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G4EBT > RUGBY 12.10.07 16:43l 137 Lines 5258 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 226713G4EBT
Read: GUEST
Subj: Sincere commiserations to VK
Path: DB0FHN<DB0RGB<DB0SL<DB0FSG<DB0PV<OE5XBL<OE6XPE<DB0RES<DK0WUE<GB7FCR
Sent: 071012/1417Z @:GB7FCR.#16.GBR.EU #:46975 [Blackpool] FBB-7.03a $:226713G4
From: G4EBT@GB7FCR.#16.GBR.EU
To : RUGBY@WW
G'day Bob et al - owsyerdaygonesofar?
Some trivial dribblings on the rugger malarkey.
I'm having a bit of an "Oz week" this week, so I'd like to start the day
by offering my sincere commiserations to the Aussies, (including the half
million who live in Britain and call it their home) in their rugby defeat.
I think we should show proper sympathy for their severe disappointment.
It was most unsporting of the England no-hopers to beat the Aussies
in Marseilles. For reasons which elude me, sport seems soooo important
to the Aussies and I think a win would have meant so much more to them
than England, especially at rugby - a minority interest in the UK.
I don't follow any sport but feedback from the press in Oz and the UK
suggests that Pom bashing is never far from the surface - arrogant in
victory, bitter in defeat.
I wouldn't know (I'm not "local") and I care even less, but this sort
of stuff from Fox Sport reads like rufty-tufty boyhood playground spats:
Quote:
Australia's Rugby Union boss John O'Neill could be dragged before the
game's world governing body over his banter about hating the English.
The controversy over his Pom-bashing took almost a week to ignite after
O'Neill was initially interviewed for a podcast that was placed on the
ARU website nine days ago.
Asked to predict a winner in the England-Tonga pool match that would
decide Australia's quarter-final opponent, O'Neill tipped the defending
World Cup champions.
[not wrong there then].
He also suggested that if the old enemy emerged to play the Wallabies in
the first week of sudden-death it would fuel the long-standing tradition
where - across all sports, Australians hate England.
Former Lions winger Austin Healey hit back several days later with
a demand for O'Neill to be censured. When confronted with Healey's
comments, O'Neill refused to back down.
"I stand by what I said," he replied. "Whether it's cricket, rugby
league or rugby union, we do all hate England. All I'm doing is
stating the bleeding obvious."
End quote.
Well that's not very nice is it?,
Children, children, please...
Oh well, boys will be boys.
It's all seems rather silly, and very rude too.
When it comes to sport I always feel that we English cope much better
with tragedy and comedy than success - we've had so much practise at it.
And I do find all the nationalism and conceit which goes hand-in-hand with
success at any sport in most countries is just sooo unseemly - never more
so than at the Olympic Games, which I see as more as overt nationalism and
propaganda than sport.
After all Pride (Latin, superbia) - vanity, arrogance, narcissism, Hubris,
whatever, is one of the seven deadly sins. Indeed, in almost every list
Pride is considered the original and most serious of the seven deadly
sins - the ultimate source from which the others arise.
A desire to be more important or attractive than others, failing to give
compliments to others though they may be deserving of them, excessive love
of oneself, holding oneself out of proper position toward God, [if you
believe in God], which is why it's so unbecoming when displayed by those
who purport to be "Christians".
The dire spectacle of Tony Blair (who unconvincingly tells us he's a
"Christian"), with his chest puffed out, grinning ear to ear when the
UK's bid to run the 2012 Olympic Games triumphed over France, made me
want to reach for the bucket.
And I don't understand how the term "World" can apply to Rugby when less
countries are participating than there are players on the pitch. After
all, there are 194 countries in the world today.
Unless you don't count Taiwan.
Taiwan isn't considered an official country by many, which would bring the
count down to 193 countries. Although Taiwan operates as an independent
country, many countries (including the U.S.) don't officially recognize
it as one. It's all about the mighty dollar - forget human rights - trade
with China is more important than that, so say our political "leaders".
Bak to pride:
In perhaps the most famous example - the story of Lucifer, Pride was what
caused his Fall from Heaven, and his resultant transformation into Satan.
In The Divine Comedy, as a punishment for vanity the penitent were forced
to walk with stone slabs bearing down on their backs in order to induce
feelings of humility.
I think the same should happen to the English Rugby fans, few
in number though they may be. Surely some penance should apply?
My elder son - a former captain of his school rugby team (for reasons
that elude me as he's allergic to pain), who was on business in New York,
bought tickets at a ludicrously inflated price, flew back to London, met
up with three chums, then flew on to Marseilles where he shouted himself
hoarse.
Then he flew back to London and is now on his way back to New York
to conclude unfinished business. What a palaver - I blame the parents.
I don't think he'd mind whether France or England win the next game.
Me? I don't give a hoot either way.
It's trivia.
Best wishes
David, G4EBT @ GB7FCR
Cottingham, East Yorkshire.
Message timed: 10:09 on 2007-Oct-11
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