A majority - though not large - of respondents think Dick Tayler and Mahe Drysdale have dropped the ball with their Halberg Award stances.
Tayler, the 1974 Commonwealth Games 10,000m champion, resigned from the judging panel in protest at the All Whites receiving the supreme award.
Former world rowing champion Drysdale then claimed the All Whites should not even have been a finalist, because they did not win anything.
Of the 35 readers who responded to yesterday's column, 23 thought the footballers were deserved winners, and 12 sided with Tayler and Drysdale.
Kay McFarlane, of Wanaka, said she had the All Whites to thank for "restoring my faith and interest in team sports and sport in general.
I have not felt such pride and excitement in a sporting team since I was a child."
Martin George said Tayler was "totally out of order"; the O'Brien family, of Alexandra, said his reaction had demeaned "such a wonderful achievement"; and David More said the All Whites were deserved winners because they "achieved internationally at the highest level".
Jeremy Bowen suggested Tayler and Drysdale might find their own portraits in the dictionary next to "bad sportsmanship".
But it seems there are also plenty who think Tayler and Drysdale might have had a point.
Deb Dougherty, of Clyde, said she considered "excellence to be winning, not coming second or anything less.
I do think that the All Whites did well and perhaps should be acknowledged by way of a most improved or highly commended, maybe at some other award ceremony, but they didn't win."
Chris Waugh, of Wanaka, said Tayler and Drysdale were "totally correct" in their thoughts on the All Whites, while Mike Lyons also agreed with the pair and said the All Whites warranted "special mention but that was all".
Neil Rosenbrock said the Silver Ferns should have won the Halberg Award and were "poorly recognised, undervalued and under-acknowledged".
