Category Archives: Almost Seven Wonders

The Almost Seven Wonders files

Two class athletes and one American wanker

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This is a very odd photo.

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On the left, Kevin Pietersen, one of the finest batsmen alive. On the right, Michael Vaughan, captain of the English team and a former Wisden Cricketer of the Year. In the middle, a balding, roundish, middle-aged schmo on holiday who was just walking down the beach when he stumbled into his two favorite English players. Weird.

These two were total class. Note that I’m wearing Aussie gear. This is like saying hi to Superman while wearing a kryptonite shirt. They didn’t mind a bit. Plus, a smile couldn’t have been easy to muster. The vice-captain just got sacked for a four a.m. bit of foolishness that has to be a strain on all involved, and I imagine much of England’s team may be grieving a bit, as a well-respected British cricketer has just dropped dead while coaching Pakistan.

But nothing but class from these guys. My Aussie friends may not forgive me, but I won’t have an ill word spoken of England as long as these two are in the side.

Except when they face Oz.

Cricket… taken a little too seriously

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Amazing world cup so far. Herschel Gibbs of South Africa hit six 6’s in one over — a feat akin to four home runs in one game, only waaaay more rare — Ireland upset Pakistan on St. Patrick’s Day, the home West Indies side scored its first upset win, and perennial underdog Bangladesh rose up to defeat powerful India. And we’re still in the preliminary stages.

Here are some Australians and West Indians from St. Vincent celebrating a wicket against the English side, whose fans remain, um, somewhat more sedate:

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I wish I could tell you how much joy bounces around these games. The only thing I can compare it to is the Olympics. I’m sitting here in a bar with India/Bermuda on one TV and the West Indies/Zimbabwe on the other, and the cheering when the Windies took a wicket just now was something I wish you could feel while reading this.

But there’s loving cricket, and then there’s taking it a little too seriously:

• Pakistan’s early elimination provoked riots back home

• The Pakistan coach apparently dropped dead of a heart attack from the stress

• The Indian wicketkeeper’s house was ransacked after he went scoreless, and his family is now under military protection

Btw, I was in a restaurant last night with a bunch of Pakistan fans. Nice folks, completely mortified at the violence on the subcontinent. So no stereotyping. Still. Eek. As a Bajan sitting next to me just said, Lovie Smith lost the Super Bowl, but he can still go home.

Amazing that this whole tournament is happening right next door to the U.S. and almost nobody back home ever hears about it. Everyone’s loss, I think.

PS if you’re curious what this is all about, here’s the Cricket World Cup official site. I’m on a working holiday for a while. If you’re here looking for a steadier diet of politics or humor, there are plenty of folks in the links section worth reading.

Cricket… taken a little too seriously

Posted on by
Amazing world cup so far. Herschel Gibbs of South Africa hit six 6’s in one over — a feat akin to four home runs in one game, only waaaay more rare — Ireland upset Pakistan on St. Patrick’s Day, the home West Indies side scored its first upset win, and perennial underdog Bangladesh rose up to defeat powerful India. And we’re still in the preliminary stages.

Here are some Australians and West Indians from St. Vincent celebrating a wicket against the English side, whose fans remain, um, somewhat more sedate:

Active Image

I wish I could tell you how much joy bounces around these games. The only thing I can compare it to is the Olympics. I’m sitting here in a bar with India/Bermuda on one TV and the West Indies/Zimbabwe on the other, and the cheering when the Windies took a wicket just now was something I wish you could feel while reading this.

But there’s loving cricket, and then there’s taking it a little too seriously:

• Pakistan’s early elimination provoked riots back home

• The Pakistan coach apparently dropped dead of a heart attack from the stress

• The Indian wicketkeeper’s house was ransacked after he went scoreless, and his family is now under military protection

Btw, I was in a restaurant last night with a bunch of Pakistan fans. Nice folks, completely mortified at the violence on the subcontinent. So no stereotyping. Still. Eek. As a Bajan sitting next to me just said, Lovie Smith lost the Super Bowl, but he can still go home.

Amazing that this whole tournament is happening right next door to the U.S. and almost nobody back home ever hears about it. Everyone’s loss, I think.

PS if you’re curious what this is all about, here’s the Cricket World Cup official site. I’m on a working holiday for a while. If you’re here looking for a steadier diet of politics or humor, there are plenty of folks in the links section worth reading.

Cricket… taken a little too seriously

Posted on by
Amazing world cup so far. Herschel Gibbs of South Africa hit six 6’s in one over — a feat akin to four home runs in one game, only waaaay more rare — Ireland upset Pakistan on St. Patrick’s Day, the home West Indies side scored its first upset win, and perennial underdog Bangladesh rose up to defeat powerful India. And we’re still in the preliminary stages.

Here are some Australians and West Indians from St. Vincent celebrating a wicket against the English side, whose fans remain, um, somewhat more sedate:

Active Image

I wish I could tell you how much joy bounces around these games. The only thing I can compare it to is the Olympics. I’m sitting here in a bar with India/Bermuda on one TV and the West Indies/Zimbabwe on the other, and the cheering when the Windies took a wicket just now was something I wish you could feel while reading this.

But there’s loving cricket, and then there’s taking it a little too seriously:

• Pakistan’s early elimination provoked riots back home

• The Pakistan coach apparently dropped dead of a heart attack from the stress

• The Indian wicketkeeper’s house was ransacked after he went scoreless, and his family is now under military protection

Btw, I was in a restaurant last night with a bunch of Pakistan fans. Nice folks, completely mortified at the violence on the subcontinent. So no stereotyping. Still. Eek. As a Bajan sitting next to me just said, Lovie Smith lost the Super Bowl, but he can still go home.

Amazing that this whole tournament is happening right next door to the U.S. and almost nobody back home ever hears about it. Everyone’s loss, I think.

PS if you’re curious what this is all about, here’s the Cricket World Cup official site. I’m on a working holiday for a while. If you’re here looking for a steadier diet of politics or humor, there are plenty of folks in the links section worth reading.

No guts, no glory

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While the ferry back from Bequia approached the dock in Kingstown, I kept whispering to the guy on the bike, "go for it!"

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Fortunately, he didn’t listen.

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