It's getting increasingly difficult to find an Aussie who wants to talk about the Olympics this week! With no swimming to crow about and my predicted Gold Rush in the velodrome coming to fruition the staff room TV hasn't even been switched on. I'm now faced with the usual double a side record on repeat, featuring "With sixty odd million people you should be beating us!" and the number one hit "But look how much money you spent!"
The TV coverage has been nothing short of a disgrace with Aussie broadcasters only showing events where Australian athletes feature and anything without a Great British athlete as a last resort. Thank goodness for the live updates on the BBC website!
There have also been a lot of column inches given over to diagnosing where Great Britain got it right... mixed in with the usual rubbish about how us POMS don't wash etc... yadda yadda yadda. Take a look at this recent article from the Australian newspaper, which is a little like the Times...
NOT again! And so soon. Opening the paper to find the Poms ahead of Australia on the gold medal tally was reliving a nightmare.It had that same heavy, groggy feeling of suddenly waking on the couch during that fateful early morning in 2005 to find Australia had lost the Ashes.
How could it happen, we wondered in 2005? This useless bunch of pub cricketers who had been the butt of so many Australian jokes and thrashings over almost two decades had taken what was ours... Now it's happening at the Olympics. Having told many a Pom "on ya bike" during this sustained and glorious era, it's been galling to find they've taken the advice so literally.
Going into yesterday's competition England had four gold medals on the cycling track (...Now Seven!) and Australia none (....Still none!). So it's time for survival mode again. Just like in '05, ignore any text messages and phone calls when the number starts +44, have the finger carefully poised over the message erase button and open those emails very carefully.
At work, avoid the water cooler. You don't realise how many Poms inhabit the office until they actually win something.Years can go by with barely a mumble and then suddenly there they are, raising their heads and their voices, lingering in small, rowdy groups like they're in the pub and greeting you like a long lost loser. It's amazing how quickly the downtrodden forget their place in the world.
So another amazing day for Great Britain in the velodrome. Does anyone else think that the ridiculously high fuel prices have anything to do with why we're now so brilliant on a bike?
4 comments:
Hi Paul
Anyone want to talk Olympics?!
Yes! John does!totally invigorated!
No turning the telly off because Australia have won at cricket!
Excellent blog and excerpt from newspaper! - surely it's the taking part which should be the spirit of the Olympics - well, that's the theory!
Really made us smile!
With love and good wishes -
Jean and John xx
Excellent article and post Paul. If you hadn't been working on this lovely warm day, you would have heard me at Bar Beach chanting "Go Team GB" over and over again with pride. Hope to see you all on Friday evening. Marianne xxx
Hey Paul, Whilst I am not going to bag either the British or Aussie coverage of the games per se ( you should try watching ANYTHING in the US of A) , I can't believe you haven't yet worked out the Aussie sense of humour! That piece you quoted was firmly with tongue in cheek! Shame you could take it so seriously! there is always going to be rivalry between the Old Country and the New Country. From my perspective I heard LOTS of comments from Aussies about how great it was to see GB up there and shining. YES of course you have nearly 3 times our population (do your own Maths) and YES you did spend a lot, but no one I know here in all seriousness was anything but impressed with how you Brits have gone this time. Good on ya, I say! If it's true that some trashy newspaper over has sponsored some idiot to drive around London with a bus bagging the Aussie's efforts then shame on you all. You guys have just got back to where you should have been since - what is it? 1908??? I and a lot of my Aussie mates believe London will put on a helluva show in 2012 and I would even love to be there for it. So fair go here mate! Praise where praise is due! And polish up on that humour by throwing a few barbies - with good COLD beers and good Aussie rump and snags.
Hi Meg,
Thanks for your post, welcome along! I can't believe that people outside of my circle of friends actually read all my drivel! I'm a long term admirer of the Aussie sense of humour and all my posts are very much tongue in cheek and based on the fact that the Aussies will come back harder and clean us up next time - see Ashes series after 2005!
My Aussie mates know that my posts are nothing more than some harmless and good natured banter. They give as good as they get! I love Australia and Australians. I'm actually going for citizenship in December and actually cheer along for the Green and Gold when they are faced my anyone other than the Old Dart!
Like all Australians you'll always be welcome around at ours for a Britto and a Snag! Thanks again for your post...
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