Posted by It was a weekly email we wrote to promote a cricket magazine. Some people said it was funny. Other people didn’t say anything about it, but still subscribed anyway. A few people didn’t subscribe at all – but not many.
Like many things which are almost entirely about seeing Bob Willis on the train, it eventually had to end and we were quite sad when that happened. So sad, in fact, that we thought we’d bring it back and do it independently!
For free!
Like an idiot!
The newsletter is now called Cricket Badger. You probably know that’s another term for what the Aussies call a ‘cricket tragic,’ but we didn’t when the name was suggested to us. We just thought it was a great sport and a great mammal and went with it.
We’ve not done any ‘marketing’ yet. This is the official announcement. We thought we owed it to you lot to give you the opportunity to be in there from day one (which will hopefully be Friday).
You can sign up at the website. There’s a bit of an explanation over there as to how it’s not spam and a promise that we won’t sell your email to the mob, if you’re worried about that.
If you’re worried about the quality of the email, check out these completely genuine testimonials which have somehow appeared even though the first issue hasn’t been sent yet.
“The Cricket Badger email is better than finding some supermarket sandwiches which have been ridiculously discounted because it’s getting towards the end of the day.” – André Spéléologie
“I saw Tim Munton getting frustrated with a parking meter and didn’t have anyone to tell. Now I can tell Cricket Badger and they can publish my story, giving me renewed enthusiasm for life.” – Tangerine Chanderpork
“At least it’s short and only once a week.” – Jean-Pierre de Knackers
So what are you waiting for? Sign up, sign up, sign up.
If it’s “better than finding some supermarket sandwiches which have been ridiculously discounted because it’s getting towards the end of the day”, it must be phenomenal.
I got some Pastrami and Emmental sandwiches the other day for 65p (down from an unreasonable £3), and I’ve been on an adrenaline high ever since.
A colleague nearly crashed on the way home due to the elation felt after getting a BLT for 10p.
It’s a slippery slope though, many is the time I’ve woken up after an evening’s libations to find a pile of rock-solid 1p bagels or similar (purchased in the last few seconds before Tesco Express closing time in a misguided attempt at frugally avoiding the costs of a late night kebab-shop visit).
I expect the same thing happens to Graeme Swann all the time.
I used to live near the Tesco in Stokes Croft in Bristol which was the subject of some hipster riots a couple of years ago.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-13516785
It was great. All the ‘locals’ boycotted it. Not I. I once got a family roast chicken pie in there for 15p!
Halcyon days.
Who says rampant capitalism has to be depressing?
You pinched the phrase “hipster riot”, as applied to the 2011 Stokes Croft episode, from me, you bounder!
What’s a Tesco? Is that apostrophe in the right place?
Over here (in the land of heathens and Aussies) we have the IGA and Supabarn as the small local supermarket and Coles and Woolworths as the large, evil ones that crush the locals by selling milk at less than cost price 🙂
A BLT for 10p, that is like 15 cents. I am going to tell my dad about that. He can pretend he is 40 years younger 🙂
Hurrah! If I knew this when you posted that article that lured everyone out of hiding to comment on it, I’d have said that actually the wisden cricketer thing was my favourite bit.
The newsletter received a couple of reader embiggenments off the back of that plea for feedback. We were quite pleased being as we were already planning this.
I am very happy to see this return. I will keep a constant vigil for any train rides Bob Willis might be taking.
Wikipedia says badgers are omnivores. I don’t trust omnivores. I mean, if you don’t have a strong preference when it comes to food, how can people have faith in you? A man who claims he could go with either steak or vegan for dinner would never make a successful investment banker.
I prefer otters. Now there’s a stand up mammal. “Fuck your poppy-seed bagel”, an otter would say, “I am eating my shellfish”.
Just because badgers are omnivorous, doesn’t mean they aren’t choosy.
For example, bears are omnivorous, but late in the season they squash salmon but yet won’t eat the flesh. They’re only interested in the caviar, you see.
Badgers may be choosy, but what about goats or sharks?
Cricket goat…
Yep. We should definitely have called it Cricket Goat.
Wasn’t Paul Nixon’s nickname Badger?
That’s good enough for me.
When I clicked “Last Week’s Cricket Badger”, I got nothing. Badgers are bastards.
I’ve subscribed to the newsletter anyway, but only with a twang of disappointment. I think that’s a perfectly good start.
Mmm … beware, badgers are being hunted to extermination, especially in Somerset.
Don’t go publishing in Taunton.
That’s because they steal honey, which nature clearly intended for human consumption.
“That’s because they steal honey”
Wait, sorry? What?
Honey? I…. I don’t understand
If you get chucked out again then you’ll only have yourself to blame
In keeping with their sense for the dramatic, the Pakistan Government has ‘dissolved’ the Pakistan Cricket Board. Meanwhile, they look certain to beat the No. 1 test team but will probably somehow contrive to throw it away. Joyous Pakistan Cricket!
I don’t understand what it is, so I’ve subscribed. As of this minute, I’ve only mentally subscribed, as I’m still in the colonies and unable to get the internet. But rest assured, a-subscribing-I-will-go as soon as I get back.
Beavers are nice.
Has anyone actually seen some of this Pakistan v SA match?
I’ve asked people from several countries but it doesn’t appear to have broadcast. It could be made up.
Yes, and I can also watch replays of all of it. I have access to a glorious online HD video feed on WatchESPN because my cable television subscription includes ESPN.
They apparently no longer have a deal to show all the Bangladesh home matches, but we also seem to get the Sri Lanka home matches now – along with the CPL, the recent CLT20, and various ICC stuff including the next World Cup. We may get the West Indies at home as well.
To make things even better, I’ve just found out I now have access to Willow TV on my cable system for USD10 a month – I think this gives me the England, India, Australia & New Zealand home matches.
It’s suddenly gotten rather better to be a cricket fan in Florida. I was also able to watch (as in being there, in person) quite a few of the recent ACF US T20 tournament matches. Stupidly took the morning off work to watch the final, so I had to leave at the innings break and missed the (successful) chase. I did see Midwest’s strike bowler Shikandar take a hat trick the day before.
I suppose I should have added that (obviously) it seems we also get Pakistan’s home away from home matches on WatchESPN.
I’m wondering if I now don’t have better (and cheaper) opportunities to watch broadcasts of international cricket than many people in the UK & Australia. That doesn’t seem possible.
Of course, I have no opportunity to actually go to International cricket matches.
You almost certainly do.
Let’s all move to Florida, the home of cricket.
And a fine home it is, too.
Of course, the downside is that apart from West Indies, time zones will make it almost impossible to watch much of any cricket without wreaking havoc on your sleep schedule. New Zealand and Australia (minus Perth) have decent hours if you don’t mind staying up until 2am. I generally only miss a couple hours of England matches, but I have to wake up early for them and they’re over by 2pm. South Africa are the same sort of deal, only even earlier. Any tests from the subcontinent are effectively unwatchable here in Nova Scotia, unless you’re nocturnal. And there’s no WatchESPN, which also archives all its broadcasts so you can watch them at more reasonable hours.
The upside to that downside is you develop a really good understanding of time zones.
Actually, my favourites for viewing time-wise are the CPL matches and tests in New Zealand (Beautiful grounds! Prime time Test Cricket!). Tests in the West Indies, England and South Africa occur (mostly) during work hours and I can only really watch on weekends. Sometimes I go to bed early and set an alarm to catch the matches occurring at really unsociable hours. The IPL matches usually start at 0600 and 1000, so I can watch much of the first one before work.
I suppose I shouldn’t mention that the WatchESPN app gives me access to live (and replay) cricket on my phone – and if I can hook up to a WiFi connection I’m not using my monthly data allowance.
Nice, how do i subscribe?
Just go to http://www.sportsbadger.com and enter your email address in the subscription box.