Originally posted by Flattop
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I'm probably going to blow it with this post.
If it is about building team unity (and I am not saying it isn't) then it is not necessary to do it in front of your opponent, even with your back turned. Of course the troops in Afghanistan did not do the Haka in front of the Taliban, or anywhere near them. Rather they did it on their own FOB or in the rear. It was actually an intelligence staff that did the Haka in the Stan.
I first read about this in the August 2007 issue of Proceedings, the periodical of the U.S. Naval Institute. I posted a summary of the article at UF.N in September 2007 (link):
I have no problem with BYU doing the Haka, but doing it on your rival's field might not be a particularly good idea. If it is about building team unity, it can be done anywhere, and therefore need not be done on an opponent's field.
I have to say that I am a little bit uncomfortable with the likening of football to combat and war. I think calling football uniforms combat uniforms is stupid. I am not comfortable with "War Utah!" cries.
I have read enough about war to know that it is ugly. It always has been ugly, and it always will be. There is no such thing as a good or clean war. Sometimes, however, there are just causes to fight for. In spite of the use of football terminology in combat, the two bear little resemblance.
War is hell, football is not. It is well that war is so terrible or we would grow to fond of it. It is well that football is not terrible so we can be fond of it.
If it is about building team unity (and I am not saying it isn't) then it is not necessary to do it in front of your opponent, even with your back turned. Of course the troops in Afghanistan did not do the Haka in front of the Taliban, or anywhere near them. Rather they did it on their own FOB or in the rear. It was actually an intelligence staff that did the Haka in the Stan.
I first read about this in the August 2007 issue of Proceedings, the periodical of the U.S. Naval Institute. I posted a summary of the article at UF.N in September 2007 (link):
I have no problem with BYU doing the Haka, but doing it on your rival's field might not be a particularly good idea. If it is about building team unity, it can be done anywhere, and therefore need not be done on an opponent's field.
I have to say that I am a little bit uncomfortable with the likening of football to combat and war. I think calling football uniforms combat uniforms is stupid. I am not comfortable with "War Utah!" cries.
I have read enough about war to know that it is ugly. It always has been ugly, and it always will be. There is no such thing as a good or clean war. Sometimes, however, there are just causes to fight for. In spite of the use of football terminology in combat, the two bear little resemblance.
War is hell, football is not. It is well that war is so terrible or we would grow to fond of it. It is well that football is not terrible so we can be fond of it.
:swear:
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