Black Armbands - Australia v South Africa

[Bryan]

Without any spoilers, as I'm only 25 mins into the game:

Nigel Owens is wearing a black armband
The South African players are all wearing blank armbands
The Australians are not

Without any reference to the old Justice 4 stuff from the Lions campaign, what are these folks trying to honour / mourn (the Oz commentary team have mentioned nothing of it so far, at least not since kickoff)?

 

[Robert Burns]

It was for the 5 Aussie soldiers that died in afghanistan earlier this week.

 

[Bryan]

It was for the 5 Aussie soldiers that died in afghanistan earlier this week.

Thanks.

I'm assuming this applies to the referee's armband as well?

 

[B52 REF]

nigel's was for his aunt who died yesterday

 

[Account Deleted]

From his facebook page:

"Just heard the bad news from home. So will be wearing a black armband tomo when Refin AUS v SA in respect for my auntie Syl who passed away this morning. So sad, a great lady. One of the best"

 

[chbg]

Nigel Owens is wearing a black armband
The South African players are all wearing blank armbands
The Australians are not
QUOTE]

Silly me, I thought that it was the Aussies playing in Gold :wtf:

 

[Dickie E]

From his facebook page:

"Just heard the bad news from home. So will be wearing a black armband tomo when Refin AUS v SA in respect for my auntie Syl who passed away this morning. So sad, a great lady. One of the best"

is just me or is putting 6 inches of electrical tape around your arm to mourn a loved one a bit ridiculous

 

[Agustin]

is just me or is putting 6 inches of electrical tape around your arm to mourn a loved one a bit ridiculous

Just you.

It's a show of emotion.

 

[Dickie E]

Just you.

It's a show of emotion.

Sometimes I see sports people with 2 lengths of electrical tape around their arm. I assume 2 people have died? What is the maximum number of bits of tape protocol?

Sometimes I see on right arm and sometimes on left. What is going on there?

 

[didds]

captain's armband?

didds

 

[Account Deleted]

is just me or is putting 6 inches of electrical tape around your arm to mourn a loved one a bit ridiculous

Do you think it is acceptable for other situations where deaths have occurred? It is common practice to wear a black arm when someone "important" has died. Is it not?

Who are more important than family?

 

[andyscott]

Its up to them.

Wearing it, doesnt mean its compulsory when someone has died.
Not wearing it doesnt mean its any less important, or you morn any less.

Let them get on with it.

 

[crossref]

i think it's a bit odd that sport, in particular, has become so tightly associated with public displays of mourning.

I don't see black armbands at work, or on the streets. I'm of an age where many of my friends in the last few years have lost parents and uncles and aunts, and (other than at the funeral itself) I don't recall seeing a single black armband, or black tie or any other display of grief.

Except at sporting occasions, where they have become common for players.

similarly minutes of silence. That happens once a year on remembrance Sundays -- and also at about 50% of all the premiership games I attend.

sport has become, oddly, very interlinked with displays of grief.

 

[Account Deleted]

I don't think that, in general, it is grief. Rather it is a mark of respect.

We had a minutes silence on Friday night for Dr Jack Matthews, the Former Cardiff, Wales and Lions Centre. No grief but plenty of respect for the giant he was.

 

[Taff]

i think it's a bit odd that sport, in particular, has become so tightly associated with public displays of mourning. ... sport has become, oddly, very interlinked with displays of grief.

A very good local ref attended a game last season and while talking to a Blazer before the game, was told that "Denzil" had died, and his son played for the home team. It turns out that Denzil was just a fictional character in a Welsh soap and only his character had died - the actor himself is still alive and kicking. Anyway, the english speaking ref never watched the pogramme so had no idea who "Denzil" was, but still asked for a few moments silence before the game. He did feel a bit of a berk, but in fairness he wasn't to know. :biggrin:

 

[crossref]

I don't think that, in general, it is grief. Rather it is a mark of respect.

We had a minutes silence on Friday night for Dr Jack Matthews, the Former Cardiff, Wales and Lions Centre. No grief but plenty of respect for the giant he was.

well, whatever, but what I am saying is that (for some reason) it's only in sporting context that we perform these marks of respect.
Other than inside sportsground I see no armbands or black ties and few silences.
Yet inside a sports ground these things are very common, which is interesting.

 

[Taff]

Don't forget that to a lot of people, sport is a religion. It's probably the only time when they congregate in any great numbers, because church / chapel attendances are dropping drastically.

 

[dave_clark]

and yet there was a minute's silence at a six nations match to mourn Bradley Davies's mum. i appreciate that it's hard to lose a parent, but to expect 70,000 people to hold silence to mark it? OTT in my view.

 

[crossref]

Don't forget that to a lot of people, sport is a religion. It's probably the only time when they congregate in any great numbers, because church / chapel attendances are dropping drastically.

yes I think there is an argument along those lines.

the rleigion aspect also helps explain why people get in so much of a lather about moral values of sportstmen. The more it resembles a religion the more people care about players being or not being good role models for children, or being too drunk on saturday nights, or sleeping with each other's ex girlfriends etc. All things we would be upset if our vicar fell down on.

 

[Lee Lifeson-Peart]

All things we would be upset if our vicar fell down on.

You should be RC like me then you'll never be shocked!!!! :wow: