5:30 p.m. Sunday 2 January
Radio Sport host Willy Lose is in full swing. "Yes, it's a
M-M-M-M-MAJOR gwipe that I have about the Warriors and the Breakers,"
he steams. "Why do they have "New Zealand" in their names? They
haven't EARNED it and they don't DESERVE it. They don't wepwesent New
Zealand, they're fwanchises. Do YOU feel the same? Or do you just
not care?"
Radio Sport host Willy Lose is in full swing. "Yes, it's a
M-M-M-M-MAJOR gwipe that I have about the Warriors and the Breakers,"
he steams. "Why do they have "New Zealand" in their names? They
haven't EARNED it and they don't DESERVE it. They don't wepwesent New
Zealand, they're fwanchises. Do YOU feel the same? Or do you just
not care?"
In telling contrast to Murray Deaker, whose six-hour show Lose is
running while the great man holidays, Lose attracts few callers. He
is clearly getting anxious. He casts about for more things to say.
Anything will do, obviously: "SOFTBALL fans, do YOU think that
SOFTBALL is getting a RAW DEAL from the media?" he fishes,
desperately. After several minutes of Lose being forced to blather,
there's a call, mercifully. "Hel-lo to PETE," he says, the relief
evident in his voice.
running while the great man holidays, Lose attracts few callers. He
is clearly getting anxious. He casts about for more things to say.
Anything will do, obviously: "SOFTBALL fans, do YOU think that
SOFTBALL is getting a RAW DEAL from the media?" he fishes,
desperately. After several minutes of Lose being forced to blather,
there's a call, mercifully. "Hel-lo to PETE," he says, the relief
evident in his voice.
Now, this bloke Pete is unusual for a Radio Sport caller: he has
something thoughtful to say....
something thoughtful to say....
PETE: Willy, it's great that this cricket match is being arranged for
the Sri Lankan tsunami victims.
the Sri Lankan tsunami victims.
LOSE: Mmmmmm, mmmmm....
PETE: And it's great that two billion dollars has been pledged to
disaster relief so far.
disaster relief so far.
LOSE: Y-y-y-y-y-y-y-
PETE: But, Willy, that's virtually nothing, compared to what the USA
is just throwing away every day in Iraq.
is just throwing away every day in Iraq.
[Long, long, long pause]
LOSE: All wight, Pete, thank you for those thoughts. I think it's
medication time.
medication time.
[Cut to a commercial break.]
------------------------------
Of course, such insulting and indolent behaviour by a host is nothing
new on this joke of a station. But it's disturbing and disappointing
to see this particular host acting in this manner. Lose has for some
time enjoyed a reputation as a "nice guy" on Radio Sport. Unlike the
occasionally rabid Doug Golightly, the ignorant and crudely offensive
morning host Martin Devlin (recently departed) and the pompous,
overbearing Deaker, Lose has generally displayed not only a shrewd
appreciation of most sports, but also a degree of thoughtfulness not
found in many other Radio Sport hosts, other than Graham Hill, Brendan
Telfer and (on a good day) Darcy Waldegrave.
new on this joke of a station. But it's disturbing and disappointing
to see this particular host acting in this manner. Lose has for some
time enjoyed a reputation as a "nice guy" on Radio Sport. Unlike the
occasionally rabid Doug Golightly, the ignorant and crudely offensive
morning host Martin Devlin (recently departed) and the pompous,
overbearing Deaker, Lose has generally displayed not only a shrewd
appreciation of most sports, but also a degree of thoughtfulness not
found in many other Radio Sport hosts, other than Graham Hill, Brendan
Telfer and (on a good day) Darcy Waldegrave.
Two years ago, Lose actually had the courage to attempt to challenge
some ignorant and bigoted statements by Deaker. The great man had
decided to come out in support of the learned and intelligent former
cricket star Martin Crowe, who had opined publicly (some might say
foolishly) in the Saturday Herald that Maori and Pacific Island people
are "unsuited" to cricket because they "lack concentration". As is
his wont, Deaker's idea of support consisted of loudly, obnoxiously
repeating Crowe's racial slurs all of that Saturday programme and
loudly, obnoxiously berating as "politically correct" anyone who dared
to dissent from Crowe's thesis.
some ignorant and bigoted statements by Deaker. The great man had
decided to come out in support of the learned and intelligent former
cricket star Martin Crowe, who had opined publicly (some might say
foolishly) in the Saturday Herald that Maori and Pacific Island people
are "unsuited" to cricket because they "lack concentration". As is
his wont, Deaker's idea of support consisted of loudly, obnoxiously
repeating Crowe's racial slurs all of that Saturday programme and
loudly, obnoxiously berating as "politically correct" anyone who dared
to dissent from Crowe's thesis.
A week or so after that afternoon of idiocy, Willy Lose was
co-commentating a Super 12 warm-up game with Peter Montgomery and
Andrew (Slobber) Saveloy. At some stage, Saveloy or Montgomery made a
complimentary remark about the mental hardness of an Auckland Blues
player, who just happened to be a Samoan. Lose, who is Tongan, could
not resist making a wry comment....
co-commentating a Super 12 warm-up game with Peter Montgomery and
Andrew (Slobber) Saveloy. At some stage, Saveloy or Montgomery made a
complimentary remark about the mental hardness of an Auckland Blues
player, who just happened to be a Samoan. Lose, who is Tongan, could
not resist making a wry comment....
LOSE: I thought dark-skinned players didn't have the mental ability.
MONTGOMERY: [suddenly flustered] Ohhhhhhhhh, don't go there, Willy! You don't want to go down THAT road, I assure you!
And that was the end of any more implied criticism of the 'Puna
Pilgarlic.
Pilgarlic.
Although Lose's incipient act of insurrection was quickly closed down
by a nervous Montgomery, at least it showed that Lose thought about
things.
by a nervous Montgomery, at least it showed that Lose thought about
things.
Sadly, Lose's behaviour on air on Jan. 2nd seems to belie any such
positive impression.
positive impression.
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