Who will you support in the upcoming Ashes and why?

[Prince EWS]

Waiting for PEWS to weigh in.

I've voted already; pussied out.

 

[Гурин]

Would have been a fence-sitter "just hope the players I like do well and it's a close series" three weeks ago, but having to put up with the English media for three weeks trumpeting their side's supposed superiority over us, I'm definitely going for Australia now.

Though Aggers is a lovely bloke...

Wait wait, you only discovered the English media three weeks ago? Didn't notice them in the last, oh, century or something?

I only need to think about how patronizing with the rest of the world they are every time they win a bloody game/series in any sport (despite being historically ordinary everywhere) to remember where my allegiance should be in every contest they are competing in (apart against Australia in the noughties, but nobody could root for Australia back then.).

Do I need to remind you of Rugby WC '03? Ashes 2005? The weeks before every major football competition? Michael Vaughan? Daley's repeated jump in the Olympics? He's got one wrong, so they allowed him to reload like in a bloody videogame, and the next day all the tabloids were drooling over his bronze.

The sporting world expects that every man will do his duty: root for an English loss.

Do your part.

(To all the English fans, it's not about you. It's about your media. Stop buying that dung for the love of God! Do it as a favour to us all. After all, we [Romans] civilized you. Yes yes, you gave us all these nice sports since, which is good. But now complete the opera and burn down all the suns and daily things. You have no idea how grateful all of us will be)


[Disclaimer: the bitterness in this post is mainly the result of yesterday's game and yet another wasted night. My actual opinions might be milder]

 

[Tromperie]

Put me down as a Scot backing England.

 

[Bahnz]

Really tough, both sides have players I like (Siddle, Starc, Clarke, Pietersen, Prior, Anderson) and both sides have players I loathe (Watson, Warner, Hughes, Broad, Finn). Australia go in as big underdogs, so I'll probably cheer for them. You all know how much I love a lost cause.

 

[silentstriker]

Australia. I really like the team. And I love the Australian sporting culture (don't dare say the word 'australianism' though ). I think it's a fantastic thing they have going - plus there are so many players who I think are easy to like.

Mainly because they work extremely hard and don't take themselves too seriously once the game is over - obviously lots of exceptions all around (especially recently..) but I do like the general attitude of taking responsibilities (whatever you say about Ponting, the man always took full blame after every loss - no blaming x or y). I like their professionalism, plus guys like Border who I think is just a fantastic role model for other athletes. I hate saying that an all time great player had less 'natural skill' than another (especially someone who scored 11000 runs..) - because concentration is a skill too but I can't get it out of my head that if Allan Border had the skill of Brian Lara, he'd challenge Donald Bradman in average. Yet he still manages to average about the same as Lara and the others, through, what appeared to me, sheer determination and bloody mindedness.

I marvel at guys like Sachin or Lara, but I admire guys like Allan Border. So yea, long story short, as much as I sometimes like to hate on a lot of Australian teams, it's hard not to root for them.

 

[Contra]

Interesting definition of quality there.

If the pitches are turners then I don't see that it'll be any easier, in fact it may even be trickier. If they're not turners (which is likely) then they'll suddenly have to face quality seam bowlers on helpful pitches.

Well, the point was more that they did end up getting practice out of the 4 tests (even if they ended up losing all 4) so you would think they would do better in England, regardless of whether the pitches are helpful for spinners or not. And I was referring specifically about spinners, I have no doubt the English seam bowlers will be a handful in their own conditions.

 

[Hurricane]

I've voted already; pussied out.

I feel cheated - I wanted a paragraph long explanation of your split loyalties along with a maudlin description of your attachment to England!

Get on that.






(just pulling your leg)

 

[Flem274*]

I love how since PEWS got all paranoid Hurricane was stalking him Hurricane refers to him anyway and leaves little disclaimers.

 

[Prince EWS]

I feel cheated - I wanted a paragraph long explanation of your split loyalties along with a maudlin description of your attachment to England!

Get on that.

Well! Ever since I wa...

(just pulling your leg)

Oh.

 

[Goughy]

Probably the poms because I'm a Saffa so by default am bred to hate the Aussies (we're bred to hate the poms too but not as much).

Then again the aussies beating the poms would probably do SA a favour in terms of holding their position atop the Test rankings. Still.

Remember living in SA during the 05 Ashes and when people in the street, shop etc spoke in Afrikaans and I had to reply in English they always shook my hand, wished me luck (as if I was playing) and were so excited for a potential England victory. The support wasn't just from the soutpiels but the Dutchmen as well and the entire country seemed to be behind England.

 

[hendrix]

I generally support Australia in these types of things.

I had a period when I was supporting England because it was great to see how professional their bowling attack was. They seem to have regressed from there where it's no longer enjoyable; I used to be able to watch them meticulously bowl to a plan, whether with swing, reverse or just plain line and length and watch as Australia's batsmen eventually and inevitably succumbed.

That won't be so much fun when Aus's batsmen are no longer as powerful. Moreover, it will be quite interesting to see how the young Aussie quicks go.

So yeah, Australia.

But I don't really care.

 

[Adders]

(To all the English fans, it's not about you. It's about your media. Stop buying that dung for the love of God! Do it as a favour to us all. After all, we [Romans] civilized you. Yes yes, you gave us all these nice sports since, which is good. But now complete the opera and burn down all the suns and daily things. You have no idea how grateful all of us will be)

Ever considered not reading the **** and just ignoring it like every other person of sound mind does and that goes for Englishman as well.

Been quite an interesting read for me this thread, being new here and seeing what the populous thinks and how the neutrals feel about this series. I discuss cricket on 2 other forums, the Barmy Army forum and another which has a heavy Aussie bias (no, not the fanatics)......so this thread is the first time I've seen for want of a better word a more objective view on the two sides.

Just surprises me that some people are barracking against England for the sole reason of our press being dogs

 

[Hurricane]

Well! Ever since I wa...



Oh.

Haha

 

[MrPrez]

Remember living in SA during the 05 Ashes and when people in the street, shop etc spoke in Afrikaans and I had to reply in English they always shook my hand, wished me luck (as if I was playing) and were so excited for a potential England victory. The support wasn't just from the soutpiels but the Dutchmen as well and the entire country seemed to be behind England.

Yeah, that'd mostly be the extreme hatrid of Aussies tbh. If England were playing New Zealand, for instance, I reckon New Zealand would get heaps more support.

South Africans have a rivalry with England; South Africans hate Australians.

I find it quite funny though given that so many end up emigrating there anyway. I wouldn't, I'd emigrate to New Zealand, but plenty would and do choose Australia.




Anyway, am I the only one who doesn't feel quite the excitement for the ashes as compared to usual? It just feels like ever since the Aussies became weak, the series doesn't hold the same sort of esteem to me than it used to.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Yeah, that'd mostly be the extreme hatrid of Aussies tbh. If England were playing New Zealand, for instance, I reckon New Zealand would get heaps more support.

South Africans have a rivalry with England; South Africans hate Australians.

I find it quite funny though given that so many end up emigrating there anyway. I wouldn't, I'd emigrate to New Zealand, but plenty would and do choose Australia.




Anyway, am I the only one who doesn't feel quite the excitement for the ashes as compared to usual? It just feels like ever since the Aussies became weak, the series doesn't hold the same sort of esteem to me than it used to.

Hey you obviously missed the 90's then when Australia were strong and we were weak as piss. That was a complete mismatch in comparison to what we have this year even if Australia look poor.

 

[uvelocity]

Yeah, that'd mostly be the extreme hatrid of Aussies tbh. If England were playing New Zealand, for instance, I reckon New Zealand would get heaps more support.

South Africans have a rivalry with England; South Africans hate Australians.

I find it quite funny though given that so many end up emigrating there anyway. I wouldn't, I'd emigrate to New Zealand, but plenty would and do choose Australia.




Anyway, am I the only one who doesn't feel quite the excitement for the ashes as compared to usual? It just feels like ever since the Aussies became weak, the series doesn't hold the same sort of esteem to me than it used to.

jesus h

 

[MrPrez]

Hey you obviously missed the 90's then when Australia were strong and we were weak as piss. That was a complete mismatch in comparison to what we have this year even if Australia look poor.

Yeah I'm a 1995 child

I've just always grown up with a dominant Australia, and an England team that despite being inferior, always made you believe they could upset the big boy. Now it just seems like a frail old Australian grandmother waving her walking stick at a slightly pudgy 14 year old who has developed a lot of "stuff" recently but doesn't quite know how to control it all.

 

[Flem274*]

Yeah I'm a 1995 child

Holy **** you're a baby

 

[Prince EWS]

Holy **** you're a baby

Please don't say that about 1995 children.

 

[Flem274*]

Care to elaborate? (face)