BS: He's gone (English cricket topic!)

Subject: RE: BS: He's gone (English cricket topic!)
From: Blackcatter
Date: 29 May 04 - 12:42 PM

Good responses Jon,

Of course cricket does have a following here in the U.S. - there's a cricket league even here in Orlando, FL. I know several of the teams are sponsored by local pubs. I inhabit one of the Irish pubs, and we don't happen to have a cricket team, but I've been on its dart and pool league teams which play the Engish pubs.

I believe the cricket players are mostly non-U.S. born and made up of the dozens of countries that play the sport - especially the West Indies, I believe.


I love a British Roast - and remember there's something called Yankee Pot Roast that's quite good as well. Britain is making strides in cuisine improvement, although I have to say the could times I've been to the U.K., I've eaten mostly in "forgeign" establishements (but I do that here too -my last birthday the owner of my favorite Vietnamese restaurant was an invited guest.

As for football supporters, it's a long haul to get the community away from those idiots. I wonder what American fans would be like if we were invested in football(soccer) like much of the world.

By the way - you may have noticed that I try to refer to it as football, unless I am refering to it in connection with the U.S. - I prefer the name football for soccer vbecause it makes sense, especially when American football only occasionally kicks the ball. Unfortunately, there's no other term for Am. football.

I'm a baseball fan, anyhow.

Subject: RE: BS: He's gone (English cricket topic!)
From: Les from Hull
Date: 29 May 04 - 05:51 PM

Blackcatter - It's called American Football (I think I've heard the term 'gridiron' also) just as soccer is called Association Football and rugger is Rugby Football. Of course there's also Gaelic Football and Australian Rules...

I think that cricket is something you have to be brought up with. It's quite complicated and it's not really easy for a newcomer to understand. Even understanding the rules is child's play compared with understanding the skills and tactics involved. I'm not saying that this is a good thing or a bad thing, certainly both baseball and American Football take some understanding and call for considerable skills. All this is probably why people who have grown up with cricket want to continue playing and/or watching it. Also we who enjoy the game like to share our enjoyment of it with others, so we're sometimes a bit scary. I don't think it's to do with attention span or national characteristics or anything else like that

Hooligan support for soccer has little to do with the sport, it's more about tribalism. Real soccer fans, who vastly outnumber the idiot fringe, look on them the same way that you do.

I must take issue you with you on the history stuff, though. OK you won the first war, you and your French, Spanish and Dutch friends that is. But your country declared war on us in 1812, in an attempt to steal Canada. The excuse was 'Free Trade and Sailors' Rights' and the opportunity was our involvement in a war with Napoleon's France. After that war was over both countries were happy to have peace with no territorial changes on either side. And Japan and Germany declared war on the USA in 1941. But you are right about our food, mate!

Subject: RE: BS: He's gone (English cricket topic!)
From: GUEST,John O'Lennaine
Date: 29 May 04 - 07:37 PM

Cricket:
Eleven players per side
Two sides
First one side bats while the other side bowls.
Batting involves protecting three sticks making up the wicket...

Nah, Les is right.
Sorry S O P, I thought he was sidestepping the issue, but I see now that it's too big a job for a forum like this.
I think the whingers (soft g) would probably be right.
The wicket is a very minor object in the whole package, yet plays a major role, and there are many other wicketish concepts.

I think the best way to understand cticket is to commit five days of your time to watching a game.
It sounds like a big ask, but if you're fair dinkum about it, it will be rewarding.

John

Subject: RE: BS: He's gone (English cricket topic!)
From: Blackcatter
Date: 29 May 04 - 07:49 PM

Well I played it one evening in York. I was walking past a park after dinner and stopped to watch a "pick-up" game (Do y'all have that term too?) I got to talking with one of the ladies who was watching and she got me in the game. Certainly didn't know all the rules, but I can swing a bat, run and catch a ball. It was difficult to swing such a light bat in an odd manner to hit to ball. The 5 pints of Newcastle didn't help either. I mean, I'm used to drinking, but not while playing baseball (which I played through my second year of college when I switched to crew).

Oh yeah - just remembered - I was part of a crew/rowing team that beat Oxford back in 1989 . . .)

We'll probably never agree on the war thing.

Subject: RE: BS: He's gone (English cricket topic!)
From: GUEST,Ooh-Aah
Date: 02 Jun 04 - 06:02 AM

What was America's motivation in the war of 1812? (1)to take Canada (2)to increase America's trade at Britain's expense. End of the war: Canada still Canada, and US trade reduced to nearly zero by British Naval blockade. Nuff said.

Subject: RE: BS: He's gone (English cricket topic!)
From: Les from Hull
Date: 02 Jun 04 - 11:07 AM

I notice that there's a new professional cricket league starting up in the USA using international players from various countries. One of the teams is based in Florida, so now's your chance, Blackcatter!

They're only doing 20-over matches though, the shortest type of game all over in about 3 hours.

(Latest news Yorkshire 256 for 4, versus Essex - day 1 of 4 about 4pm)

Subject: RE: BS: He's gone (English cricket topic!)
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Jun 04 - 03:26 PM

Les -

I'll look into it. It's porbably in Miami though. Can anyone suggest a website that has a concise description of the game?


Ooh-Aah,

If you say so - but why are the British still paying attention to the war? Most Americans don't even remember it happened.

Subject: RE: BS: He's gone (English cricket topic!)
From: GUEST,Blackcatter
Date: 02 Jun 04 - 03:27 PM

Sorry, that last GUEST post was from me.

Blackcatter

Subject: RE: BS: He's gone (English cricket topic!)
From: muppett
Date: 03 Jun 04 - 06:34 AM

So he's taken the media option up then (Nasir) and sign up to Sky Sports.

Subject: RE: BS: He's gone (English cricket topic!)
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 03 Jun 04 - 07:43 AM

Blackcatter, start here.

Jon