Holland also plays semi-professional baseball (as does Italy). I think their national sports identity is a little wobbly. Little footie, little speed skating and then they just throw themselves at the nearest empire.

Somewhere, Hans Brinker weeps...

Wow. Really? That's sad. When I was a kid we came home from school, dumped our books, changed out of our uniforms, and out we went with the understanding we weren't to come back until dinner. No video games yet so we played stickball, sat on the stairs talking, and street games like Red Rover and Ali Baba and stoopball and ring-o-leaveo. There were less cars on the streets, because most families had one and Dad took it to work and brought it back at night.

Where was this paradise? Well, Fort Apache itself, the Bronx in the 1970's. Albeit a relatively safe neighborhood. We're always hearing here about how peaceful and safe Europe is compared to America, so I was surprised to hear about England.

And I thought cricket was like a really high-maintenance game. But it doesn't seem like something kids would like--is there a site that shows the basic rules?

I thought cricket was like a really high-maintenance game. But it doesn't seem like something kids would like--is there a site that shows the basic rules?

Not even slightly! Honestly, I don't quite get all the rules of baseball or American football, but the hardest part of cricket is remembering if that mid-off is silly or not. The positions are a little oddly named.

The ultra-stripped down version we played on the heath was really just a bowler and a batsman and an impromptu wicket.

Basically, if you're up at bat, don't let anything knock the wicket over. But shielding it with your leg is cheating. If you're bowling, knock the wicket over with the ball.

simplest rules I could find

Thanks for the site! I think I understand it a lot better now. That's what I get for trying to get it from Monty Python skits.

Edit: Actually, from the description the wicket doesn't sound very stable. Wouldn't doing something like, I dunno, looking at it too hard knock it down?

That's what I get for trying to get it from Monty Python skits.

Otherwise, though, MP is a perfectly good representation of Old Blighty.

Otherwise, though, MP is a perfectly good representation of Old Blighty.

YEAH, BUT THEY COULD NEVER DO AMERICAN ACCENTS! ALL THEY DID WAS SHOUT AND THINK THAT COVERED IT! HOW ANNOYING!!

Wouldn't doing something like, I dunno, looking at it too hard knock it down?

If it were solidly built, what would be the point of trying to defend it?

ALL THEY DID WAS SHOUT AND THINK THAT COVERED IT! HOW ANNOYING!!

Especially considering what a good job Americans are doing with the British accents.

Actually, one of the reasons I've seen put forward for England currently being terrible at cricket is that English kids no longer do this, because their parents are too paranoid to let them out of the house.

A Mancunian I met in Charlotte informs me that a few years back there were teachers' strikes or budget cuts or something, and for a couple of years sports simply stopped being taught in the government schools.

Especially considering what a good job Americans are doing with the British accents.

To be honest, I rarely notice if someone is doing a bad USian accent.

Sorry, but there's so many of them, I lose track.