What happened to Australia?

[zaremba]

Originally Posted by Ausage

People say Australians have tall poppy syndrome, but I've seen nothing to suggest the rest of the world doesn't have it in equal amounts.

Australians say Australians have tall poppy syndrome. Believe me, it's always been universal.

[howardj]

We've gotten far too funky.

It starts at the top.

Listen to a Flower v Nielsen press conference.

So revealing.

One is obsessed with sounding funky/corporate/cutting edge, the other is cricket-focussed/common sense.

[howardj]

Originally Posted by zaremba

Australians say Australians have tall poppy syndrome. Believe me, it's always been universal.

That's rubbish - nobody supports their heroes more than Australia.

If anything, we put sportsmen/famous people on too much of a pedestal.

[Howe_zat]

Wow. Finally decided to give this thread a read, and people are debating how what you look like affects your game? Seriously? Unbe-****ing-lievable.

[Ausage]

Originally Posted by howardj

That's rubbish - nobody supports their heroes more than Australia.

If anything, we put sportsmen/famous people on too much of a pedestal.

It's not rubbish. I've met a huge amount of Australians that say they hate the Australian cricket team because it's always winning, that they're arrogant assholes. These are people that enjoy circket for the most part, but also the average joe who doesn't even follow the game that closely. We rip high achievers down in the media. (see NRL "scandals", political scandals etc...)

[PhoenixFire]

Originally Posted by Howe_zat

Wow. Finally decided to give this thread a read, and people are debating how what you look like affects your game? Seriously? Unbe-****ing-lievable.

I absolutely think it does. I've played a fair bit of cricket and it's certainly a lot harder to play against someone who is physically intimidating than someone who isn't.

[Burgey]

Originally Posted by Jacknife

Did they knock you back when you asked

Ah see, you've misinterpreted what I said I think.

I'm saying they're pretty boys is all. As much as Clarke, Lee, Johnson et al.

[howardj]

Originally Posted by Ausage

It's not rubbish. I've met a huge amount of Australians that say they hate the Australian cricket team because it's always winning, that they're arrogant assholes. These are people that enjoy circket for the most part, but also the average joe who doesn't even follow the game that closely. We rip high achievers down in the media. (see NRL "scandals", political scandals etc...)

lol scandals yes....scandals is when they've done something wrong - that's called having standards mate.

and how does 'the media' reflect the average Aussie?

And how is Warnie, Gilly, Hackett, Kieren Perkins, Susie O'Neil (and many other sporting stars and achievers) still raking in millions if everyone wants to tear them down?

Raking it in because they have enormous public goodwill - rather than people wanting to tear them down.

[Burgey]

Originally Posted by Howe_zat

Wow. Finally decided to give this thread a read, and people are debating how what you look like affects your game? Seriously? Unbe-****ing-lievable.

It actually affects whether you get picked or not, from the POV of fitness. Slightly different point tothe OP but it's true.

I dare say someone like Boon wouldn't get picked these days, you know. Not "fit" enough and all, even though he'd be scoring thousands in the Shield year after year. What a player he was.

[GotSpin]

Originally Posted by PhoenixFire

I absolutely think it does. I've played a fair bit of cricket and it's certainly a lot harder to play against someone who is physically intimidating than someone who isn't.

If they're spraying it all over the shop it doesn't make much of a difference IMO. Success goes hand in hand with intimidation

[ripper868]

Originally Posted by tooextracool

No because the idea that Bell is a 'softcock' has always been something of a fallacy

Lol'd

[Ausage]

Originally Posted by howardj

lol scandals yes....scandals is when they've done something wrong - that's called having standards mate.

and how does 'the media' reflect the average Aussie?

And how is Warnie, Gilly, Hackett, Kieren Perkins, Susie O'Neil (and many other sporting stars and achievers) still raking in millions if everyone wants to tear them down?

Raking it in because they have enormous public goodwill - rather than people wanting to tear them down.

There's scandals and then there is scandals. Beating up your girlfriend and copping a lick from a dog isn't the kind of scandal I'm talking about. Many of the media beat ups are about irrelevant rubbish that belongs in a gossip column if anywhere.

The media reflects our society (or at least parts of it) because the public is paying money to read what they're saying. As much as I hate the Terrorgraph there's no doubt it's a popular paper because it gives many people what they want. Tabloid papers exist purely because it's in our nature as humans to enjoy watching people fall, and the bigger they are...

[GotSpin]

Doesn't explain the rise and rise of Warne then does it - Though I suspect it'd be different if we were still dominating test cricket like we should be

[Ausage]

Originally Posted by Got_Spin

Doesn't explain the rise and rise of Warne then does it - Though I suspect it'd be different if we were still dominating test cricket like we should be

Actually the current prominence of Warne in comparison to someone like Susie O'Neil (who?) does more to prove it. Warne is popular because of his off field exploits. We like having him in the limelight because he does interesting things, and in the back of our minds we know there's a pretty fair chance he'll screw up some time in the future and we want to watch it. Given the chance we'll turn on him like we do any celebrity who makes an error in judgement.

Lets face it, he was kept around the cricket team because he was a once in a lifetime genius with the ball. Andrew Sydmonds got one fishing trip and some booze and he became persona non gratia.

[Burgey]

Originally Posted by Ausage

Actually the current prominence of Warne in comparison to someone like Susie O'Neil (who?) does more to prove it. Warne is popular because of his off field exploits. We like having him in the limelight because he does interesting things, and in the back of our minds we know there's a pretty fair chance he'll screw up some time in the future and we want to watch it. Given the chance we'll turn on him like we do any celebrity who makes an error in judgement.

Lets face it, he was kept around the cricket team because he was a once in a lifetime genius with the ball. Andrew Sydmonds got one fishing trip and some booze and he became persona non gratia.

Agreed.