
I cop plenty of flack, hate mail, industry colleague cold shoulders and the wrath of accreditation boards for having views that may not align with the preferred cricket narrative.
Yes, I don’t like match fixers or drug cheats. That Wasim and Warne and M Waugh are all in that bucket, bad luck. It was their choice to be arsehats. I think Anderson is overrated…. well, was overrated. I’m softening. Sachin’s record stumbles when objectively scrutinised and he committed perjury in regards to Monkey gate. Channel Nine is ruining the game. Cricinfo is difficult to navigate. McCullum gets praise for being a beacon of light yet has cheated on the field. Sreesanth was cleared by a court so should be free play. Amir should not be. The ICC needs to have independent board members. Cricket Australia’s links to gambling are a disgrace and presented in a willfully misleading way.
I also make jokes. It is a legitimate form of communication. Like satire is. Like poetry is. Like musical theater is. Like novels are.
Most of my jokes aren’t funny, but they amuse me.
However, some people like to deliberately take offence at jokes and shout abuse from the rooftops. I feel sorry for these people. Humour is so important in life.
Some call it trolling. But that’s a huge misrepresentation and a poor perspective. I simply call it independent thought.
No, I’m not perfect either. But if someone finds my life that interesting, let them start a website and podcast about it.
I have worked hard over the last four or so years to build my own cricketing soapbox.
No one handed me the Dennis Does Cricket website. No one handed me the Can’t Bowl Can’t Throw podcast. No one handed me my video camera or this Facebook following. No one was forced at gun point to join my mailing list. No one pays for my hosting fees, my time spent learning how to do this stuff, maintain it or gifted me a microphone.
I didn’t just turn up unannounced at Shikhar Dhawan’s house to interview him, or find Lalit Modi’s home number in the yellow pages or have pieces magically appear in print organisations world wide or plug in my headset and appear on sports radio shows in the West Indies and South Africa.
All of this is because I got off my slowly growing arse and had a crack. As anyone can. As many do. In all walks of life.
Ok, I may have received a little help with my twitter following, but I didn’t ask nor pay for it. Twitter just decided to recommend me to new users.
I’m proud of the fact that people choose to have firm views about my work. It means it is cutting through, being read and being heard. The world doesn’t need anymore vanilla boring follow the formula reporting. It’s like death by elevator music.
Unfortunately, we now live in a world where those that think they are right believe that those that oppose their view are racist, or trolls, or bigoted, or nazis or any number of other words that have been used to describe me.
The art of objective debate is quickly being lost. Rather, personal attacks is seen as normal or required.
What is wrong with us?
Being abused used to bug me. Get under my skin. I’m only human.
But now I see it as a badge of honour. It means you read my stuff and it forced a reaction. Much better than reading something and forgetting about it two seconds later right?
So to those that interact with me, negatively or positively, thanks for supporting my journalism. I try my best to engage with anyone who engages in a polite manner.
Be firm with your views. They don’t have to be the same as mine. Most times, they probably won’t be. But that’s ok. In fact, it’s awesome. I’ll respect you for it.
Imagine if we all thought the same way? What a disaster that would be.
Fall into the name calling trap, and I’ll probably ignore you. Have I ever called you a name?
For without having a view, you are simply reporting. And what does reporting really add to any debate?Follow @denniscricket_
WicketWolf Slapping against my head?
DennisCricket_ it was yours to do with as you please…!
WicketWolf I’ve totally missed whether that was praise or a whack. Either way, thanks for engaging 🙂
DennisCricket_ you choose place and time, he chooses weapons… as your second, I top him if he cheats, finish you off if he won’t?
DennisCricket_ musical theatre a legitimate form of communication? Grrrr rant rant etc etc
AJRobertsWriter Have you not seen “Shane Warne – The Musical”?
DennisCricket_ did it upset the little twerp? If so, I might be interested
AJRobertsWriter Didn’t see it 🙂 What about Pirates of Penzance?
DennisCricket_ no, it’s all nonsense, although did like all that funky wahwah pedal in JesusChristSuperstar. Made it sound like BobbyWomack
Seriously, who would call you a Nazi??
AJRobertsWriter See. There is good in everything
DennisCricket_ except NRL, there’s nothing good there
Arbabasu random people now and then
AJRobertsWriter Outlier
DennisCricket_ what/who is an outlier?
AJRobertsWriter
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outlier
DennisCricket_ oh, I thought he played for Parramatta. I’m pretty sure it’s not really though as even fans secretly know it’s a silly sport
DennisCricket_ Amen Dennis! I disagree with a fair bit of what you say, but hell, it’s interesting to read. Spare me those “offended”…
DmitriOld How could you possibly disagree with anything I write? It’s gold!
DennisCricket_ You’re Australian. Therefore you are wrong. Does that offend you? 🙂
DmitriOld Not even close. I’m white and privileged. I’m not allowed to be offended about anything.
DennisCricket_ What brought that post on, sir? You been copping some stick (more than usual)?
DmitriOld One particular recent incident. I had to purge. It’s now done. I feel better 🙂
DennisCricket_ you went too soft at the end! Let’s be honest and say which countries the vast amount of abuse comes from…
DmitriOld DennisCricket_ IPL? I get dogs abuse every yr. And it’s mindless, nonsensical. These teams didn’t fucking exist 3yrs ago!!!
AltCricket DennisCricket_ Probably a Country with a name starting with an I and ends with an A.
AltCricket UK
DennisCricket_ I’m really tempted to write a rebuttal to this.
NickTheStatsGuy Do it!
DennisCricket_ I’m afraid that, in between homework and a s—ton of Euro stuff, I’m flat out for the next few days.
NickTheStatsGuy Your lack of commitment is something you need to work on.
DennisCricket_ Yes. It is.
DennisCricket_ AltCricket : surely not the Associate hipster gang ?
worldofBG AltCricket Haha
DennisCricket_ its very cool that twitter replies show as comment threads in ur blog
Its how internet should’ve been from start
DmitriOld
Hi Dennis,
Your hard work is to be commended, I do not know how you find the time.
I endorse the sentiment, but disagree with the self assessment. I’ve agreed with, supported, disagreed with and challenged you at various times but you have never once meaningfully engaged (and I’ve never called you names). The cynic in me would suggest there is more exposure in continuing a pointless argument with a high profile commentator (commenter?) than in engaging in real debate with a nobody. Is truth and enlightenment the prize or is fame (or infamy) the true goal?
Could be that I said something inappropriate once or my contributions really are unworthy of a response I suppose. Anyway, don’t let the bastards get you down.
J_Mareeswaran DmitriOld that’s just a plug in. sometimes it picks up Facebook conversation also
Well said !
Please sir can I have some more?! Too many sheep blaring out of the same mouths lately, always happy to follow a rule bender.
Sachin Varadarajan Isanga Nainhabo Vinay Lakshman he’s softening, you’ve got him on the ropes!
I like your opinions, great to shake things up
Well said!! Keep this going.
Why doesn’t Russell Jackson like you?
wise words. nobody is above ridicule and humor. not politicians, cricket administrators, teachers, the pope, or even cricketers who take 900+ wickets and bribes to fix.
didn’t know why you called warne, waugh, and akram cheats. but a few months on, having read some of your stuff, including the uneasy relationship with akram piece, and after months of ocassional yet compulsive google search usage, it is obvious they are cheats. i just assumed they were clean because they’re all over TV.
I like your stuff and your humour.
Just to clarify, when you say McCullum is a cheat, is that because of fixing that im just not aware about? Or is it because of incidents like running out Murali and claiming catches he didnt take?
You are doing a great job.
“Channel Nine is ruining the game” – pretty sure this is widely acknowledged. Any opinion that stated otherwise would probably be controversial.
Sit in a Channel Nine executive meeting.
Love it Dennis, you do talk a lot of bollocks but it’s funny bollocks and some of it I agree with, keep up the good work.
I’m all for free speech so yay on that front . May I ask which court found Sachin guilty of perjury ?