New Zealand's "All Blacks" Team Bleeds for Cause

What cause, you ask? And well you might. But only if you don't know New Zealanders.

Having lived in the Land of the Long White Cloud for a goodly length of time (i.e., most of 2002-2004), I definitely learned a few things about the kiwi culture and way of life. Probably one of the main ones being that New Zealanders are truly and completely and almost without any exception whatsoever PASSIONATE about sport (as they would say; not "sports").

A fact which goes triple for rugby in particular.

So I was not at all surprised (though I was very amused) to find out that the all-important life-or-death cause of SPORT PROMOTION was being helped by the formidable All Blacks, NZ's national rugby team, all of whom have actually donated their very own precious blood in order to provide much-needed DNA for the purpose of bonding into a printed limited-edition poster. Fans who buy adidas All Black jerseys will receive this novel item while supplies last, thereby taking home with them a little piece of every member of the team.

The poster is called, appropriately enough, "Bonded by Blood."

So for those of you who are always griping about how athletes just don't make enough sacrifices for their loyal fans, I'm happy to say that you are, in fact, wrong. Because if putting your DNA into a special limited-release poster isn't enough, I don't know what is.

Personally, though, I'd prefer it if each team member took non-DNA enhanced posters and simply stapled significant portions of their paychecks to them. That's a sacrifice I could truly, completely, and with absolutely no exception whatsoever, appreciate.

But I'm sure that's just me.