A pledge to be more positive

I was thinking about what beamer wrote in regards to being sick about some of us getting on the backs of under-performing players too quickly. I myself have been guilty of that, and I put it down to England's not so rosy past couple of years, combined with the fact that my stomach is often in knots when I'm watching an Ashes series and to be honest I often struggle to actually enjoy watching the contest live. For example yesterday, despite England being in an incredibly dominant position, I found myself switching off the TV in disgust as England took a second wicket off a no ball. I followed the game on Cricinfo for 20 minutes before a wicket brought the TV back on. In hindsight I should have accepted Australia's (extremely brief) fightback as part of the ebb and flow of test cricket, rather than something that caused me great annoyance with the English team. They can't be thoroughly dominant all the time, after all.

For myself, I started watching cricket in the mid 90s when Ashes contests were very one-sided, and the Aussies always seemed to pluck match winners and special moments to seize games out of their arses. I guess that legacy has lead to me often having the thought in the back of my mind that no matter how well placed England are, there's a good chance Australia will seize on an England mistake and barge down the slightly opened door and turn the match. Combined with the annoying personalities of some Aussie players, it gets me worked up and rather angry. I have to remind myself that this is not an Australian team of old, and whilst they still have an annoying habit of fighting until the end, they don't have the match winners like Warne, McGrath, and Steve Waugh who can turn games for them. Hence that is the reason for my over the top berating of an England player if he makes a mistake.

BUT! Here is my pledge to be less critical and to try and enjoy the ebbs and flows more (it's easier to do that when it's not the Ashes).

I hope others on here can try to adopt the same attitude, because most of us have become a bunch of glass half empty doom-mongerers.

Well put, Trev.








Steven Smith : "England won't come close to us in The Ashes."- 29 April 2015.

Criticism is criticism. Praise is praise. We've done a lot of good things in this series. We've also done a lot of bad. To ignore the bad is to be happy clappy. I'm just not some England zealot I'm afraid. The likes of beamer become hyperbolic very quickly after a decent performance or so. All the ineptitude forgotten at the sight of a good 50. 

I'm ecstatic about this victory and at the positive way we've played, along with the largely good spirit in which we've handled ourselves. Generally it's been a good natured series. That's great. This series has been great to watch all round. 

But ask yourself this question: have the Australians performed this badly over here in your cricket watching lifetime? Personally I haven't. It's not like it's just been our good cricket that has been their downfall. It has been some egregious batting and some quite mindless bowling spells that have been just as contributory. 

You have to keep it in context. We've won without a top 3, a keeper and a spinner. We still look like we go missing as an entire team when things aren't going our way. Were a team who weren't completely devoid of nous and fight to give us a sterner examination, who knows what would happen. 

Let's just enjoy this result. I didn't expect us to regain the ashes within the next four years or so. Doesn't mean we have to blindly give 10/10 gold stars to every English player ever.

Merlin wrote:Well put, Trev.








Steven Smith : "England won't come close to us in The Ashes."- 29 April 2015.

They werent close ...so he was right

Brass Monkey wrote:Criticism is criticism. Praise is praise. We've done a lot of good things in this series. We've also done a lot of bad. To ignore the bad is to be happy clappy. I'm just not some England zealot I'm afraid. The likes of beamer become hyperbolic very quickly after a decent performance or so. All the ineptitude forgotten at the sight of a good 50. 

I'm ecstatic about this victory and at the positive way we've played, along with the largely good spirit in which we've handled ourselves. Generally it's been a good natured series. That's great. This series has been great to watch all round. 

But ask yourself this question: have the Australians performed this badly over here in your cricket watching lifetime? Personally I haven't. It's not like it's just been our good cricket that has been their downfall. It has been some egregious batting and some quite mindless bowling spells that have been just as contributory. 

You have to keep it in context. We've won without a top 3, a keeper and a spinner. We still look like we go missing as an entire team when things aren't going our way. Were a team who weren't completely devoid of nous and fight to give us a sterner examination, who knows what would happen. 

Let's just enjoy this result. I didn't expect us to regain the ashes within the next four years or so. Doesn't mean we have to blindly give 10/10 gold stars to every English player ever.

Piss poor post, particularly the first paragraph. I don't become "hyperbolic" after a good 50 or so. That's hyper-bollocks. I'm just happy to appreciate an important innings on its merits, rather than saying it means f*ck all because he's been shit for the last few games. So piss off and stick to watching your pathetic little county.

Well said, others on this thread...

Brass Monkey wrote:

You have to keep it in context. We've won without a top 3, a keeper and a spinner. We still look like we go missing as an entire team when things aren't going our way. Were a team who weren't completely devoid of nous and fight to give us a sterner examination, who knows what would happen. 

No argument whatsoever about the lack of a proper spinner Dan, and barring a couple of individual innings from Cook & Bell - the top order has been poor, to say the least.

But do you really believe we didn't have a keeper of note ? His batting was awful, but I can't recall him missing/dropping any chances in his keeping. I remark because I've also not heard anything said regarding the byes & leg byes in the extras column ...... some of course are unstoppable. Did he let plenty go? I only saw C5 highlights not the play live. Hence my query as to whether you're being harsh on Buttler.

Yeah, don't recall him doing that much wrong with the gloves. I know, you have to average high 30s at least with the bat to be a Test keeper these days, but again, not everyone will fire every series. If they did, we'd be 80s West Indies or early 2000s Australia. Even they probably had the occasional passenger in their sides. But I bet the likes of our Monkey would have been calling for Bradman to be dropped after one low score were he a 1930s Aussie supporter...

On the worst Aussie team to come here in recent memory, I'd still say the one of two years ago. They folded against passive "Flowerball" tactics.

I'm sad about the nettly individualised comment up top, which was answered with equal nettle (understandably enough) - because to my mind, you two are among the five PomPoms on this Forum with a lot of soundest (and good-humoured) things to say on this Forum.

Don't raise the hackles, folks!

beamer wrote:
Piss poor post, particularly the first paragraph. I don't become "hyperbolic" after a good 50 or so. That's hyper-bollocks. I'm just happy to appreciate an important innings on its merits, rather than saying it means f*ck all because he's been shit for the last few games. So piss off and stick to watching your pathetic little county.

Well said, others on this thread...

These teenage-style tantrums are unbecoming. That's the best I can respond to such infantile bullshit.

Brass Monkey wrote:

beamer wrote:
Piss poor post, particularly the first paragraph. I don't become "hyperbolic" after a good 50 or so. That's hyper-bollocks. I'm just happy to appreciate an important innings on its merits, rather than saying it means f*ck all because he's been shit for the last few games. So piss off and stick to watching your pathetic little county.

Well said, others on this thread...

These teenage-style tantrums are unbecoming. That's the best I can respond to such infantile bullshit.

Oh FFS. Your original post was the thing at fault. Blame me for exactly what you're doing.

Time to take an indefinite break from here, I think. Shame, given the sentiment of the original post has led to this sort of stuff being dredged up again.

The Ashes are won. I want to appreciate cricket on its merits and not be told how to feel about players. I may or may not be back.

Growler wrote:
No argument whatsoever about the lack of a proper spinner Dan, and barring a couple of individual innings from Cook & Bell - the top order has been poor, to say the least.

But do you really believe we didn't have a keeper of note ? His batting was awful, but I can't recall him missing/dropping any chances in his keeping. I remark because I've also not heard anything said regarding the byes & leg byes in the extras column ...... some of course are unstoppable. Did he let plenty go? I only saw C5 highlights not the play live. Hence my query as to whether you're being harsh on Buttler.

No, I meant keeper-batsman, but I couldn't be bothered to type it out on my phone. His keeping was athletic and generally tidy. The things in his favour are that he's only young and it was his first Ashes series and he obviously has dynamism - but I debated with myself whether we should stick with him, due to him not being the best at facing spin bowling and we've got a full-time diet of that coming up. But I suppose it's a learning curve, hence he should be given longer.

beamer wrote:

Brass Monkey wrote:

beamer wrote:
Piss poor post, particularly the first paragraph. I don't become "hyperbolic" after a good 50 or so. That's hyper-bollocks. I'm just happy to appreciate an important innings on its merits, rather than saying it means f*ck all because he's been shit for the last few games. So piss off and stick to watching your pathetic little county.

Well said, others on this thread...

These teenage-style tantrums are unbecoming. That's the best I can respond to such infantile bullshit.

Oh FFS. Your original post was the thing at fault. Blame me for exactly what you're doing.

Time to take an indefinite break from here, I think. Shame, given the sentiment of the original post has led to this sort of stuff being dredged up again.

The Ashes are won. I want to appreciate cricket on its merits and not be told how to feel about players. I may or may not be back.

I haven't told anyone on how they should feel about a player. Didn't you chew Merlin out excessively, because you wanted him to 'feel a certain way' about Gary Ballance? In which case, he seems to have been right about that?

But it you want to storm off, in some melodramatic hissy fit, so be it. It would fit in with the teenage-style tantrums you are throwing.

beamer wrote:Yeah, don't recall him doing that much wrong with the gloves. I know, you have to average high 30s at least with the bat to be a Test keeper these days, but again, not everyone will fire every series. If they did, we'd be 80s West Indies or early 2000s Australia. Even they probably had the occasional passenger in their sides. But I bet the likes of our Monkey would have been calling for Bradman to be dropped after one low score were he a 1930s Aussie supporter...

On the worst Aussie team to come here in recent memory, I'd still say the one of two years ago. They folded against passive "Flowerball" tactics.

Bradman was dropped after one test. Just saying.

beamer wrote:

Brass Monkey wrote:

beamer wrote:
Piss poor post, particularly the first paragraph. I don't become "hyperbolic" after a good 50 or so. That's hyper-bollocks. I'm just happy to appreciate an important innings on its merits, rather than saying it means f*ck all because he's been shit for the last few games. So piss off and stick to watching your pathetic little county.

Well said, others on this thread...

These teenage-style tantrums are unbecoming. That's the best I can respond to such infantile bullshit.

Oh FFS. Your original post was the thing at fault. Blame me for exactly what you're doing.

Time to take an indefinite break from here, I think. Shame, given the sentiment of the original post has led to this sort of stuff being dredged up again.

The Ashes are won. I want to appreciate cricket on its merits and not be told how to feel about players. I may or may not be back.

Is this a flounce or semi flounce?

I pledge to remain exactly the same. Depends what side of bed I get out of on any given day.

I don't know if that's a sanctimonious enough position to take for this thread, but there we have it.

beamer wrote:

Brass Monkey wrote:

beamer wrote:
Piss poor post, particularly the first paragraph. I don't become "hyperbolic" after a good 50 or so. That's hyper-bollocks. I'm just happy to appreciate an important innings on its merits, rather than saying it means f*ck all because he's been shit for the last few games. So piss off and stick to watching your pathetic little county.

Well said, others on this thread...

These teenage-style tantrums are unbecoming. That's the best I can respond to such infantile bullshit.

Oh FFS. Your original post was the thing at fault. Blame me for exactly what you're doing.

Time to take an indefinite break from here, I think. Shame, given the sentiment of the original post has led to this sort of stuff being dredged up again.

The Ashes are won. I want to appreciate cricket on its merits and not be told how to feel about players. I may or may not be back.

I think you probably need a break. The frequent and petty negs you doll out to anyone who disagrees with you are getting rather tiresome. There's not much genuine bitterness on here these days so it's disheartening to see so much from you.

England have just won the Ashes! Enjoy it and chill out.

God, you're all so gay. I don't know where this influx of latent homosexual bonding and manifestation of feelings has arisen from, but I want no part in it unless it presents itself in a tangible physical form. Honestly, a pledge to be more positive? It sounds like an apology from a gentleman named Ethan, having fallen out with his peers at the All-Boys School over his sourpuss ways. Spoiler Alert - it ends with Ethan being railed by his peers in the showers after a highly physical game of rugby.

I agree. Trev, you'll be miserable soon enough.

vilkrang wrote:

beamer wrote:

Brass Monkey wrote:

beamer wrote:
Piss poor post, particularly the first paragraph. I don't become "hyperbolic" after a good 50 or so. That's hyper-bollocks. I'm just happy to appreciate an important innings on its merits, rather than saying it means f*ck all because he's been shit for the last few games. So piss off and stick to watching your pathetic little county.

Well said, others on this thread...

These teenage-style tantrums are unbecoming. That's the best I can respond to such infantile bullshit.

Oh FFS. Your original post was the thing at fault. Blame me for exactly what you're doing.

Time to take an indefinite break from here, I think. Shame, given the sentiment of the original post has led to this sort of stuff being dredged up again.

The Ashes are won. I want to appreciate cricket on its merits and not be told how to feel about players. I may or may not be back.

I think you probably need a break. The frequent and petty negs you doll out to anyone who disagrees with you are getting rather tiresome. There's not much genuine bitterness on here these days so it's disheartening to see so much from you.

England have just won the Ashes! Enjoy it and chill out.

Amazing conclusions.

Dello wrote:I pledge to remain exactly the same. Depends what side of bed I get out of on any given day.

I don't know if that's a sanctimonious enough position to take for this thread, but there we have it.

i pledge not to pledge to do anything about how i behave here. or anywhere else

and if anyone else doesnt like that they can ****** well flounce

Chivalry Augustus wrote:God, you're all so gay. I don't know where this influx of latent homosexual bonding and manifestation of feelings has arisen from, but I want no part in it unless it presents itself in a tangible physical form. Honestly, a pledge to be more positive? It sounds like an apology from a gentleman named Ethan, having fallen out with his peers at the All-Boys School over his sourpuss ways. Spoiler Alert - it ends with Ethan being railed by his peers in the showers after a highly physical game of rugby.

Clever. For all Chiv's mask of doom and pretence of depravity.


It's a bit bizarre that a thread starting out as someone's oddly confessional wish to "turn over a new leaf" (less jumping to conclusions, and - especially - less quick to censure and condemn, if I understood right....) immediately turned into a thread of ill-tempered, disparaging, self-righteous finger-pointing worthy of badly constipated Puritans.

Only on the Bails....


FWIW, I think beamer's been unjustly poked. Far from seeing a pogo stick of up-and-down judgments, I've generally found his assessments of play, players & prospects fair-minded & measured, and however passionate on "hot topics", expressed with a reasonable "centre of gravity" that seems more the exception than the rule on here.

"Ah, but he's not quite so bloody measured when personally called out or maligned!" ... well, complete an answer to that yourself!

I didn't realise this thread would cause such a hoo-ha. I think most of us could agree that we have become obsessively negative, and seemingly never satisfied by what our teams achieve. We seem to have a benchmark of the early 2000s Australian team or the Windies teams of the 70s and 80s and if our team falls short of that, they are not much good and any victory is more due to the lack of quality in the opposition rather than the good performances of their own team.

This is an era of cricket where there is no consistently dominant team, and it makes the cricket all the more interesting. South Africa are about as close as it comes to being a really stable, consistent unit all around the World, but I can see a few problems for them on the horizon as well.

I know a lot of us shake our heads these days at some of the T20 influenced batting that takes place in tests from time to time, but I'd prefer watching a side score 380 all out rather than 220-3 in a day. More positive batting means more mistakes are made. That's the trade-off.

And beamer, please don't leave the forum. You're one of the better forummers and this forum can't afford many more established members calling it quits.

PeterCS wrote:

vilkrang wrote:

beamer wrote:

Brass Monkey wrote:

beamer wrote:
Piss poor post, particularly the first paragraph. I don't become "hyperbolic" after a good 50 or so. That's hyper-bollocks. I'm just happy to appreciate an important innings on its merits, rather than saying it means f*ck all because he's been shit for the last few games. So piss off and stick to watching your pathetic little county.

Well said, others on this thread...

These teenage-style tantrums are unbecoming. That's the best I can respond to such infantile bullshit.

Oh FFS. Your original post was the thing at fault. Blame me for exactly what you're doing.

Time to take an indefinite break from here, I think. Shame, given the sentiment of the original post has led to this sort of stuff being dredged up again.

The Ashes are won. I want to appreciate cricket on its merits and not be told how to feel about players. I may or may not be back.

I think you probably need a break. The frequent and petty negs you doll out to anyone who disagrees with you are getting rather tiresome. There's not much genuine bitterness on here these days so it's disheartening to see so much from you.

England have just won the Ashes! Enjoy it and chill out.

Amazing conclusions.

specifically? He has been negging anyone who disagrees with him and has been throwing n multiple personal attacks. I'm only stating the facts Pete, no need to get on your high horse and then throw in an incredibly passive aggressive attack a few posts later.

PeterCS wrote:

Chivalry Augustus wrote:God, you're all so gay. I don't know where this influx of latent homosexual bonding and manifestation of feelings has arisen from, but I want no part in it unless it presents itself in a tangible physical form. Honestly, a pledge to be more positive? It sounds like an apology from a gentleman named Ethan, having fallen out with his peers at the All-Boys School over his sourpuss ways. Spoiler Alert - it ends with Ethan being railed by his peers in the showers after a highly physical game of rugby.

Clever. For all Chiv's mask of doom and pretence of depravity.


It's a bit bizarre that a thread starting out as someone's oddly confessional wish to "turn over a new leaf" (less jumping to conclusions, and - especially - less quick to censure and condemn, if I understood right....) immediately turned into a thread of ill-tempered, disparaging, self-righteous finger-pointing worthy of badly constipated Puritans.

Only on the Bails....


FWIW, I think beamer's been unjustly poked. Far from seeing a pogo stick of up-and-down judgments, I've generally found his assessments of play, players & prospects fair-minded & measured, and however passionate on "hot topics", expressed with a reasonable "centre of gravity" that seems more the exception than the rule on here.

"Ah, but he's not quite so bloody measured when personally called out or maligned!" ... well, complete an answer to that yourself!

Actually having re-read this, I can only assume you are trolling because the irony of what I've highlighted with regards to the rest of your post is just too much.

Its a Forum FFS!. You say whatever you feel & then discuss. Thats the point of it.