Sporting Culture Has Changed

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[source](Rodney Marsh and Doug Walters)

The Ashes are coming up again this year and this is the rivalry between Australia and England playing cricket. It is contested over 5 test matches which last for a maximum of 5 days each. It started when Australia beat England for the first time in 1882 . In 1883 England won the test series and were presented with an urn containing what is presumed to be the bails that was cremated. This represented the death of Australian cricket. This urn today is known as the Ashes and what they fight for every 4 years. The trophy is very small but it has much more meaning than just a trophy.
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There are many records associated with this event including a really bizarre one that you would never imagine. The teams flew from Australia to England or England to Australia depending who was hosting the series. The team flying had 16 hours to kill in the air and they set about beating the records set by previous teams. The challenge was to consume as many beers as possible before they landed.

In 1973 Rodney Marsh and Doug Walters drank 44 cans of beer and even though attempts were made on the next trips no one came close. When the Quantas flight took off in 1989 from Sydney to Singapore and then onto London no one had any idea what was in store. They landed in Singapore and Boon's count was already at 22 cans. No pressure as he was half way into this mammoth challenge.

By the time they landed at Heathrow airport the whole plane knew as the captain of the flight had announced what David Boon's score was as it stood at 45 then. When they landed he had drank his way into the record books with 52 cans of beer and folklore history. The funny thing is they landed and went straight into a press conference and that was followed by a cocktail party sponsored by Castlemaine Breweries also known as XXXX where he had another 3 beers. Not surprisingly he passed out at the hotel and was asleep for 36 hours missing one training event with the team.

The record still stands today and will be harder to beat not only with quicker planes but by the way they train today. Most players don't drink too much and have a curfew when they go out. The mindset is totally different from 30 years ago. Does it mean the cricketers today are better than what we have seen in the past. I would say no as they had natural skills and a love for the game and maybe more than what the players have today. Players today are way fitter and more health conscious than the boozy ,smoky bunch that played many years ago.

The one upside form David Boon's record is he became an ambassador for VB Breweries and is still known for this feat to this day 30 years later.

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Ah Boonie! What an icon he was! Something has been lost in sports that men can’t be like him anymore.

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He was in the same group and they all had sick bags except for Boon. Apparently some baseball player reckons he beat the record, but it is his word against the rest. Must be American and an alcoholic.

It was more fun when they were a boozy smoky bunch ;0)

I totally agree with you as they had more characters around then. They played hard on and off the field. We used to go out boozing and sleep in the changing rooms overnight. It was more fun then. You probably couldn't do it now for fears of safety.

Bloody safety. You play better when you're hungover!

You know what I was reminded of that story just this morning when I saw the Aussie team walking barefoot around Edgbaston in order to channel earthly power through their bodies. Can you imagine guys like Boonie or Big Merv going for that sort of thing?

Ummmm no. I couldn't do it either and just find the whole thing weird. I am sure some of the current players are also struggling with this concept and are just keeping quiet.

It's very weird! Who knows perhaps they've all embraced it and David Warner is going to announce that he now wishes to be known by his earth mother name of Pegasus Sunstar :-)

I have to say it surprises me a little bit to see it happening in a team coached by Langer. I thought he was old school!

Depends if Langer is listening to someone else or not. Maybe they are trying to change their image now that Warner has come back into the team.

Beer? I think I might like this sport. I have never watched this sport (shame)!
I must check it out, I think they had it in high school in the northern U.S. but not down south in the redneck states!

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