[Sport] Retrospective

Stuff has done their 20 best sporting moments of the year. As they are sporting “moments”, rather than overall performances, the All Blacks appear four times, as do the Black Caps and the Kiwis are there twice. Just to spoil their fun I’ll tell you that their number one is Michael Campbell’s victory at the US Open.

I thought that as a sport’s blogger I should do something along these lines and so I bring you the Inaugural Hammer Awards! (also called “the Hammies” or “the Hamburgs”)

I will give a list of categories with nominees and you can vote for the player/team/whatever you think should win by emailing me. If nobody emails I will just pick the winners. I can also give out special awards, so if you think something is missing send that along too.

Best Team (international representation)

• All Blacks (Lions Tour, Tri-Nations, Grand Slam)
• Kiwis (Rugby League Tri-Nations, first victory in Sydney in 46 years)
• Silver Ferns (Constant domination of Australia who are the only other good team)
• The Knights
• Georgina and Caroline Evers-Swindell (Winning their third straight world double-sculls title)*
• Rugby Sevens team (sixth straight world title)

Note: I also wanted to include the New Zealand A1 GP team but decided not to at the last minute because they haven't finished the season (as far as I am aware) maybe next year.

Best Team (national representation)

• Canterbury Crusaders** (Super 12 victory number five)
• Waikato Magic (Winning the National Bank cup by defeating the Southern Sting 65-39 in Invercargill because they had the home final stolen from them)
• Auckland Blues (NPC victors)
• Bay of Plenty (Scored the most points (20) against the British and Irish Lions)

Best Team (non-New Zealand)

• Chicago White Sox (World Series winners)
• Liverpool (Champions League winners)
• England cricket team (Won the ashes)
• New England Patriots (Won three of last four Superbowls)
• Belmain West Tigers (Won the NRL grand final)

Most Entertaining Series/Tournament

• Chappell-Hadlee Trophy Series (Cricket)
• Fisher & Paykel Cup (Netball)
• British and Irish Lions Tour (Rugby)
• The last Super 12 ever (Rugby)
• Wellington Sevens (Rugby)

Sport of the Year

• Rugby
• Netball
• Rowing
• Rugby League
• Cricket

Sport-you-could-seriously-not-give-a-sh*t-about of the Year

• Yachting
• Kick Boxing (K1 especially)
• New Zealand Basketball
• New Zealand Soccer
• Super 12 Rugby

Best Female Athlete

• Valerie Vili (Bronze at World Athletics Championships and Oceania record)
• Nicky Coles and Juliette Haigh (Winning the world coxless pairs title)***
• Kate McIlroy (winning the women’s race at the World Mountain-Running Championships in Wellington)
• Marina Erakovic (See here for all her tennis achievements)

Best Male Athlete

• Michael Campbell (Won US Open, European golfer of the year)
• Stacey Jones (came out of retirement twice to help Kiwis to victory in Tri-Nations)
• Nathan Twaddle and George Bridgewater (Winning the world coxless pairs title)***
• Mahe Drysdale (World single sculls champion)

Best Performance inside Aotearoa

• Black Caps successful record run chase of 332 over Australia
• All Blacks whitewash of the British and Irish Lions
• Silver Ferns whitewash of Australia
• Black Ferns whitewash of England

Best Opponent

• Australian cricket team
• Springboks
• English rugby team
• British and Irish Lions
• Alinghi

Photo of the Year

1. "Lay up". Duke vs Notre Dame I think (some one help)

2. "Kiss". Fiorentina's Luca Toni (L) heads the ball challenged by AS Roma’s Samuel Kuffour during the Serie A soccer match in Rome's Olympic Stadium

3. "Covered". The New York Liberty's Becky Hammon, in front, guards the Connecticut Sun's 7-foot-two-inch center Margo Dydek, of Poland, during the second half of their WNBA game at Madison Square Garden in New York.

4. "Header" Racing Lens' Eric Carriere grimaces as he heads the ball during the UEFA Cup first round first leg soccer match against Groclin Grodzisk

5. "Ohhhh". Houston Astro recieves back treatment during MLB play-offs

Best Haka

• Kapa O Pango (against South Africa)
• Ka Mate Ka Mate
• Cibi (Fiji’s Haka)
• Manu Siva Tau (Samoa’s Haka)
• New Zealand Maori Haka (couldn’t find the name)

Retiree of the Year

• Matt Te Pou (Most successful New Zealand international rugby coach)
• David Dixon (Guard for the Minnesota Vikings, record number of games started, at one time was the highest paid New Zealand athlete)
• Tana Umaga

By Grabthar’s Hammer They Were Avenged (international version)

• Black Caps successful record run chase of 332 over Australia
• All Blacks beat England with three men sin-binned for questionable offences
• New Zealand Maori finally beat the British and Irish Lions
• Chicago White Sox win World Series
• England win the Ashes

* This particular award is causing some controversy at the Halbergs as Rowing NZ wants all their crews to be considered one team. I chose the Evers-Swindell twins because I consider them to be a team more than the other crews.

** Yes, I know the Super 12 teams gave up their provincial affiliations but I never liked it. Who are they trying to fool?

*** Yes, I realise they are technically a team but I felt bad about leaving them out of the team category.