Jonah Lomu

[Geoffrey de Ste. Croix]

Jonah Lomu

My complete and total disinterest in Rugby Union meant that even at the time, Lomu in his pomp did not register with me at all. I've just looked at a couple of youtube clips of his best moments and been laughing my arse off at the way massive opponents just ping! off him. I actually think the same opponents would have had more chance trying to halt a pissed off, thundering rhinoceros.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

Jonah Lomu

Uniquely among athletes who similarly took their sports to new levels shortly before or after that time - Flo Jo, Ben Johnson, Lance Armstrong, that Baseball bloke - he was never accused of any steroid dabbling, even though he looked like the Hulk.

[Evariste Euler Gauss]

Jonah Lomu

Still likely Ruth for baseball, I would think.

Well, as an Englishman, and so an outsider to baseball fan culture, I'd certainly agree with that. Reinforced perhaps by having recently read Bill Bryson's book about the summer of 1927.

I can name only two other baseball players: Jo DiMaggio (had to look up the spelling of his name just now, mind), because of Marilyn M, and Hank Aaron, because of reading, in a biography of mathematician Pal Erdos, about Ruth-Aaron pairs:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth%E2%80%93Aaron_pair

Edit: really should have remembered Lou Gehrig, who was also covered in Bryson's book, but no way I'd have remembered the name without doing a bit of searching just now.

[diggedy derek]

Jonah Lomu

WG Grace in cricket I guess

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

Jonah Lomu

EEG's link to "Ruth-Aaron pairs" is by some distance - and I mean a train journey from Manchester Picadilly to Oxenholme (for the Lake District) distance - the most boring thing I have read on OTF in about 5 years.

[ursus arctos]

Jonah Lomu

You just don't understand advanced mathematics culture.

[Evariste Euler Gauss]

Jonah Lomu

ha ha, Rogin, love the "Oxenholme (for the Lake District)" bit. You're right, of course, maths is dull. Gauss, Riemann, Hilbert and the other greats only bothered with it because golf trivia hadn't been invented yet.

[Janik]

Jonah Lomu

Gotta be fascinated by Primes. They are the building blocks of the unive...[zzzzzzzzzz]

[Eggchaser]

Jonah Lomu

blameless wrote: RIP big fella.

Although you'll never truly be gone while you're still haunting Mike Catt's nightmares.

Catt was on the radio this morning. He seemed to be able to look back and laugh at the incident.

[diggedy derek]

Jonah Lomu

Still haven't got my head around the fact that he's just six years older than the recently retired, recently fearsome Mitchell Johnson.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Jonah Lomu

And Rob Andrew was saying how glad he was that Jonah ran round him. He says that the famous photo of him clutching at the bootlaces of Lomu is in his home signed by the great man himself. Says it all really.

[Bored Of Education]

Jonah Lomu

I have to say that that England team including Clive bloody Woodward have been in brilliant in their tributes.

There was a great bit that Woodward said that he was doing his usual pre-match spiel of "There's not one of them that wouldn't change for one of you" and, I think, Mike Catt said "To be fair, we would swap Lomu for Austin Healey"

[Ray de Galles]

Jonah Lomu

It was Will Greenwood's response. You've also got the Woodward quote a bit jumbled, confusing the anecdote a little.

.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Jonah Lomu

The Queen has apparently sent a message of condolence to the family.

[Ray de Galles]

Jonah Lomu

Lots of unsurprisingly poignant scenes fron the memorial today but this eulogy from Eric Rush is an absolutely perfect mix of humour and emotion.

[Geoffrey de Ste. Croix]

Jonah Lomu

Man oh man. If I don't get that Viking longboat funeral, this is how I want to go.

[Ray de Galles]

Jonah Lomu

You need to put a warning on that haka footage. I watched it in the back of a cab yesterday morning hoping the cabbie didn't spot my blubbing and a mate of mine apparently lost it completely on a crowded commuter train when he saw it.

[Geoffrey de Ste. Croix]

Jonah Lomu

It's when the school kids start performing their haka in the stands. It probably wasn't spontaneous but it seems like it. An incredible goodbye.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

Jonah Lomu

The thing that always knocks me sideways about the haka is how enthusiastically it's taken up by the white New Zealanders, not just the Maoris. It's an astonishing symbol of national togetherness that surely isn't replicated anywhere else in the world where there has been significant immigration from Europe into an indiginous population.

[Ray de Galles]

Jonah Lomu

I first visited New Zealand in 2000 having been to Australia two or three times in the two years previously.

I couldn't believe the massive contrast between the two countries attitude towards their indigenous population and cultures.

I don't want to seem glib and I know there are still significant problems in NZ for people of Maori and Polynesian backgrounds but they appear to be something of a model for other countries.

[Toro Toro]

Jonah Lomu

Yeah, I think there's definitely something to that. See this too

[Borracho]

Jonah Lomu

Rogin the Armchair Fan wrote: The thing that always knocks me sideways about the haka is how enthusiastically it's taken up by the white New Zealanders, not just the Maoris. It's an astonishing symbol of national togetherness that surely isn't replicated anywhere else in the world where there has been significant immigration from Europe into an indiginous population.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0xn7RWcwVw

[Antepli Ejderha]

Jonah Lomu

When did NZ start taking the Haka seriously?

[Antepli Ejderha]

Jonah Lomu

Cheers Harry and Geoffrey for sharing those videos from his funeral service. Truly moving.