As Jrod says, for a couple of days you’re “in the hands of Miriam”. It’s not a bad place to be.
NOTE: this post is not about Daniel Vettori.
A while ago I read a post on my favourite non-cricket website (just edging out net-a-porter and icanhazcheezburger), www.jezebel.com , which was all about why smart women love baseball. In fact, here’s that post.
Now, any number of people have already waxed lyrical about similarities and differences between cricket and baseball, but I don’t think anyone’s done it from a lady perspective, and I am a lady, whatever you might have heard.
How does the Jezzie article hold up when applied to cricket? Let’s take a look and see, children.
1. “It’s about family”
The writer’s message here is that baseball brings people together, and that in baseball crowds conversation is not only possible but encouraged.
I go to cricket quite a lot on my own. Although it has to be said that people rarely initiate conversation with me, if I start speaking to someone then invariably a session of sparkly repartee ensues.
The Jezebel writer also says this:
“The game’s demands of loyalty and teamwork creates (or, perhaps, attracts)men who appreciate the beauty of routine and the rewards of commitment,qualities many a woman can appreciate”.
Many women might agree, but I’m not quite down with this as I’m not so much about the “beauty of routine”. Beauty routine, yes.
2) There’s Method Behind The “Monotony”
Does the following quote from the Jezebel post sound familiar to anyone?
“Many women tell me they don’t understand the appeal of baseball becauseit’s “slow”, or “boring”, that “nothing happens”, that it “takes too long”. They “get” how the game is played — understand that three strikes equal an out, that the way to home is via the basepaths — but they don’t appreciate that the devil is the details, that entire athletic operas are being performed through glances exchanged and glances avoided, seemingly neurotic adjustments in gear, in balls dropped and misthrown”.
You knew all this anyway, of course.
I also love the following quote, with the word “cricket” substituted in.
“The game of baseball is not unlike a lifelong, well-worn, comfortable love affair: After a time, you know what to expect, but you can never predict what will happen. You also learn how to forgive”.
Although I still haven’t forgiven England for the Adelaide Test.
3) It’s Full Of Sex Appeal
“For many women, the sex appeal of baseball players is what brings them to the majors.”
At this point in the article I got a bit worried that the article was going all fangirl and would start talking about Derek Jeter’s ass or something. (See, I know a baseball player). And it does a little, but then it says this:
“Through close attention to the game, women begin to appreciate a
masculinity defined not by muscles or money but by hard work and humility. Baseball players are men, after all, who sublimate the more primitive characteristics encouraged in other sports — aggression, rage, dominance — in favor of something approaching grace, whether that be the lift of a soaring, well-hit, left-field single or the determination of a batter who fouls off one nasty slider after another”.
Now I can’t pretend to understand for a second the funny baseball terms that she uses, but apart from that, I understand perfectly.
Nice to know that loving cricket means that I’m a smart woman.However, I still think that if Daniel Vettori were point 4, it would have clinched the argument.
True. Once I’d got him into my head, I’m surprised I managed to finish the post.
Whats with women and Vettori ? Hes not that good looking.Anywho, the more women at the games the merrier !
It’s that “cross between a stand-up comic, phd student and librarian” thing that he’s got going on, Damith. Makes me think he might be funny and super-intelligent. I’d take that over, say, Shane Watson, any day of the week. Oh dear, this post is NOT meant to be about Daniel Vettori, but I’ve got distracted.
I will never forgive them for that Adelaide test. That test pushed me from someone with an normal, if a little obsessive, relationship with the England cricket team, to someone who flirts outrageously with any team in the vicinity of England, just so that they can see I’m moving on and don’t need them any more.
Lemon Bella, I know, I even spent some time with Bangladesh.
Exactly! It’s the South Africans I feel worst about. They’re the exact opposite of England, so I knew it would make them think about their own inadequecies.
I have tried but I simply don’t get the Vettori thing. He’s just not hot. Now if you’d said Jacob Oram… Have always prided myself on being reasonably intelligent but was incapable of speech and practically went into meltdown when he was about 6 feet away from me at Canterbury in April. Still haven’t quite got over it.ps I love baseball. Are those of us who like both extra smart?pps Pah! to Adelaide too.
I think my Vettori thing is more the (probably imaginary) personality and qualities that I have imposed on him, rather than objective hotness. Oram: oh yes, definitely. I think if you like cricket and baseball that makes you wonderfully cosmopolitan (in the original sense of the word, nothing to do with that tawdry magazine).
I do like cerebral types. I have this fantasy that Oram mixes hot and intelligent rather marvellously. I would prefer to remain in blissful ignorance if this isn’t the case! More than happy to be considered cosmopolitan.Incidentally, I think the only time I’ve ever bought that particular publication was earlier this year when Messrs Anderson, Broad and Cook graced its pages…
Enjoyed that article enormously – and must say I am with the commentator who said “Yeahhh baseball! Your #3 is so spot on. I’ve only ever managed to articulate the tight pants portion of it, but a resounding “hell yes!” to the rest.”
You get given the blog for a few days, and suddenly there are unclosed italics tags!
You tried, you failed. Miriaim. Now wallow in your shameTsk tsk.
Unclosed what-nows? I don’t understand. Did I break the internets?
I am currently in Canada and therefore have seen rather a lot of baseball on tv (and rather a lot of Olympic women’s beach volleyball, but that’s what happens when you give MrMel the remote control).This has led me to wonder the reaction of Miriam and Sarah were Vettori and Oram to form a men’s beach volleyball team and parade upon our screens in skimpy speedos.
*faints*
Mel, the very thought is getting me through the long lonely nights.