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The death of Phillip Hughes ......

I know most of your readers are American, but for those who follow cricket on here, a difficult but extraordinary week has ended. I thought it might be appropriate for the board to at least note the passing of the young Australian cricketer, Phillip Hughes.

A promising, charismatic and thrillingly unorthodox batsman, he was struck in the neck by cricket ball whilst batting in a match on Tuesday and died on Thursday. He was the equivalent, I think, of MLB's most prodigious young hitter. More than that, the bowler is also young and full of potential. The grief is therefore partly for Sean Abbott, who was simply bowling as aggressively as possible.

A twitter-inspired #putoutyourbats gesture broke out in all cricket-playing nations, whereby cricket bats were placed outside houses, businesses, schools and parliaments. Players of other sports - first division soccer - walked out to play with a cricket bat in hand.  Before the rugby international in England, the crowd stood and applauded for 63 seconds (63 was the score when Hughes was struck).

The death of young charisma is not alien to readers of this board; the grief has been profound in many countries. But a question is also being posed: how does sports/entertainment respond to the deaths of its heroes? This weekend has probably seen a record low number of dangerous deliveries at batsmen; crowds will probably never laugh and jeer when a batsmen gets hit again. But will the game change? How much should we ask our sportsmen to risk? Do we take their bravery for granted? Are symbolic gestures of grief enough?

In terms of pro-wrestling, I think the answer is undoubtedly and unfortunately "yes".

​I don't pretend to follow anything in that e-mail, but people really make fun of guys for getting hit in cricket?  That's pretty messed up, man.  ​

Comments

  1. From a cricketing nation myself, I have to say that this is the first I'm hearing of people laughing when batsmen get hit. If anything, the game is ridiculously stacked in the favor of batsmen and the bowler is treated as a bully if the ball hits the batsman.

    Laughing if the batsman slips while trying to make a shot. Yes, definitely.

    Laughing when a ball hits someone. Nope.

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  2. Can I be the troll today? One dude got killed in an accident that's less 'freak', more 'eventually inevitable, somewhere sometime'. The only surprise being it was at the sports' top level rather than some random junior grade kid.
    Not fun, but throwing a hard object at people's head at 100 mph has certain risks, FFS.

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  3. Crikey Mate Down Under AussieNovember 29, 2014 at 10:54 PM

    For anyone that doesn't follow cricket, bowlers bowl short balls to unsettle batsmen, the goal is not to hit them in the head, the goal is to force the batsmen into an uncomfortable position to which they will block volley the ball up to a fielder, or dodge out of the way and lose the psychological battle of wasting a potential scoring ball.

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  4. Crikey Mate Down Under AussieNovember 29, 2014 at 10:59 PM

    No, you can't. Cricket has been played for over 100 years, this wasn't inevitable. Players used to play without helmets, that was stupid, now they have specially designed head gear to protect them.

    1mm to the left, 1mm to the right, and he's rubbing his neck in annoyance at missing the ball, like he's done thousands of times in his career, this was a freak accident.

    Show some respect for the dead and the grieving and keep your mouth shut when you know nothing about the situation.

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  5. Spend an entire career where 99% of the time there is a ball flying past at high speed. Odds are that you will eventually get hit.


    Getting hurt or killed while continuously doing something dangerous is not an accident. It's inevitable

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  6. it's been 94 years since someone died in major league baseball, That's about 230,000 games. That seems far from inevvitable

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  7. ...Uncle Leo?

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  8. The fact that it has happened at least once proves that it's inevitable.


    I also made sure to mention getting hurt. Of course injuries are much more common than deaths.


    Even though it's been 94 years since a death in baseball, it doesn't change the fact that dangerous activities have a good chance of causing injuries or death. That's what makes them dangerous.


    We can argue this back and forth, but you can't win against math and that's exactly what this whole discussion is; mathematical odds.

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  9. Yeah, that's pretty much the same as pitchers throwing at batters in baseball.

    Also, to the email: "crowds will probably never laugh and jeer when a batsmen gets hit again"

    Yes they fucking will.

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  10. If it's inevitable, it probably would happen more.

    I mean, if a group of people do any particular activity millions of times, odds might be decent that eventually, a person will die while doing that thing. But that's a pretty low theshold for "inevitable."

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  11. "The fact that it has happened at least once proves that it's inevitable."

    No, it doesn't. Pretty sure you don't know what that words means.



    Lincoln was shot in the head once. That doesn't mean it was inevitable that he would be shot in the head.

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  12. So a thing doesn't happen millions of times, and then happens once, and your response is "told you so"?

    Let's add logic and reasoning to the list of things you need to brush up on, right after math.

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  13. Adam "Colorado" CurryNovember 29, 2014 at 11:59 PM

    Outside of "he goal is not to hit them in the head" none of this makes any sense to me whatsoever.

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  14. The correct analogy would be that the act of firing a gun hurt someone. Just like the act of throwing a ball at high speed happened to hit, and in this case kill the person that it was being aimed towards. Obviously you didn't pay attention to the fact that I specifically stated that getting injured is much more likely to happen when you do something risky. Thanks for playing.

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  15. If you want this conversation to continue you need to prove to me that you know what the word "inevitable" means. This is an open book quiz, feel free to look up the definition online.

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  16. Bowling is basically pitching, except with a bounce. A short ball is when the ball bounces far away from the batsman (the equivalent of a batter, if that wasn't obvious) and as a result bounces higher. A particularly high (and potentially dangerous) version of a short ball is known as a bouncer, which I believe is the type of ball that hit and killed Hughes.

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  17. To any posters who follow cricket, are there any bowlers currently who bowl as fast/aggressively as Shoaib Akhtar or Brett Lee? Been a long time since I watched a cricket match.

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  18. "Yeah, that's pretty much the same as pitchers throwing at batters in baseball."



    Major difference: The batsman in cricket stands in front of the wickets, which the bowler can hit to get an out. Baseball's equivalent would be allowing the batter to stand on home plate, and if he's hit by a pitch it's neither a ball nor a strike.

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  19. To me its a freak accident. I'm sure there is more chance of dying from crossing the street, and were not going to stay in doors and not cross the street.

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  20. I don't like cricket so I don't care. It's an awfully boring sport with no redeeming values. You might as well have told me that the world's greatest Foosball player died while playing. Not even trolling here.

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  21. By your logic, it's inevitable that a tennis player will die on the court due to tennis-related dangers. There's risks in every little thing in life, that doesn't mean that there's no such thing as a freak accident.

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  22. "Not even trolling here."




    Your entire existence here is one giant troll

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  23. And yours is to be shit, what's your point?

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  24. I know Cricket is a popular sport, but every time I hear the name I think of people dressed like extras in Downton Abbey saying "Pip Pip" and "Cheerio my good mate". .

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  25. Long time reader, first time poster. I just had to say something. This has to be one of the most insulting posts I've ever read. You need to take a good hard look at yourself.

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  26. All right, hold on.

    ....

    I looked at myself, and everything seems normal. Well okay, I need to shave.

    Now, if you were really a long time reader you'd know that this isn't nearly one of the most insulting posts here, least of all from me. Eat a bullet.

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  27. Adam "Colorado" CurryNovember 30, 2014 at 1:46 AM

    I think of Jerry Clarkson driving onto the pitch (is it called a pitch in cricket? whatever...) in a Reliant Robin and flipping it over. That whole segment is a fucking riot, that's what go me into that show.

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  28. Adam "Colorado" CurryNovember 30, 2014 at 1:50 AM

    Kind of was, in his case. Though getting shot by who was basically the Brad Pitt of his day was definitely a shock.

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  29. Not really, he could've stayed home that night, booth could've missed or got lost on the way to the theater, or changed his mind or a million other things. Inevitable means that it was going to happen no matter what.


    It's inevitable that if you leave an ice cube in the hot sun it's going to melt. It's not inevitable that if people play a dangerous sport that someone will die.

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  30. So the WEEK a cricket player passes and your response is "I don't care, cricket is boring to me", doesn't deserve criticism? Even if you did believe it, why on earth would you post it?!
    A man has DIED from a tragic sporting accident and multiple nations are mourning his loss. Show some RESPECT or at least shut up and keep your opinion to yourself.

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  31. That's fair. I know American Football is a serious affair, but still, when I hear the name, all I can envision is race riots, childhood obesity and Westboro Baptist Church.

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  32. Adam "Colorado" CurryNovember 30, 2014 at 2:34 AM

    Someone was going cap his stovepipe-wearing ass eventually.

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  33. Listen to this, you flaky fruit: people die all the fucking time from every cause of death possible. People are diagnosed with diseases far less enviable than getting hit with a cricket ball every day, and on top of that, innocent people - this may surprise you - are murdered by fellow human beings without the chance to avenge their own deaths.

    And so, along comes the hero of the story... you, Mr. Pindick. And what are you going to tell me? This man's death will mean absolutely nothing to 99.99% of the world once a week has gone by, yet it made the news. You know what I do when I see a headline? I comment on it. And when I comment on things, sometimes it isn't respectful or nice or sweet because my opinion, a lot of the time, won't be considered those things. Nevertheless, I'm a human being (debatable) with a point of view, and in a forum where my view comes into it, people are going to read it.

    Do you even see what a sensitive little prick you are? Somebody online whose existence doesn't affect you actually got you riled up. Speaking of respect, guess who I don't have respect for?

    I won't keep my opinion to myself, I'll post it and people like you can read it and wince. Shove it up your ass, you stupid cunt.

    ...Aaaaand scene!

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  34. You seem to be more riled than the other guy.

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  35. Do I, "Veronica"? I'm not so lacking in brain cells that I can't type up a few magnificently furious paragraphs in less than five minutes, and you're actually going to attribute that to being annoyed? Believe me, this is nothing but a little fuck-off enjoyment; I could either be doing this, or making a house out of playing cards.

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  36. I'm in Chennai, India right now and this is indeed a big deal here. People are torn up over it and cricket is in almost every conversation. I don't follow it at all myself, so it's been very interesting to see.

    On a wrestling related side note, my name is Brian and I have long hair and a slight beard right now. 4/5 times I have introduced myself to someone 30 or younger I have gotten a Daniel Bryan reference in response. Kids especially are all about it. Pretty cool to see how popular he is here.

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  37. I usually enjoy your stuff but fuck off for this, completely unnecessary and massively below the usual quality of your posts.

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  38. Who are you?

    An avatar on a wrestling blog that made an insensitive post for no reason?

    A gimmick poster who never really posts an actual opinion about anything because he's too concerned about gathering up votes?

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  39. I made a post that included my unpopular opinion, which kind of defeats your summation of me as someone who never posts opinions and only cares about getting upvoted.

    Care to contradict yourself further, dummy?

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  40. You know that I meant your posts on wrestling but ok, be a pedant. The fact that you had to state 'not even trolling' goes to show that you are usually a troll.

    I don't even particularly like cricket.

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  41. It's hard not to be a troll when so many others come off like it's their special time of the month in every post. Better off a troll than a little bitch, no?

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  42. You can't possibly be referring to me as that would indicate you've read every one of my posts when you've already stated they you don't know who I am so that can't be the case.

    Sorry, now I'm being pedantic.

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  43. I can smell the menstrual fluid from here.

    Well, I'm off to bed with a clear conscience... what'll you be doing? Continue to be outraged over what I said? Don't try to deny it. "Fuck off for what you said! It was completely unnecessary!" I didn't know so many old English women posted here.

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  44. "You keep on using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

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  45. Long time reader, first time poster. But as an Australian I thought I would comment.


    People do NOT laugh at Batsmen who suffer serious injuries. Yeah they will have a laugh if a batsman gets put on his arse by a nasty delivery, or gets hit and jumps around a bit. But they never, ever laugh when they realise it is more than a 5 second stinger. The joke quickly turns to concern when the fans realise something could be wrong.


    This isn't the first time this has happened unfortunately. It is the first time I can recall that it has happened at such a high level though (In a National competition). It has happened in state based competitions previously where people have been killed by a blow to the head.


    The entire incident has pretty much shocked most of the country, and indeed the cricketing world. Is Phil's life any more important than someone who dies any other way? Absolutely not. However, people always react when someone the love in a sporting sense dies. People die all the time yes, but 99.99% of the time you don't hear about it, and would never know who they were even if you did.


    The most important thing this has shown has been that cricket is just a game. And that there are far more important things in life. He may have died in hospital, but he effectively lost his life dying in the arms of his teammates and friends in the middle of the ground.


    Put things into perspective for everyone IMO

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  46. "This isn't the first time this has happened unfortunately."

    http://deadspin.com/israeli-cricket-umpire-dies-after-deflected-ball-hits-h-1664648452



    Only the first time this week, sadly.

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  47. I was so sad when I heard about Hughes, but unfortunately it was just a freak accident, I'm not quite sure what they can do to stop this happening in the future. I think in time it will go down as 'just one of those things', and maybe the reaction and response times to these type of incidents will improve if they were to happen again, but in terms of the actual protection used won't change and nor should it because cricket is generally very very safe.

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  48. Hello hello - NZer here.


    I'm not much of a sports person - but I do enjoy cricket.


    I just think of a few things here. The guy was 25 years old, and had his life ahead of him.


    Cricket life aside, he was just out there, doing what he loved, and a freak bounce of the ball killed him.


    Further, the bowler. He was just 'doing his job' in a sense - and he'll live with that forever.


    As someone who has killed a animal by mistake (I stood on our first chinchilla and snapped it's back) I know how that 'feeling' can never leave you....ok sure, some might mock the idea that a animal is not as important as a human's life - and thats cool...mock away.


    I'm just trying to say (poorly) that it's just something that will be with him for a long long time, and I hope he, and Philip Hughes family, can find some peace.


    TLDR; Stupid Freak accident sucks - killed a young dude - dammit.

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  49. Awesome! Glad younger fans get that Bryan is cool.

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