muppetking

Out of curiosity Badgers I wonder what your attitude towards large sections of the Australian media and English sports is. You are clearly well informed about rugby (the less said about football the better!) and are realistic about England, as well as being enthusiastic about Southern Hemisphere teams, like any true sports fan should be. You claim that you can't stand the ignorance of the average English youth etc. So how do you feel about The Sydney Morning Herald having a picture of JW on its front page after that titanic arm wrestle V the Boks with the caption 'Is that all you've got?' Somewhat at odds with your view of Australians? Had JW been wearing a Black jersey or the green and gold the caption would have read somewhat differently would it not? The NZ media adopts very much the same tone. It seems that England is damned if it does and damned if it doesn't but you are always pointing out how fair, decent open minded Ozzies are etc. Is the media a true reflection of general feeling in Australia?

mamp

Well said Muppetking, you have to live here to understand! I love Australia, but they do have a huge chip!The media are really irritating at times.

The Koalas

Here, here... I think the Ozzys are very good at slagging others off. I remeber one year when Tim henman was playing in the tennis in oz along with Greg Rusedski. At the time Greg stood a good chance of going all the way. Needless to say the Oz press had a field day writing all sorts of nasty comments about how greg is really Canadian and the Poms are just latching on to him and that the only reason he is any good is because he was trained in Canada...they went on and on. They forget about the ones that play for Oz (in any sport) who are from different continents and countries. They do not like to be reminded of that. They would rather pull others down.
They all patted Shane Warne on the back when he reported cheaters and he was a hero, as soon as the truth came out that, hey, he too was involved they shut up, went silent on the story and ripped apart some other nation.
The Ozzys are bad loosers and poor at sportsmanship.

grahamclan

It's still nowhere as bad as Stephen Jones.

During the Tri-Nations, Jones was labelling South Africa as being so weak that "even his granny could beat them".

After the recent match in Perth, all of a sudden South Africa were a strong, combative side - even though the starting line-up was almost identical to the side they had during the Tri-Nations.

Undoubtedly he is trying to boost the popularity of rugby back home, but his continual inconsistencies and factual errors do nothing for our reputation.

Badge

thanks mate.

To be perfectly honest - all that Aussie media stuff doesn't bother me one iota. Not one bit.

To me its just a sh*t load of "banter" which I love. I like that about the Australians. When I was over I could walk in anywhere and banter with anyone and they loved it.

I'd rather that than negativity. This bad loser thing I don't see. Now Eddie Jones (the rah rah coach) does need shooting however. if he is not a whinger, he is damn technical coach trying to get any advantage by getting the refs to his side.

But when it comes to one team loving themselves it's the Kiwis and their rah rah team.

Soccer may be the "beautiful" game but the culture of it makes me physically sick - the Oscar theatrical antics of the "children" on the pitch, the spitting, the intimidation, the lack of respect for officials, the money etc.

We still call a rugby ref "Sir", and if he gives a penalty you run back 10m - in case you get another one. There may be the occasional punch on the pitch, but that is either a punch drunk forward or a token retaliation - which if is severe - gets cited. It IS a physical game - (what do I know - I'm a pretty boy wing).

There has always been a brotherhood in rugby where at the end of the day you may lose, but to hell with it. Then you have a drink with them. That culture is more in Straya as they play little soccer at high levels. One Strayan chick I met said that rah rah teaches country boys values they will never forget.

The day they don't segregate soccer fans is the day i will be happy - when it grows up. I feel so sorry for the game.

Badge

Badge

I'd also like to say that the damn if you do, damn if you don't applies to the entire of SANZAR - that is an issue for English rugby.

Since England's success in South Africa in 2000 they have finally started to get rid of their southern hemisphere bogey and frankly SA, NZ and Aussie aren't used to it - but are getting there with the idea.

If England had played in the same comp, they would have been there years ago. If Argentina play in the 3N they could also be a worry.

The Kiwis are the worst, dare I say it.

badge

WBB

got to disagree.

football is a far more emotional game and therefore things do get out of hand from time to time.

when you have 50 or 60 thousand fans at a club rugby match week in week out then you could argue your point but the average attendance at a rugby match here has done well to reach double figures (thousands).

as for your point about footballers spitting i have just watched ben cohen dragging one up from the depths and gobbing it about ten yards.....!!!!!!

jandjuk

that's why they always win... they hate losing....

to be honest I don't see what all the fuss is about. If you can't have a bit of banter about sports teams then when can you have it?

it amuses me no end to see the tiz the Aussie attitude to the England team creates in the UK media. why give it so much attention if it doesn't bother you? It obviously does bother people but it's all just a wind up.... it's all just good fun, unlike the football hooligans - that's not fun that's just scary. If that's where being a good loser and having good sportmanship takes you then I'll stick with being one-eyed and having a laugh about it.


PS England proved today they're little better than a second string Samoan team...

jandjuk

in addition..... name any country that is truthfully reflected by it's media....

the media is a fake world created for our enjoyment.... it says nothing about reality.

MrsDagboy

Is the media a true reflection of the general feeling in the UK?

Exactly J, couldnt have put it better.

muppetking

Thanks for the reply Badgers. I take some of your points about football and totally agree about the childish nature of some players, and attitudes towards refs etc.
I don't buy in to the 'it's just banter' attitude towards the media tho'. The readership deserves better than to be patronised with snide, ill informed comments. There is a place for opinion but when it clouds serious judgement it becomes at best worthless and at worst downright insulting. The media does reflect popular attitudes as well as playing its part in shaping them. Or would you deny that the Sun does not reflect its readership? Or the Torygraph etc. It is too easy to dismiss what I have seen, heard and read as harmless banter surely. If the Kiwi press reflects its readership, and it would have to or go out of business, then they are all one-eyed, myopic, provincial minded people but well balanced...a chip on each shoulder. But that would be disingenuous of me

podgypossum

LMAO..ahem..oh dear...

afraid to say i agree Muppet (ok..not everyone..i'm married to a kiwi..hes ok!)...and humour is often lacking too with the Kiwis...cant have a laugh over rugby here...no one sees the funny side!!!

muppetking

I sincerely trust you are not suggesting that NZers are good losers! I take it you were here for the fallout over RWC '99? Or The Americas Cup? etc It wasn't pretty and reflected what I believe to be true of many Antipodeans. Brilliant winners, worse losers. You can gloat over the Samoan game when the AB's have had to beat a decent team.

muppetking

Jones is Welsh. And of course we have some unashamedly pro English writers in England.
I'll take your point when the OZ/NZ press offer a balanced opinion. In the UK we employ writers/commentators such as Bob Dwyer, Nick FJ, Piennar, Lynagh, Zin Zan etc, none of whom would be first in the cue to join the English fan club. But we read what they have to say and the banter flows from there. In NZ I have yet to read/hear anyone but a Kiwi or Australian. THAT'S not balanced.

jandjuk

No the NZ media are terrible losers.... it's ugly and i for one can't stand it. However, amongst my group of friends, family, and workmates (when I was in NZ), people would be briefly dissappointed by the result, but by and large they could care less. In fact at least 50% of my workmates didn't even follow sports at all. They certainly don't mourn and analyse for weeks like media and talkback radio do. That's tiresome and pathetic.

There's a difference between what the media do, and what real people do.

Aussies are bad losers but they lose less frequently. Nz have the same qualities (or aspire to them) but don't win as much!

I just think in general, Aussies and Kiwi play their sports with more aggression than the English. They are more ruthless and less sporting, in order to punch above their weight. Not always admirable qualities, but there all the same.

Stems from nations where sporting success is so 'important'. the English approach sport slightly differently, probably because they've got better things to do with their time.

Abd I'm not even convinced we will beat a decent team, after the last WC! I've learned to be happy with pool game thrashings! Anything more will be a bonus....