Die, Cricket Die!!!

Being the Rugby nut that I have recently become, I was eagerly awaiting the first Tri Nations Test between Australia and New Zealand at Wellington today, which Star Sports had said they would telecast live (it would have been sometime this afternoon). Imagine my horror then, when instead I saw them broadcasting the Sri Lanka vs. UAE Asia Cup Cricket match. I checked the ESPN-Star listing, and found that the only repeat telecast is on Monday at 11 am.

Now I realise that Rugby is not a sport that is very popular with the average ESPN-Star Sports viewer, and reneging on an advertisement to show the Tri Nations opener just might not make it to the Top 10 list of his grievances with the said broadcaster. So what, you almost hear him ask. You might even agree with their decision to show a cricket match instead of a rugby test. However, when they start taking world class sporting action off the air to show a pathetic Tom Thumb vs. Paul Bunyan encounter whose only purpose seems to be giving the Lankans a chance to notch up some more world records, you start to get the feeling that all is not right with the world. What is the purpose of having tiny tin pot Asian countries playing three of the strongest cricketing sides in the world you might ask (apart from giving them a chance to win occasionally). Singapore, Hong Kong and the UAE have as much right to play ODIs in the Asia Cup (or any other major televised tournament) as they have to be in the Superbowl. And for them to replace the All Blacks on TV, that's just blasphemous.

So, what I am basically trying to say is that all Network executives should die or be Goshdarned to Heck. The fact that the All Blacks beat the Wallabies 16-7 (see Match Report) in a game that avenged the Aussie's cowardly victory in the RWC semifinals has only deepened my dissatisfaction, and caused me to write this Paul Waite-like Rant and Rave style post. Aaaaaaaaaargh!!