Any Australians about?

Pip wrote

Warm light bitter straight from the barrel, egg and cucumber sandwiches
cut into small triangles with the crusts cut off...

 

That's a tough one. There are some benefits to the community: financial
ones if everybody Buys British, (or whatever); less tangible ones of
community spirit in times of adversity. Humans are social animals, so we
tend to feel happier if we're part of something. I guess we're more
inclined to obey the law, and other rules, if we feel that it's *our* law,
rather than just an arbitrary set of rules for the place we happen to be
living in.


Going back a bit to the rather less serious issue of supporting England in
the RWC, then I think that there can be *personal* benefits to it. I've
always found that competitive sports are more enjoyable (as a spectator)
if I'm supporting one of the competitors. (This seems to be particularly
true of team games, in my experience.) That enjoyment is increased with a
greater emotional investment. So deciding that in the final one is going
to support England rather than Australia wouldn't bring as much pleasure
as if one had been supporting England throughout the tournament, or even
before.

I certainly find that I get a lot more pleasure from watching rugby now
that I'm a (somewhat) serious Gloucester fan than I did before I followed
a team. Perhaps Ben and Adie might have similar opinions?

There is a downside: I felt quite depressed after we lost to Bath. But
over all I reckon I've made a net gain.

Of course, none of that says that you should support /England/, but it
seems (at least) as good a choice as any.

If your sole objection is that you don't want to be associated with the
negative aspects of patriotism, then I would say: why worry about that?
Don't let other people's inadequacies disuade you from doing something,
any more than you'd let the negative image of motorcycling disuade you
from going out for a Sunday afternoon blast, (once the weather warms up
of course).

 

On Thu, 27 Nov 2003 18:21:22 +0000, steve auvache

Dozing in the sun.. I love cricket.

 

Snowleopard wrote

Oh the joys of deep square leg when the wimmin are dozing in their light
summer frocks.

 

Have you ever heard Roy Harper's "When An Old Cricketer Leaves The
Crease"?

--
Platypus - Faster Than Champ
VN800 Drifter, R80RT, Z200
DIAABTCOD#2 GPOTHUF#19
BOTAFOS#6 BOTAFOT#89 FTB#11
BOB#1 SBS#35 ANORAK#18 TWA#15

 

Have you ever heard Roy Harper's "When An Old Cricketer Leaves The
Crease"?[/QUOTE]

Er... no?

 

Er... no?[/QUOTE]

Very atmospheric, elegaic sort of track, about cricket and life in
general in a fairly oblique way. I'll have to dig out the vinyl
wossname.

--
Platypus - Faster Than Champ
VN800 Drifter, R80RT, Z200
DIAABTCOD#2 GPOTHUF#19
BOTAFOS#6 BOTAFOT#89 FTB#11
BOB#1 SBS#35 ANORAK#18 TWA#15

 

Why would motorcycle enthusiasts/bikers be interested in cricket in
the first place? If the weather's good enough for cricket, you should
be on the bike if at all possible. The game carries less than no
interest for me, and I generally try to avoid exposure in any way.

 

Well, for one thing, I've got Snowy's bike...

--
Platypus - Faster Than Champ
VN800 Drifter, R80RT, Z200
DIAABTCOD#2 GPOTHUF#19
BOTAFOS#6 BOTAFOT#89 FTB#11
BOB#1 SBS#35 ANORAK#18 TWA#15

 

yeah right.

Still on for the Dakar?

 

It will obviously come as something of a shock to you, but it _is_
possible to have other interests in life _as_well_as_ motorbikes.

And do you really spend every waking hour of decent weather on your
bike? No, thought not.

Well I tend to feel the same about football, but I'd hardly start
slagging off people who go and play the game every saturday in winter
(shudder).

Now, people who just go and _watch_ it every week are another matter
altogether...

 

Funnily enough, I actually enjoy watching games more, both football and
rugby where I support neither team. I can relax, watch and enjoy the
finer and more subtle points of a game rather than be so wound up in
the 'my team has to win' state of mind that I miss it all.

For example, I got very nervous and ended up wandering around the house
during the extra time of the RWC final. I've still not seen Jonny's
winning drop goal /

Having said that, I do really enjoy going to a game, esp. as an 'away'
supporter and more so abroad, although it would be difficult to explain
why that is the case to someone not 'into' team sport, such as Champ.

 

Does being interested in motorcycles preclude any other hobby or
interest then?

Rubbish. Are you saying that as long as the weather's good
you are *always* out riding your bike?
And you could ride out to a match, watch for a few hours,
relax in the sun and ride home again.

Anyway, a cricket test match can last up to five days.
I don't have to watch every single minute of it to enjoy
the match.

It's OK if you don't like it. We don't mind )

 

I've never said I'm not into team sport!

 

Fnaar, fnaar.

 

'Zactly. I don't watch much cricket, but when I'm in the mood, it can be
quite the thing. I find it relaxing watching others being relaxed around
a bit of greenery.

--

Dave

GS 850 x2 / SE 6a
SbS#6 DIAABTCOD#16 APOSTLE#16? FUB#3
FUB KotL OSOS#12? UKRMMA#19

 

Grimly Curmudgeon wrote:

Especially if they blow the smoke in your direction.

 

Too right.

--

Dave

GS 850 x2 / SE 6a
SbS#6 DIAABTCOD#16 APOSTLE#16? FUB#3
FUB KotL OSOS#12? UKRMMA#19

 

Hey, I can't help it. I really wish I could understand the attraction
the game obviously has for some; it's obvious a lot of people derive
great enjoyment from it. If the weather's good, and I've nothing
better to do (I think I've maybe hit upon the crux of the matter
there), I'd rather be on the bike (assuming I have one). It probably
doesn't help having a short attention span, even football matches are
too long for me.

 

I quite like watching tennis. More interesting than any motorsport...