you
roll relevant person to get on air for this one.
Because you're an ex league player at KIWI, you understand
(06:35):
contact sport and of course a promoter as well. See
you now, all of this operates. What we're talking about
is this so called new sport that's coming to New Zealand.
It's an astonishing sport. Now you're all over this, you
know about it. Is this a sport? Is this a
sensible promotion? Should we be having a bar of it?
Speaker 7 (06:58):
That's some interesting questions. Is it a sport? No, all
it is is you take in a very very limited
part of rugby league, even rugby union, and having people
run at full speed at each other. And now the
problem with it is this is that if you're in
a rugby league game and you're one hundred and twenty
kilo problem or they as they are nowadays, you might
(07:20):
do twenty or thirty, maybe even forty runs in a game.
You get tired, you get worn out, the defense gets
worn out, and none of the hits, very few of
the hits are hardcore, full on, frontal hits. Now this
game run it up straight. All you've got is sometimes
and I've been watching this on Aline. I find it
enormously entertaining, but it's not overly healthy for the participants
(07:42):
because I've seen a number of guys take shots to
the head and they're getting knocked out. Their arms are
locking up, they're having fits you know, which are not good,
which means you're getting concussed. So it's enormously entertaining. It's
absolutely built for social media. I've got no doubts it'll
attract ever growing crowds. I don't know if you live
a fill a stadium on it, but you certainly might
(08:04):
get you know, one on two and three thousand people
turning up. But I do believe that long term it's
got It's quite dangerous from a head can cushing point
of view, simply because you've got guys that I've seen there. Mate,
these guys are clocking in one hundred and twenty hundred
and thirty hundred and forty kilos. They stand twenty yards apart,
run each other at full speed and try to run
over each other. And if you hadn't got your technique down,
(08:26):
which a lot of these guys won't because they're not
former professional football players, not pro football players, they're going
to have major injuries, one to their shoulders, but two
and more importantly to their heads. And it's going to come.
But I can tell you this, it's entertaining.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
Why do people sign up for something like this what's
the driver.
Speaker 7 (08:43):
Oh, it's it's a full on. It's young men testing themselves.
It's the same reason why you play rugby league, you
play rugby union, you do UFC in your box because
you want to test yourself in an environment where you
feel comfortable or even outside of your own comfort zone.
And if you have a look at these guys, a
lot of the guys that are doing it, mate, there
a lot of Island boys, and they're built for this.
(09:03):
They're just big and strong and and you know they
love to express their physicality and that's what this is
perfect for is And here's the thing for this particular sport.
You do not have to be fit. You just have
to have the ability to run ten meters, probably be
a little bit heavier than the other bloke. If you've
got a little bit more momentum and a little bit
(09:25):
more technique, you're probably going to really really put some
big hits on. And I was talking to my son
about it today because we've both watched us over the
last and a couple of months. So that's a great idea. Promotionally,
I just don't think it's too healthy for people. And
the key to this thing is if you're hitting guys
on the front. You know, it's just going to come
down to momentum size if you hit guys a little
bit to the side, so you can, you know, drive
(09:48):
you not take the full on front or momentum. You know,
the technique will go a long way to actually be
helping you win this thing. But my advice don't get
involved in this because it's going to be incredibly physically
hurtful to some people. But that's not to stop people.
They're going to do it because they love it. They
love the physicality. So I'll watch it while it's entertaining,
(10:11):
just fingers cross. Nobody is too injured in it, and.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
The organizers exploiting people because of the simplicity of it.
You don't actually have to know much. You just have
to run straight at somebody else. And there's a case
of they're exploiting them or maybe the people doing it
should know better. And you can't say people from yourself
from theirselves, can you?
Speaker 7 (10:31):
Well you could say you could say that for a
whole lot of things in this life, Darcy, everything from
you know, doing stupid things, getting blind as a bat,
and some people get in the car and drive through
to get drunk to the point of where you get sick.
We should all know better about doing these things. And
the one thing is it's it's it's a healthy pursuit
that you're not doing anything too wildly stupid from the
(10:53):
inside of your body, like put your shit in it.
You shouldn't. But I don't think it's that overly healthy
taking the big hits. Are the promoters exploiting people? No,
they're not, because simply people are signing up to do
it because they really want to do it. And you've
got guys, you know, and I haven't seen any woman
doing it yet, but you've got guys who are doing
it that might have had a bit of background in
regular league and rugby union and they've just gotten too
(11:14):
big to play the game. And then they well, I
can front up for one hit, and I can front
up for one run, and it's going to be entertaining
while it lasts, and I don't know who's going to
shut it down. So I imagine it's going to last a
long time if it keeps up the social media phenomenal
that it is. Because I've seen some of these videos,
I've had a million views on them.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
Wow, what about the garden. Will they climb in and
go hold on. This is going to end up costing
the taxpayer. ACC is not free, and these guys are
going to end up needing care, especially in the worst
case scenarios. So maybe there's a move there going now,
there's nothing good on this. We can't do this. It's
costing everyone cash.
Speaker 7 (11:52):
Well don't. I don't know that you can stop it,
you know, for the simple reason you've got say, take
boxing right or Emma and UFC. You've got those guys
asparring on a regular basis, and they get hurt in
the ring, and yes they are, you know, from amateur
all the way through the professional and it's done under supervision.
And it's fair to say this is done under supervision.
(12:13):
But I just you know, you can't. Just because you
don't approve of it or you don't like what you see,
doesn't mean you say you should stop it. Because those
people who are participating are willing participants, and if they
want to go out there and do what they're doing, well,
good luck to them.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
Doesn't need to be sanctioned or anything. I mean, you said,
it's not really a sport, it's just an entertainment for
it of anything else. So your sport news that undor
that it's commission of something, you probably just keep well
away from it, wouldn't you.
Speaker 7 (12:39):
I don't know, Das, and I think what's going to
be interesting because one of the things they have done
right is that they're showing people getting knocked out right
and it's going to garner a lot of media or interests.
And if the traditional media hasn't jumped on it yet,
you're the first one who has. And at the end
of the day, the traditional media is cut through, is
(13:00):
diminishing all the time. But this is going to become
a social media phenomenal. Oh mate, it's just a fact.
You know it.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
I know.
Speaker 7 (13:07):
So this is a social media phenomenon. It's going to
grow bigger and bigger. I don't know if you can
sanction it. I don't know if you can shut it down.
What I do know is that people are going to
get hurt. But it's entertaining to watch.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
Is it on rugby and he's it in rugby league too.
They wade into this or again just walk away.
Speaker 7 (13:25):
It sits outside their purview. It's not a game of
rugby union, it's not a game of rugby league. You know,
it's just it's a game of whoever's organizing this, they're
offentially effectively the sanctioning body as well, so they're the
ones who have to come up with the rules. It'll
be fascinating, It'll be fascinated to seed dars. It'll be
great for you to get on board on air a
(13:46):
person who's actually promoting this and running it, and you know,
run the questions against them.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
And lastly, how different is this the palace slab?
Speaker 7 (13:53):
Great question and the answer is probably not a lot
to be there, except I would say this, when you
get hit in the head with the open hand, the
only you can only generate so much force. It is
no w're near the force of two bodies of one
hundred and twenty to one hundred and thirty kilos each
running each other for ten yards or twenty yards apart
(14:14):
and connecting. And the issue in this thing is not
the physical connection between the two bodies that come together.
It's when those two bodies come together with enormous kinetic
energy and then all of a sudden both bodies stop,
but the brain keeps going forward in the head and
smashes against your forehead. Right, That's where the issues are happening,
(14:35):
and that's why you see a number of plot props.
Now you know, at the age of thirty five, forty
and forty five are starting to get dementia and ct
and stuff like that because they would have put down
one thousand scrums and mate behind and they've got eight
nine hundred kilos on each side. You're going down at
six seven eight miles per hour and you come to
an instant stop, but your brain keeps moving forward and
(14:57):
smashes against the front of your skull. That is why
the injuries are occurring. It's a brain flopping around inside
your skull. That's why this is not an ovally healthy sport.
Speaker 8 (15:06):
No need for the DMO.
Speaker 1 (15:08):
We've got the breakdown on sports talk calla News Talk.
Speaker 3 (15:16):
Two.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
This is that sports talk and that's why helmets don't
work in headgear and rugby. I don't know how it is.
It's your brain bouncing around the inside this thing. Lonegan,
their former Kiwi's international boxing promoter, talking about run it straight,
this new this new it's not really game. There's nothing
funny about it. It's not really a sport. This new promotion,
(15:40):
the you Go promotion. The question is did officials actually
step in and ban this from entering New Zealand. Actually,
you know what, No, we're not doing this. You can't
do this. I like the idea of a disclaimer being
signed by the athletes and in commons that said, if
(16:04):
I end up flopping around on the ground like a fish,
my legs going everywhere, I don't get any help from
the ACC, I can just expire by myself under my
own power. As producer Andy Duff pointed out, that's never
going to happen. The ACC. You're going to look after everybody,
regardless of how stupid their injuries are. So we're gonna
(16:24):
foot the bill. So does an overlorder to come and say, look,
we can't do this. It's just dumb. There's nothing good
about this, like power slap? Do they have powerslap here
in his zeland? Has anyone seen power slap live in
his zeland? Anyway? Oh, eight hundred and eighty ten eighty.
Should this be stopped or is it a case as
(16:44):
stupid as as stupid does? This is a dar On
Award in full action. The Darwin Award basically means people
who die in acts of idiocy are doing their best
to help the gene Pool by removing themselves from it,
the dar On Award, and that's what we've got. It's
a question the official need to step in. Has this
(17:08):
got any place? I won't even ask if you call
it sport or not, because it isn't. It doesn't need
to be banned from entering. Oh, eight hundred eighty ten eighty.
I don't think you can stop people being dumb. I
just don't think. So you start again. It's that the
(17:29):
people telling everybody what to do. You can't do this,
you can't do that. We just have to foot the bill.
If it happens right, I don't know how long it'll last.
It'll probably die a natural death. Probably not the best
description I could use. I don't need to ban I
don't think it'll get tracked. I don't think it'll last.
It's all so insane. What length did you go to?
(17:51):
Oh eight hundred eighty ten eighty. Run it straight? It's
coming to New Zealand. Should we stop it? This is
news talks here b twenty four minutes after seven.
Speaker 8 (18:12):
Forget the riff's call.
Speaker 7 (18:13):
You make a call on.
Speaker 1 (18:16):
Sports talk on your home of sport. These talks said, Nie,
nice to meet you to Nyogle does get up a fussing.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
She's said, this life. If the river right straight, it's
coming to a barnyard near you, zoom. It's a new
it's a new event that you go where full grown humans.
(18:52):
I'm presuming that it's men predominantly. I don't see any
way engaging in that. They understand and respect their brain
cells too much, running flat out at each other and
at tempues to dominate the tackle as they call it,
even though there's no ball and there's no game and
it's just the two of them and doing it for
a twenty thousand dollars first prize. Do we need to
(19:16):
step in and ban this kind of behavior. It's going
to cost us money, right, but then again everything costs
us money in this country. And he's only one puts
a foot wrong. The taxpayer ends up dealing with it,
so be it. I understand people saying this is barbaric
and we need to ban it because it serves no purpose.
(19:40):
The only good that can come out of it is
if people don't have a life changing injury. The problem
with that is overreached from the government, and they've got
a lot of overreach and a lot of things they
do what you can and can't do, how old you
(20:01):
can be before you do or don't? This goes on.
If it's rolled in and banned, then the next step.
Powerslap hasn't been here yet. I don't know if it
ever touched down, but if you get rid of something
like run it straight, then powerslap goes beer knackle boxing
(20:24):
is that legal over here or not? Pretty brutal? I'm
not sure if it is legal, but I mean, how
far do you extend before you go? Actually, em may
is a bit nasty. We'll get rid of that too.
I don't know about boxing that's got to go as well. Well,
that might hurt someone to get to get rid of that. Everybody,
you must stay in your house and do nothing, go
to work and pay tax. And that's the overreach I'm
(20:46):
worried about. I would think that a sport that's really
hard to say sport and entertainment like that will collapse
in on itself. I don't think many people would engage
in that. Twenty grand or not twenty grand. Well, it's
(21:08):
not one on one for twenty grand. It have to
be four or five rounds. So when you actually do
win the tenny ground, you've been run into by five
guys over a short amount of time, well, teen guys
over a short amount of time comes with effect. It's disastrous.
Oh eight hundred eighty ten eighty. Where do you stand
(21:31):
on this? I don't think you climb in and ban it.
I think naturally it won't get much further because it's dumb.
What do you think? Oh, eight hundred eighty ten eighty.
Plenty of people on the text line eight guys and girls.
It's only amount of time, says that Sean running it straight,
(21:55):
we'll have a death due to little brain injury. And
you're right, you'd think so that's the natural progression of this.
So why anyone would do it running it straight to
brain injuries? It's bloody dumb. See no sympathy for anybody
(22:16):
involved in this who eventually gets brain injuries. Steve Wright's ardine,
I lonegan know he's just to run it straight. Don't
even forget when he got kodes and he was on
the ground doing the funky chicken twitching away he was Steve.
It was awful. In fact, there's a pretend run it
straight video doing the rounds where similar thing happened to
(22:37):
a guy. He's lying there on the ground and twitching
and convulsing was gross, sick and sadly Dino got wiped
out too. It was the same situation, but that wasn't
a game where they just ran into each other and
nothing else. It was side effect of rugby league. Stephen writes, Dacy,
this is ugly the humans who don't understand or value
(23:01):
the brain cell. It's a new low, not surprising in hindsight.
Thank you, Steven. Steve wonstins Ban Apple Boxing Band in
New Zealand. I don't know if it's legally around. I'm
sure there are places where you can go on baran
Apple box if you want, like Mate believe fight clubs.
(23:23):
I don't know if it's competitive for prize money at
the end though, it's an interesting question. Do they have
weight classes like boxing trying to even it up to
make it more fair? Well, you would you have to?
Or is it just purely heavyweights. I'll be good because
I'm quite nimble on my feet. God wouldn't hit me
(23:44):
run straight past me? Did that that count? Probably not?
In another character. That's what a great attitude from Lonigan,
very refreshing in this woke age which people stop using
that word really go away. I'm referencing work of course,
and then this last one, and this is giving me
(24:06):
an I was thinking about this the other day. I
don't know if I could. Maybe I should ring up
Dina and Seev. He's keen to help me out with this,
you know, license it and bring this to town, because
it's almost as foolish. Maybe bring back bull rush to
meet this need?
Speaker 7 (24:21):
Is it?
Speaker 2 (24:22):
Someone would a bull rush league get traction in New
Zealand teams of fifteen up against each other. If you
don't know the rules of bull rush, they are aren't
any You run at the one guy, he tackles you.
Suddenly you've got two guys, and everyone runs at those
(24:42):
two guys and people get tackled. It goes on and
on till there's no one left. Brilliant game at primary
school it's in Norman's Primary. That was back in the
seventies though, when you're allowed to get up to all
sorts of reckless behavior and nobody cared. Can't do it now.
But a bull rush league, well it sounds about as
relevant as this. The run it straight le the one
(25:07):
off competition, because I'd suggest that it won't get much
further than a one off event, Darcy, no need to
ban it, says a text at ACC must exclude any
and all inevitable treatment of any mint heads that partake
in it. Let Darwin decide if it's a good idea
something I was touched on that before. Thank you very
much for your text. Some of these people saying it's
(25:30):
a waste of brain cells are probably the same people
that smoke cigarettes and eat McDonald's. Well, that's what I'm saying,
so that the level there of you know, when does
someone decide whether it's bad for you or not? Because
like health sticks, that is what a friend of mine
calls cigarettes. He's just as bad. Arguably alcohol was just
(25:52):
as bad as well. Cream pie, Oh terrible for you.
Where where does it stop? You can only legislate against
so much. Twenty five to eight. I'd love to talk
to you about this. It's fast eighty. It's not really sport,
but they're trying to make out that it is and
it's not.
Speaker 8 (26:11):
It's just thick.
Speaker 2 (26:13):
This is Newstalk's AB twenty five to eight Sports Talk
on Newstalks airb. Nick Mills, owner of the Saints basketball team,
(26:38):
will join us lad in the Peace to talk about
the panthers melt down. But currently we're talking about rudded straight,
a new exercise in stupidity, all for twenty grand I
don't think you can legislate against that. People are and
they do. Hey Wayne, how are you? Bull rush? Got
(26:59):
you up and interested? Did it?
Speaker 9 (27:02):
Certainly did back in the day David Street School down Roswell.
It was fantastic, actually been a skinny little white boy,
light on my feet. I certainly chose other skinny people
and ran away from the big fellows, so it was easy.
Speaker 2 (27:19):
It's probably not quite as brutal as this, though, is it.
Although when it's like three guys running at twenty guys
at the end of lunchtime, it became quite interesting, didn't it.
Speaker 5 (27:30):
Oh?
Speaker 9 (27:31):
Iheard to sent you know you learned to be a
vasive I guess when you're on the running side of it.
I've seen a little bit of this run it straight
on the old social media and I don't know whether
that was the Sunday over Tierra last night, a couple
of guys pregnancy. But there's some pretty big contact, isn't it.
Speaker 2 (27:51):
What did you think about it? Though? Is there something
you'd like to see think that should actually exist? Should
they legislate or.
Speaker 9 (27:58):
Oh, look, you know when I grew up, you can
still climb trees and they jungle gyms and things like that,
and people you know, you fell out and all the
rest of it. Nowadays we're such a copworld society. But
fear that's pretty brutal, and I've got to be in
on it.
Speaker 2 (28:17):
Well, the thing is that you're not doing it and
you're not going to watch it, although you probably do
quietly on SoC medi. You can't help yourself. So I
suppose people like myself, I go, what are you doing?
You have to engage right, and we'll let those other
people And you can't save people from themselves right.
Speaker 9 (28:33):
To see it, and you can't.
Speaker 1 (28:34):
You can't.
Speaker 9 (28:36):
They obviously see it as fun. It's probably.
Speaker 2 (28:40):
Well they're extrall athletes though. These guys just run at
each other. They're something. It's like power slap. There's no defense.
You just sit there and let someone smack you.
Speaker 9 (28:51):
It's true, but you canna remember around us the shape
as well, so discriminating.
Speaker 2 (28:55):
Good point. Yeah, okay, thanks Wayne Yeers. Wayne's obviously in
great shape, very spherical. Thanks for your cool Wayne. Moving
right along old under an eighty ten eighty.
Speaker 4 (29:09):
Yeah, I think it's great entertainment, mate. I mean if
it's controlled, like like like the slapping, I don't particularly
it doesn't tick on my fancy. But you know, if
it's in a controlled environment, you know, they wear mouthguards,
you have first staid and ambulance standing by and so forth. Well,
you know why not. It's it's really really good entertainment, mate,
(29:30):
for whom well obviously for thousands and hundreds of thousands
of people. I mean it's just taken off. I mean
if you look at cage fighting when it first came out,
you know, it was kind of like people were poponent
being barbaric prison violence. But now it's the biggest, one
of the biggest sports in the world globally. So you know,
(29:50):
if this thing takes off, like I said, if it's
if it's done properly in the control you know, the
ten meters apart, one's got a ball, they run straight
at each other. You know, it's it's it's people just
can't stop watching it. It's one of those things where
you know you on it and you watch it and
I enjoy it, but I don't enjoy the ones who
(30:11):
are We're in the middle of some random school in
the middle of nowhere, and the guys are just so
obviously a bunch of you know, a couple of amateurs
and from the neighborhood. You know, I don't really particularly
enjoy that.
Speaker 2 (30:23):
But what about when a guy it's another guy and
they're lying on the ground kind of convulsing and twitching.
Is it still enjoyable then?
Speaker 4 (30:32):
Well, look at cage fighting. You see that all the time,
don't you. They're all covered in blood and one on
the ground twitching and being knocked out, and the other
guys still hammering, hammering at his head. I mean's uproar about.
Speaker 2 (30:42):
That, fair core. It's what we've thrown their lines open,
Paul and just interested in people's idea. And I go back,
and you can't legislate against one thing, because what happens
then is it dominos to another thing and suddenly you've
banned everything. And that's I don't know about overreach from
the state that that concerns me.
Speaker 4 (31:02):
Yeah, I do know. I'm pretty sure it originated and
in western suburbs of Sydney and around the Penlyth area.
And I know I heard today actually had a promotion
done by a sofa solo Mona. Yeah, yeah, yeah, they
call it run it, but apparently he's been told not
(31:23):
to endorse it anymore so by the Melbourne Storm. So
but look, I said, you know, for if it's if
it's done professionally and in a in a controlled environment,
you know, well, or they should paint in that name
and maybe sell it to sell it to Dana White.
Speaker 2 (31:42):
Run it straight to Dana White. Paul, thanks very much
for your input here on news Talk ZB. They legislate
against drink driving. If drink driving didn't kill everybody else,
you go find kill yourself, doesn't matter. But then they
start killing us. We have a problem these guys. They
(32:03):
want to run smash into each and I suppose that's
their issue, not hurting anywhere else. They're just destroying themselves.
There's a text Darcy. Sounds pretty natty to me. Perhaps
any partakers should have medical insurance. So this is not
a strain on taxpayers, Noel, thank you. Twenty k is
much of a prize, that's not is it? I let
them do it, but first we read to remove their
(32:24):
testicles because we wouldn't want these people to breed. That's
another good point. Darcy doesn't like it.
Speaker 7 (32:32):
Ban it.
Speaker 2 (32:32):
I didn't say that. I didn't say that. You've been
playing this game, haven't you? You're still recovering. We heard that, bro. Anyway,
as his news talks here b, Nick Mills is going
to join us next as the mountdown of the Indian
Panthers continues. This is news talks, heb. He told me
(32:53):
that you whis our somebody any and Panthers basketball drama.
It didn't peak today. I've got clothes. I've decided to
drop kick the Panthers out of the leg temporary suspension.
(33:14):
They're not gone yet. There's going to be some investigation
around the lack of money, around the player welfare, a
number of tricky situations. So let's talk to Nick Mills
about that now, form my owner, part owner of the
Wellington Saints.
Speaker 8 (33:33):
Good evening, Nick, Darcy.
Speaker 2 (33:35):
How you doing. I'm doing a lot better than what's
happening at Basketball New Zealand and what's happening with the Panthers.
The further you dig, the worst this gets.
Speaker 8 (33:45):
Nick.
Speaker 7 (33:45):
What do you know?
Speaker 2 (33:46):
Because no one's allowed to talk.
Speaker 8 (33:48):
No one's allowed to talk, and all I can tell
you is that I believe the official line has been suspended.
While the international breaker is on for them to come
up with further proof that they can get through the season.
That's not going to happen. The train wreck is limping
to the nearest station, and everyone's going to claim more often,
let's get on with life.
Speaker 2 (34:07):
The very very.
Speaker 8 (34:09):
Quickest and easiest and best resolve for everyone is get
rid of it, stop it, and let the dream, the
bad dream, go away.
Speaker 2 (34:17):
How does that impede on the other teams in the league,
though surely there will be a ripple effect that will
effect that the hard working teams that are paying their
way and looking after their players.
Speaker 8 (34:28):
Realistically, it will make no difference whatsoever. They take away
all the points too and four and against on that.
The teams that have played them, they take everything that,
every bit of an announcement, any sidny thing to do
with the Panthers out of the system. Yes, we'll miss
a home game. Some teams would have sold the season
tickets based on the extra game. I'm sure that when
we and the Saints are definitely one of those, I'm
(34:51):
sure that the public will understand and they can either
give them a discount next season or they could do
That's really that pales into insignificance towards you know, to
the converse, which is letting them keep going.
Speaker 2 (35:03):
Okay, I've made a lot of phone course, a lot
of people who won't come on here, understandably so because
they're still a negotiation. I get that. So I'm not
going to mention any names. But this has been going
on for so long, and it appears that Basketball New
Zealand have had death airs to the whole event. Look,
you've been around the scene a long time. Has this
(35:24):
been bubbling for a while.
Speaker 8 (35:26):
It's been bubbling from before they even arrived, before they
even started. The first week, we got told that the
real team wasn't going to start because they had international
commitments BS. And then we got told that the Indians
weren't coming out here because they had been contracted in
India BS. I mean, it's just been BS from start
to finish. It was a terrible idea. I said so
(35:47):
at the time, I said, this is not going to
work India and basketball aren't cricket in India, are they.
I mean, let's be real, it's never going to work.
It was a disastrous idea tried. I mean, there was
some good, you know, justin Nelson's done some amazing things
since he's been in charge of the league. This definitely
wasn't one of the let's get on with it. Let's
(36:08):
actually forget about it and get on with our lives
because everyone else is doing well. The crowds are good,
the games are good, the TV coverage with Sky is amazing.
Everything is great apart from one team, and that's the Panthers.
They shouldn't have been there. Get rid of them, and
let's get on with life.
Speaker 2 (36:23):
I'm sure ideally people would love that. I'm sure Basketball
News Eland would. I hope to just go away as well.
But is it that simple. When I read the release
that's come out from Basketball and Z around the suspension
and some of the terms, they drive me nuts. The
commission chair Tracy Garland very disappointing commission is facing this,
(36:43):
especially given that following careful due diligence. Now, from what
I've gleaned, I don't know if there was careful due
diligence or any at all. It looked slapped together at
the last moment. Now I can't back that up with numbers.
I'm just talking with the people I've talked to. It
looks like it's pretty shaky from the get go.
Speaker 8 (37:02):
One hundred percent you're one hundred percent right, and everyone
knew it. It was just an idea that was conjured
up with the dream I've been able to capitalize on
our country in a population of one point three billion people.
It didn't work out. There was no due diligence, or
if it was, it wasn't done by anyone that knew
want that two and two equals four. It just was
(37:25):
a very bad idea. And you know what it's happened before.
Remember the Tasmanian Huskies. There was another dream that they
to have an Australian team in the league that ended
exactly the same way. Rules everywhere, debt everywhere, and we
just don't learn by our mistakes. Stick to your knitting,
stick to the teams out in New Zealand, stick to
the accredited teams that have been there for forty years,
(37:47):
and stop dreaming up new ideas.
Speaker 2 (37:50):
I'm glad you say that about Justin Nelson. I think
it one with the guy really well. I think what
he's done to the NBL since he's turned up was
being tremendous. So here is a splotch, a black mark,
if you will, If indeed it is traced back to him.
But besides wanting to tap into the Indian fortune or
was the driver behind this? Do you think, why would
you even do this and in such a hurry. That's
(38:13):
what gets me. Maybe give it six months, give it
a year, find out and then let it roll. But
it's like that.
Speaker 8 (38:19):
Well, yes, Justin has done some wonderful things when he's
been his involvement in the league, no question about that.
But the Huskies was his dream that didn't work either.
It was exactly the same as this. Maybe it didn't
happen in the middle of the season, but the end
of the season there were debts, there were talk, there
was all the same sort of stuff. They didn't want,
you know, it didn't We just don't need to have
an international team in our league. It's a very small time,
(38:42):
well respected league. Let's get things on facts on the table.
This league has been a Division one league since nineteen
eighty two worldwide. Justin Nelson's been there for the last
five years that this league has had burg Burg periods
of time where it was far bigger than it is now,
far bigger. I can remember going to North Shore to
watch it with the Saints to play Noel show. You know,
(39:04):
in eighty six or eighty seven at three o'clock in
an afternoon for a seven o'clock game, there was three
or four hundred people lining up to get into the games.
This is not a new phenomenon. Basketball's the league in
basketball's been huge for a.
Speaker 2 (39:15):
Long long time. I remember game not to Pioneer Stadium
in Keal Stadium, watching the old school Cannory team way
back when in the day, right in those helcyon days.
So I think he's injected a great amount to it
and coverage and the like. This is a black mark,
But let's talk bigger picture, Nick Mills, as far as
a black eye for not only the sales NBL button
(39:38):
New Zealand basketball, full stop. This can be recovered from.
This is not going to reverberate around the basketball world.
Is this we're going to get through.
Speaker 8 (39:48):
We're absolutely going to get through. But the quicker they
cut the cancer out, the less it's spread. You know,
And there's no ceo at basketball in New Zealand. Dylan's
done the bit of a runner and gone to the breakers.
We've good on him. That's what he wants to do.
We've got no CEO a basketball news and we don't
really really have any leadership there that can actually make decisions,
make things happen everyone. You ask anyone any team in
(40:10):
the league that they ring Basketball New Zealand, but ring
the NBL and ask a question, it always goes back.
I just have to ask Justin. He's left a year ago.
But they still have to ask Justin before before they
can go to the bathroom, they have to ask Justin.
Speaker 2 (40:23):
Long term, it'll get through. They've got a couple of
weeks to delay this and then you believe what will
happen is that the Panthers will be exit stage left
and the game will heal. And I think if one
of the problems I have here is that the game
is accelerating in popularity, especially amongst teenagers and high school kids.
(40:43):
It's going through the roof. This is the last thing
it needs. But hopefully it'll be overpowered by the surge
of the popularity for hoops.
Speaker 8 (40:51):
Well, they just need to cut and get on with it.
I mean, the longer it takes to cut, the longer
the BS is going to carry on.
Speaker 7 (40:58):
And it is.
Speaker 8 (40:58):
I mean, you know, yes, last night we were the
front sports store in NBL was the front sports story
on both news channels. Do we want that?
Speaker 7 (41:07):
Do we?
Speaker 8 (41:07):
Actually they're not talking about how great Canterbury Rams are
this year and how looks like they can't be beaten.
They're not talking about, you know, the fire doing really well.
They're not talking about good stuff. They're talking about a
team not paying their bills and having trouble because that's
what the media want to talk about.
Speaker 2 (41:23):
Yeah, we're terrible like that. Thanks very much for that,
Neck Mills. We need to clip that out, Andy Nick.
Nick Mills just said the Canterbury Rams are a near
on an unbeatable man. That must have hurt. Thanks for
your time at nick Mills. Let's get a quick word
now from Paveen Mattis, the CEO of the Panthers.
Speaker 3 (41:42):
Listen, I'm hugely optimistic that will be back playing and
fulfiller the rest of our fixtures.
Speaker 7 (41:49):
That's what I'm looking forward to.
Speaker 2 (41:53):
The proof of the pudding is in the eating, and
I'm not entirely sure we'll dine out on the return
of the Panthers. Thanks for your time this evening. I'm
Darcy water Grave minder is Andrew Duff. We thank you
for your time that both of us will catch you
again tomorrow on news Talk ZIB.
Speaker 1 (42:22):
For more from sports talk, listen live to News Talk
zied B from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Darcy Waldegrave
from News Talk ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Bang. This is it Sports Talk on News Talks ABM
Darcy water Grave seven. I have to see it. It's
a Thursday, it is the first day of May coming
up in this edition of Sports Talk. It's kind of sport.
Not entirely sure it is, but leads pretend it is
(00:51):
for the purposes of this program. What am I talking
about talking about? Run it straight? This new sport? I'm
not sure you know what it is. This this new
sport is how a slap on legs, That's what it is. Anyway,
we'll talk more about run it Straight with for Mercewe
(01:13):
International Boxing promoter mister Dean Lonigan. Dino joins us. Surely
it's coming to New Zealand. What the dinia give us
an idea? We'll take some tour back after that eight
hundred and at ten eighty, like, do this sport need
to be stopped? They step in and ban this fro
(01:35):
from entering New Zealand. I don't know if you can
stop stupid, though, can you? Stupid is as stupid does
given the opportunity. I mean, Darwin Award winners everywhere in
this event. But anyway, we'll hear more from Dean, then
we'll hear from yourselves, and toward the back end of
the program we carry on with the sALS NBL drama.
(01:55):
But wait, there's more. Owner Willington Saints, Nick Mills It
joins us on the Panthers investigation. They have been officially
suspended from the NBL. Is a ongoing investigation and we'll
see what they'll pull up out of that and release
the media statement today to that effect. So we'll get
(02:18):
Nick on to talk about that. I've been on the
phone to a number of players and the like. No
one's going to speak fair enough still under investigation. I
get that, but this is chaos. It is nine minutes
after seven before we go into any of that. Let's
do a weird of this sport today and in sport today.
(02:40):
Indian Panthers CEO Paving but insists his team will be
back in the NBL after being suspended today by the
Commission for Payment and player welfare issues.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
There's no scale to seriousness. We have to make sure
that we fulfill everything the Commission asks us to do.
We'll work closely with them over a period of time
to make sure that we were able to do that.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
Okay. Ryan Fox has called on the cavalry head of
the PGA's event in Texas starting overnight, Coach Marcus the
wheely Bin Wheelhouse. I can say that because I know
him joins the golfer whose family aren't there, so he's
making the best use of his non dad duty time.
Speaker 4 (03:22):
I'm by myself this week, which.
Speaker 5 (03:24):
Makes it easier to be completely focused on golf in
that respect and do a bit of grinding with him
on the range and around the ship and green, et cetera.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
Top bloke Ryan Fox and Marcus Wheelhouse Blues Fallback Braxton
the ghost Runner Sirenson mckeel. Honestly, have you've seen her run?
I swear it's like she's not even there. Will of
a whisp, She's now a black fern. The eighteen year
old athlete was selected today to play in the upcoming
pack for tournament. Happy Days. A little nervous waiting for
(03:56):
the message to see if otherin or not, But when
I got the messages, I was over the moon.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
About it, overly excited to be a part of this.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
Team Superstar and the making sorry about that, No pressure
at all, brats and just ignore me. And Hollywood propped
up football club wrex And is coming to Wellington, maybe
the old school Welsh club owned by a couple of
Californian celebrities investigating a possible trip down under. We heard
(04:24):
that it's not Auckland DFC. Looks like it's going to
be the Phoenix though finished coach of gian Carlo Italiano
is all over it.
Speaker 6 (04:31):
It'll be a competitive game early preseason as well for
both teams. So any tenant starts out a game in
July grossly underdone physically, so you won't have like an
utmost quality, but it will still be a good contest.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
And ioul adventure to say it would sell out, especially
if the two Hollywood superstar good looking boys are there,
whatever their names are. And that's sport today. Honestly, I'm
stick the Ryan guy for the other Ryan guy. Couldn't
tell the difference between who is it Ryan Reynolds and
Ryan the other bloke. He it's until Ryan to eight
eleven minutes after seven, and that the sport today right here,
(05:10):
right now. They we're going to venture into this sport,
run it straight. A new competition that's turning up and
to explain the ins and outs of that before we
get to Dean Longigan. This is the rules. This is
from Monstrous rugby league player Nelson A Soffer Solomona.
Speaker 5 (05:30):
The rules of the game are simple, with a run
zone of ten meters. One player carries the ball and
the other defenders rules.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
If you're running, the job is simple. You run it straight.
So how do you win?
Speaker 7 (05:45):
You win by.
Speaker 5 (05:46):
Dominating contact four rounds to impress the judges, hit hat
and dandel ground and inflect damage.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
And you're wondering what's in it for you? Twenty thousand
dollars cash. Well, that's the ambassador for run it Straight,
Nelson A Sofer Solomona, twenty grand Okay, yeah, you've got
to wave some baits, don't you get that right out
and try and drag people along to talk about that.
(06:13):
Now we're joined by form kiw In's national boxing boxing promoter,
Dean Longigan. Dino, good evening. I'm going very very well,
and I know you are because that's the way you
roll relevant person to get on air for this one.
Because you're an ex league player at KIWI, you understand
(06:35):
contact sport and of course a promoter as well. See
you now, all of this operates. What we're talking about
is this so called new sport that's coming to New Zealand.
It's an astonishing sport. Now you're all over this, you
know about it. Is this a sport? Is this a
sensible promotion? Should we be having a bar of it?
Speaker 7 (06:58):
That's some interesting questions. Is it a sport? No, all
it is is you take in a very very limited
part of rugby league, even rugby union, and having people
run at full speed at each other. And now the
problem with it is this is that if you're in
a rugby league game and you're one hundred and twenty
kilo problem or they as they are nowadays, you might
(07:20):
do twenty or thirty, maybe even forty runs in a game.
You get tired, you get worn out, the defense gets
worn out, and none of the hits, very few of
the hits are hardcore, full on, frontal hits. Now this
game run it up straight. All you've got is sometimes
and I've been watching this on Aline. I find it
enormously entertaining, but it's not overly healthy for the participants
(07:42):
because I've seen a number of guys take shots to
the head and they're getting knocked out. Their arms are
locking up, they're having fits you know, which are not good,
which means you're getting concussed. So it's enormously entertaining. It's
absolutely built for social media. I've got no doubts it'll
attract ever growing crowds. I don't know if you live
a fill a stadium on it, but you certainly might
(08:04):
get you know, one on two and three thousand people
turning up. But I do believe that long term it's
got It's quite dangerous from a head can cushing point
of view, simply because you've got guys that I've seen there. Mate,
these guys are clocking in one hundred and twenty hundred
and thirty hundred and forty kilos. They stand twenty yards apart,
run each other at full speed and try to run
over each other. And if you hadn't got your technique down,
(08:26):
which a lot of these guys won't because they're not
former professional football players, not pro football players, they're going
to have major injuries, one to their shoulders, but two
and more importantly to their heads. And it's going to come.
But I can tell you this, it's entertaining.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
Why do people sign up for something like this what's
the driver.
Speaker 7 (08:43):
Oh, it's it's a full on. It's young men testing themselves.
It's the same reason why you play rugby league, you
play rugby union, you do UFC in your box because
you want to test yourself in an environment where you
feel comfortable or even outside of your own comfort zone.
And if you have a look at these guys, a
lot of the guys that are doing it, mate, there
a lot of Island boys, and they're built for this.
(09:03):
They're just big and strong and and you know they
love to express their physicality and that's what this is
perfect for is And here's the thing for this particular sport.
You do not have to be fit. You just have
to have the ability to run ten meters, probably be
a little bit heavier than the other bloke. If you've
got a little bit more momentum and a little bit
(09:25):
more technique, you're probably going to really really put some
big hits on. And I was talking to my son
about it today because we've both watched us over the
last and a couple of months. So that's a great idea. Promotionally,
I just don't think it's too healthy for people. And
the key to this thing is if you're hitting guys
on the front. You know, it's just going to come
down to momentum size if you hit guys a little
bit to the side, so you can, you know, drive
(09:48):
you not take the full on front or momentum. You know,
the technique will go a long way to actually be
helping you win this thing. But my advice don't get
involved in this because it's going to be incredibly physically
hurtful to some people. But that's not to stop people.
They're going to do it because they love it. They
love the physicality. So I'll watch it while it's entertaining,
(10:11):
just fingers cross. Nobody is too injured in it, and.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
The organizers exploiting people because of the simplicity of it.
You don't actually have to know much. You just have
to run straight at somebody else. And there's a case
of they're exploiting them or maybe the people doing it
should know better. And you can't say people from yourself
from theirselves, can you?
Speaker 7 (10:31):
Well you could say you could say that for a
whole lot of things in this life, Darcy, everything from
you know, doing stupid things, getting blind as a bat,
and some people get in the car and drive through
to get drunk to the point of where you get sick.
We should all know better about doing these things. And
the one thing is it's it's it's a healthy pursuit
that you're not doing anything too wildly stupid from the
(10:53):
inside of your body, like put your shit in it.
You shouldn't. But I don't think it's that overly healthy
taking the big hits. Are the promoters exploiting people? No,
they're not, because simply people are signing up to do
it because they really want to do it. And you've
got guys, you know, and I haven't seen any woman
doing it yet, but you've got guys who are doing
it that might have had a bit of background in
regular league and rugby union and they've just gotten too
(11:14):
big to play the game. And then they well, I
can front up for one hit, and I can front
up for one run, and it's going to be entertaining
while it lasts, and I don't know who's going to
shut it down. So I imagine it's going to last a
long time if it keeps up the social media phenomenal
that it is. Because I've seen some of these videos,
I've had a million views on them.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
Wow, what about the garden. Will they climb in and
go hold on. This is going to end up costing
the taxpayer. ACC is not free, and these guys are
going to end up needing care, especially in the worst
case scenarios. So maybe there's a move there going now,
there's nothing good on this. We can't do this. It's
costing everyone cash.
Speaker 7 (11:52):
Well don't. I don't know that you can stop it,
you know, for the simple reason you've got say, take
boxing right or Emma and UFC. You've got those guys
asparring on a regular basis, and they get hurt in
the ring, and yes they are, you know, from amateur
all the way through the professional and it's done under supervision.
And it's fair to say this is done under supervision.
(12:13):
But I just you know, you can't. Just because you
don't approve of it or you don't like what you see,
doesn't mean you say you should stop it. Because those
people who are participating are willing participants, and if they
want to go out there and do what they're doing, well,
good luck to them.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
Doesn't need to be sanctioned or anything. I mean, you said,
it's not really a sport, it's just an entertainment for
it of anything else. So your sport news that undor
that it's commission of something, you probably just keep well
away from it, wouldn't you.
Speaker 7 (12:39):
I don't know, Das, and I think what's going to
be interesting because one of the things they have done
right is that they're showing people getting knocked out right
and it's going to garner a lot of media or interests.
And if the traditional media hasn't jumped on it yet,
you're the first one who has. And at the end
of the day, the traditional media is cut through, is
(13:00):
diminishing all the time. But this is going to become
a social media phenomenal. Oh mate, it's just a fact.
You know it.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
I know.
Speaker 7 (13:07):
So this is a social media phenomenon. It's going to
grow bigger and bigger. I don't know if you can
sanction it. I don't know if you can shut it down.
What I do know is that people are going to
get hurt. But it's entertaining to watch.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
Is it on rugby and he's it in rugby league too.
They wade into this or again just walk away.
Speaker 7 (13:25):
It sits outside their purview. It's not a game of
rugby union, it's not a game of rugby league. You know,
it's just it's a game of whoever's organizing this, they're
offentially effectively the sanctioning body as well, so they're the
ones who have to come up with the rules. It'll
be fascinating, It'll be fascinated to seed dars. It'll be
great for you to get on board on air a
(13:46):
person who's actually promoting this and running it, and you know,
run the questions against them.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
And lastly, how different is this the palace slab?
Speaker 7 (13:53):
Great question and the answer is probably not a lot
to be there, except I would say this, when you
get hit in the head with the open hand, the
only you can only generate so much force. It is
no w're near the force of two bodies of one
hundred and twenty to one hundred and thirty kilos each
running each other for ten yards or twenty yards apart
(14:14):
and connecting. And the issue in this thing is not
the physical connection between the two bodies that come together.
It's when those two bodies come together with enormous kinetic
energy and then all of a sudden both bodies stop,
but the brain keeps going forward in the head and
smashes against your forehead. Right, That's where the issues are happening,
(14:35):
and that's why you see a number of plot props.
Now you know, at the age of thirty five, forty
and forty five are starting to get dementia and ct
and stuff like that because they would have put down
one thousand scrums and mate behind and they've got eight
nine hundred kilos on each side. You're going down at
six seven eight miles per hour and you come to
an instant stop, but your brain keeps moving forward and
(14:57):
smashes against the front of your skull. That is why
the injuries are occurring. It's a brain flopping around inside
your skull. That's why this is not an ovally healthy sport.
Speaker 8 (15:06):
No need for the DMO.
Speaker 1 (15:08):
We've got the breakdown on sports talk calla News Talk.
Speaker 3 (15:16):
Two.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
This is that sports talk and that's why helmets don't
work in headgear and rugby. I don't know how it is.
It's your brain bouncing around the inside this thing. Lonegan,
their former Kiwi's international boxing promoter, talking about run it straight,
this new this new it's not really game. There's nothing
funny about it. It's not really a sport. This new promotion,
(15:40):
the you Go promotion. The question is did officials actually
step in and ban this from entering New Zealand. Actually,
you know what, No, we're not doing this. You can't
do this. I like the idea of a disclaimer being
signed by the athletes and in commons that said, if
(16:04):
I end up flopping around on the ground like a fish,
my legs going everywhere, I don't get any help from
the ACC, I can just expire by myself under my
own power. As producer Andy Duff pointed out, that's never
going to happen. The ACC. You're going to look after everybody,
regardless of how stupid their injuries are. So we're gonna
(16:24):
foot the bill. So does an overlorder to come and say, look,
we can't do this. It's just dumb. There's nothing good
about this, like power slap? Do they have powerslap here
in his zeland? Has anyone seen power slap live in
his zeland? Anyway? Oh, eight hundred and eighty ten eighty.
Should this be stopped or is it a case as
(16:44):
stupid as as stupid does? This is a dar On
Award in full action. The Darwin Award basically means people
who die in acts of idiocy are doing their best
to help the gene Pool by removing themselves from it,
the dar On Award, and that's what we've got. It's
a question the official need to step in. Has this
(17:08):
got any place? I won't even ask if you call
it sport or not, because it isn't. It doesn't need
to be banned from entering. Oh, eight hundred eighty ten eighty.
I don't think you can stop people being dumb. I
just don't think. So you start again. It's that the
(17:29):
people telling everybody what to do. You can't do this,
you can't do that. We just have to foot the bill.
If it happens right, I don't know how long it'll last.
It'll probably die a natural death. Probably not the best
description I could use. I don't need to ban I
don't think it'll get tracked. I don't think it'll last.
It's all so insane. What length did you go to?
(17:51):
Oh eight hundred eighty ten eighty. Run it straight? It's
coming to New Zealand. Should we stop it? This is
news talks here b twenty four minutes after seven.
Speaker 8 (18:12):
Forget the riff's call.
Speaker 7 (18:13):
You make a call on.
Speaker 1 (18:16):
Sports talk on your home of sport. These talks said, Nie,
nice to meet you to Nyogle does get up a fussing.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
She's said, this life. If the river right straight, it's
coming to a barnyard near you, zoom. It's a new
it's a new event that you go where full grown humans.
(18:52):
I'm presuming that it's men predominantly. I don't see any
way engaging in that. They understand and respect their brain
cells too much, running flat out at each other and
at tempues to dominate the tackle as they call it,
even though there's no ball and there's no game and
it's just the two of them and doing it for
a twenty thousand dollars first prize. Do we need to
(19:16):
step in and ban this kind of behavior. It's going
to cost us money, right, but then again everything costs
us money in this country. And he's only one puts
a foot wrong. The taxpayer ends up dealing with it,
so be it. I understand people saying this is barbaric
and we need to ban it because it serves no purpose.
(19:40):
The only good that can come out of it is
if people don't have a life changing injury. The problem
with that is overreached from the government, and they've got
a lot of overreach and a lot of things they
do what you can and can't do, how old you
(20:01):
can be before you do or don't? This goes on.
If it's rolled in and banned, then the next step.
Powerslap hasn't been here yet. I don't know if it
ever touched down, but if you get rid of something
like run it straight, then powerslap goes beer knackle boxing
(20:24):
is that legal over here or not? Pretty brutal? I'm
not sure if it is legal, but I mean, how
far do you extend before you go? Actually, em may
is a bit nasty. We'll get rid of that too.
I don't know about boxing that's got to go as well. Well,
that might hurt someone to get to get rid of that. Everybody,
you must stay in your house and do nothing, go
to work and pay tax. And that's the overreach I'm
(20:46):
worried about. I would think that a sport that's really
hard to say sport and entertainment like that will collapse
in on itself. I don't think many people would engage
in that. Twenty grand or not twenty grand. Well, it's
(21:08):
not one on one for twenty grand. It have to
be four or five rounds. So when you actually do
win the tenny ground, you've been run into by five
guys over a short amount of time, well, teen guys
over a short amount of time comes with effect. It's disastrous.
Oh eight hundred eighty ten eighty. Where do you stand
(21:31):
on this? I don't think you climb in and ban it.
I think naturally it won't get much further because it's dumb.
What do you think? Oh, eight hundred eighty ten eighty.
Plenty of people on the text line eight guys and girls.
It's only amount of time, says that Sean running it straight,
(21:55):
we'll have a death due to little brain injury. And
you're right, you'd think so that's the natural progression of this.
So why anyone would do it running it straight to
brain injuries? It's bloody dumb. See no sympathy for anybody
(22:16):
involved in this who eventually gets brain injuries. Steve Wright's ardine,
I lonegan know he's just to run it straight. Don't
even forget when he got kodes and he was on
the ground doing the funky chicken twitching away he was Steve.
It was awful. In fact, there's a pretend run it
straight video doing the rounds where similar thing happened to
(22:37):
a guy. He's lying there on the ground and twitching
and convulsing was gross, sick and sadly Dino got wiped
out too. It was the same situation, but that wasn't
a game where they just ran into each other and
nothing else. It was side effect of rugby league. Stephen writes, Dacy,
this is ugly the humans who don't understand or value
(23:01):
the brain cell. It's a new low, not surprising in hindsight.
Thank you, Steven. Steve wonstins Ban Apple Boxing Band in
New Zealand. I don't know if it's legally around. I'm
sure there are places where you can go on baran
Apple box if you want, like Mate believe fight clubs.
(23:23):
I don't know if it's competitive for prize money at
the end though, it's an interesting question. Do they have
weight classes like boxing trying to even it up to
make it more fair? Well, you would you have to?
Or is it just purely heavyweights. I'll be good because
I'm quite nimble on my feet. God wouldn't hit me
(23:44):
run straight past me? Did that that count? Probably not?
In another character. That's what a great attitude from Lonigan,
very refreshing in this woke age which people stop using
that word really go away. I'm referencing work of course,
and then this last one, and this is giving me
(24:06):
an I was thinking about this the other day. I
don't know if I could. Maybe I should ring up
Dina and Seev. He's keen to help me out with this,
you know, license it and bring this to town, because
it's almost as foolish. Maybe bring back bull rush to
meet this need?
Speaker 7 (24:21):
Is it?
Speaker 2 (24:22):
Someone would a bull rush league get traction in New
Zealand teams of fifteen up against each other. If you
don't know the rules of bull rush, they are aren't
any You run at the one guy, he tackles you.
Suddenly you've got two guys, and everyone runs at those
(24:42):
two guys and people get tackled. It goes on and
on till there's no one left. Brilliant game at primary
school it's in Norman's Primary. That was back in the
seventies though, when you're allowed to get up to all
sorts of reckless behavior and nobody cared. Can't do it now.
But a bull rush league, well it sounds about as
relevant as this. The run it straight le the one
(25:07):
off competition, because I'd suggest that it won't get much
further than a one off event, Darcy, no need to
ban it, says a text at ACC must exclude any
and all inevitable treatment of any mint heads that partake
in it. Let Darwin decide if it's a good idea
something I was touched on that before. Thank you very
much for your text. Some of these people saying it's
(25:30):
a waste of brain cells are probably the same people
that smoke cigarettes and eat McDonald's. Well, that's what I'm saying,
so that the level there of you know, when does
someone decide whether it's bad for you or not? Because
like health sticks, that is what a friend of mine
calls cigarettes. He's just as bad. Arguably alcohol was just
(25:52):
as bad as well. Cream pie, Oh terrible for you.
Where where does it stop? You can only legislate against
so much. Twenty five to eight. I'd love to talk
to you about this. It's fast eighty. It's not really sport,
but they're trying to make out that it is and
it's not.
Speaker 8 (26:11):
It's just thick.
Speaker 2 (26:13):
This is Newstalk's AB twenty five to eight Sports Talk
on Newstalks airb. Nick Mills, owner of the Saints basketball team,
(26:38):
will join us lad in the Peace to talk about
the panthers melt down. But currently we're talking about rudded straight,
a new exercise in stupidity, all for twenty grand I
don't think you can legislate against that. People are and
they do. Hey Wayne, how are you? Bull rush? Got
(26:59):
you up and interested? Did it?
Speaker 9 (27:02):
Certainly did back in the day David Street School down Roswell.
It was fantastic, actually been a skinny little white boy,
light on my feet. I certainly chose other skinny people
and ran away from the big fellows, so it was easy.
Speaker 2 (27:19):
It's probably not quite as brutal as this, though, is it.
Although when it's like three guys running at twenty guys
at the end of lunchtime, it became quite interesting, didn't it.
Speaker 5 (27:30):
Oh?
Speaker 9 (27:31):
Iheard to sent you know you learned to be a
vasive I guess when you're on the running side of it.
I've seen a little bit of this run it straight
on the old social media and I don't know whether
that was the Sunday over Tierra last night, a couple
of guys pregnancy. But there's some pretty big contact, isn't it.
Speaker 2 (27:51):
What did you think about it? Though? Is there something
you'd like to see think that should actually exist? Should
they legislate or.
Speaker 9 (27:58):
Oh, look, you know when I grew up, you can
still climb trees and they jungle gyms and things like that,
and people you know, you fell out and all the
rest of it. Nowadays we're such a copworld society. But
fear that's pretty brutal, and I've got to be in
on it.
Speaker 2 (28:17):
Well, the thing is that you're not doing it and
you're not going to watch it, although you probably do
quietly on SoC medi. You can't help yourself. So I
suppose people like myself, I go, what are you doing?
You have to engage right, and we'll let those other
people And you can't save people from themselves right.
Speaker 9 (28:33):
To see it, and you can't.
Speaker 1 (28:34):
You can't.
Speaker 9 (28:36):
They obviously see it as fun. It's probably.
Speaker 2 (28:40):
Well they're extrall athletes though. These guys just run at
each other. They're something. It's like power slap. There's no defense.
You just sit there and let someone smack you.
Speaker 9 (28:51):
It's true, but you canna remember around us the shape
as well, so discriminating.
Speaker 2 (28:55):
Good point. Yeah, okay, thanks Wayne Yeers. Wayne's obviously in
great shape, very spherical. Thanks for your cool Wayne. Moving
right along old under an eighty ten eighty.
Speaker 4 (29:09):
Yeah, I think it's great entertainment, mate. I mean if
it's controlled, like like like the slapping, I don't particularly
it doesn't tick on my fancy. But you know, if
it's in a controlled environment, you know, they wear mouthguards,
you have first staid and ambulance standing by and so forth. Well,
you know why not. It's it's really really good entertainment, mate,
(29:30):
for whom well obviously for thousands and hundreds of thousands
of people. I mean it's just taken off. I mean
if you look at cage fighting when it first came out,
you know, it was kind of like people were poponent
being barbaric prison violence. But now it's the biggest, one
of the biggest sports in the world globally. So you know,
(29:50):
if this thing takes off, like I said, if it's
if it's done properly in the control you know, the
ten meters apart, one's got a ball, they run straight
at each other. You know, it's it's it's people just
can't stop watching it. It's one of those things where
you know you on it and you watch it and
I enjoy it, but I don't enjoy the ones who
(30:11):
are We're in the middle of some random school in
the middle of nowhere, and the guys are just so
obviously a bunch of you know, a couple of amateurs
and from the neighborhood. You know, I don't really particularly
enjoy that.
Speaker 2 (30:23):
But what about when a guy it's another guy and
they're lying on the ground kind of convulsing and twitching.
Is it still enjoyable then?
Speaker 4 (30:32):
Well, look at cage fighting. You see that all the time,
don't you. They're all covered in blood and one on
the ground twitching and being knocked out, and the other
guys still hammering, hammering at his head. I mean's uproar about.
Speaker 2 (30:42):
That, fair core. It's what we've thrown their lines open,
Paul and just interested in people's idea. And I go back,
and you can't legislate against one thing, because what happens
then is it dominos to another thing and suddenly you've
banned everything. And that's I don't know about overreach from
the state that that concerns me.
Speaker 4 (31:02):
Yeah, I do know. I'm pretty sure it originated and
in western suburbs of Sydney and around the Penlyth area.
And I know I heard today actually had a promotion
done by a sofa solo Mona. Yeah, yeah, yeah, they
call it run it, but apparently he's been told not
(31:23):
to endorse it anymore so by the Melbourne Storm. So
but look, I said, you know, for if it's if
it's done professionally and in a in a controlled environment,
you know, well, or they should paint in that name
and maybe sell it to sell it to Dana White.
Speaker 2 (31:42):
Run it straight to Dana White. Paul, thanks very much
for your input here on news Talk ZB. They legislate
against drink driving. If drink driving didn't kill everybody else,
you go find kill yourself, doesn't matter. But then they
start killing us. We have a problem these guys. They
(32:03):
want to run smash into each and I suppose that's
their issue, not hurting anywhere else. They're just destroying themselves.
There's a text Darcy. Sounds pretty natty to me. Perhaps
any partakers should have medical insurance. So this is not
a strain on taxpayers, Noel, thank you. Twenty k is
much of a prize, that's not is it? I let
them do it, but first we read to remove their
(32:24):
testicles because we wouldn't want these people to breed. That's
another good point. Darcy doesn't like it.
Speaker 7 (32:32):
Ban it.
Speaker 2 (32:32):
I didn't say that. I didn't say that. You've been
playing this game, haven't you? You're still recovering. We heard that, bro. Anyway,
as his news talks here b, Nick Mills is going
to join us next as the mountdown of the Indian
Panthers continues. This is news talks, heb. He told me
(32:53):
that you whis our somebody any and Panthers basketball drama.
It didn't peak today. I've got clothes. I've decided to
drop kick the Panthers out of the leg temporary suspension.
(33:14):
They're not gone yet. There's going to be some investigation
around the lack of money, around the player welfare, a
number of tricky situations. So let's talk to Nick Mills
about that now, form my owner, part owner of the
Wellington Saints.
Speaker 8 (33:33):
Good evening, Nick, Darcy.
Speaker 2 (33:35):
How you doing. I'm doing a lot better than what's
happening at Basketball New Zealand and what's happening with the Panthers.
The further you dig, the worst this gets.
Speaker 8 (33:45):
Nick.
Speaker 7 (33:45):
What do you know?
Speaker 2 (33:46):
Because no one's allowed to talk.
Speaker 8 (33:48):
No one's allowed to talk, and all I can tell
you is that I believe the official line has been suspended.
While the international breaker is on for them to come
up with further proof that they can get through the season.
That's not going to happen. The train wreck is limping
to the nearest station, and everyone's going to claim more often,
let's get on with life.
Speaker 2 (34:07):
The very very.
Speaker 8 (34:09):
Quickest and easiest and best resolve for everyone is get
rid of it, stop it, and let the dream, the
bad dream, go away.
Speaker 2 (34:17):
How does that impede on the other teams in the league,
though surely there will be a ripple effect that will
effect that the hard working teams that are paying their
way and looking after their players.
Speaker 8 (34:28):
Realistically, it will make no difference whatsoever. They take away
all the points too and four and against on that.
The teams that have played them, they take everything that,
every bit of an announcement, any sidny thing to do
with the Panthers out of the system. Yes, we'll miss
a home game. Some teams would have sold the season
tickets based on the extra game. I'm sure that when
we and the Saints are definitely one of those, I'm
(34:51):
sure that the public will understand and they can either
give them a discount next season or they could do
That's really that pales into insignificance towards you know, to
the converse, which is letting them keep going.
Speaker 2 (35:03):
Okay, I've made a lot of phone course, a lot
of people who won't come on here, understandably so because
they're still a negotiation. I get that. So I'm not
going to mention any names. But this has been going
on for so long, and it appears that Basketball New
Zealand have had death airs to the whole event. Look,
you've been around the scene a long time. Has this
(35:24):
been bubbling for a while.
Speaker 8 (35:26):
It's been bubbling from before they even arrived, before they
even started. The first week, we got told that the
real team wasn't going to start because they had international
commitments BS. And then we got told that the Indians
weren't coming out here because they had been contracted in
India BS. I mean, it's just been BS from start
to finish. It was a terrible idea. I said so
(35:47):
at the time, I said, this is not going to
work India and basketball aren't cricket in India, are they.
I mean, let's be real, it's never going to work.
It was a disastrous idea tried. I mean, there was
some good, you know, justin Nelson's done some amazing things
since he's been in charge of the league. This definitely
wasn't one of the let's get on with it. Let's
(36:08):
actually forget about it and get on with our lives
because everyone else is doing well. The crowds are good,
the games are good, the TV coverage with Sky is amazing.
Everything is great apart from one team, and that's the Panthers.
They shouldn't have been there. Get rid of them, and
let's get on with life.
Speaker 2 (36:23):
I'm sure ideally people would love that. I'm sure Basketball
News Eland would. I hope to just go away as well.
But is it that simple. When I read the release
that's come out from Basketball and Z around the suspension
and some of the terms, they drive me nuts. The
commission chair Tracy Garland very disappointing commission is facing this,
(36:43):
especially given that following careful due diligence. Now, from what
I've gleaned, I don't know if there was careful due
diligence or any at all. It looked slapped together at
the last moment. Now I can't back that up with numbers.
I'm just talking with the people I've talked to. It
looks like it's pretty shaky from the get go.
Speaker 8 (37:02):
One hundred percent you're one hundred percent right, and everyone
knew it. It was just an idea that was conjured
up with the dream I've been able to capitalize on
our country in a population of one point three billion people.
It didn't work out. There was no due diligence, or
if it was, it wasn't done by anyone that knew
want that two and two equals four. It just was
(37:25):
a very bad idea. And you know what it's happened before.
Remember the Tasmanian Huskies. There was another dream that they
to have an Australian team in the league that ended
exactly the same way. Rules everywhere, debt everywhere, and we
just don't learn by our mistakes. Stick to your knitting,
stick to the teams out in New Zealand, stick to
the accredited teams that have been there for forty years,
(37:47):
and stop dreaming up new ideas.
Speaker 2 (37:50):
I'm glad you say that about Justin Nelson. I think
it one with the guy really well. I think what
he's done to the NBL since he's turned up was
being tremendous. So here is a splotch, a black mark,
if you will, If indeed it is traced back to him.
But besides wanting to tap into the Indian fortune or
was the driver behind this? Do you think, why would
you even do this and in such a hurry. That's
(38:13):
what gets me. Maybe give it six months, give it
a year, find out and then let it roll. But
it's like that.
Speaker 8 (38:19):
Well, yes, Justin has done some wonderful things when he's
been his involvement in the league, no question about that.
But the Huskies was his dream that didn't work either.
It was exactly the same as this. Maybe it didn't
happen in the middle of the season, but the end
of the season there were debts, there were talk, there
was all the same sort of stuff. They didn't want,
you know, it didn't We just don't need to have
an international team in our league. It's a very small time,
(38:42):
well respected league. Let's get things on facts on the table.
This league has been a Division one league since nineteen
eighty two worldwide. Justin Nelson's been there for the last
five years that this league has had burg Burg periods
of time where it was far bigger than it is now,
far bigger. I can remember going to North Shore to
watch it with the Saints to play Noel show. You know,
(39:04):
in eighty six or eighty seven at three o'clock in
an afternoon for a seven o'clock game, there was three
or four hundred people lining up to get into the games.
This is not a new phenomenon. Basketball's the league in
basketball's been huge for a.
Speaker 2 (39:15):
Long long time. I remember game not to Pioneer Stadium
in Keal Stadium, watching the old school Cannory team way
back when in the day, right in those helcyon days.
So I think he's injected a great amount to it
and coverage and the like. This is a black mark,
But let's talk bigger picture, Nick Mills, as far as
a black eye for not only the sales NBL button
(39:38):
New Zealand basketball, full stop. This can be recovered from.
This is not going to reverberate around the basketball world.
Is this we're going to get through.
Speaker 8 (39:48):
We're absolutely going to get through. But the quicker they
cut the cancer out, the less it's spread. You know,
And there's no ceo at basketball in New Zealand. Dylan's
done the bit of a runner and gone to the breakers.
We've good on him. That's what he wants to do.
We've got no CEO a basketball news and we don't
really really have any leadership there that can actually make decisions,
make things happen everyone. You ask anyone any team in
(40:10):
the league that they ring Basketball New Zealand, but ring
the NBL and ask a question, it always goes back.
I just have to ask Justin. He's left a year ago.
But they still have to ask Justin before before they
can go to the bathroom, they have to ask Justin.
Speaker 2 (40:23):
Long term, it'll get through. They've got a couple of
weeks to delay this and then you believe what will
happen is that the Panthers will be exit stage left
and the game will heal. And I think if one
of the problems I have here is that the game
is accelerating in popularity, especially amongst teenagers and high school kids.
(40:43):
It's going through the roof. This is the last thing
it needs. But hopefully it'll be overpowered by the surge
of the popularity for hoops.
Speaker 8 (40:51):
Well, they just need to cut and get on with it.
I mean, the longer it takes to cut, the longer
the BS is going to carry on.
Speaker 7 (40:58):
And it is.
Speaker 8 (40:58):
I mean, you know, yes, last night we were the
front sports store in NBL was the front sports story
on both news channels. Do we want that?
Speaker 7 (41:07):
Do we?
Speaker 8 (41:07):
Actually they're not talking about how great Canterbury Rams are
this year and how looks like they can't be beaten.
They're not talking about, you know, the fire doing really well.
They're not talking about good stuff. They're talking about a
team not paying their bills and having trouble because that's
what the media want to talk about.
Speaker 2 (41:23):
Yeah, we're terrible like that. Thanks very much for that,
Neck Mills. We need to clip that out, Andy Nick.
Nick Mills just said the Canterbury Rams are a near
on an unbeatable man. That must have hurt. Thanks for
your time at nick Mills. Let's get a quick word
now from Paveen Mattis, the CEO of the Panthers.
Speaker 3 (41:42):
Listen, I'm hugely optimistic that will be back playing and
fulfiller the rest of our fixtures.
Speaker 7 (41:49):
That's what I'm looking forward to.
Speaker 2 (41:53):
The proof of the pudding is in the eating, and
I'm not entirely sure we'll dine out on the return
of the Panthers. Thanks for your time this evening. I'm
Darcy water Grave minder is Andrew Duff. We thank you
for your time that both of us will catch you
again tomorrow on news Talk ZIB.
Speaker 1 (42:22):
For more from sports talk, listen live to News Talk
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