Haka for Napa
On the eve of training camp, I have a motivational idea for Coach Shell. I think that he should kick things off in Napa by having the New Zealand All Blacks rugby team fly in and perform their pre-game “haka” ritual. Have you seen it? If not, click here to check it out on Deadspin.com (trust me, you won’t be disappointed). They’ve been doing it for literally 100 years. I’d like to see Warren Sapp join them, he’s got the moves. McQuistan, too. As you watch the video, keep an eye on the other team. They look stricken. This is what the Raiders of lore talk about, this aura of intimidation, the idea of the other team being beat the moment Oakland walked off the bus in the rival parking lot. Coach Shell knows the feeling. I'm glad he's back to teach it.
posted by Raider Take at 12:37 AM
7 Comments:
Hell, We need the Fans to do it! How do you think the rest of the league would feel with 45 thousand "Crazed" Haiku screaming Raider fans in your face. I hope this catches on.............I love it! Great one again RT
i agree--woud be great for the crowd to do it--goal line D, 4th and 1, after the final gun....
Yeah, you'd never get away with the team doing it. The "No-Fun-League" would probably impose that old "15 yard penalty for Taunting". I mean, how are you supposed to form traditions like the Haka in the NFL today with these rules? I don't imagine the refs in 1884 in New South Wales, when this thing was first performed, flew any flags or threatend to penalize the team...
I know it's called the no fun league but at the same time I don't want it to become a circus. Celebrations are pretty cool but if the NFL let's it get out of hand it could hurt the game.
That's so funny, I was also recently inspired by the All Blacks' Haka thingy. Watch some of their highlights, too!!! You might develop a new appreciation for rugby, cause seriously, some of the highlights are better than anything I've seen out of the NFL.
nice call RT!!! i love it. i coached several kids with samoan herritage for a few years and they would do something similar to this for our team in the lockeroom after the coaches got done doing their speaches, the players would gather around them and they would do thier thing and you want to talk about fired up?!!! it got bigger and bigger everytime they did it and so did the group doing it. the key was it was not mandatory that everyone did it, but that they were doing it for us, the team. join or watch, you get fired up i'm here to tell ya.
The Indianapolis Colts did a similar Polynesian "Sway" before kickoffs a few seasons back...
The NFL considered it "Taunting" or "Team Celebration" or some such nonsense about doing something all together as a team in unison being bad for the NFL.
The Sway is no more and the Haka wouldn't get off the ground in Napa without some New Zealander players to teach it to their comrades. Like if Jarrod Cooper was from those parts and his father taught him the ritual...
But come to think of it...didn't Al have one of those Head Hunters from New Guinea stashed away in a motel in El Segundo - you know, just to keep every other team from signin' 'em?
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