30.11.10

Don't Believe The Hype

I don't usually bother reading the British tabloids. They're occasionally amusing - sometimes intentionally, sometimes unwittingly - but what they write rarely bears much relation to the real world.

So I had to laugh when I happened to catch part of the sports slot on BBC Breakfast this morning and Chris Hollins showed the back pages of various papers to the camera.

One (I think it was The Sun but I couldn't swear to it) appeared to be describing Alastair Cook's innings (which deserves credit for being made, initially, under huge pressure, but which ended as an exercise in filling his boots against a poor attack on a bland pitch) as 'The Greatest Innings Ever'. There was no question mark.

Er, not quite, lads, in fact not even close to the top 50. But thanks for the laugh.

5 comments:

http://www.cricketbettingblog.com/ said...

'The Greatest Innings Ever'

On what planet? I would dispute whether it was even the greatest innings of this test match.

They have a lot of these journalists on the radio giving their opinions quite often, mainly about football - which I hear a lot of as I listen to the radio most of the day in my job.

The impression I get of most of them (not all), is that they are nothing more than biased mad football fans who happen to be able to write English language better than the average man.

The views they give in this brand of English, is nothing more than the mad sort of rubbish you hear in the stands from the average nutter fan.

Brian Carpenter said...

I think you're right that a lot of the coverage is in the hands of football fans who only taken any interest in cricket during Ashes series, although in this case it was just a headline, probably dreamt up by someone who knew how ridiculous it was.

Assuming it was The Sun, then I'm pretty sure John Etheridge wouldn't make such a stupid statement as he always seems a pretty rational bloke when you see him on 'Cricket Writers on TV' or hear him on TMS features.

I think it was very loosely based on the fact that it was the highest score made in a Test at the Gabba, ignoring the fact that 'highest' and 'greatest' have very different meanings, certainly in a cricket contect.

Dean @ Cricket Betting Blog said...

Exactly Brian, I obvioulsy didn't see Bradman's innings, but I would imagine it was of a far higher class than Cook's was.

Probably against better bowling and on a far worse batting surface.

I also would be very surprised if John Etheridge had been involved with it.

Rob said...

The Sun talking rubbish? Surely you jest...

Brian Carpenter said...

Good to hear from you again, Rob.

Who'd have thought it?

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