When I left New Zealand, the economic crisis was talked about at arm's length but here in Scotland, it is right under my nose and it stinks (and I'm sure it's getting stinkier in New Zealand, too).
That's why I was flabbergasted to hear that Manchester City, in this time of economic recession, was offering 110 million to secure the transfer of Brazilian football star Kaka.
That's $NZ267 million! How could one player be worth that much? I was even more blown away when Kaka turned it down.
Finally, someone in professional sport hasn't lost their marbles to the highest bidder.
Is it just me, or is sport starting to get a little extravagant?
If Kaka and AC Milan had accepted the offer, they would have blown the transfer fees for Zinedine Zidane ($US68 million, $NZ128 million, in 2001) and Robinho ($US32 million in 2008) out of the water.
The Beijing Olympics were the most expensive games ever with an estimated $US42 billion expenditure.
In response, nations caught a case of "gold lust", investing large amounts of public funds in the race for medals.
Athletes such as Tiger Woods, Oscar De La Hoya, Maria Sharapova and Michelle Wie, along with many others, rolled around in their millions (which I hope they invested wisely).
Wealth is relative and in New Zealand, professional teams expecting their share of sponsorship, media coverage and fanatical support pushed and shoved for the best commercial position.
In rugby, the lure of wealth led provinces down the garden path and very few have managed to put down firm roots in this commercially competitive environment.
Some New Zealand athletes, although not in the same league as their European or American counterparts, were in hot demand and difficult to hold on to.
What will happen to New Zealand sport in these financially difficult times? Who will prosper or perish? It has been suggested professional sports with a global fan base and large attendance records may survive.
In New Zealand that suggests rugby, if it can keep the faith of its supporters, will be safe.
In the business world, retail stores offering "cheap" products are experiencing profit.
It happened in sport during the Great Depression of the 1930s when sport became cheap entertainment and recreation for the masses, so it could happen again.
Who will perish? In rugby, we see Maori, rural, age grade, B grade and women's programmes being trimmed or cut.
Those at the coal-face, the community sport workers, also tend to be down-sized or laid off. I hate the bottom line.
It tends to be used to justify a wide range of unethical and unfair decisions.
Niche sports will always be vulnerable to bottom-line objectives. This includes minority sports and sports for minorities (including women).
Thank goodness these sports have demonstrated hardiness in the past, surviving on shoestring budgets, kitchen-table administration and pass-ionate volunteers.
If they can do it why can't we? I dream of a return to the amateur values worth resurrecting such as self-determination, loyalty, volunteerism and participation.
I like to imagine a sport experience where people put their hand out to help rather than to receive.
That's why Kaka's gesture of refusal was almost as inspirational as Barack Obama's pledge to accept the challenge of the presidency.
It's nice to know the war cry of sport isn't always "show me the money".
