Remember Dinsdale Piranha? Used to give his mother flowers and that, smashing bloke... except when he was nailing heads to the floor. Spanky Roebuck is Dinsdale: smashing commentator and writer.. except when nailing heads to the floor.
Take Boxing day 1995 when Murali was called for chucking. Spanky went Dinsdale. This from a bloke who in most every other opinion about cricket embraces the notion of playing the game the right way. Yet, when faced with the correct penalising of a flagrant transgressor, he completely loses his composure. Upon later regaining some measure of perspective he climbs down: "Well, actually, chucking should be treated like any other no ball offense."
After Sydney 2008 Spanky once again went completely Dinsy: wild dogs, cheats, bad sports, dobbers, over-celebrators. And once again, he belatedly acknowledges his flagrant over-reaction: Hope I wasn't out of line with that crack about the wild dogs.
But, like a wild dog returning to its vomit, Spanky just can't let Sydney go. Every subsequent mention is prefaced by a snide adjective. Saturday, for instance:
Ponting had a rotten year in 2008, moving from the craven SCG Test to the calamity of Nagpur, where even the Hallelujah chorus criticised him.
Again:
The idea that it is inconsistent to praise him after condemning his leadership in the infamous SCG Test of 2008 is absurd.
He has also started making shit up:
The row with Harbhajan Singh began when Andrew Symonds broke a silence pact reached in Mumbai.
Since when did an agreement to halt racial abuse become a silence pact? One can only imagine the extravagant case-bolstering inventions he might make in future.
Anyway, much like Tim Blair and his tireless Pursuit of Mustice, maybe it's about time Spanky was held accountable for his tiresome Abuse of Malice.
It is easy for us to judge Dinsdale Piranha too harshly. Afterall he was convinced that he was being watched by a giant hedgehog.
Posted by: RT | Monday, January 19, 2009 at 03:55 PM
Wonder what manner of prickly beast is watching over Spanky.
Posted by: Tony Tea | Monday, January 19, 2009 at 04:11 PM
I bet Spanky's editor is called Doug and very heavy on the sarcasm.
Posted by: RT | Monday, January 19, 2009 at 04:43 PM
I think the Aussies came out of the incident in Sydney very lightly.
Symonds was clearly sent in to ruffle Singh to get him outed for some time.
The NZ Judge certainly played a straight bat however it isn't hard to read between the lines.
Symonds started it all and then Aussies came from everywhere to claim monkey was said.
Monkeys to that after all the little master was telling Singh what they were trying to do.
However the Aussies have finally woken up and changed.
I hope the Injuns are not trying to imitate them.
Murali chucks and the law was changed to accommodate his chuck.
I like reading roers more than any other writer.
Sometimes I agree other times I do not.
He is very good at the ABC more so with Aggers
Posted by: The Don has risen | Tuesday, January 20, 2009 at 11:07 AM