Smith issues warning to Flintoff

[James]

Smith issues warning to Flintoff

[archie mac]

Originally Posted by James

Smith issues warning to Flintoff

Yeah that will decide the Ashes

[silentstriker]

Originally Posted by archie mac

Yeah that will decide the Ashes

He didn't say it would. He just said its something you need to prepare for. But if you're unable to handle it, it could doom the Ashes campaign because players would get caught up in it.

[archie mac]

Originally Posted by silentstriker

He didn't say it would. He just said its something you need to prepare for. But if you're unable to handle it, it could doom the Ashes campaign because players would get caught up in it.

No but he hinted that was the reason they lost to Aust. No problem with the SA crowds making sheep noises when they play the Aussies.

The worst thing I have ever heard the Englishman called is 'Have ago ya Pommy *******'

Now that has been going on since who knows when. I have been at Tests in Aust involving India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka NZ, the Windies and England and I can honestly say I have never heard a racist remark. They have ago at Murali but not for his colour.

I am not saying it does not happen, but anyone would be forgiven for thinking it was a constant chant around the ground.

[James]

Originally Posted by archie mac

No but he hinted that was the reason they lost to Aust. No problem with the SA crowds making sheep noises when they play the Aussies.

The worst thing I have ever heard the Englishman called is 'Have ago ya Pommy *******'

Now that has been going on since who knows when. I have been at Tests in Aust involving India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka NZ, the Windies and England and I can honestly say I have never heard a racist remark. They have ago at Murali but not for his colour.

I am not saying it does not happen, but anyone would be forgiven for thinking it was a constant chant around the ground.

I was talking to a friend at work earlier today who was saying it's very common at the MCG when he used to live over there and head to matches.

Obviously that's just his personal opinion, but thought I'd mention it.

[Dasa]

^It's been very common in my experience as well.

[archie mac]

Originally Posted by James

I was talking to a friend at work earlier today who was saying it's very common at the MCG when he used to live over there and head to matches.

Obviously that's just his personal opinion, but thought I'd mention it.

Sorry James and Dasa just to clarify, the thing that is very common is racial taunts?

Not with the white teams surely? I have been to about 6 or 7 Tests/ODI involving the Windies and I can't remember anything at the Tests being of a racial nature. The ODI seem to be a different crowd and I have heard the odd comment there.

One I did join in with was 'Don't you hate that Hadlee" Sang to the Doors classic

One that does go around alot is such and such is a ******, but again at ODI matches.

[Dasa]

Well I haven't seen so much abuse at the players themselves, only a few isolated cases. I've experienced many racial taunts in the crowd though, from other members of the crowd.

[silentstriker]

Thats tough. In the US, I've never ever experienced a single racial taunt either towards me or the players in the literally hundreds of times I've been to the stadium (I have season tickets to a baseball team, and half season tickets to the hockey team, so thats 100+ sporting events in just one year, times about five years that I've been doing it).

[Slow Love™]

Smith certainly works hard to endear himself to Aussie audiences.

Archie, I don't think people (besides Smith) are insinuating it's the majority of the crowd - in fact, it's always going to be quite a very small minority. The problem is that that isn't that rare, particularly at the MCG. I've seen it before, and I believe a few journos made comments about it when India toured back in '03. And Murali has certainly copped racial abuse from crowds over here. Just something we have to tidy up and make clear it's unacceptable, which as far as I can tell, the ICC/CA is doing.

And no, I don't think the West Indians (in my time following cricket at least) cop much - but that kind of thing is focussed towards subcontinentals in recent times for obvious reasons.

[archie mac]

Originally Posted by Slow Love™

Smith certainly works hard to endear himself to Aussie audiences.

Archie, I don't think people (besides Smith) are insinuating it's the majority of the crowd - in fact, it's always going to be quite a very small minority. The problem is that that isn't that rare, particularly at the MCG. I've seen it before, and I believe a few journos made comments about it when India toured back in '03. And Murali has certainly copped racial abuse from crowds over here. Just something we have to tidy up and make clear it's unacceptable, which as far as I can tell, the ICC/CA is doing.

And no, I don't think the West Indians (in my time following cricket at least) cop much - but that kind of thing is focussed towards subcontinentals in recent times for obvious reasons.

I have not been to too many India or SL matches so that may explain that, very surprised by the experience of Dasa

[Dasa]

^Exactly.

Originally Posted by silentstriker

Thats tough. In the US, I've never ever experienced a single racial taunt either towards me or the players in the literally hundreds of times I've been to the stadium (I have season tickets to a baseball team, and half season tickets to the hockey team, so thats 100+ sporting events in just one year, times about five years that I've been doing it).

Those sports aren't divided along national lines though...with something like cricket, there's bound to be some friction because it's country against country. Although I haven't been to an AFL match in a long time, I don't think I'd hear many racial taunts at a footy match because the rivalries have nothing to do with nationality/race.

[howardj]

Geez Smithy made a right-royal goose of himself last summer.

He was a walking joke.

He totally over-rated the mental side of the game - trying to create divisions in the Aussie camp etc; trying to be the tough guy.

...all while averaging 25; failing to raise his bat once; and being on the end of an absolute bowling clinic from Brett Lee.

Other than that, he had a top summer!

[Slow Love™]

Originally Posted by howardj

Geez Smithy made a right-royal goose of himself last summer.

He was a walking joke.

He totally over-rated the mental side of the game - trying to create divisions in the Aussie camp etc; trying to be the tough guy.

He made Punter look like his master. Nuff said.

And he's been this way since his very first test. I actually don't mind him complaining about the psychological taunting, etc, but he looks a first rate tool when a) he's so happy to go there himself, and b) he's completely inept at it.

[Slow Love™]

Originally Posted by Dasa

^Exactly.

Those sports aren't divided along national lines though...with something like cricket, there's bound to be some friction because it's country against country. Although I haven't been to an AFL match in a long time, I don't think I'd hear many racial taunts at a footy match because the rivalries have nothing to do with nationality/race.

Yeah, that'll be a factor. But also, for all the criticism it gets, the US is surprisingly well integrated in many areas, racially, where the identification as "Americans" is particularly strong. With some notable exceptions, the political rhetoric over there frequently isn't as casually divisive as over here in recent years.

(Not by any means to insinuate racism doesn't exist in America.)