Supershorts: Snow trouble

German figure skater Nathalie Weinzierl. Photo / AP

White-hot reactionto straight-talking column on Sochi snow bunnies more than a little off piste.

Whoa there, didn't those snow sport types and the simpering, sycophantic media following them slavishly around Sochi come out big style when Herald reporter Dana Johannsen dared question their performance and attitude at the Winter Olympics.

An orchestrated hate campaign followed, fuelled in part by the said media in Sochi which, ironically, is probably the best organised snow sports have ever been.

So let's get this straight: Johannsen might have been a little over the top in some of her observations; then again, she might have been closer to the mark than anyone wants to admit. Point being, they were her observations.

If snow sports want to be taken seriously, they have to be prepared to be scrutinised, both positively and negatively, just like all our major sports teams.

If they don't want this scrutiny - and it appears they desperately don't - then let's just call this campaign for what it is: one giant taxpayer-sponsored junket, promoted free by TV3. - Dylan Cleaver, head of sport

BO'D, the greatest?

So writes Mick Cleary in the Telegraph, as Brian O'Driscoll prepares to equal George Gregan's record 139 test caps: "As to where O'Driscoll sits in the pantheon, it makes for endless bar chat. Gareth Edwards, David Campese, Martin Johnson, Barry John, Serge Blanco - these all have claim on the mantle of being the greatest ever". No Richie McCaw? No CE Meads? The Irish just can't let that tip-tackle go, can they?

Baseball in Cuba

This week in a Cuban League game, a man named Demis Valdes - who wasn't even playing - charged the mound with a bat and took a swing at a pitcher who was beaning his teammates, before opposing players subdued him. Fortunately Valdes' swing missed its target, which may explain why he wasn't in the line-up.

Bitter taste of defeat

From the Wall Street Journal comes a highly enjoyable back-and-forth between Russian ice hockey coach Zinetula Bilyaletdinov and a member of the media, following his side's shock exit from the Winter Olympics after a 3-1 defeat to Finland.

Q: What future, if any, do you see for your own work and for your coaching staff? Because, you know, your predecessor was eaten alive after the Olympics ...

A: Well then, eat me alive right now.

Q: No, I mean ...

A: Eat me, and I won't be here anymore.

Q: But we have the world championship coming up!

A: Well then, there will be a different coach because I won't exist any more, since you will have eaten me.

Q: But you're staying, aren't you?

A: Yes, I will remain living.

Did you know?

Four Black Caps who donned the whites in the last five months are all sons of test players - Latham (Tom), Rutherford (Hamish), Redmond (Aaron) and Bracewell (Doug) - courtesy of @Sportsfreakconz. Continuing with that theme, here's a name to keep an eye out for - Chanderpaul. Tagenarine Chanderpaul, the son of West Indies veteran Shivnarine, has produced two man-of-the-match performances for the West Indies at the under-19 World Cup. Could we possibly see a father and a son playing for the same test side?

The Honey Badger speaks

Force and Wallabies winger Nick Cummins is carving out a well-earned reputation as an orator of note, as can be evidenced in this amusing video http://tinyurl.com/o7mqn8u. "As tough as woodpecker's lips" is just one of the many highlights.

Q&A John-Paul Clarkin

New Zealand's top polo player John-Paul Clarkin has experienced triumph in his sporting life, while dealing with tragedy on a personal level.

Clarkin - known as JP - is on his annual excursion home from Europe, an alleged exercise of rest that happens to involve plenty of polo including the New Zealand Open at Clevedon on Sunday.

The 35-year-old Clarkin, with an eight goal handicap, is among the game's best. His English wife Nina is the game's top female player.

His life has been far from plain sailing. Clarkin's sister Emma was killed in a 1999 car crash at the age of 19, and he was at the polo ground in England when his father, Paul, was fatally injured by a fall during a game in 2004. Paul Clarkin had lost almost total sight in one eye from a polo accident while JP's father-in-law - from the Vestey family beef-packing empire - is wheelchair bound after a hunting accident.

Clarkin considered quitting the sport after the death of his father but 10 years on from the accident, the game remains central to his life. He chats to the Herald.

What do you love most about returning to New Zealand?

We still play polo but it's more about the relaxed atmosphere and the chance to enjoy quality family time.

How have the personal tragedies shaped your view of life?

They certainly make you appreciate what you have. They were tough times on my mother ... she is an amazing character and an inspiration. I was a bit lost [after his father's death] - there was soul searching for a couple of months. Dad lived for the game and that helped me decide to return to playing.

Career highlight?

Nina and I and two English friends, Mark and Luke Tomlinson, teamed up and won the British Open in 2003. Outside of Argentina it's the biggest tournament. It was my first attempt ... I haven't got past the semifinals since.

Do you often play in the same team as your wife?

Over time we worked out that it's not best for our marriage playing together too often. Apparently my instructions can be taken a little much to heart.

Has polo followed other sports in analysis, training and psychology?

The video analysis of your own performance and the opposition has really increased. The game is so unpredictable meaning the analysis concentrates most on set plays. I think you can over-analyse, though. The best way to train is on the horses but we also use the gym. Some have gone the sports psychiatrist way but I'm not so sure about that.

What makes a good polo horse?

Speed, agility ... and the temperament of a donkey. They need a calm nature. If they are hyper it's difficult to get a good platform to hit from.

A favourite pony?

I've got a mare named Rhino who is amazing. She was probably bred with polo-cross in mind ... she lacks speed over the long run but has amazing agility.

Is there one thing you would like to change in polo?

We have a system where patrons fund the teams and also play (under the handicap system). It would be nice to think that polo could reach a point when everybody in the team is a professional player.

Career aims?

It was always a dream to get a 10-goal handicap but I don't think I'll have the opportunity anymore. I'd need to go to Argentina for three months a year and I'm not in a position to do that. Nine might still be attainable ... actually, as a professional it can be better to have a lower rating. A lot of professionals look at that aspect.

Who is the game's top player?

(Argentinian) Adolfo Cambiasa. I've never played with him but I've played against him a few times. It is very challenging. He's a pocket rocket, very slippery. He's been a 10-goal player since the age of 18.

What do you love most about polo?

The whole package ... there is the thrill of the game but there are so many variables. You are not only competing against the opposition but trying to get your team to gel as well.

You have a 2-year-old daughter ...

Elizabeth loves animals and is riding already. The other day she asked for a polo stick ... there's trouble on the horizon.