American gangstas trade guns for cricket bats

[hari504504]

http://www.rediff.com/cricket/report/american-ganstas-trade-guns-bats-homies-popz/20110119.htm

Cricket has become an unlikely saviour for a bunch of Los Angeles gangsters who have turned to the game for salvation from violence. This unusual team is all set to tour Australia [ Images ] next month. This 12 unlikely cricketers from Compton, in Los Angeles County, began their cricketing journey in a parking lot with trash cans for stumps more than a decade ago, according to a feature in the Times, London [ Images ]. Now they will take on Aussie teams in Melbourne [ Images ] and Sydney [ Images ]. The Compton Cricket Club, known as The Homies and The Popz, have already toured England [ Images ] thrice, and even crossed swords with cricket legend Shane Warne [ Images ] at Lord's. 'I guess you could say we switched our guns for bats," a formerly convicted mechanic said. 'I probably woulda ended up in jail if I didn't play cricket. Or worse. But now we're making cricket history. I'm looking forward to Australia.' The team came into being in 1995 when Katy Haber, a British producer and club co-founder, was secretary for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts in Los Angeles cricket team. She got a call from the captain of the Beverly Hills Cricket Club (consisting largely of British expats), who was looking for an 11th man. She asked her friend Ted Hayes, a social campaigner and homeless activist. Ted did not know what cricket was and Haber explained: It's the same as baseball, but instead of running in circles you run up and down.' Hayes was soon hooked on and wanted to start a cricket team in Compton. The duo soon hired expat cricketers to help train the gangsters. He himself is a fast bowler. 'When I played my first game, I saw the difference between soccer, basketball, baseball, tennis, which all have sportsmanship rules, but don't have an etiquette like cricket. In cricket, you don't argue with the umpire, you don't show dissent, you don't ridicule your opponents, or your team-mates if they make a mistake. Cricket teaches you to play the game in a respectful manner. It teaches you discipline. And I believe that when the players go beyond the boundary, they live a better life with their family, their siblings, the police.' A plumber who was in and out of juvenile prison, said of cricket: 'At first I wasn't so sure. I remember thinking it sucks that you've got to give all authority to the umpire, because what if he messes up? I was like you think I'm gonna bow down to him and do whatever he says? Yeah right. But after a while you think about it. And it helps to use those rules in real life, because in real life you go through so many things. You can't go arguing and fighting about every bad decision that's made. You gotta learn to live with it sometimes.'

[hari504504]

There has to be some mean fast bowlers and a Viv Richars in that lot..:winky:

[Mariyam]

Nice article. I wonder what the racial mix up of these gangsters is? What % are black, latino and white? I am also surprised that with a desi population of something between 3-4 million , the USA hasn't (yet) produced her own Panesar or Bopara. No better way to popularize the game there than to have the locals play it. The British Academy of Film and Television Arts is doing a better job than ICC in spreading the game. :P

[Sachinism]

http://indiancricketfans.com/showthread.php?t=108898

[Late Cut]

Nice article. I wonder what the racial mix up of these gangsters is? What % are black, latino and white? I am also surprised that with a desi population of something between 3-4 million , the USA hasn't (yet) produced her own Panesar or Bopara. No better way to popularize the game there than to have the locals play it. The British Academy of Film and Television Arts is doing a better job than ICC in spreading the game. :P

Cricket, as a rule, is very nuanced and requires lots of time and training. Both of these are in short supply over here, and it is much easier to pick up a basketball and walk a block, or a Football (the pointy kind) and toss it around than to arrange a cricket match. As fot the US cricket board, it is rife with politics, backbiting and unrealistic expectations. As for the OP, thanks! I love the story, should be made into a movie.

[Jersey #10]

SO CRICKET is the new ****** thing in the US?

[Roshanrocks]

He himself is a fast bowler. 'When I played my first game, I saw the difference between soccer, basketball, baseball, tennis, which all have sportsmanship rules, but don't have an etiquette like cricket. In cricket, you don't argue with the umpire, you don't show dissent, you don't ridicule your opponents, or your team-mates if they make a mistake. Cricket teaches you to play the game in a respectful manner. It teaches you discipline. And I believe that when the players go beyond the boundary, they live a better life with their family, their siblings, the police.' A plumber who was in and out of juvenile prison, said of cricket: 'At first I wasn't so sure. I remember thinking it sucks that you've got to give all authority to the umpire, because what if he messes up? I was like you think I'm gonna bow down to him and do whatever he says? Yeah right. But after a while you think about it. And it helps to use those rules in real life, because in real life you go through so many things. You can't go arguing and fighting about every bad decision that's made. You gotta learn to live with it sometimes.'

i never viewed cricket like this :hmmm:

[hari504504]

Cricket, as a rule, is very nuanced and requires lots of time and training. Both of these are in short supply over here, and it is much easier to pick up a basketball and walk a block, or a Football (the pointy kind) and toss it around than to arrange a cricket match. As fot the US cricket board, it is rife with politics, backbiting and unrealistic expectations. As for the OP, thanks! I love the story, should be made into a movie.

it would make a great movie... especially if the story can be twisted to have this team bust Australia in an exhibition match or something... with a demon fast bowler and swashbuckling batsman who refuses to wear a helmet against Mitchell Johnson :hmmm:

[Late Cut]

it would make a great movie... especially if the story can be twisted to have this team bust Australia in an exhibition match or something... with a demon fast bowler and swashbuckling batsman who refuses to wear a helmet against Mitchell Johnson :hmmm:

We are gonna be rich!!! :yay:

[hari504504]

and make gayrukh the coach.. that is the only way any mediocre film can become a hit in India..

[Shehezaada]

wonder what the sledges are like: imma bust this stump up your a**

[Zero_Unit]

wonder what the sledges are like: imma bust this stump up your a**

:haha: ROFL ... that was classic! Nice one ... now if those gansta could only trade their half brain for a full brain then the society would be much better -_-!

[Mariyam]

^^^^^ Totally unrelated to the topic at hand, but since you mentioned the half brain stuff: Criminals with a 3 yr+ sentence have an average IQ higher than that of the average of the overall Indian population. Might be the case in the USA too.

Cricket, as a rule, is very nuanced and requires lots of time and training. Both of these are in short supply over here, and it is much easier to pick up a basketball and walk a block, or a Football (the pointy kind) and toss it around than to arrange a cricket match. As fot the US cricket board, it is rife with politics, backbiting and unrealistic expectations. As for the OP, thanks! I love the story, should be made into a movie.

@ Late Cut: That description holds true for the BCCI also. :P

[Late Cut]

@Mariyam: what's the source for he intellect quote above? I'd be interested in reading that study. I am sure the BCCI politics is the same, if not worse, it's just that i've seen some of the shennanigans with US Criicket firsthand.

[Mariyam]

@Mariyam: what's the source for he intellect quote above? I'd be interested in reading that study. I am sure the BCCI politics is the same' date=' if not worse, it's just that i've seen some of the shennanigans with US Criicket firsthand.[/quote'] It was one of those first 'work related' forwards I got when I joined last August. Basically, a study was done in Arthur Road and Nashik jails. The respondents for the IQ test were chosen in such a way that they were representative of India. They were from different parts, of different ages and some were even female. A big sample of people was tested. What was found was that those who are in for a 3 year plus sentence have a higher IQ than the general population of the country. I was slightly surprised reading this, and one of the partners at the firm I work in happened to be around. He said that there is nothing surprising about this as many of those convicted are white collar criminals/ bureaucrats who are quite smart (& street smart) anyways. He further said that if the IQ levels of those acquitted of big crimes were also captured, then the average would be much higher. In the early 2000s, there was a suggestion that IQ tests be administered to every convict. But someone appealed against the notion and easily won, using the argument that its a waste of the states resources as we will never come to know if a convict purposely underplays his score to appear dumber. Another interesting find of this study is that Maharashtra police have the highest IQ among all the police forces in India. However, it is still lower than the average Indian IQ. :cantstop: So not only are the police under armed, under fed and without proper legislature (in many cases) to fight crime, they aren't even smart enough. :(( I'm looking for this forward. I'll send it to you via pm if I find it. Chances are that I deleted it to make space for work related stuff.

[Zero_Unit]

^^^^^ Totally unrelated to the topic at hand, but since you mentioned the half brain stuff: Criminals with a 3 yr+ sentence have an average IQ higher than that of the average of the overall Indian population. Might be the case in the USA too. @ Late Cut: That description holds true for the BCCI also. :P

Let me clarify on why I said that. What I said was from experience from living in the ghetto in Canada during my childhood! Most gansters (the one that only follows what they have been ordered to do, don't use their brains to determine whats right and wrong) are total idiots! Now I can't be commenting about the people back in India since I have not lived after i turned 2. The criminals you are talking about are the ones with brains in wtv mission they do ... The one's i reffered to are the regular thugs who will just fight for fun, take drugs to kill their body, and I can go on. Am sure the IQ of those idiots are higher then mine or yours, if that is what you think ... :haha:

[hari504504]

Let me clarify on why I said that. What I said was from experience from living in the ghetto in Canada during my childhood! Most gansters (the one that only follows what they have been ordered to do' date=' don't use their brains to determine whats right and wrong) are total idiots! Now I can't be commenting about the people back in India since I have not lived after i turned 2. The criminals you are talking about are the ones with brains in wtv mission they do ... The one's i reffered to are the regular thugs who will just fight for fun, take drugs to kill their body, and I can go on. Am sure the IQ of those idiots are higher then mine or yours, if that is what you think ... :haha:[/quote'] Agree. Gangstas are one thing, Mafia is something else. Don't bring them into the common 'criminal' umbrella.

[punjabi_khota]

It was one of those first 'work related' forwards I got when I joined last August. Basically, a study was done in Arthur Road and Nashik jails. The respondents for the IQ test were chosen in such a way that they were representative of India. They were from different parts, of different ages and some were even female. A big sample of people was tested. What was found was that those who are in for a 3 year plus sentence have a higher IQ than the general population of the country. I was slightly surprised reading this, and one of the partners at the firm I work in happened to be around. He said that there is nothing surprising about this as many of those convicted are white collar criminals/ bureaucrats who are quite smart (& street smart) anyways. He further said that if the IQ levels of those acquitted of big crimes were also captured, then the average would be much higher. In the early 2000s, there was a suggestion that IQ tests be administered to every convict. But someone appealed against the notion and easily won, using the argument that its a waste of the states resources as we will never come to know if a convict purposely underplays his score to appear dumber. Another interesting find of this study is that Maharashtra police have the highest IQ among all the police forces in India. However, it is still lower than the average Indian IQ. :cantstop: So not only are the police under armed, under fed and without proper legislature (in many cases) to fight crime, they aren't even smart enough. :(( I'm looking for this forward. I'll send it to you via pm if I find it. Chances are that I deleted it to make space for work related stuff.

:hysterical::hysterical: This is crazy stuff

[hari504504]

:hysterical::hysterical: This is crazy stuff

I partially agree with Maryam. The convicts would not take the tests too seriously - what will they possibly get out of it ? Recognition of being a brainiac ?..that does nothing for their lives.

[Mariyam]

:hysterical::hysterical: This is crazy stuff

:(( Its true though.

I partially agree with Maryam. The convicts would not take the tests too seriously - what will they possibly get out of it ? Recognition of being a brainiac ?..that does nothing for their lives.

Agree with me? These are the results of a study. Actually, the possible reason that the accused would down play their intelligence in the court is to have a " Oh, but you see , I have an IQ of 80 and couldn't have possibly siphoned off the Rs 20 cr you accuse me of " defense. :winky: