Typical. Aaron "Flu" Bird has one of the few good nicknames in Australian cricket, but he was forced to change it to Birdy. Birdy? Christ, can Crick-Aussie get any softer? Surely even the barest trace of imagination would have produced something better, zany maybe, a little out-there. Birdo, for instance, or Birdos.
Twenty20 silliness reached its climax at North Sydney Oval yesterday when Victoria took on NSW in the domestic final. Thankfully, by then the controversy over the nickname of young Bankstown quick Aaron Bird had subsided, for he had agreed to wear "Birdy" on his back rather than his preferred moniker, "Flu". Bird was persuaded not to go with "Flu" amid fears it might upset the major sponsor of the Big Bash tournament, which happens to be KFC.
Bunter? Bornie? (Barnie didn't look right.)
Posted by: DJ | 23 January 2006 at 18:17
Stop that.
Posted by: Tony.T | 23 January 2006 at 18:23
Last time I had KFC, I got the runs.
Posted by: carneagles | 23 January 2006 at 18:59
Bah, Party poopers.
Would the nickname have flown if he'd spelt it differently, I wonder?
Posted by: Jim | 23 January 2006 at 20:34
Flue? Flew? What else could a man named Bird be known as? I nominate :
1. Birdie.
2. Birdee.
3. Birdy.
4. C*nt(ee).
Posted by: nick | 23 January 2006 at 21:34
Why is Mike Hussey "Mr Cricket"? Surely he should be "Shameless".
Posted by: Living in Canberra | 23 January 2006 at 22:03
According to the Age, AGB is "chatty", so maybe you should have that written on your back - Tony "Chatty" T
Posted by: Laura | 24 January 2006 at 08:59
Why didn't they change his nickname to "Rabbit"?
Isn't that what their going to have to start serving up when the "chick" hits the fan?
Posted by: Adsy | 24 January 2006 at 15:14
Carna: Appropriate, in the circs.
Jim: Party Poopers? Appropriate, in Carna's circs.
Nick: How about "Brain". Or Seye. (Think about it.)
LIC: They call him Shameless on the rayjo, and I've seen Brazen, as well.
Laura: I was hoping no one would notice.
Adsy: I like Rabbit, but I'm pretty sure the idea was not to associate him with KFC.
Posted by: Tony.T | 24 January 2006 at 16:49
'Flue' and 'flew' are good ones in the "I didn't mean it that way I mean't John Blackman who plays Dickie Knee" sense.
Also maybe Flube? Flube Bird.
Er, sounds the same. Dogupyuz.
Posted by: Big Ramifications | 27 January 2006 at 19:17
I would have thought the best nickname for him was obvious: "Num Num". In fact I'll bet that's his real nickname, but they don't want to offend Indians so they keep it under wraps. But I'll bet in the changing rooms they're all going "What is the name of this game in which you disperse the balls into the boundary?" and "Howdy pardner" in a strong Indian accent.
Posted by: Clem Snide | 28 January 2006 at 01:59
Snap out of it, Biggy Boy.
That's where the title of the post came from, Clem. What's the bet someone mentioned it in the rooms. Although, I must stress, here at the AGB we don't condone humour containing ethnic stereotypes.
Now. I'm off to watch It Ain't Half Hot Mum.
Posted by: Tony.T | 28 January 2006 at 19:26