There was a buzz of excitement around the naming of the All Blacks Rugby World Cup squad in the weekend.
The same level of enthusiasm was not forthcoming a few days later when the four alternative flag designs were announced.
Do the contrasting reactions to these two significant moments for our nation indicate that we care more about sport (and in particular this sporting team) than our national flag?
Does our reaction suggest that the All Black selectors got it right and the Flag Consideration Panel didn't?
Or more cynically, is this evidence that the All Blacks are way more effective as a brand than some piece of coloured cloth on a pole?
Leading up to these announcements New Zealanders discussed and debated who they would pick if they were the All Black selectors.
Around the dinner table, bars, coffee carts and widescreen TVs people would wax lyrical about the merits of the old and the new.
Should we stick with the tried and true like Dan Carter and Cory Jane or shall we go for the new and exciting prodigies such as Lima Sopoaga and Nehe Milner-Skudder?
These debates would carry on through the evening, and there was much vim and vigour about the pros and cons of each candidate.
Did the same level of dialogue about the flag options occur? Did New Zealanders wax lyrical about the merits of the old and new?
The public discussion forums struggled to pull New Zealanders away from their screens (where they were probably watching sport) and daily lives.
But we did engage via social media and in more intimate settings.
Once again, we discussed whether we should stick with the tried and true red, white and blue or select from the 40 new alternatives?
Were any of the potential newcomers even worthy of kicking out the incumbent?
Prime Minister John Key offered his 10 cents worth in the debate, as did Richie McCaw.
Considering how popular McCaw is at this stage in his life his opinion is probably worth more.
In many respects, selecting an All Black squad is much easier than selecting a flag.
Of course, fans of All Black stalwarts such as Israel Dagg and Cory Jane were gutted, and supporters of All Black newcomers like Lima Sopoaga were disappointed.
No-one can deny, however, that the 31 players who made the final cut are exciting and worthy of the honour
. There seems to be a lot of X-factor and youth in the team now which balances out the wisdom and resilience the more experienced players provide.
And therein lies the difference between picking a team and picking a flag.
There will be 31 men running around representing our country, in the black jersey with the silver fern, at rugby's pinnacle event.
If the All Blacks get their fairytale ending there will be only one flag for them to sign.
The All Black squad can change over time.
If we get it right with this referendum we'd be hoping the flag selected will stay constant and unchanged for years to come.
The beauty of selecting a team is that there are multiple combinations.
Each player is not only selected on their individual merits, but also on how they will fit within the team as a whole.
These combinations create magic that even the selectors wouldn't have imagined, and being a part of that amazing experiment and witnessing it first-hand or via satellite is what makes us proud to be New Zealanders.
And maybe that is the key to understanding our apathy towards the flag debate. Instead of expecting the flag to evoke pride and passion in us as a nation, we should focus on ensuring that those who wave it, hold it, or fly it (whether it is black, white, red or blue) are doing something we are proud of.
