From the horse's Mouth

One of my fondest memories of my prolific rugby playing days was a match that I played in between Vorendag Mens Day House from RAU (I refuse to call it the University of Johannesburg) and Dromedaris also from RAU.

We had a decent flank, 6ft2 built like a brick shit house and quick, the most distinguishing factor of the player was that he was black and had dreadlocks.

I mention his race and the fact that he had dreadlocks because it was those distinguishing factors that fuelled the ridicule that he got from the Dromedaris supporters. Every time he found himself on the wing with the ball in hand, the crowd would break into a poorly executed rendition of Buffalo Soldier.

He was not the only sportsman who received copious abuse from spectators at a game, there is in fact a long history thereof.

At the recent cricket test between Australia and South Africa at the Wanderers stadium, the crowd took big exception to the fact that Australian fast bowler Peter Siddle was peppering Dale Steyn with bouncers at the end of South Africa’s first innings. As Siddle resumed his fielding position at fine leg, the crowd in the Unity Stand started a chant of “Siddle’s a wanker”, which was taken up by the rest of the stadium where 20 000 odd people was bringing his manhood under fire.

Cricket seems to be the sport where the most chirping occurs.

There are times when the chirping actually gets to the players, one such player was former Australian all rounder Merv Hughes. On tour in 1995, again at the Wanderers. Hughes was coming under fire form a group of children on the grass embankment next to the players tunnel. Hughes was bowled first ball and was making his way up the tunnel when he was chirped by a younger part of the crowd. Taking exception, Hughes took his bat and proceeded to lean over the tunnel and hit the youngster with his bat.

Another, rather unfortunate, verbal jousting match was between West Indian top order batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan and Australian great Glen McGrath. Australia was on tour in the West Indies and McGrath was peppering Sarwan with bowling reminiscent of the bodyline of old. McGrath chirped Sarwan who’s response was: “How’s your wife?” why I say this was an unfortunate incident was because McGrath’s wife was a long term cancer patient and was not doing well. McGrath threw the ball down and squared up with Sarwan ala Ali vs Forman.

Players seem to be in a habit of chirping each other, in a recent radio interview, troubled Australian all rounder Andrew Symonds proceeded to call New Zealand Wicket keeper Brendon McCullum a lump of shit.

Chirping is not limited to cricket. At the recent Super 14 match up between the Stormers and the Bulls, Stormers loose forward Luke Watson was booed every time he touched the ball by the Pretoria crowd. This was in response to statements made by Watson last year that he wanted to puke on the Springbok rugby jersey.

Probably the most famous chirp comes from the US where record breaking baseball player Barry Bonds came under fire by Yankees fans. As he came up to the mound to break the all time home run record, the crowd at Yankee stadium proceeded to throw surgical syringes at him at his first match back from suspension in response to an ongoing investigation that he was using roids during the majority of his career.