Tall-Blacks Haka

[Exiled_Devil]

So NZ national teams do a traditional Maori dance- The Haka -before games. This dance was done as a greeting to another village, meant to psych out potential enemies and let friends know they would be safe with you around.

You may remember it from the UH controversy a few years back.

Well, her are the NZ basketball team - Tall-Blacks doing a haka before a game. Of interest here is one guy right there in the center.

[flyingdutchdevil]

Absolutely love the Horvath cameo. That said, they really don't look threatening. The width:height ratio of basketball players to rugby players just doesn't compare.

[AtlBluRew]

I love it when the All Blacks do this haka. It would certainly intimidate me before a rugby match. The Tall Blacks? Not so much, and I think more about the translation, which is, roughly:

It is death! It is death!
It is life! It is life!
This is the hairy man
Who caused the sun to shine again for me
Up the ladder
Up the ladder
To the top
The sun shines!

It is the story of a chieftain whose village is raided. He is hidden, Saddam-like, in a pit on a farm. When the danger passes, the farmer, apparently a hairy fellow, removes the stone at the top of the pit and drops a ladder, rescuing the chieftain.

[weezie]

God bless New Zealand and everyone there.
Hope they heal strong.