The Ashes

[flarewearer]

Quoting niall from 19:12, 12th Sep 2005


no, a great year for england (i'm still very sceptical about what scotland/wales/N.Ireland will get out of the olympics)

A lot more than if the Olympics had been in Paris... ¬_¬

And it HAS been a great sporting year for Britain; N. Ireland have beaten England, England have won the Ashes, Wales won the 6 nations and only the other day Scotland retained their position as WORLD CHAMPIONS OF ELEPHANT-POLO!

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Edit; i forgot Italy were in the 6 nations, fancy that, eh?

[Ashley]

Marvellous. To see a series, a match and then even the final day to twist and turn how they did was brilliant. It didn't look good after Lords but they carried on battling hard and it was worth it. Congratulations! Now suddenly I have nothing to do during my days. Except maybe start packing.

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Nobody ever mentions the weather can make or break your day

[Superstar]

Its fuckin embarrassing how everyone suddenly loves cricket now that england have won one match. Personally i couldnt give a toss about it...its the ponciest sport around...they have a lunch break..what the fuck do they need that for? they just stand around for the majority of the match doing F all. They stop at tea time because the light gets slightly less than perfect...and they stop at the slightest spit of rain...they also wear wooly jumpers. Also am I missing out on the significance of this one game? they have won just one game havent they? its hardly like winning the world cup in rugby or football. Its the most boring sport on earth as well...goes on for days on end, all day long, with about 5minutes actual game play and a lot of standing around for the rest of the time...I'm so glad its finished, but i realise that all we're gonna get in the papers and news is about this crap for the next week or so anyway, along with a million crappy cricket documentaries. Theres only about 5 countries in the world who play the game anyway, if they had won the world cup it wouldnt even be a great achievement, but all this for just winning one game!? And if they all get knighthoods for this i'm leaving the country, what a joke!

[flarewearer]

Quoting Superstar from 20:40, 12th Sep 2005
Its fuckin embarrassing how everyone suddenly loves cricket now that england have won one match. Personally i couldnt give a toss about it...its the ponciest sport around...they have a lunch break..what the fuck do they need that for? they just stand around for the majority of the match doing F all. They stop at tea time because the light gets slightly less than perfect...and they stop at the slightest spit of rain...they also wear wooly jumpers. Also am I missing out on the significance of this one game? they have won just one game havent they? its hardly like winning the world cup in rugby or football. Its the most boring sport on earth as well...goes on for days on end, all day long, with about 5minutes actual game play and a lot of standing around for the rest of the time...I'm so glad its finished, but i realise that all we're gonna get in the papers and news is about this crap for the next week or so anyway, along with a million crappy cricket documentaries. Theres only about 5 countries in the world who play the game anyway, if they had won the world cup it wouldnt even be a great achievement, but all this for just winning one game!? And if they all get knighthoods for this i'm leaving the country, what a joke!

Shut the fuck up. if you bothered to watch a game of cricket or pay attention to ANYTHING you'd realise they do a lot more work than many other sports. Could you bowl for hour after hour at over 80mph? could you hit a 6 from a 96mph bowl? could you hit a target less than 2 inches across with a batsman standing in the way? The level of skill, strength and stamina required for professional cricket is comparable to a triathalon.
They have played 5 games each of 5 days, with each days play running from 10Am til 6PM, perhaps even more. THATS why they have breaks. You stop for low light when the batsmen and fielders can no longer see the ball well enough to hit or catch it. You stop for rain because it becomes dangerous to run on wet grass. They didnt even win this particular test, they won the series...
And as for comparing it to football?!?! the cricketers are down to earth top quality sportsmen who are as good in defeat as they are in victory, they arent overpaid, overpampered, underperforming shits like too many football players. Cricket fans enjoy the spectacle of a days entertainment, and dont pay over the top prices to see a few hours of petulant childishness on the field and to taunt the opposition as much as possible.
I hope you do leave the country, we could do with one less ignorant cretin like yourself.

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[Manic23]

Quoting NeilSJFC1884 from 12:48, 9th Sep 2005


It annoys me that non-football fans constantly complain about too much football on the box. I do not like soaps, however there is hours of television time given up for them. I accept this becuase its obvious they win ratings and that, at the end of the day, is what tv companies are after. Tennis, Rugby, Athletics, ultimate frisbee, whatever...wont bring the same number of viewers as say a big england world cup game.

As much as it pains me to agree with you (I still haven't forgiven you for ridiculing my beloved Celtic in a fairly recent thread) I totally concur:

To all you non-footie fans out there- It is the worlds most popular sport, thus is deserving of media coverage proportional to that fact. Deal with it!

[exnihilo]

Quoting flarewearer from 21:20, 12th Sep 2005
Shut the fuck up ... [and all the rest in between] ... I hope you do leave the country, we could do with one less ignorant cretin like yourself.

Hear, hear! Well said that man.

Though, hero is very, very rapidly becoming an overused word. And knighthoods are fast being devalued. And hysteria is good for absolurtely nobody.

But even as a) a Scot and b) someone who only watches cricket (when at the parental home and there's a match on the local ground), they did well and deserve to be congratulated. What we don't need is dancing in the streets and the kind of yobbery that is normally associated with football.

And as an afterthought, no sport really needs all that news coverage on the main bulletins. If people are interested they'll have watched/listened/bought a paper/asked a friend etc etc, all it means is you end up with 11 minutes of cricket and 1 minute each on Northern Ireland and New Orleans on the 10 o'clock News.

[DrAlex]

Now I like watching England play any sport. If England had a dwarf ultimate frisbee team, I'd stand up and cheer them on. But this cricket bashing is simply not on. Let's compare...

Football: Men are encouraged to pretend to get hurt in a tackle in the hopes of getting a free kick
Cricket: Launching a bowl that is intended to hit, or nearly hit, your opponent so that he gets shaken up is standard practice.
Football: 90 minutes, 1 day, substitutions.
Cricket: 7 hours at least, 5 days straight, 5 times in a series, no subs.
Football: David Beckham: Models, is in celebrity magazines, married to a pop star, has less education than my toes, and has more money than I could ever hope for.
Cricket: Andrew Flintoff. I'm sure his day in the limelight is right around the corner, but you probably haven't even heard of him.

I usually try to avoid online arguments, but this had to be said.

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RUSH KATO '05!

rush.kato@gmail.com

[The Unwilling]

Quoting DrAlex from 00:26, 13th Sep 2005
Cricket: Andrew Flintoff. I'm sure his day in the limelight is right around the corner, but you probably haven't even heard of him.

Depends where you come from hehe. Those of us from his home town are glad to see others catching up. There has even been a "Flintoff Way" for some time, though I can't remember what he did to deserve that, or even it was him.

[flarewearer]

For the record, I am also Scottish, and I am more than happy to celebrate in the brilliant sportsmanship and achievement of the England team, they deserve it, just like the England football team deserve nothing but derision, criticism and a sound kicking in the nuts.

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[Prophet Tenebrae]

No one can doubt that cricket is a far more gentlemanly pursuit. Something rather civilised about it... that and it was the basis for the British Empire.

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[flarewearer]

Quoting Manic23 from 21:57, 12th Sep 2005
To all you non-footie fans out there- It is the worlds most popular sport, thus is deserving of media coverage proportional to that fact. Deal with it!

Says who? Football fans, that's who.

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[grousefanatic]

Quoting NeilSJFC1884 from 12:48, 9th Sep 2005
It annoys me that non-football fans constantly complain about too much football on the box. I do not like soaps, however there is hours of television time given up for them. I accept this becuase its obvious they win ratings and that, at the end of the day, is what tv companies are after.

It's not so much the sport of TV that annoys me, but it's when programmes are shifted around the schedules to make room for it, or even canned for a few weeks althogether.

And woe betide any sport on TV that gets between my mother and her stories. Dear God, Hell hath no fury like a woman missing Coronation Street.

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veni vidi nates calce concidi - i came, i saw, i kicked ass

[Manic23]

Quoting flarewearer from 03:08, 13th Sep 2005

Quoting Manic23 from 21:57, 12th Sep 2005
To all you non-footie fans out there- It is the worlds most popular sport, thus is deserving of media coverage proportional to that fact. Deal with it!

Says who? Football fans, that's who.

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Are you seriously trying to dispute that football is the worlds most popular sport?
Come on, behave yourself...

[David Bean]

no, a great year for england (i'm still very sceptical about what scotland/wales/N.Ireland will get out of the olympics)

Well, the Olympics was won under the British banner, and anyone who knows jack about cricket realises that England is essentially the national team for the whole of the UK.

it would be a really shame if they did (while i assume you are joking, there will be people who arent)

You know what they say about why you should never assume? No, I'm almost entirely serious. An honour of some kind to the most important players would only be appropriate, and I'd happily knight Freddie tomorrow.

Speaking of which, about this rectorial election...

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I'm your Guardian Angel.

[Guest]

Quoting flarewearer from 21:20, 12th Sep 2005

Shut the fuck up. if you bothered to watch a game of cricket or pay attention to ANYTHING you'd realise they do a lot more work than many other sports. Could you bowl for hour after hour at over 80mph? could you hit a 6 from a 96mph bowl? could you hit a target less than 2 inches across with a batsman standing in the way? The level of skill, strength and stamina required for professional cricket is comparable to a triathalon.
They have played 5 games each of 5 days, with each days play running from 10Am til 6PM, perhaps even more. THATS why they have breaks. You stop for low light when the batsmen and fielders can no longer see the ball well enough to hit or catch it. You stop for rain because it becomes dangerous to run on wet grass. They didnt even win this particular test, they won the series...
And as for comparing it to football?!?! the cricketers are down to earth top quality sportsmen who are as good in defeat as they are in victory, they arent overpaid, overpampered, underperforming shits like too many football players. Cricket fans enjoy the spectacle of a days entertainment, and dont pay over the top prices to see a few hours of petulant childishness on the field and to taunt the opposition as much as possible.
I hope you do leave the country, we could do with one less ignorant cretin like yourself.

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Ok fucker. It is not as skilled a game as football. It is boring, it lasts for days and there is very little actual action. It is no great achievement, they won a series of games, whats the big deal in that? just cos they havent won in years, because they're shit?! thats something to celebrate then. There is no comparison with football, no one generaly gives a toss about cricket, therefore there is less sponsorship and less money, footballers are paid too much, yes, but they get a lot because they entertain millions week in week out. They are fitter and more skilled than cricketers.

[Rocky]

Quoting from 12:29, 13th Sep 2005

Quoting flarewearer from 21:20, 12th Sep 2005

Shut the fuck up. if you bothered to watch a game of cricket or pay attention to ANYTHING you'd realise they do a lot more work than many other sports. Could you bowl for hour after hour at over 80mph? could you hit a 6 from a 96mph bowl? could you hit a target less than 2 inches across with a batsman standing in the way? The level of skill, strength and stamina required for professional cricket is comparable to a triathalon.
They have played 5 games each of 5 days, with each days play running from 10Am til 6PM, perhaps even more. THATS why they have breaks. You stop for low light when the batsmen and fielders can no longer see the ball well enough to hit or catch it. You stop for rain because it becomes dangerous to run on wet grass. They didnt even win this particular test, they won the series...
And as for comparing it to football?!?! the cricketers are down to earth top quality sportsmen who are as good in defeat as they are in victory, they arent overpaid, overpampered, underperforming shits like too many football players. Cricket fans enjoy the spectacle of a days entertainment, and dont pay over the top prices to see a few hours of petulant childishness on the field and to taunt the opposition as much as possible.
I hope you do leave the country, we could do with one less ignorant cretin like yourself.

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Ok fucker. It is not as skilled a game as football. It is boring, it lasts for days and there is very little actual action. It is no great achievement, they won a series of games, whats the big deal in that? just cos they havent won in years, because they're shit?! thats something to celebrate then. There is no comparison with football, no one generaly gives a toss about cricket, therefore there is less sponsorship and less money, footballers are paid too much, yes, but they get a lot because they entertain millions week in week out. They are fitter and more skilled than cricketers.

Very little actual action?! What does that mean? Surely not all of football is action. Defenders passing the ball between them in the hope of holding on to a lead is hardly action. But then it's still enjoyable to watch, in my opinion, just as watching a cricket team try to block out for a draw is fascinating.

This argument is generally pointless as it's all subjective. But you clearly seem unwilling to even contemplate the appeal of cricket. I personally believe test match cricket to be the ultimate sport. You may find it boring, but it's an intricate test of skill, stamina, nerve and powers of concentrations. The captain for example has a far more important role than a football captain.

To argue there is more skill involved is just ignorance. Spend a couple of weeks with Murali whilst he tries to teach you his doosra, then tell me which sport requires more skill! Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge football fan and footballers have a lot of skill. But more skill than cricket? Don't be silly.

[Superstar]

Quoting David Bean from 21:38, 13th Sep 2005

no, a great year for england (i'm still very sceptical about what scotland/wales/N.Ireland will get out of the olympics)

Well, the Olympics was won under the British banner, and anyone who knows jack about cricket realises that England is essentially the national team for the whole of the UK.

it would be a really shame if they did (while i assume you are joking, there will be people who arent)

You know what they say about why you should never assume? No, I'm almost entirely serious. An honour of some kind to the most important players would only be appropriate, and I'd happily knight Freddie tomorrow.

Speaking of which, about this rectorial election...

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I'm your Guardian Angel.

Olympics will mean nothin for anyone except England...only won under Britain because in the olympics its a British team, rather than English. The other countries wont benefit i dont think. Also you need your head checked if you seriously think someone should get a knighthood for winning 1 game of cricket. Winning a football or rugby world cup fair enough...give the manager or captain a knighthood...theyve won through qualifying rounds and won many games in the competition against many very good opponents. The Ashes is a single series against 1 team... how the fuck does that even come close to comparing? The street parade and open top bus and all that is complete crap.

[DrAlex]

Quoting Superstar from 00:00, 14th Sep 2005
The street parade and open top bus and all that is complete crap.

You've just proven your ignorance of cricket. Please stop offering your opinions.

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RUSH KATO '05!

rush.kato@gmail.com

[flarewearer]

Quoting from 12:29, 13th Sep 2005

Ok fucker. It is not as skilled a game as football. It is boring, it lasts for days and there is very little actual action. It is no great achievement, they won a series of games, whats the big deal in that? just cos they havent won in years, because they're shit?! thats something to celebrate then. There is no comparison with football, no one generaly gives a toss about cricket, therefore there is less sponsorship and less money, footballers are paid too much, yes, but they get a lot because they entertain millions week in week out. They are fitter and more skilled than cricketers.

Once again you have just shown your complete and utter ignorance of cricket. You are right about one thing though, there is no comparison with football; the range of skills needed by a top all-round cricketer is far beyond that of a footballer. You are also complaining that the game is too long, why not try a 1-day test or even 20/20 cricket. England last won the ashes in 1989, 16 years, when was the last time that the international football teams of the UK won anything of note?

Please, stop embarassing yourself, and do remember that cricket entertains hundereds of millions of people every week also due to it being by far the most popular sport in an area obviously little-known to your ignorant self called the Indian Sub-continent.

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[flarewearer]

Quoting Superstar from 00:00, 14th Sep 2005
Olympics will mean nothin for anyone except England...only won under Britain because in the olympics its a British team, rather than English. The other countries wont benefit i dont think.

Even if they use Scottish venues for some of the events? Even if it brings millions of people to the capital of the UK who might otherwise not have come? What is good for London is good for Britain, and therefore good for Scotland. If you are so upset at the prospect of it being in London, why not get a piece of the action and get down there and help out?

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