Is There Anything More Intimidating in Sports???

Than the pre-game Haka by the All-Blacks Rugby team? I have been fortunate to witness this twice. In this video, you can kind of see the Australian players cowering a bit as they are huddled.

What is an intimidating pre-game ritual or thing that you think is the best in sports?

 

Considering how good the All Blacks are, I doubt it. Either that or you'd end up getting served during the match.

 

The All Blacks' Haka is awesome. I'm surprised more teams haven't stolen the idea (though if more than one team did it, leagues and federations might get peeved enough to outlaw it).

And this is what happens when you put New Zealand against Tonga. They both do a version!

 

Its just absolutely primeval. Between that and the roar of the crowd and the fact the All Blacks are the studs of the rugby world, I'm surprised some team's haven't just forfeited right then.

As far as U.S entries go, Trevor Hoffman entering in the ninth inning to Hell's Bells has to be right up there.

 

Not even in the same ballpark, not the same league, and certainly not the same sport.

Considering the quality of the All-Blacks, the brutality of the sport, the tradition behind the Haka, and the fact that rugby is not for the squeamish . . . . there is nothing more intimidating.

"Before we kick your ass, we're gonna do this performance. And we'll remember the ones who dare to even crack a smile. The Maori among us, whose history you insult with your amusement, will take great pleasure in ending your ability to have children."

 

For some reason I thought this was going to be a lame all-star thread about Randy Johnson.

 

Am I mistaken, or does the Univ of Hawaii football team do a variation before its games? I think its a Pacific Islander thing.

 

UH adopted it last year after a Tongan player taught it to their team (interestingly enough, BYU does it too). There's a bit of controversy over the UH haka because the specific chants belong to the writers and/or the specific tribe that does the chant, and UH never got permission to use the one they did. Not a big issue, but the school made them change it up a bit.

In preps, a high school in Euless, Texas (Trinity High School) does a haka before games going back a couple of years. There's a large Tongan population in Euless, and some Tongan linemen apparently started the young tradition.

Tribal dances of this sort are a Pacific Islander thing. However, a haka is specific to New Zealand. And the All Blacks have been doing this before matches dating back to the turn of the last century when they were a British colony.

 

JDV in a pose off?

 

It is very, very cool.

I'm trying to think about college traditions. The last game for the Illinois mascot on the court was cool, but nothing I can think of compares to the All Blacks.

Soccer guys, anything in the Premiership compare?

Oh, dotting the I at Ohio State gets us a little closer.

The Army/Navy football game I would say is on par.

EDIT - I was looking at pageantry more than intimidation.

 

What, Ray Lewis' entrance at the Super Bowl doesn't qualify?

 

I would think the crowd at Anfield singing

pre- and post-match is pretty intimidating to the opposing players and fans.