“He’s handed off his opposite…”
Monday, May 14th, 2007
Meeting Jonah Lomu when I was 12 at the after match function for the first Super 12 game in Palmy remains the only time Ive been truely star-struck. I even saw him last year at Burger Fuel and was shook, like I was still rockin’ a baldy with the fringe. So as I watched the highlights of the All Blacks Classics vs Japan last night, I was amped to see a break away run from the man himself. Though watching a 32 year old Jonah getting chased down by a japanese back was similar to seeing Michael Jordan miss an open dunk in the all-star game, it still brought back memories of 95′ when Lomu pummeled England in the World Cup Semi. Jonah in that particular game is still my favourite individual sporting performance of all-time. My gran taped all the games during that World Cup and I would watch that shit everytime I went around for about two years. I remember in a later interview Jonah said that though he was hyped for the game, it was when Tony Underwood giggled and winked at him during the haka that he was ready to smash sumthin. Mike Cat should of slapped Underwood after.
Lomu is like a Mike Tyson or Vince Carter. Their individual ability was revolutionary to their respective sports. And whether its injury (Lomu) non-sports related incidents (Tyson) or lack of accomplishment (Carter) that has tarnished their legacy to the sports geeks, their highlights alone are still more endearing to our generation than Johnny Wilkinson’s drop-kick world cup win, Lennox Lewis’ defensive-jab victory streak, or Tim Duncan’s bank-shot dynasty. Not even hating.
