So there is a video knocking around of a Trinidadian mother beating the crap out of her 12 year old daughter because the daughter was apparently being tummuch woman an posting provocative sexual type photos on Facebook. a rude she well rude!
If a can find de link ah will link it but trust me I could only watch about two minutes of the 6 minute video cause the mother beat she like a bobolee. (bobolee - A stuffed effigy of Judas which was tied by the neck and dragged through
the streets on Good Friday, usually followed by youths with sticks,
beating it until it fell apart.)
Showing posts with label caribbean. Show all posts
Showing posts with label caribbean. Show all posts
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Friday, September 09, 2011
Food studies
Let me start off first by just saying that of all the major fast food chains I pass through in Toronto Popeyes is by far the worse in terms of service. Is not that I duz eat alot of fast food these days like when I was in school but on the occasion that I do eat it yes Popeyes is a cut below the rest in terms of service. Wendy's McDonalds, KFC, Burger King all dem odda fast food bwoy ya duz get a certain quality a professional service cause dem a keep dem staff in check. Not Popeyes. Surley service by dontcarish staff who look untidy untidy and long long waits for simple items on the menu. They wont evn say amm that not available yet, dem duz tek ya order an den say no ya have to wait 5 minutes for this which is fast food terminology for a 15 minute wait but ya money dun pay so ya cant walk out an say faget it.
And not to diss my people but ya would almost think is West Indian people running dem Popeye resturant ..........but it aint we. Today one a de girls that was serving me had she hands fling off all behind the people counter like she drying she nails or frighten she going break one or she scornful for the food and the people. I couldnt understand what was happeing at all. And doan talk bout all dem untidy looking uniform. lawd! And mi not talking bout at one location cause of the several Popeyes I've been to something has always been lacking in service. Mi tink I might have to permanently done wid dem,
Anyways that rant out the way let me share this one wid ya.
And not to diss my people but ya would almost think is West Indian people running dem Popeye resturant ..........but it aint we. Today one a de girls that was serving me had she hands fling off all behind the people counter like she drying she nails or frighten she going break one or she scornful for the food and the people. I couldnt understand what was happeing at all. And doan talk bout all dem untidy looking uniform. lawd! And mi not talking bout at one location cause of the several Popeyes I've been to something has always been lacking in service. Mi tink I might have to permanently done wid dem,
Anyways that rant out the way let me share this one wid ya.
Friday, August 05, 2011
What a Kadooment!
Well the finale of Barbados' crop over festival occurred this past Monday with the big annual Kadooment day parade. This year Bajan singer Rihanna took part in the parade and since she is an international superstar of course the international press followed her every move on Kadooment day.
Foreign press is what wrong wid wunnah doah? Chupse!
Judging from the general ignorance I have read on some of the international news sites (mind you most of them arent exactly paragons of excellence) it is clear to me that they either (1) just want to pick on Rihanna or (2) just do not understand a caribbean carnival celebration. I think it may actually be a bit of both.
Foreign press is what wrong wid wunnah doah? Chupse!
Judging from the general ignorance I have read on some of the international news sites (mind you most of them arent exactly paragons of excellence) it is clear to me that they either (1) just want to pick on Rihanna or (2) just do not understand a caribbean carnival celebration. I think it may actually be a bit of both.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Manners vs Weather
Yea I been MIA but I still around just busy. Hope allya my 3 or 4 devoted readers are well. :-)
Well people we here in Toronto getting lash wid de cold these past few days. I mean every since last week with just a little respite over the weekend it been cold cold cold. I mean winter aint even officially start yet and we all down in windchill of -24 Celcius which is weather usually reserved for the bitterly cold days of late January and early February.
So thank God for layers cause without layers I would dun have frostbite and freeze to death already. See me walking bout looking like the goodyear blimp but doan feel no way fashion takes a backseat to warmth in these cold days.
But I notice a thing on the way in to work the last few days. The colder or worse the weather, the more unmannerly, piggish the people on the streets commuting to work duz get. Doan matter if dem driving on the bus or subway or walking is like everybody like dem put on dem hog suit when dem get up in de marnin. Lawd ave mercy, a fella near lik muh down pushing to get to the train this morning an he aint even say sorry, beg ya pardon, my dog my cat nuttin so. Just bram push guhlong. Chupse!
Anyways since people nowadays duz get all sorta big money to study and prove all sorta stupid things that anybody wid common sense know since birth I figure I should apply for some grant money to study this hoggish phenomenon. I gine start writing up something pretty pretty wid big words like positive correlation and statistical analysis and covariance an effect and hand it in an see if dem gi muh two coppers to do my study.
I mean it sometimes seem like dem duz gi muney to people to do studies like if ya stan out in the hot sun too long ya stand a chance a ketching heatstroke and rain duz only fall from the sky not come out the ground, stupid stupid things so. So why not let me do my lil study to find conclusive proof bout this unmannerly people thing.
A mean an if I juss so happen to use some a de money for a trip to the Caribbean during winter I could always say that I comparing and contrasting the niceness factor of people in the Caribbean warmth to the unmannerly hogs up hay in the cold. Ya feel I in the caribbean pun vacation no man I juss being through wid my study. Juss cause I would be deyso sipping a pretty drink wid an umbrella sprawl out in the sun doan get vex an think I aint wukkin or that I enjoying pieca sun. No man this is hard wuk I would be doing doan grudge de I. I just being thorough in trying to prove mi hypothesis.
Oh well if only!
Well people we here in Toronto getting lash wid de cold these past few days. I mean every since last week with just a little respite over the weekend it been cold cold cold. I mean winter aint even officially start yet and we all down in windchill of -24 Celcius which is weather usually reserved for the bitterly cold days of late January and early February.
So thank God for layers cause without layers I would dun have frostbite and freeze to death already. See me walking bout looking like the goodyear blimp but doan feel no way fashion takes a backseat to warmth in these cold days.
But I notice a thing on the way in to work the last few days. The colder or worse the weather, the more unmannerly, piggish the people on the streets commuting to work duz get. Doan matter if dem driving on the bus or subway or walking is like everybody like dem put on dem hog suit when dem get up in de marnin. Lawd ave mercy, a fella near lik muh down pushing to get to the train this morning an he aint even say sorry, beg ya pardon, my dog my cat nuttin so. Just bram push guhlong. Chupse!
Anyways since people nowadays duz get all sorta big money to study and prove all sorta stupid things that anybody wid common sense know since birth I figure I should apply for some grant money to study this hoggish phenomenon. I gine start writing up something pretty pretty wid big words like positive correlation and statistical analysis and covariance an effect and hand it in an see if dem gi muh two coppers to do my study.
I mean it sometimes seem like dem duz gi muney to people to do studies like if ya stan out in the hot sun too long ya stand a chance a ketching heatstroke and rain duz only fall from the sky not come out the ground, stupid stupid things so. So why not let me do my lil study to find conclusive proof bout this unmannerly people thing.
A mean an if I juss so happen to use some a de money for a trip to the Caribbean during winter I could always say that I comparing and contrasting the niceness factor of people in the Caribbean warmth to the unmannerly hogs up hay in the cold. Ya feel I in the caribbean pun vacation no man I juss being through wid my study. Juss cause I would be deyso sipping a pretty drink wid an umbrella sprawl out in the sun doan get vex an think I aint wukkin or that I enjoying pieca sun. No man this is hard wuk I would be doing doan grudge de I. I just being thorough in trying to prove mi hypothesis.
Oh well if only!
Tuesday, November 02, 2010
No help
No help for Caricom countries hit by Tropical Storm Tomas without benefits to Trinidad and Tobago.
This was made clear by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar yesterday.
Well well well.
Ok well I really aint want to put myself in Trini people business but I must say this statement sounding real callous from allya prime minister.
First off y'all done know that Tomas was heading your side an is only God's grace that he mek a turn an head for Barbados and the Windward islands so instead of St Vincent and St Lucia in need of aid it could be you today if things din work out the way they did.
Second and this sort of relate to the first point. Dont get tie up cause allya lil bigger and got few more natural resources than some a we. In the eyes of the world, all we in the Caribbean is barely dots on a map. Is in we best interest to look out for one anudda as a whole. You dont have to see no visible benefit to help but if ya able help out cause helping we is the same thing as helping yaself cause the only way to get ahead is to get ahead as a region. That is like the left arm hurting but the fingers saying I aint rubbing that cause I healthy an um aint relate to me.
And that statement that ya mek Mrs PM sound real callous when ya know how Tomas catspraddle some a we. Cuhdear some a we still widout water and electricity and homeless an you gine say something so. Plus ya is a regional head not no man in the street you should never say nuttin so.
What happened to love or your fellow man and being a good samaratian. Well actually I guess you are being like the parable of the good samartian cause it was the Levite and the priest that should have been neighborly that leff the poor fella skin out for stangers to help. Same way wid you. Nuh benefit to helping so we gine got to look to strangers for.
Alright then, that is how um gine be. Well we would know how we stan in the future.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Ah doan kno
Well de news outta Barbados aint suh good these days. Prime Minister David Thompson battling pancreatic cancer. Wuhloss!
Now allwe did know he was sick and going to New York for treatment but is only last week that his physican came out and told us what was wrong with him. Poor fella, I wish he well and I saying muh prayers that he will be healed even though the medical people and the internet say that this cancer is a cruel wun that hard to shake off. But like I duz say doan count out the man yet cause he still living and where there is life there is hope.
Two things got me bout this situation though. One was that when we hear the man was sick and going for treatment leaving his deputy in charge that was all bajans knew aside from we lil speculations yet fa some reason or the other people from odda islands did know fa sure fa sure what wrong wid de man. I aint even joking bout that ya! I see people from odda islands online months ago saying with most certainty what the man had (an dem was right too) and even a trini woman dat de wife know come one day early this summer an straight off tell she hey I hear ya PM got such and such.
So I wanta know how dem dpeople from odda islands did know wid such certainty bout the man illness and we bajans din know? IS them gi he um, well I doan think that possible but still. So I eliminate the outta de question options and come up wid the certain reasoning that um cud only be espionage. Dem odda island spying pun we man! God knows what other a we secrets dem know, all like now they might even know who kill Pele (for the uninitiated that was an infamous murder unsolved murder case in Barbados when I was growing up). So bajan authorities looka wunnah better check Ilaro court fa bugs and listening devices ya. I telling wunnah dese people spying pun we business.
The second thing I got to talk bout is how people act when the PM wouldnt say conclusively what was wrong wid he. Man some a everybody was vex and arguing we got a right to know the man personal business. Well see me I din agree wid dat and to be honest wid all the talk I see now that the man tell we he affliction, I glad he din say nuttin nuh earlier. Cause now they know looka people already got the man mark off fa de grave and talking bout he successor and ting so. Dat is disrespectful man! Ya shun treat nuhbody that sick so. Suppose you did sick you wanta hear you spouse talking bout who she next man/woman gine be? No man, dat wud hurt ya cruel cruel and wun help ya recovery process at all. Same way here so ease off the successor talk while the man alive.
Man allya should be shame a yaselves doah. I mean I understand having contingencies but cheese on bread the man still alive and got he full mental capacities wha wunnah trying to rush he to the grave and replace he before he dead already.
Like I say I hope he recover and when he do I hope all wunnah feel real bad fa all this successor talk business. I dun.
Now allwe did know he was sick and going to New York for treatment but is only last week that his physican came out and told us what was wrong with him. Poor fella, I wish he well and I saying muh prayers that he will be healed even though the medical people and the internet say that this cancer is a cruel wun that hard to shake off. But like I duz say doan count out the man yet cause he still living and where there is life there is hope.
Two things got me bout this situation though. One was that when we hear the man was sick and going for treatment leaving his deputy in charge that was all bajans knew aside from we lil speculations yet fa some reason or the other people from odda islands did know fa sure fa sure what wrong wid de man. I aint even joking bout that ya! I see people from odda islands online months ago saying with most certainty what the man had (an dem was right too) and even a trini woman dat de wife know come one day early this summer an straight off tell she hey I hear ya PM got such and such.
So I wanta know how dem dpeople from odda islands did know wid such certainty bout the man illness and we bajans din know? IS them gi he um, well I doan think that possible but still. So I eliminate the outta de question options and come up wid the certain reasoning that um cud only be espionage. Dem odda island spying pun we man! God knows what other a we secrets dem know, all like now they might even know who kill Pele (for the uninitiated that was an infamous murder unsolved murder case in Barbados when I was growing up). So bajan authorities looka wunnah better check Ilaro court fa bugs and listening devices ya. I telling wunnah dese people spying pun we business.
The second thing I got to talk bout is how people act when the PM wouldnt say conclusively what was wrong wid he. Man some a everybody was vex and arguing we got a right to know the man personal business. Well see me I din agree wid dat and to be honest wid all the talk I see now that the man tell we he affliction, I glad he din say nuttin nuh earlier. Cause now they know looka people already got the man mark off fa de grave and talking bout he successor and ting so. Dat is disrespectful man! Ya shun treat nuhbody that sick so. Suppose you did sick you wanta hear you spouse talking bout who she next man/woman gine be? No man, dat wud hurt ya cruel cruel and wun help ya recovery process at all. Same way here so ease off the successor talk while the man alive.
Man allya should be shame a yaselves doah. I mean I understand having contingencies but cheese on bread the man still alive and got he full mental capacities wha wunnah trying to rush he to the grave and replace he before he dead already.
Like I say I hope he recover and when he do I hope all wunnah feel real bad fa all this successor talk business. I dun.
Monday, September 06, 2010
Tragic
According to police, the two robbers, in view of shocked customers, threw an incendiary device into Campus Trendz just before 7 p.m., after taking an undisclosed amount of cash.
I spent parts of the last two days thinking about what I could say in response to this tragic event and to be honest I was coming up totally blank.
The shock of six young lives cut short, the absolute devastation that the families of the deceased must feel and the grief shared by bajans at home and abroad means to me that nothing that I really have to say, to me seemed significant enough to actually share. I'm not sure the feelings I have can be put into words truthfully.
Six young females all between the ages of 18 and 24 snuffed out suddenly in such a senseless manner. May they rest in peace.
What can be said though, what thoughts do I have. Its all a jumble in my head.
For one I wonder what is going through the black hearts of the criminals who did this? It was not enough to rob the business but they had to firebomb it as well. It wasn't as if the workers refused to hand over the money either, they had what they came for why attempt to burn down the business and take lives as well?
I truly hope the correct culprits are found and made to pay for this crime.
For another, I think if only we followed a fire code back home and businesses had to have alternate exits the 6 who died would have been rattled somewhat over the incident but still alive at this moment. Its time that the Barbados government do something about this. There are potentially tens if not hundreds of businesses who are in this same predicament and I hope that this tragedy, while we cant bring back the lives lost, will serve as a catalyst to spur our authorities into action to make sure that businesses are brought up to some fire code or standard where this can never ever happen again.
Third, I've seen comments online and in the local bajan press alluding to the possibility that the murderers were not bajan or that even if they were it is foreign influences that have caused us to become like this. When something like this happens the shock of the situation usually leads us to believe that outside forces are the reason for such an event happening in our community. We'd like to believe that everyone in our community is an upstanding citizen with pure intentions. Alas this is never so. I dont know if the perpetrators are local or foreign or what influenced this act but all I do know is that we have recently seen some senseless violence perpetrated in various Caribbean countries; beheadings in St Vincent, murders and outrageous violent crimes against small children in Trinidad etc. The time has come to realize and accept that our small islands aren't what they were 20-30 years ago. Like Biggie says "Things dun changed". Accept that and then maybe we can move in the right direction to fixing what is wrong. Its not likely that things will return to what they were but there are things we can do to fix these things.
One of my friends says we only have ourselves to blame because we have sat back and allowed our morals and our rules and regulations to be infringed upon while we sit back and just watch and did nothing. I agree with this to some extent but at the same time I believe that most of us realize that things aren't the same as they were and there is some fear in confronting the crime and criminals, hell there is even some fear in confronting small children who you could have once corrected for wrongdoing further less big adults committing wrongdoings.
I don't have a simple solution, I'm not sure anyone does. Maybe it starts with the children, maybe it involves education, maybe it involves finding useful outlets and employment for idle hands, maybe it involves full enforcement of the law and respect for our lawmakers, maybe it involves instilling a renewed sense of community in our youth, maybe it involves the church, maybe it involves communication across age and gender divides and political and social status affiliations.......... maybe it involves all of those things or none and maybe that's all too grandiose and Utopian and its really much simpler. Like I said I don't know.
The fact is though, lives were lost in a senseless incident, lives that didn't need to be lost. One of the most tragic events in the history of Barbados has taken place and I would be remiss, actually we all would be if we didn't stop and take stock of where our nation is, the direction its heading in and what we can do to make things better.
I spent parts of the last two days thinking about what I could say in response to this tragic event and to be honest I was coming up totally blank.
The shock of six young lives cut short, the absolute devastation that the families of the deceased must feel and the grief shared by bajans at home and abroad means to me that nothing that I really have to say, to me seemed significant enough to actually share. I'm not sure the feelings I have can be put into words truthfully.
Six young females all between the ages of 18 and 24 snuffed out suddenly in such a senseless manner. May they rest in peace.
What can be said though, what thoughts do I have. Its all a jumble in my head.
For one I wonder what is going through the black hearts of the criminals who did this? It was not enough to rob the business but they had to firebomb it as well. It wasn't as if the workers refused to hand over the money either, they had what they came for why attempt to burn down the business and take lives as well?
I truly hope the correct culprits are found and made to pay for this crime.
For another, I think if only we followed a fire code back home and businesses had to have alternate exits the 6 who died would have been rattled somewhat over the incident but still alive at this moment. Its time that the Barbados government do something about this. There are potentially tens if not hundreds of businesses who are in this same predicament and I hope that this tragedy, while we cant bring back the lives lost, will serve as a catalyst to spur our authorities into action to make sure that businesses are brought up to some fire code or standard where this can never ever happen again.
Third, I've seen comments online and in the local bajan press alluding to the possibility that the murderers were not bajan or that even if they were it is foreign influences that have caused us to become like this. When something like this happens the shock of the situation usually leads us to believe that outside forces are the reason for such an event happening in our community. We'd like to believe that everyone in our community is an upstanding citizen with pure intentions. Alas this is never so. I dont know if the perpetrators are local or foreign or what influenced this act but all I do know is that we have recently seen some senseless violence perpetrated in various Caribbean countries; beheadings in St Vincent, murders and outrageous violent crimes against small children in Trinidad etc. The time has come to realize and accept that our small islands aren't what they were 20-30 years ago. Like Biggie says "Things dun changed". Accept that and then maybe we can move in the right direction to fixing what is wrong. Its not likely that things will return to what they were but there are things we can do to fix these things.
One of my friends says we only have ourselves to blame because we have sat back and allowed our morals and our rules and regulations to be infringed upon while we sit back and just watch and did nothing. I agree with this to some extent but at the same time I believe that most of us realize that things aren't the same as they were and there is some fear in confronting the crime and criminals, hell there is even some fear in confronting small children who you could have once corrected for wrongdoing further less big adults committing wrongdoings.
I don't have a simple solution, I'm not sure anyone does. Maybe it starts with the children, maybe it involves education, maybe it involves finding useful outlets and employment for idle hands, maybe it involves full enforcement of the law and respect for our lawmakers, maybe it involves instilling a renewed sense of community in our youth, maybe it involves the church, maybe it involves communication across age and gender divides and political and social status affiliations.......... maybe it involves all of those things or none and maybe that's all too grandiose and Utopian and its really much simpler. Like I said I don't know.
The fact is though, lives were lost in a senseless incident, lives that didn't need to be lost. One of the most tragic events in the history of Barbados has taken place and I would be remiss, actually we all would be if we didn't stop and take stock of where our nation is, the direction its heading in and what we can do to make things better.
Friday, June 04, 2010
Once bitten
I received an email last night informing me about the testing of the new FM station CARN 98.7 FM here in Toronto. Strange name I thought, is that short for carnies or Carnival, I'm assuming the latter. The email went on to state "CARN is aimed at servicing Toronto’s vibrant Black and Caribbean population in the Greater Toronto Area and surrounding environs."
Now not to heap scorn on CARN and its developers, props to you all cause it sounds like it wasn't an easy road to get on the air but I will readily admit that I am a bit skeptical about any new station purporting to be aimed at the Black and Caribbean population of the GTA. Why you ask? Well once bitten twice shy is what I would say.
Way way back in the day about 10-15 years ago when mi hair was still black, full n lucious and mi knee bones din used to mek noise when I walk and I was still in University all we had in Toronto to listen to black and Caribbean music was a few specific shows usually early, early in the morning or late late at night on the local college community radio stations. Big up CIUT, CKLN and CHRY, the one at York that nuhbody east of the DVP can pick up clearly at all. We also had WBLK out of Buffalo which was our defacto rnb, mainstream hip hop station.
Along came an enterprising businessman who fought with the CRTC (Canadian Radio Television Commission) and with great support from the entire black and Caribbean community of the day won the rights to have our first ever Urban station in Toronto. Horns blew, trumpets sounded, high fives were exchanged etc. Finally we thought, 24-7 music from all over piped into the diaspora. Calypso, reggae, african riddims, zouk in abundance! Yipee, hurrah, huzzah etc etc etc.
The station FLOW 93 point something started off in fine fashion. In the early days it was living up to what we thought it was going to be. We was getting calypso, dancehall, reggae, zouk, all sorts of African tunes, real hip hop, nice r n b and all was well with the world. Almost had me believing that "If you believe it you could achieve it." Cue the R.Kelly why dontcha.
And then like so many dreams and schemes from entrepreneurs and businessmen who are quite like politicians in their own right, the dream turn sour. I remember one trip from downtown to Scarborough spent listening to Flow where I heard the same three or four rnb top forty songs about three times in the space of a 40 minute journey. And FLOW has since been like that continuously. Calypso and dancehall once again relegated, not a peep of african music and nothing but girbage (that is gibbrish mixed with garbage, I juss mek dat up add it to de lexicon) pumped steadily. Pure payola top 40 radio type crap.
So when I hear about CARN 98.7 like I said sorry I don't mean to be harsh but I think back to the days when Flow was supposed to be doing what CARN say they going do and to how my youthful idealism soon got crushed by the reality that this radio station thing ain't about no love of community is about getting that cash. How long before CARN becomes Flow Too. hmmmm
Now not to heap scorn on CARN and its developers, props to you all cause it sounds like it wasn't an easy road to get on the air but I will readily admit that I am a bit skeptical about any new station purporting to be aimed at the Black and Caribbean population of the GTA. Why you ask? Well once bitten twice shy is what I would say.
Way way back in the day about 10-15 years ago when mi hair was still black, full n lucious and mi knee bones din used to mek noise when I walk and I was still in University all we had in Toronto to listen to black and Caribbean music was a few specific shows usually early, early in the morning or late late at night on the local college community radio stations. Big up CIUT, CKLN and CHRY, the one at York that nuhbody east of the DVP can pick up clearly at all. We also had WBLK out of Buffalo which was our defacto rnb, mainstream hip hop station.
Along came an enterprising businessman who fought with the CRTC (Canadian Radio Television Commission) and with great support from the entire black and Caribbean community of the day won the rights to have our first ever Urban station in Toronto. Horns blew, trumpets sounded, high fives were exchanged etc. Finally we thought, 24-7 music from all over piped into the diaspora. Calypso, reggae, african riddims, zouk in abundance! Yipee, hurrah, huzzah etc etc etc.
The station FLOW 93 point something started off in fine fashion. In the early days it was living up to what we thought it was going to be. We was getting calypso, dancehall, reggae, zouk, all sorts of African tunes, real hip hop, nice r n b and all was well with the world. Almost had me believing that "If you believe it you could achieve it." Cue the R.Kelly why dontcha.
And then like so many dreams and schemes from entrepreneurs and businessmen who are quite like politicians in their own right, the dream turn sour. I remember one trip from downtown to Scarborough spent listening to Flow where I heard the same three or four rnb top forty songs about three times in the space of a 40 minute journey. And FLOW has since been like that continuously. Calypso and dancehall once again relegated, not a peep of african music and nothing but girbage (that is gibbrish mixed with garbage, I juss mek dat up add it to de lexicon) pumped steadily. Pure payola top 40 radio type crap.
So when I hear about CARN 98.7 like I said sorry I don't mean to be harsh but I think back to the days when Flow was supposed to be doing what CARN say they going do and to how my youthful idealism soon got crushed by the reality that this radio station thing ain't about no love of community is about getting that cash. How long before CARN becomes Flow Too. hmmmm
Monday, July 13, 2009
WI vs Bangladesh
The real tragedy isn't that the once mighty (a long long time ago) West Indies team was beaten today by bottom of the rung Bangladesh. You can excuse that given that the team calling itself West Indies for this match was made up of has beens, never was-es and rank newcomers who had been pulled together at the 11th hour when the regular team went on strike.
Call them scabs or whatever you want for crossing the picket line they still went out and tried their best and managed to be competitive which is more than you can say for the regular West Indies team sixty percent of the time.
No, The real tragedy is that two sides which should have the best interests of West Indies cricket at heart and work together towards getting our team back to the top have somehow in recent years found a way to always manage to screw over the game and embarrass the West Indian public and fans on numerous occasions.
I've lost count of the number of attempted strikes, most called on the brink of a test series by the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) after talks with the WICB have broken down, that have occurred recently and while both sides innocently try to play the victim it is us the cricket fans who are forced to suffer.
From one perspective its actually somehow reminiscent of my childhood playing in de road or on the cow pasture when a bats owner might get vex when he got out and would pick up bat and go home finishing the game prematurely and leaving the other children just hanging their heads, hangs in pockets standing looking stupid, wishing they had their own bats and cricket equipment. Own way team quits field over dispute or in this case just decides not to play cause they want a better deal.
And who's to blame? I mean its a given these days that the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) is incompetent. The public is well aware of that fact. Numerous changes in personnel seem to have done nothing for its professionalism or its outlook on the game but at the same time the Board is not the only guilty party here. WIPA is just as guilty if not moreso for holding the great game for ransom, picking up their bats and going home, especially with their penchant for last minute seemingly out of the blue strikes.
And I not calling no names but lets look at this thing from another angle too. WICB presidents have come and gone, WICB CEOs and management teams have come and gone, Team captains have come and gone and the problems and somehow WIPA president Ramnarine still remain. I aint saying its his fault but hey if you looking for commonality in all the disputes well.........
As I said somewhere else appearance counts a lot in the business world. Its not just enough to be right but one must also appear to be right. That's where good PR comes in. Not saying that WIPA is correct in this impasse but WIPA definetly doesn't do good PR. Threatening to strike at the 11th hour, just before an international series is to begin, giving the general public little notice about your issues and the reasons for the strike isnt good PR and it doesn't win you fans. It just makes you look like petulant children forever playing a game of brinkmanship.
All told though, I'm not really surprised. No one really cares about the game or the fans unless they stop paying to watch games. Its all about the cash these days and one can see it from the lackluster on the field approach by the players. Not that players shouldn't be fairly compensated but at the same time, it would be nice to see some effort, grit, determination and perhaps a sprinkling of love for the game shine though. Oh and some pride. We used to have a proud team when we were on top what seems like a long long long time ago. They wanted to win, they cared about winning, they realized what winning meant to the West Indian public. Not so anymore.
Now West Indies cricket just sucks. Go on with your strikes and disputes, alienate the few remaining fans you have why don't you. Keep it up and you soon wont have any kingdom to fight over.
Thank you WIPA and WICB for killing our cricket. You're both doing a bang up job! Keep it up.
Call them scabs or whatever you want for crossing the picket line they still went out and tried their best and managed to be competitive which is more than you can say for the regular West Indies team sixty percent of the time.
No, The real tragedy is that two sides which should have the best interests of West Indies cricket at heart and work together towards getting our team back to the top have somehow in recent years found a way to always manage to screw over the game and embarrass the West Indian public and fans on numerous occasions.
I've lost count of the number of attempted strikes, most called on the brink of a test series by the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) after talks with the WICB have broken down, that have occurred recently and while both sides innocently try to play the victim it is us the cricket fans who are forced to suffer.
From one perspective its actually somehow reminiscent of my childhood playing in de road or on the cow pasture when a bats owner might get vex when he got out and would pick up bat and go home finishing the game prematurely and leaving the other children just hanging their heads, hangs in pockets standing looking stupid, wishing they had their own bats and cricket equipment. Own way team quits field over dispute or in this case just decides not to play cause they want a better deal.
And who's to blame? I mean its a given these days that the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) is incompetent. The public is well aware of that fact. Numerous changes in personnel seem to have done nothing for its professionalism or its outlook on the game but at the same time the Board is not the only guilty party here. WIPA is just as guilty if not moreso for holding the great game for ransom, picking up their bats and going home, especially with their penchant for last minute seemingly out of the blue strikes.
And I not calling no names but lets look at this thing from another angle too. WICB presidents have come and gone, WICB CEOs and management teams have come and gone, Team captains have come and gone and the problems and somehow WIPA president Ramnarine still remain. I aint saying its his fault but hey if you looking for commonality in all the disputes well.........
As I said somewhere else appearance counts a lot in the business world. Its not just enough to be right but one must also appear to be right. That's where good PR comes in. Not saying that WIPA is correct in this impasse but WIPA definetly doesn't do good PR. Threatening to strike at the 11th hour, just before an international series is to begin, giving the general public little notice about your issues and the reasons for the strike isnt good PR and it doesn't win you fans. It just makes you look like petulant children forever playing a game of brinkmanship.
All told though, I'm not really surprised. No one really cares about the game or the fans unless they stop paying to watch games. Its all about the cash these days and one can see it from the lackluster on the field approach by the players. Not that players shouldn't be fairly compensated but at the same time, it would be nice to see some effort, grit, determination and perhaps a sprinkling of love for the game shine though. Oh and some pride. We used to have a proud team when we were on top what seems like a long long long time ago. They wanted to win, they cared about winning, they realized what winning meant to the West Indian public. Not so anymore.
Now West Indies cricket just sucks. Go on with your strikes and disputes, alienate the few remaining fans you have why don't you. Keep it up and you soon wont have any kingdom to fight over.
Thank you WIPA and WICB for killing our cricket. You're both doing a bang up job! Keep it up.
Sunday, February 08, 2009
51
So rarely do I get to celebrate anything regarding West Indies cricket these days. The team generally sucks but yesterday we beat England by an innings and 23 runs bowling out England in their second innings for a paltry 51. First win against England in a test match in 9 years apparently.
Shades of glories past it was. Revenge for us being bowled out for 47 in 2004. And further proof that cricket really is a game of glorious uncertainties as the cocky British didn't give us a chance before this series started and assumed this would be a blitzkrieg.
And even though the English will now return with every single excuse under the sun to downplay our emphatic victory, since former colonies should never be better than colonizers, and even though our team could prove this to be a one off wonder and go back to sucking tomorrow, as likely they will, there is something supremely satisfying about sticking it to the mother country and wiping the smiles off their oh so smug faces.
Take that England!
Congrats West Indies!
Taylor routs England for 51
England Capitulation, Clueless and Shameful
Shades of glories past it was. Revenge for us being bowled out for 47 in 2004. And further proof that cricket really is a game of glorious uncertainties as the cocky British didn't give us a chance before this series started and assumed this would be a blitzkrieg.
And even though the English will now return with every single excuse under the sun to downplay our emphatic victory, since former colonies should never be better than colonizers, and even though our team could prove this to be a one off wonder and go back to sucking tomorrow, as likely they will, there is something supremely satisfying about sticking it to the mother country and wiping the smiles off their oh so smug faces.
Take that England!
Congrats West Indies!
Taylor routs England for 51
England Capitulation, Clueless and Shameful
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Bolt
How aptly named is this guy? Bolt wow! 9.69 and he was celebrating at the 80m mark. Congrats! Big up Jamaica!
Asafa choked! Maybe with Tyson Gay not making the finals he wasnt motivated. I'm mad though cause he got beat into third place by a T-pain lookalike. That not right!
Still Caribbean 1,2 big up Trinidad.
Last night on CBC (Canada) they had this discussion about why Jamaica has produced such amazing sprinters over the years. I didnt exactly catch the name of it but they claimed there is some special protein that Jamaicans have more of than men from other countries. Yea what da? its a cop out but whatever.
Anyway whatever this protein was they said that 70% of Jamaicans have it compared to 30% of Australians or something like that.
I dont know bout y'all but it sounded like somebody had been watching Star Wars and the Jamaicans suddenly had mediclorians in their blood that made them Jedis. lol
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Food
Food is food is food!
Don't you hate it when a restaurant that has in the past had reliably good quality tasty food suddenly isn't so good anymore?
I mean I wouldn't say I'm extremely picky with restaurants, I'll give most spots a try at least once as long as they look clean and the menu appeals to me. Its the getting me to go back there thing that will be an issue cause if you aint up to par I don't see why I should go back and spend my hard earned money with you.
And with that mindframe it means that aside from experimenting to find new spots that could be good there are very few spots that get my repeat business.
So its sad when one of them has to get cut from my list. Could be a number of things. Cooks change, menu change, size of meal change, price gone up and value for buck just aint what it used to be. But the one that really gets me is when the meal quality changes for the worse.
Woe is me
Today I had a roti from a place that I haven't been to frequently in the past few years but I always thought was one of the better roti places downtown. Dismal! I think its the fact that the staff changed and the old time roti makers aint around no more, instead replaced by cooks that clearly dont know how to make proper roti.
Shame shame shame
Don't you hate it when a restaurant that has in the past had reliably good quality tasty food suddenly isn't so good anymore?
I mean I wouldn't say I'm extremely picky with restaurants, I'll give most spots a try at least once as long as they look clean and the menu appeals to me. Its the getting me to go back there thing that will be an issue cause if you aint up to par I don't see why I should go back and spend my hard earned money with you.
And with that mindframe it means that aside from experimenting to find new spots that could be good there are very few spots that get my repeat business.
So its sad when one of them has to get cut from my list. Could be a number of things. Cooks change, menu change, size of meal change, price gone up and value for buck just aint what it used to be. But the one that really gets me is when the meal quality changes for the worse.
Woe is me
Today I had a roti from a place that I haven't been to frequently in the past few years but I always thought was one of the better roti places downtown. Dismal! I think its the fact that the staff changed and the old time roti makers aint around no more, instead replaced by cooks that clearly dont know how to make proper roti.
Shame shame shame
Friday, February 29, 2008
Impeach the Prime minister??
Misremembered.
That's got to be the one thing I'll remember about February 2008. To me it sounded a lot like Krs-one's faux pas "un-rational" back in the day but apparently its a real word.
Yep Misremembered. There was Roger Clements, all dressed up, in front of the committee dealing with the drama related to the whole question of whether he used HGH and claiming that Petitte misremembered his claims. Yep I'll remember that cause I've followed the story not just from the sporting standpoint but to see how they would deal with him as opposed to how they are dealing with Barry Bonds. So far I'm impressed. They haven't used the kid's gloves on him. He's being investigated by the FBI now so lets see what comes of that.
Actually this entire month has been one of scandal maybe thats what I'll remember most about February 2008. Scandal!
This week in Jamaica former Energy minister Kern Spenser was jailed on corruption, fraud and money laundering charges relating to the Cuban Lightbulb scandal. Pure drama! The man had even cried in Parliament late last year. Cuhdear!
I was a bit surprised on this one to be honest. I just figured all Caribbean poli-tricks-ions had some immunity from prosecution because its alleged (and note I aint saying is true I saying is alleged) that some poli-tricks-ions in the Caribbean have been getting away with murder for years. Well not murder literally but some seriously questionable behavior when it comes to pocketing the states funds and such. Maybe, rather hopefully, this ushers in a new era of responsibility and accountability in the Caribbean. Tiefing politicians best be on their p's & q's from now on. Of course this may just turn out to be a one off and back to business as usual.
And then this morning I read about the next potential scandal right here in Canada. I know allya not going to read the link so I'll try to paraphrase the situation for you.
It is alleged that the current Prime Minister, when he was in opposition knew about attempts to bribe an independent MP to vote with the opposition to bring down the previous government. They even have the PM on tape saying he knew about the attempts! Talk about scandal!
The independent MP was dying and they were allegedly offering him a million dollar insurance policy. Forget corn beef and biscuits or curry goat poli-tricks this is serious million dollar business! Even his widow has come out and said that her husband told her of the offer and was offended by it and dismissed it.
Shocking!
That sounds like some serious bribery was attempted to me. I mean the man never take the bribe and he didn't vote with the opposition but the fact that a bribe was offered and the PM can say yea man I knew about it but I didn't tell them to do it seems like it could be grounds for some charges to be laid.
Actually a couple of things occurred to me on reading this story though:
(1) This is just related to one of the case details. The MP's widow who claims that a bribe was offered to her now dead husband is actually now running for the ruling Conservatives? Huh? Ok let me get this straight, your husband came to you enraged that the Conservatives offered him a bribe and said he was offended and said he was ashamed to have once been part of that party and a few years later you're running for them?
Yet even as you run for them you help in exposing that they tried to bribe your husband?
Whoa! I have to sit down and think through this one. Huh?
(2) This could really bring down PM Harper cause the man get in on a whole I will be a better politician and wont have scandals like the previous Liberal government campaign. Actually got to say for a first world country the politicians in Canada seem to always be embroiled in one scandal or another. One fella allegedly taking bribes from German businessmen, another set had a sponsorship scandal in Quebec now this. Pretty pathetic if you ask me. I really expected better of them but I guess poli-tricks is poli-tricks is poli-tricks wherever you go.
You would like to think though that your poli-trick-sions while shady would be smart enough to avoid being caught in things like these.
(3) Its still early in the story's cycle but I cant help but compare the reactions here to the reactions that would have been garnered if this story was happening in the U.S. I mean its front page news here but its still sort of flying under the radar like a whatever, who cares sort of thing. If this was the U.S, CNN, MSNBC and FOX would have it so that there was no way you could escape this story. They would devote days on end to it with three gazillion experts and eyewitnesses parading on tv ad infinitum til you were so tired of the scandal you would turn off your tv and become a news recluse.
Here the reaction is so subdued. I'm sure even if they decide to hold an inquiry into it we'll all still be like yea whatever man.
That's got to be the one thing I'll remember about February 2008. To me it sounded a lot like Krs-one's faux pas "un-rational" back in the day but apparently its a real word.
Yep Misremembered. There was Roger Clements, all dressed up, in front of the committee dealing with the drama related to the whole question of whether he used HGH and claiming that Petitte misremembered his claims. Yep I'll remember that cause I've followed the story not just from the sporting standpoint but to see how they would deal with him as opposed to how they are dealing with Barry Bonds. So far I'm impressed. They haven't used the kid's gloves on him. He's being investigated by the FBI now so lets see what comes of that.
Actually this entire month has been one of scandal maybe thats what I'll remember most about February 2008. Scandal!
This week in Jamaica former Energy minister Kern Spenser was jailed on corruption, fraud and money laundering charges relating to the Cuban Lightbulb scandal. Pure drama! The man had even cried in Parliament late last year. Cuhdear!
I was a bit surprised on this one to be honest. I just figured all Caribbean poli-tricks-ions had some immunity from prosecution because its alleged (and note I aint saying is true I saying is alleged) that some poli-tricks-ions in the Caribbean have been getting away with murder for years. Well not murder literally but some seriously questionable behavior when it comes to pocketing the states funds and such. Maybe, rather hopefully, this ushers in a new era of responsibility and accountability in the Caribbean. Tiefing politicians best be on their p's & q's from now on. Of course this may just turn out to be a one off and back to business as usual.
And then this morning I read about the next potential scandal right here in Canada. I know allya not going to read the link so I'll try to paraphrase the situation for you.
It is alleged that the current Prime Minister, when he was in opposition knew about attempts to bribe an independent MP to vote with the opposition to bring down the previous government. They even have the PM on tape saying he knew about the attempts! Talk about scandal!
The independent MP was dying and they were allegedly offering him a million dollar insurance policy. Forget corn beef and biscuits or curry goat poli-tricks this is serious million dollar business! Even his widow has come out and said that her husband told her of the offer and was offended by it and dismissed it.
Shocking!
That sounds like some serious bribery was attempted to me. I mean the man never take the bribe and he didn't vote with the opposition but the fact that a bribe was offered and the PM can say yea man I knew about it but I didn't tell them to do it seems like it could be grounds for some charges to be laid.
Actually a couple of things occurred to me on reading this story though:
(1) This is just related to one of the case details. The MP's widow who claims that a bribe was offered to her now dead husband is actually now running for the ruling Conservatives? Huh? Ok let me get this straight, your husband came to you enraged that the Conservatives offered him a bribe and said he was offended and said he was ashamed to have once been part of that party and a few years later you're running for them?
Yet even as you run for them you help in exposing that they tried to bribe your husband?
Whoa! I have to sit down and think through this one. Huh?
(2) This could really bring down PM Harper cause the man get in on a whole I will be a better politician and wont have scandals like the previous Liberal government campaign. Actually got to say for a first world country the politicians in Canada seem to always be embroiled in one scandal or another. One fella allegedly taking bribes from German businessmen, another set had a sponsorship scandal in Quebec now this. Pretty pathetic if you ask me. I really expected better of them but I guess poli-tricks is poli-tricks is poli-tricks wherever you go.
You would like to think though that your poli-trick-sions while shady would be smart enough to avoid being caught in things like these.
(3) Its still early in the story's cycle but I cant help but compare the reactions here to the reactions that would have been garnered if this story was happening in the U.S. I mean its front page news here but its still sort of flying under the radar like a whatever, who cares sort of thing. If this was the U.S, CNN, MSNBC and FOX would have it so that there was no way you could escape this story. They would devote days on end to it with three gazillion experts and eyewitnesses parading on tv ad infinitum til you were so tired of the scandal you would turn off your tv and become a news recluse.
Here the reaction is so subdued. I'm sure even if they decide to hold an inquiry into it we'll all still be like yea whatever man.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Bonified!
So the new Miss Jamaica Universe is a bonified Rastafarian! (sorry couldn't find a decent link to the story)
Hey I ain't no rasta and wont pretend to be an expert but ummm are rastas allowed to parade on stage in swimwear? I'm just asking a question don't crucify me now.
No I'm not trying to keep a good woman down or saying that the Empress dem not smart or beautiful enough to win competition. Its just I just never thought of the Empress dem as beauty show contestants showing off their bodies like that, that's all. Rasta women always come off as the earthy type not the flamboyant beauty show type. I'm just kind of curious to the authentic rasta credentials of this yout. Yes she has dreads but same way ya doan have fe dread to be rasta isn't the opposite true?
Anyway like I say I just asking questions of the Idren dem.
Plus at least she ain't like Miss Jamaica World an get pregnant and have to give up the crown. Actually I kind of like that article I link above to the pregnant Miss Jamaica. The way they make it seem as if the girl do so wrong by getting pregnant. Is like they think beauty queen supposed to be a nun. Ya don't see nun in beauty pageant and ya don't see beauty queen in evening gown at convent. Yet dem play dem talking about "Unfortunately, Miss Lawrence has made an error of judgement and is now facing up to the consequences" and "her actions could potentially harm the tradition that is the Miss Jamaica World pageant and past and future winners. I know that she intends to do all within her powers to mitigate this potential harm"
It ain't like the girl is a terrorist or a murderer she just get pregnant. She ain't the first pretty girl nor the last one to do that. Next they will be telling me all beauty queens are pure and unspoilt. Chupse!
Hey I ain't no rasta and wont pretend to be an expert but ummm are rastas allowed to parade on stage in swimwear? I'm just asking a question don't crucify me now.
No I'm not trying to keep a good woman down or saying that the Empress dem not smart or beautiful enough to win competition. Its just I just never thought of the Empress dem as beauty show contestants showing off their bodies like that, that's all. Rasta women always come off as the earthy type not the flamboyant beauty show type. I'm just kind of curious to the authentic rasta credentials of this yout. Yes she has dreads but same way ya doan have fe dread to be rasta isn't the opposite true?
Anyway like I say I just asking questions of the Idren dem.
Plus at least she ain't like Miss Jamaica World an get pregnant and have to give up the crown. Actually I kind of like that article I link above to the pregnant Miss Jamaica. The way they make it seem as if the girl do so wrong by getting pregnant. Is like they think beauty queen supposed to be a nun. Ya don't see nun in beauty pageant and ya don't see beauty queen in evening gown at convent. Yet dem play dem talking about "Unfortunately, Miss Lawrence has made an error of judgement and is now facing up to the consequences" and "her actions could potentially harm the tradition that is the Miss Jamaica World pageant and past and future winners. I know that she intends to do all within her powers to mitigate this potential harm"
It ain't like the girl is a terrorist or a murderer she just get pregnant. She ain't the first pretty girl nor the last one to do that. Next they will be telling me all beauty queens are pure and unspoilt. Chupse!
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Its just a game
Or is it?
I kind of wondered about that today after reading that Pakistan's cricket coach Bob Woolmer died in Jamaica this morning. One can only speculate as to what really happened until official statements are made but you've got to wonder.
Pakistan one of the supposed stronger teams in world cricket go down on St. Patrick's day (Saturday) to the Irish in a shocker. Knocked out of the Super 8's barely a couple of days into the Cricket World Cup tournament. Oh man! Who, even if you were Irish, would have imagined that outcome?
The first thing that popped into my head yesterday whilst following the games online as Pakistan lost to Ireland and India another powerhouse team lost to lowly Bangladesh was wow cricket truly is a game of glorious uncertainties as its often billed. The second thing that popped into my head was I really feel sorry for those Pakistani and Indian players and coaches. I mean us folks in/from the Caribbean take our cricket seriously but no way near as fanatical as those from the sub-continent. I think the only thing that can compare to their zeal for cricket is the South American passion for futbol.
Yep, I was thinking, those players may be in some trouble at home. Heads will roll and knowing of some of the previous reactions by fans when those teams have lost games well I figured I wouldn't want to be any of those players or their families right about now. Indeed reading the news today where one player's home was attacked in India and there were protests in Pakistan calling for the arrest or death of the coach and captain I just wasn't really that surprised by the reactions. Yea those reactions are a bit over the top but similar have happened before.
Still I thought yea its all just a game isn't it? Its just some stupid fans really don't get that point and realize that its really not about life and death.
But in this case with coach Bob Woolmer it looks like it was about life and death. His death. I mean I can't say definitively that it was the stress of losing and seeing his team knocked out of the competition, or the thoughts of facing the music back in Pakistan that killed him but on first glance that would seem to be the case. One day he's a loses a game, the next he loses his life. Life... and death sure are funny ain't they. Puts a lot of stuff in perspective. When you lose a game you always have a chance to bounce back somehow although it may take some time. However when you lose you life? Well ain't no real bouncing back from that one I suppose.
Its all fun and games until someone gets hurt they say. Well someone did get hurt, hurt so much they died so have the fun and games stopped?
Woolmer was a coach so sports was his job and maybe we can chalk this up to job stress. Wouldn't be the first chap to die from that nor will he be the last. Still for all the money and prestige and endorsements and pride involved we still just think of sports as just sports. Its supposed to be intense but not that intense that you die. Its still supposed to be about fun. You give your all on the field and in your preparation to be on the field but its still just a game isn't it? We don't think too much about the folks who take it that much to heart. The folks who lose sleep and weight, and whose blood pressure rises or whose health suffers from sports do we.
I still say its all a game but damn if a game, its results and its repercussions don't put life in perspective.
I kind of wondered about that today after reading that Pakistan's cricket coach Bob Woolmer died in Jamaica this morning. One can only speculate as to what really happened until official statements are made but you've got to wonder.
Pakistan one of the supposed stronger teams in world cricket go down on St. Patrick's day (Saturday) to the Irish in a shocker. Knocked out of the Super 8's barely a couple of days into the Cricket World Cup tournament. Oh man! Who, even if you were Irish, would have imagined that outcome?
The first thing that popped into my head yesterday whilst following the games online as Pakistan lost to Ireland and India another powerhouse team lost to lowly Bangladesh was wow cricket truly is a game of glorious uncertainties as its often billed. The second thing that popped into my head was I really feel sorry for those Pakistani and Indian players and coaches. I mean us folks in/from the Caribbean take our cricket seriously but no way near as fanatical as those from the sub-continent. I think the only thing that can compare to their zeal for cricket is the South American passion for futbol.
Yep, I was thinking, those players may be in some trouble at home. Heads will roll and knowing of some of the previous reactions by fans when those teams have lost games well I figured I wouldn't want to be any of those players or their families right about now. Indeed reading the news today where one player's home was attacked in India and there were protests in Pakistan calling for the arrest or death of the coach and captain I just wasn't really that surprised by the reactions. Yea those reactions are a bit over the top but similar have happened before.
Still I thought yea its all just a game isn't it? Its just some stupid fans really don't get that point and realize that its really not about life and death.
But in this case with coach Bob Woolmer it looks like it was about life and death. His death. I mean I can't say definitively that it was the stress of losing and seeing his team knocked out of the competition, or the thoughts of facing the music back in Pakistan that killed him but on first glance that would seem to be the case. One day he's a loses a game, the next he loses his life. Life... and death sure are funny ain't they. Puts a lot of stuff in perspective. When you lose a game you always have a chance to bounce back somehow although it may take some time. However when you lose you life? Well ain't no real bouncing back from that one I suppose.
Its all fun and games until someone gets hurt they say. Well someone did get hurt, hurt so much they died so have the fun and games stopped?
Woolmer was a coach so sports was his job and maybe we can chalk this up to job stress. Wouldn't be the first chap to die from that nor will he be the last. Still for all the money and prestige and endorsements and pride involved we still just think of sports as just sports. Its supposed to be intense but not that intense that you die. Its still supposed to be about fun. You give your all on the field and in your preparation to be on the field but its still just a game isn't it? We don't think too much about the folks who take it that much to heart. The folks who lose sleep and weight, and whose blood pressure rises or whose health suffers from sports do we.
I still say its all a game but damn if a game, its results and its repercussions don't put life in perspective.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
March Madness
What can I say this March is a great month for sports.
Not that March isn't usually a great month for sports but this March is made even better by the Cricket World Cup. Look! West Indies won yesterday over Pakistan so forgive me for being slightly happy for a moment. Tomorrow I can get back to cussing the islands for wasting money on this event and robbing patrons with outrageous prices at the concession stands but today........
Well today I'm trying to follow Australia vs Scotland and Kenya vs Canada. Yea not the stuff of sporting legends but every game counts towards the big picture. Thank God for the Internet which makes it possible for me to get ball by ball scores and even radio coverage and sometimes video feeds of the matches. I still remember back in the days, before the Internet, having to call home or use that Toronto Star phone service (Can't remember the name. Was it Star Phone?) which gave you match updates all at its own pace just to find out how my team was doing.
Anyway besides cricket the other great thing about every March is the NCAA March Madness tournament. To paraphrase Dick Vitale or in the immortal words of Austin Powers. Yeaaaaa baby!
You don't understand my love of March Madness do you? How often to you get to watch 32 basketball games in two days or any sporting event where in every game played each team is literally playing for their tournament life? Its win or get the bleep outta Dodge. Yea the NBA is cool especially a nice game 7 of a playoff series but March Madness that starts off with like 32 game 7's in 2 days. Now that's fantastic!
I usually take the first two days of March madness off. Why? Well its just an exceptional time of year and a great time to veg out. You don't understand my fanaticism do you? Why I'm still trying to plan how I'm going to get a decent lunch tomorrow and not miss any games from my couch.
I mean March Madness just sucks me in. This is the time of the year where I just tell people I'm ignoring them; family, friends, children it don't matter. Don't mess with my March Madness focus.
From the time the brackets are announced I'm on it. Scouring the Internet for info, entering as many free pools as I can find (the days of putting money on this thing are long gone with my College days), chatting with anyone who may have actually watched more of the season unfold than the annual Duke, UNC game and thereby is ahead of me in terms of actual knowledge of what to except from the selected teams.
Trying to answer questions like whats the record of the top ranked teams? Who are the Cinderella teams? How many number 5s will be beaten by number 12s this year? Should I choose Number 9s over Number 8s? Which lower seeded player has the most NBA ready player? Where are those cursed Duke blue bas...... ummmm I mean devils ranked? Who or where exactly are Gongaza, Creighton, Holy Cross, Xavier, Old Dominion and George Washington?
And yes it is imperative that I watch as much of the games as possible. Its intense, its dramatic, its heartbreaking, its exhilarating, its big man crying over sports whether they win or lose, its 40 minutes of pure action down to the last second.
Plus how else can I, a few months hence, objectively sit and cuss NBA teams and GM's on draft day as they overlook proven College stars for long shots and European nobodies. How else would I have known that Dwayne Wade should have gone higher in the draft or that the Raptors should have held onto Kareem Rush instead of trading him for Chris Jefferies a few years back. With any luck I'll see the NBA stars of the future and make my predictions on not just the hyped ones like Kevin Durant and Greg Oden but some more obscure small forward or super quick point guard leading a mid major with grit and determination through the first round.
It gets no better than this folks.
Now to get back to my biggest dilemma. How do I follow cricket scores when the computer is upstairs but the TV and couch are downstairs.
Not that March isn't usually a great month for sports but this March is made even better by the Cricket World Cup. Look! West Indies won yesterday over Pakistan so forgive me for being slightly happy for a moment. Tomorrow I can get back to cussing the islands for wasting money on this event and robbing patrons with outrageous prices at the concession stands but today........
Well today I'm trying to follow Australia vs Scotland and Kenya vs Canada. Yea not the stuff of sporting legends but every game counts towards the big picture. Thank God for the Internet which makes it possible for me to get ball by ball scores and even radio coverage and sometimes video feeds of the matches. I still remember back in the days, before the Internet, having to call home or use that Toronto Star phone service (Can't remember the name. Was it Star Phone?) which gave you match updates all at its own pace just to find out how my team was doing.
Anyway besides cricket the other great thing about every March is the NCAA March Madness tournament. To paraphrase Dick Vitale or in the immortal words of Austin Powers. Yeaaaaa baby!
You don't understand my love of March Madness do you? How often to you get to watch 32 basketball games in two days or any sporting event where in every game played each team is literally playing for their tournament life? Its win or get the bleep outta Dodge. Yea the NBA is cool especially a nice game 7 of a playoff series but March Madness that starts off with like 32 game 7's in 2 days. Now that's fantastic!
I usually take the first two days of March madness off. Why? Well its just an exceptional time of year and a great time to veg out. You don't understand my fanaticism do you? Why I'm still trying to plan how I'm going to get a decent lunch tomorrow and not miss any games from my couch.
I mean March Madness just sucks me in. This is the time of the year where I just tell people I'm ignoring them; family, friends, children it don't matter. Don't mess with my March Madness focus.
From the time the brackets are announced I'm on it. Scouring the Internet for info, entering as many free pools as I can find (the days of putting money on this thing are long gone with my College days), chatting with anyone who may have actually watched more of the season unfold than the annual Duke, UNC game and thereby is ahead of me in terms of actual knowledge of what to except from the selected teams.
Trying to answer questions like whats the record of the top ranked teams? Who are the Cinderella teams? How many number 5s will be beaten by number 12s this year? Should I choose Number 9s over Number 8s? Which lower seeded player has the most NBA ready player? Where are those cursed Duke blue bas...... ummmm I mean devils ranked? Who or where exactly are Gongaza, Creighton, Holy Cross, Xavier, Old Dominion and George Washington?
And yes it is imperative that I watch as much of the games as possible. Its intense, its dramatic, its heartbreaking, its exhilarating, its big man crying over sports whether they win or lose, its 40 minutes of pure action down to the last second.
Plus how else can I, a few months hence, objectively sit and cuss NBA teams and GM's on draft day as they overlook proven College stars for long shots and European nobodies. How else would I have known that Dwayne Wade should have gone higher in the draft or that the Raptors should have held onto Kareem Rush instead of trading him for Chris Jefferies a few years back. With any luck I'll see the NBA stars of the future and make my predictions on not just the hyped ones like Kevin Durant and Greg Oden but some more obscure small forward or super quick point guard leading a mid major with grit and determination through the first round.
It gets no better than this folks.
Now to get back to my biggest dilemma. How do I follow cricket scores when the computer is upstairs but the TV and couch are downstairs.
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