howzdat

[howzdat]

SIR ALEX FERGUSON

As we await developments on the Sir Alex Ferguson's future at Manchester United, it is worth a reminder of his achievements at the club.

Premier League: 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013; FA Cup: 1990, 1994, 1996, 1999, 2004; League Cup: 1992, 2006, 2009, 2010; Uefa Champions League: 1999, 2008; Fifa Club World Cup: 2008; Uefa Super Cup: 1992; Uefa Cup Winners Cup: 1991; Inter-Continental Cup: 1999; FA Charity/Community Shield: 1990 (shared), 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011.

That is simply an incredible list of trophy wins.

courtesy the Beeb

As things have transpired there is a connection between this post and the one before it.

During the interview Jose presented the gathered press with a list of the Real Madrid achievements prior to his arrival and since his arrival. He was clinical and the truth stuck in their craw, but they could not deny what he was saying to them.

Jose knows the import of legacy.

And now a few days later we have news of a Colossus impeding departure from the Managerial helm.

I recall also that Jose also spoke a little bit about contracts nowadays in football prompting me to ask, "So Jose, have you any contracts to rip up?; and whilst we having a little chat pray tell,
"do you fancy a tilt at that Manchester United job?" You have seen the honours board haven't you? Good.

If Jose could seal the deal on a CR7 return to Manu, does anyone think that the Glaziers gonna blink first? Apparently, David Moyes is the bookies favourte. We'll see as this is going to be very interesting.

Talking of kudos, hats doffed to Mr. RVP and in so doing one again marvels at Sir Alex.

RVP + CR7 or Gareth Bale for next season?

yep, SIR ALEX FERGUSON: Red Blooded Man U hafi respect. Don't think Her Ladyship made any mistake in resting the Sword pon dem dere shoulders. Respect!
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[howzdat]

Howzdat's Peerless League of Takeaway20 CricketTM from now onwards to be known as HPL t20TM

This season's HPL t20TM is Sponsored by FetchDat!TM

WARNING: Proceed with care! Topic under reconstruction. Falling debris likely!

HLP T20 is pleased to announce its' first recruit:

Sanju Viswanath Samson.
Fielding position: Wicketkeeper.
Batting style: Right-hand bat

[howzdat]

Howzdat's Peerless League of Takeaway20 CricketTM

This season's HPL t20TM is Sponsored by FetchDat!TM

WARNING: Proceed with care! Topic under reconstruction. Falling debris likely!

Allyuh see dis announcement in de main forum, "CPL Anthem Interprets the Vibe and Pulse Of Caribbean Cricket?". Only thing being that what was the Anthem was not really the Anthem but the soundtrack to the CPL T20 promotional Video. We now have the Anthem, "How We Play" by Konshens & Kes. Confused? I hope that I am beginning to see things clearly now.

How can anyone who knows anything about the caribbean come up with that mundane composition as a soundtrack to those clips and and claim seh dat it too portrays "The Vibe and Pulse Of Caribbean Cricket", reflective of the region, its people, OUR cricket, OUR HISTORY, OUR ASPIRATIONS, OUR EXUBERANCE, OUR LOVE FOR THE GREAT GAME Or am i mistaken?

There aint no way a single second of that soundtrack is gonna hit the decks during ANY season's HPL t20TM as Sponsored by FetchDat!TM. Did they pay for that? Take a look at the Promotional Video

The soundtrack, which takes cue immediately after the bowlers grunt and the ball hitting the bat, opens up with the well measured sound of ivories being tinkered with, easy-listening style; then, out of nowhere rouses itself in a manner that evokes that Irish fella Paul David Hewson and his group over and over and over and over and over and over .... And then Chris "Don-A-GorGon" Gayle smacks ball, and by way of attempting more to grab our ears and send us soaring up, up and away down into a vortex - a la mode techno house, frantic bpm's over and over and over over and over and over again - eventually giving way once more to the ivories. tinkle & tinkle & tinkle they do and and then Sighhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh they do so for the last time as the anthem silences itself, exhausted.

What was the brief? For this promotional video we'd like you to come up with a "Eurotrashy-Singalong-a-Dingaling-that-Coons-will be-shown-Getting Down-and-Shaking-Up-dem-Bambazam-to" sorta vibe Result: Mission Accomplished.

More on my Interpretation of the soundtrack that accompanies the video depicting the Vibe and Pulse Of Caribbean Cricket, CPL stylee later, but before I go I just wanna set my stall out by borrowing a phrase uttered so eloquently by the late Amy Winehouse.

I say "NO, NO, NO". And since I'll die black, there's no way I'll dance to that, I say "NO, NO, NO". Because there's nothing, Oh no nothing it reflects, that i can't learn about the Vibe and Pulse, of the Ca rib beeeeen by taking a long hard look back at my self, in the God damned mirror, and say "NO, NO, NO".

So since I'll die black and aint nowt's gonna change that, there is no need, no need at all, for you to trouble yourself, & try to re-caste me, into some mistaken figment, of your cor por ate ima gin ation ... I say "NO, NO, NO"..

Yeah, since I'm born black, you just ought to know, that there's no way my feet are gonna dance me to that and there's no way, NO, God damned way that I need to go for rehab, Oh yeah I say "NO, NO, NO" because Datz just NOT how we play in in this Peerless League, I say "NO, NO, NO" So I beg you, oh please do I beg you go reeeeeeewind and come again ...!

I say "NO, NO, NO". So since I'll die black and aint nowt's gonna change that,there is no need, ab so lutely no need at all, for you to trouble yourself, & try to re-caste me, into some mistaken figment, of your cor por ate ima gin ation ... I say "NO, NO, NO".

There's nothing, Oh no nothing you ever gonna teach me, that i can't learn about the Vibe and Pulse, of the Ca rib beeeeen by taking a long hard look back at my self, in the God damned mirror, and say "NO, NO, NO".

Oh, and I don't care who they gonna get to remix that soundtrack it still gonna be ill-fitting! ... unless of course you were told that, "for this promotional video you need to produce some musical accompaniment that conveys the impression that the coons done gone and got demselves pacified, bleached and tone deaf!

No sah, I aint gonna be wining down to dat Vibe or Pulse promotional soundtrack in the HPL t20TM.

PS ... And now what is this that I hear Spragga Benz & Marlon, "Banking On IT"

PPS ... If the CPL had co-ordinated all of this properly then there would not have been any confusion. Nonetheless, HPL t20TM as Sponsored by FetchDat!TM will exercise every sinew in support of every effort that presents the CPL as being at least a lil bit caribbean.

Dear reader, You still are mindful that I am crazy; and that I have a disclaimer don't you? Good

FetchDat!TM
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[howzdat]

...Hey Shiv don't fade away, Hey Shiv don't fade away, No Shiv don't fade away ...

which, if ever Shiv is unceremoniously dropped might become

...Hey Shiv don't bother me, Hey Shiv don't bother me, Please Shiv don't bother me

[howzdat]

The trigger for this bit of nonsense can be found over here ... and is continued thus:

Hi again Chrisps and welcome back to these parts. Don't quite have a suggestion for the catchprase (yet) but that "in da weeds!"! offering sent me down memory lane, and as I share with you I am certain that a lot of wonderers on this site gonna be saying dat deh did know howzdat was a ....So ah listening out for allyuh . Walk good!

Chrisps, as youth’s we played cricket in all conditions: In any open space or pasture whether or not we were at serious risk of breaking a leg in a hole, left by some cow, horse or donkey hoof, whilst chasing after a ball that was headed for one those boundaries you mention. And not to mention the droppings of the aforementioned beasts! But dareisay we didn't mind the shit aka manure cos we knew of its worth owing to the fact that we would also be charged by our parents with the task of collecting same as a form of fertiliser for the vegetable patch.

We would play under the ‘bottom-house' of a friend, all the while under dire threat of the game or your innings coming to an abrupt end if you hit the ball one too many times up against exposed plumbing. In this case your dismissal was by the unanimous opinion of your fellow players if they judged that you were not batting with due care and attention to everyone's continued enjoyment of the game Mind you Chrisps this was the only way that your innings could be ended without actually having been gotten out or a declaration. We enjoyed sunshine galore and bright light so none of this 'timed-out' business for us; no sir, you had to find a way to get the batsman out. Playing under such conditions made us damned tough cricketers!!

Another memory your post lit up was of the times when would play in a field bordered by assorted flora, that included weeds and thick razor grass, that in the dry season would grow tall over our heads; and into which we would hurtle to retrieve the ball with not a second’s concern for the cuts that we knew we were going to suffer in the process!

And then there was the fauna, often in the shape of an ants nest that you might accidentally stand in as you were fielding! Chrisps have you ever been bitten by some red ants or worse still by some 'cop-cop' ants? No?! Let me tell you that a cop-cop ant is a vicious black creature with strong, strong mandibles that could inflict the most excruciating pain if by chance you disturbed them as they went about their business! Besides killing the red ants (ooops) we would take great glee from rubbing a finger across their trail, and watching the mayhem and confusion ensue in the convoy as they reached that point where the scent or whatever it is that they lay down suddenly ran cold ... but only for a while ... before some brave member of the group forged ahead, like a trailblazer, and lay down a new path for its' fellows to follow.

Our love for the game was such that we would even play cricket with a plastic bottle serving as the ball; and every boy-child worth his salt as a cricketer knew how to wield a cutlass to shape a piece of wood or the thick stem of the frond of a coconut tree, into a bat; this latter tree part could even be fashioned into a pair of pads!

When in season we would use a kookrit or an awara seed as the core, overlaying it with newspaper and then progressively encircling the “package” with the cross-cut segments of some bicycle or motorcycle tube till eventually we had ourselves a ball. Yes, we did sometimes have commercially produced balls and stuff but in my day the proverb: "Necessity is the mother of invention" was well and truly apt. Game on!

Talking of balls, Chrisps you ever get hit in the unmentionables by a wet compress ball, rearing up at you off a very good length from a wet concrete surface?! Oh God, talk about agony! Trust me when I tell you that even a grown man would need smelling salts to recover from such ball-on-balls blows ... only problem being that we never had any such thing as smelling salts; and so we would find ourselves hunched over the bat handle or laying prone on the ground, sucking up air for all we were worth, while our fellow players would be creased-up in laughter! And you ought to know that no amount of rubbing can ease that pain! Jesus H wept! Man we could suffer for our love of the great game! But after a few drops of eye-water squeezed themselves from our eyes on we would bat plotting all sorts of revenge against the bowler and the next over-pitched ball that would come our way. Especially if it was wide of the off stump and we could take a good hard swing at it!!!

Another thing I remembered was how we would plunge our hands into some damned dirty gutter water, feeling around frantically after the ball, sometimes pretending not to have located it, in the hope that the batsmen would attempt another run and we would be able to execute a heroic run-out. Man that water, covered by a green slimy mass of God only knows what growth, stank to high heavens and per chance a player couldn’t retrieve it six would be counted, and all the other players would come join in the search. Oftentimes we would even go to such lengths as helping out the local authority by clearing out the gutter in our search for the ball with nary a care for the cockabelly fish that would be left fluttering around on the banks of the gutter dying a slow and painful death.

Ah well, I think am gonna stop boring allyuh now with this trip down memory lane but am certain there is a lot more nonsense like this in the vaults from whence this came; all of which coalesce into my own offering of FetchDat!TM as the boundary saluting phrase that encapsulates my own experience and love for the great game that I learned most about during my formative years growing up in the region.

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[howzdat]

Howzdat's Peerless League of Takeaway20 CricketTM

This season's HPL t20TM is Sponsored by FetchDat!TM

WARNING: Proceed with care! Topic under reconstruction. Falling debris likely!

Yes, Respect!indeed to photo quality on windiescricket flickr account, unfortunately some of those on the @CPL_T20 suck Like this one.

Oh, and not much Artistry on display in the composition of the@CPL_T20 tweets either.

This is getting all a bit too much like real life

FetchDat!TM

[howzdat]

Jack: I’ll file papers as UNC candidate for by-election.

[howzdat]

Howzdat's Peerless League of Takeaway20 CricketTM from now onwards to be known as HPL t20TM

This season's HPL t20TM is Sponsored by FetchDat!TM

WARNING: Proceed with care! Topic under reconstruction. Falling debris likely!

HPL t20TM is pleased to announce its' first recruit:

Sanju Viswanath Samson.
Fielding position: Wicketkeeper.
Batting style: Right-hand bat

HPL t20TM is pleased to announce its' second recruit and Captain:

Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Fielding position: Wicketkeeper.
Batting style: Right-hand bat

FetchDat!TM

[howzdat]

Well, well wonders never cease Just as I have opened my browser to attempt a follow-up to the SIR ALEX FERGUSON: A Red Blooded Man U hafi respect post, up pops Mark Chamberlain's boy, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, to score an equalising first goal for England against Brazil.

You just can't believe it can you? Up pops Wayne Rooney to score England's second goal. WOW How the neck does this stuff work

Before getting down to topic above ... Brazil has equalised ... I take the opportunity to express my appreciation and mild bemusement at the number of views that this little corner of the site is logging up ... mind me though i do subtract the number of replies to arrive at a rough guide to the legitimate 'third-party' visits. Cheers Game over Brazil 2, England 2.

Mark Chamberlain was asleep during the match and so did not see his son's goal

Jose's destination is as yet undeclared but all the smart money is going on a return to Chelsea.
David Moyes has been installed as ManU's manager and what big boot tracks Sir Alex has laid down and then there is the behemoth of the club itself! Good luck to him.

Because Man City's attempt at doing so was, dareisay, pathetic! I for one was greatly looking forward to Sir Alex sticking around to show us all, and the so-called noisy neighbors how to defend a Championship!

As a fan, i see the manner of Manchester United's regaining the EPL title as providing a study in single-minded determination to attain that which is rightfully 'yours'; not only by dint of self belief but by also rising to every challenge on the field of play and being victorious.

Psychologically, winning in defence of a Championship will be new territory for Van Persie, but in leaving Arsenal he clearly signalled that he wants to be a winner. Man oh man can u Imagine how this will be for Moyes?

I was also imagining Sir Alex being quizzed by some journo of repute with the aim of writing/producing training material on this particular aspect of sports performance management.

How it will be for Windies next time that the World T20 comes around? Have mental preparations started yet for the defence of the title? Or is it all too soon for that? Was that victory a fluke or are we to understand that there players on the squad that will not take under-performance in any game lightly, much less defeat.

Yep, Manchester United: A Red clad group of players who see themselves as Champions!

3127 views on Sun Jun 02, 2013 9:37 pm

[howzdat]

And unreserved apologies for not having been able to say that I was gonna be away for a little while but I reach. Tales form my travels will be shared on this topic but suffice to say that I had a damned good time In fact it was Fantastic.

Now, back to the cricket ... ICC Champions Trophy, 6th Match, Group B: India v West Indies at The Oval, Jun 11, 2013. West Indies 32/1 (7.2 ov). Last Bat CH Gayle c Ashwin b Kumar 21 (18b 4x4 0x6) SR: 116.66. Fall of wicket: 25/1 (4.6 ov); Partnership: 25 runs, 5.0 overs, RR: 5.00 (Gayle 21, Charles 3).

Thanks as always to cricinfo for the updates.