Un4tun8ly Ben Stokes gets a “Facebook Poke’ from the Tony The Tiger “GRREEEAT” Carlos Braithwaite !!

 

 

Kolkata: West Indies Captain D Sammy with teammates and trophy celebrates after beating England in the ICC World T20 final match at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday. PTI Photo by Swapan Mahapatra (PTI4_3_2016_000324b)
Kolkata: West Indies Captain D Sammy with teammates and trophy celebrates after beating England in the ICC World T20 final match at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday. PTI Photo by Swapan Mahapatra (PTI4_3_2016_000324b)

Greetings on this for some a Bob Geldolf & The Boomtown Rats..”I Don’t Like Monday’s”. I woke up this morning about an hour ago and saw that Facebook was awash with proud West Indians blitzing the forum, so I had to investigate like Inspector Morse. “Bumbararss”..”Kiss Me Neck Back” and “Bluudfyaaaah” was the linguistics somersaulting out my mouth. The Windies beat Blighty in the T20 Cricket Final in some pure Jerk Chicken style. Now that game I wished I seen, 19 runs of 7 balls…. was a not so impossible mission to accomplish from the secret agent Bajan Carlos Braithwaite. He lashed in the last over four 6’s of 4 four balls, and must have had a Imagination “Flashback” injection of his predecessor Bajan batsman Sir Gary Sobers, to win the T20 for a historical 2 time. Not only did the women’s team win, lest we forget the under 19’s won too, so like De La Soul “Three Is The Magic Number”. I was proudly beaming like a Ronnie Foster “Cheshire Cat” at such an achievement and triple whammy feat.

 

That’s the way the mop flops in life when the so called “likkle picnniees” from the the colonised Carribean beat their coined “motherland” of the UK, especially in sport. So I watched Good Morning Britain at 6am and wait for Kate Galloway or Jeremy Kyle to see what their featured news would be, and true to form they never mentioned the historical win from the Windies. Had that been Engerrrrland beating the Windies, I’d give you odds on favourites that Kool & The Gang ‘Celebration “would have been William Bell “Headline News”.

 

Upon seeing that, I then had a Benjamin Button moment suddenly hit me, when I regressed back to a true ‘Jackanory’ story from the very early 1970’s, remembering  a distinct conversation with some fellow white kids in my school, in between classes or in the playground, asking who I supported in the 1974 Football World Cup that was happening at the time. I naturally said Brazil which didn’t go down to well, only to be told I should support Engerrrrland because ‘I’m British’. My defence was Brazil was the best team and they were also a reflection of how I see myself as a 10 year old black boy. Different story though when it came to West Indies V Engeerland in cricket. These were the glory days of  Blighty’s Tony Greig, Derek Underwood (my fave Engerrrrland bowler by the way)  and Alan Knott. The Windies ‘Hot Pepper Sauce’ line up included Viv Richards, Alvin Kallacharan, Clive Lloyd, Micheal Holding  and Gordon Greenidge. I’d be taunted repeatedily with “We’re gonna beat your lot today” by the same white kids..”your lot”?? Even at that age I’m thinking “So when it comes to cricket you accept that I’m Jamaican and black first, but not in the “beautiful game” of football..??Interesting”.

 

40 plus years later that same bittersweet taste still rears it’s head in the difference of cultural appreciation but at least it makes “Headline News” in my blog. Being of dual nationality heritage it does sometimes cause “Controversy” like Prince but I’ll say this, it’s unfortunate Engerrrrland lost and Ben Stokes feels like he’s got a Facebook poke, but Buddddrrrrruuuuppps to Carlos Braithwaite for being a Tony The Tiger “GRRREAT”.. Step sah like Buju Banton and “Walk Like A Champion”

Have a not so Bangles classic “Manic Monday”..Enjoy  Fitzroy

Related Post
Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *