Why do us Brits love to hate?
I was thinking why do we hate or dislike certain boxers who come along to try to win titles for their fans yet we boo them and cant wait for them to hit the canvas.
How far into the career of Fraudley Harrison did he go before we wanted him to get beat.
just like Eubank, im sure there was a great percentage of boxing fans who wanted him to get beat everytime he entered the ring.
Calzaghe is the same, and i will hold my hands up here, yes i would like to see him get beat, as i thinks he has had a free easy run.
Then you get boxers like Herol Graham, we all loved him, Nigel Benn, another we loved.
Richie Woodhall never got any flack and he wasnt in the league of world class fighters. Im sure Steve Collins had a great respect also.
Is it the way they walk to the ring that make us hate them, all the glitz and glammer. Eubank, Hamed jumping over the ropes. Or do we like the guys who just enter the ring and do the job with no style or fuss, and make no excuses when they get beat.
Don't you think we should support who ever it is as long as they are British.
Im as bad as everyone else, so im not shouting to everyone who hates these guys, I wanted Khan to have a bad night, and was waiting for it to happen. But now are we supporting him to win a title now we know hes not a machine or a show off.
Why do us Brits love to hate?
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Twinkle Toes
- Heavyweight
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Re: Why do us Brits love to hate?
Hate is a strong word, and a bit out of place in my opinion.
You want to see hate, look at the thick as fornicate football fans that give opposing players all sorts of abuse when they go to take a corner or a throw in. Way worse than anything i've seen at a boxing match, and sadly some of it is coming from kids, with their parents standing behind them encouraging it.
I don't recall seeing aything like that directed at boxers, although opposing fans can get a bit tasty with each other :)
You want to see hate, look at the thick as fornicate football fans that give opposing players all sorts of abuse when they go to take a corner or a throw in. Way worse than anything i've seen at a boxing match, and sadly some of it is coming from kids, with their parents standing behind them encouraging it.
I don't recall seeing aything like that directed at boxers, although opposing fans can get a bit tasty with each other :)
Re: Why do us Brits love to hate?
It's the British 'way'.
God, I fu*king hate this country and the twats in it sometimes.
If someone in the states has a bit of good luck, does well for themselves in a particular endeavour, the reaction is usually "good for them!", over here it's immediately met with resentment because someone's doing better than you. Instead of thinking about how we could do the same or improve our own situation.
We bash the US for their patriotism and OTT inclinations but roughly translated, they're a positive bunch and we're a flock of negative shits. There are exceptions in parts of the US and that sentiment can be applied to countries other than the US, but as far as us brits are concerned, we're only happy when it rains.
As for our treatment of sporting figures, I think it's partly due to the characters involved as well as our 'build them up to knock'em down' attitude.
God, I fu*king hate this country and the twats in it sometimes.
If someone in the states has a bit of good luck, does well for themselves in a particular endeavour, the reaction is usually "good for them!", over here it's immediately met with resentment because someone's doing better than you. Instead of thinking about how we could do the same or improve our own situation.
We bash the US for their patriotism and OTT inclinations but roughly translated, they're a positive bunch and we're a flock of negative shits. There are exceptions in parts of the US and that sentiment can be applied to countries other than the US, but as far as us brits are concerned, we're only happy when it rains.
As for our treatment of sporting figures, I think it's partly due to the characters involved as well as our 'build them up to knock'em down' attitude.
Re: Why do us Brits love to hate?
In N. America by comparison there is NO room for what they deem negativity, it's all about support and encouragement, positive, positive, positive... but most of all the old cliché "even you can grow up to be President" is engrained in the N. American psyche (people know they won't actually become president), but strive & support & applause for success and betterment, it’s automatic and in most cases genuine. It doesn't cost them anything and their not affraid to recognise success.
here we are so used to a struggling working poor class(less) exisistance that we don't want to acknowledge those that better themselves, it is most often not even acknowledge in one’s company and as soon as that person leaves the company, they are braggers & boasters and slagged off!
It’s a nation of jealousy, ignorance, and ‘rigid’ stubborn generational attitudes that people refuse to let go of. But the place, the country, it’s cities, towns and villages as well as accessibility make it great.
I’ve lived extensively in both locations and the North American approach to people & achievement is far more accurate and superior - in short nicer people… even Michael Palin said it in his round the world series Pole to Pole, when he came back home to ‘dour, miserable, indifferent Britain!
It’s a social economical, cultural, lowly cultural thing/problem.
here we are so used to a struggling working poor class(less) exisistance that we don't want to acknowledge those that better themselves, it is most often not even acknowledge in one’s company and as soon as that person leaves the company, they are braggers & boasters and slagged off!
It’s a nation of jealousy, ignorance, and ‘rigid’ stubborn generational attitudes that people refuse to let go of. But the place, the country, it’s cities, towns and villages as well as accessibility make it great.
I’ve lived extensively in both locations and the North American approach to people & achievement is far more accurate and superior - in short nicer people… even Michael Palin said it in his round the world series Pole to Pole, when he came back home to ‘dour, miserable, indifferent Britain!
It’s a social economical, cultural, lowly cultural thing/problem.
Re: Why do us Brits love to hate?
I personally think it's inherent from the newspapers. From example, England. Praises them as the best in the world when they win well, then slags them off when they struggle. There's no median.
I like boxers with "character", but they have to back it up. The only British boxer I don't like is Khan because he's "all mouth and no trousers" and has disrespected Boxers clearly ball parks above his talent level, challenged fighters then backed off with excuses and has excessive demands that even World Champs don't have.
I also think the PPV did more harm for the sport than good. It got people talking about it, yes, but from what I've been told the undercard fighters didn't get their fights shown. How do armchair fans know about potential fighters when they can't watch the fights?
I like boxers with "character", but they have to back it up. The only British boxer I don't like is Khan because he's "all mouth and no trousers" and has disrespected Boxers clearly ball parks above his talent level, challenged fighters then backed off with excuses and has excessive demands that even World Champs don't have.
I also think the PPV did more harm for the sport than good. It got people talking about it, yes, but from what I've been told the undercard fighters didn't get their fights shown. How do armchair fans know about potential fighters when they can't watch the fights?
Re: Why do us Brits love to hate?
Great post Emerson. Right on the money with regards to Khan and the PPV.Emerson Poncey Name Ghent wrote:I like boxers with "character", but they have to back it up. The only British boxer I don't like is Khan because he's "all mouth and no trousers" and has disrespected Boxers clearly ball parks above his talent level, challenged fighters then backed off with excuses and has excessive demands that even World Champs don't have.
I also think the PPV did more harm for the sport than good. It got people talking about it, yes, but from what I've been told the undercard fighters didn't get their fights shown. How do armchair fans know about potential fighters when they can't watch the fights?
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Counter-puncher
- Heavyweight
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Re: Why do us Brits love to hate?
its not just 'us brits', people in general love to hate.
to the poster who says the americans have no room for negativity, I don't agree at all.
watch what happens when a new quarterback replaces a favourite. they have what is called a 'quarterback controversy' where everyone takes sides and slags off the other fella, and when the new guy comes into the team his every mistake is dissected in detail and his prospects assessed, etc.
look at the careers of bernie Kosar and Vinnie Testaverde in Cleveland, anyone saying there's no negativity in US sports doesn't know what they are on about. Testaverde spent about 10 years of his career, having got a huge salary out of college, getting slagged off by every man and his dog. Kosar was booed at least every other week and had to suffer monthly articles in the cleveland or national press dissecting his weaknesses and specualting who would replace him. this is just one example.
Chris Everett would be another one, spent a decade with people in all media basically suggesting he was a pussy. no negativity in american sports, what a joke, its just not true. FYI
why the feck should we think it's some sort of unique trait that us brits alone and no other country ever suffers from? what total horlicks.
so the quick answer to the question IMO is 'because we are human'
go read the sporting pages in any other country and you will find the whole 'build em up to shoot em down' thing operating. jesus, get an italian paper some time and check out what the milanese press say when AC Milan lose. etc, etc etc etc etc etc.
to the poster who says the americans have no room for negativity, I don't agree at all.
watch what happens when a new quarterback replaces a favourite. they have what is called a 'quarterback controversy' where everyone takes sides and slags off the other fella, and when the new guy comes into the team his every mistake is dissected in detail and his prospects assessed, etc.
look at the careers of bernie Kosar and Vinnie Testaverde in Cleveland, anyone saying there's no negativity in US sports doesn't know what they are on about. Testaverde spent about 10 years of his career, having got a huge salary out of college, getting slagged off by every man and his dog. Kosar was booed at least every other week and had to suffer monthly articles in the cleveland or national press dissecting his weaknesses and specualting who would replace him. this is just one example.
Chris Everett would be another one, spent a decade with people in all media basically suggesting he was a pussy. no negativity in american sports, what a joke, its just not true. FYI
why the feck should we think it's some sort of unique trait that us brits alone and no other country ever suffers from? what total horlicks.
so the quick answer to the question IMO is 'because we are human'
go read the sporting pages in any other country and you will find the whole 'build em up to shoot em down' thing operating. jesus, get an italian paper some time and check out what the milanese press say when AC Milan lose. etc, etc etc etc etc etc.
Re: Why do us Brits love to hate?
it's an accurate "generalization"... just the same as NOT all Brit's are negative!
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Counter-puncher
- Heavyweight
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Re: Why do us Brits love to hate?
fair enough
Re: Why do us Brits love to hate?
Mimmy,
I think you'll find that all boxers want to win titles and as they're are not all 'hated' for it there must be another reason.
I believe it is much more about supporting the underdog and once the underdog has reached the top another one is found as there its much more interesting to support them on their journey to the top than to pick an untouchable champ and watch them take out their less talented opponents one by one.
The flipside is that if a boxer seems to be getting everything handed on a silver platter. i.e. light punching lower weight opponents while they call out the worlds elite and at the same time refusing to fight their same weight contemporaries this will piss off would be fans.
In answer to the Audley question i don't remember exactly but i would say it was after watching him call Danny Williams a cockroach, telling everyone how easy it would be to win the British title and celebrate disproportionately after beating handpicked journeymen and cruiserweights.
The other part of the equation is just being arrogant with no apparent sense of humour will get peoples backs up and make them less likely to want you to succeed. This is not just in boxing.
Finally i don't choose boxers to support on personality and certainly not nationality. If we 'must' be fans of any boxers who have British passports doesn't that mean there is no reason to support foreign boxers?
Is Floyd Mayweather really that popular in the US?
I think you'll find that all boxers want to win titles and as they're are not all 'hated' for it there must be another reason.
I believe it is much more about supporting the underdog and once the underdog has reached the top another one is found as there its much more interesting to support them on their journey to the top than to pick an untouchable champ and watch them take out their less talented opponents one by one.
The flipside is that if a boxer seems to be getting everything handed on a silver platter. i.e. light punching lower weight opponents while they call out the worlds elite and at the same time refusing to fight their same weight contemporaries this will piss off would be fans.
In answer to the Audley question i don't remember exactly but i would say it was after watching him call Danny Williams a cockroach, telling everyone how easy it would be to win the British title and celebrate disproportionately after beating handpicked journeymen and cruiserweights.
The other part of the equation is just being arrogant with no apparent sense of humour will get peoples backs up and make them less likely to want you to succeed. This is not just in boxing.
Finally i don't choose boxers to support on personality and certainly not nationality. If we 'must' be fans of any boxers who have British passports doesn't that mean there is no reason to support foreign boxers?
Is Floyd Mayweather really that popular in the US?
Re: Why do us Brits love to hate?
As someone mentioned it isn't just Brits at all, the Americans are just as bad look at their treatment of Floyd as an example.
I have an American partner of 5 years now and she's got me into some US sports like nascar for instance where there is a supremely talented but rough and arrogant driver in Kyle Busch who rarely gets credit from fans and other drivers yet perennial underachiever Dale Earnhardt Jr. is worshipped as a god.
Jealousy is the reason for hate not where you come from.
Personally I don't care what a sportsmans nationality is, if I like them then I like them if I don't then I don't. I don't go out of my way to support someone just because they are British, I was a Mayweather fan before I was a Hatton fan hence the reason why I wanted Mayweather to win.
I have an American partner of 5 years now and she's got me into some US sports like nascar for instance where there is a supremely talented but rough and arrogant driver in Kyle Busch who rarely gets credit from fans and other drivers yet perennial underachiever Dale Earnhardt Jr. is worshipped as a god.
Jealousy is the reason for hate not where you come from.
Personally I don't care what a sportsmans nationality is, if I like them then I like them if I don't then I don't. I don't go out of my way to support someone just because they are British, I was a Mayweather fan before I was a Hatton fan hence the reason why I wanted Mayweather to win.
Re: Why do us Brits love to hate?
Yeah but Mayweather, despite his talent, is a pudendum.
Yanks love fighters that come forward and are honest, in fact, most boxing fans love these fighters - think it comes from natural instinct. Not to say that Mayweather isn't/wasn't the best in the world, just that his contempt and arrogance made him imossible to like, even if it was to sell tickets.
I think it's the same for British fighters. We don't hate the fighter, it's the attitude. Audley bangs on about being world class, but then chokes every fight. Amir kept on that he can mix it on the world stage when everyone who knew anything knew he had a long way to go and his chin was suspect - yet we were forced to listen to the hot air. So when he gets put on his arse we're like 'we told you, you kept on, but we knew'. Just work hard, prove your metal, and do the business in the ring...even if you lose, people will support you this way.
Hatton is a great example, he's likeable because he works hard and doesn't play mind games - accept the Mayweather fight where he was pretty much provoked (and probably lost the fight before he got in the ring).
Yanks love fighters that come forward and are honest, in fact, most boxing fans love these fighters - think it comes from natural instinct. Not to say that Mayweather isn't/wasn't the best in the world, just that his contempt and arrogance made him imossible to like, even if it was to sell tickets.
I think it's the same for British fighters. We don't hate the fighter, it's the attitude. Audley bangs on about being world class, but then chokes every fight. Amir kept on that he can mix it on the world stage when everyone who knew anything knew he had a long way to go and his chin was suspect - yet we were forced to listen to the hot air. So when he gets put on his arse we're like 'we told you, you kept on, but we knew'. Just work hard, prove your metal, and do the business in the ring...even if you lose, people will support you this way.
Hatton is a great example, he's likeable because he works hard and doesn't play mind games - accept the Mayweather fight where he was pretty much provoked (and probably lost the fight before he got in the ring).
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Captain Hook
- Heavyweight
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Re: Why do us Brits love to hate?
Completely agree. Rather than be proud of Andy Murray for example, people moan and groan about him. He's Scottish, or too boring, or blah blah blah. The guy will win a Grand Slam, let's get behind him. He's a terrific player.charlieb wrote:It's the British 'way'.
God, I fu*king hate this country and the twats in it sometimes.
If someone in the states has a bit of good luck, does well for themselves in a particular endeavour, the reaction is usually "good for them!", over here it's immediately met with resentment because someone's doing better than you. Instead of thinking about how we could do the same or improve our own situation.
We bash the US for their patriotism and OTT inclinations but roughly translated, they're a positive bunch and we're a flock of negative shits. There are exceptions in parts of the US and that sentiment can be applied to countries other than the US, but as far as us brits are concerned, we're only happy when it rains.
As for our treatment of sporting figures, I think it's partly due to the characters involved as well as our 'build them up to knock'em down' attitude.
The same went for Khan, and Hamed, and Lewis......Rather than celebrate Hamed, a lot of people wanted him KO'd.
Re: Why do us Brits love to hate?
Wasn't the Lewis hatred because:
a) he beat Bruno
b) people didn't see him as a "true Brit" because of him representing Canada?
a) he beat Bruno
b) people didn't see him as a "true Brit" because of him representing Canada?
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Captain Hook
- Heavyweight
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- Joined: 07 May 2007, 09:40
Re: Why do us Brits love to hate?
Agreed, it sounds daft but seeing him look so vulnerable and lose like that may gee people up to get behind him.Ant Evans wrote:Khan has been mismanaged and mispromoted, really that simple. He was the darling of British public 4 years ago but I've heard from all sorts of people up and down the country that folks in pubs watching it loved seeing the kid KO'd.
On mate watched it in club in London and said about 1000 people reacted "like England had won the world cup" when Khan went down. Pretty sad stuff.
Really is time people faced up to the reality that Khan is not all that popular with large sections of British public. Khan drew only 7,000 fans to o2 Arena last summer, and a awful 8,000 to MEN last Saturday. Really, really bad for a talent coming off 4 YEARS of BBC and ITV exposure.
There are lots of reasons he's not at the Ricky Hatton or even Mike Bisping level of popularity. No one dares utter it aloud but racism, I fear, plays a part and it is not a great time to be a Muslim in the UK (saw one report where crime against that section of British population has increased 600 per cent in last five years!). But there are other reasons, too, and it is wrong to say everyone who wanted to see him beat is a racist.
No-one likes to see a big kid bully a little kid and be told the big kid is awesome for doing it - and lot of Khan fights have been one-sided bully-boy beat downs against much smaller men who had not a snowball's chance in hell against him.
No-one likes getting lied to and taken for fools, and that's what's happened a few times here. ITV's commentary crew were just embarrassing at times, with those pathetic comparisons to De La Hoya and even, gulp!, Sugar Ray.
The car crash incident was a PR disaster. That reality TV show on Channel 4 was so bad it was if it were designed to make the kid look completely out of touch with "normal" young men.
One thing I think Steve Bunce mentioned and got spot on - the kid has heart. He tired for his life to get back up. Brave as hell. I can't see how he comes back from this to be a world champ, but, maybe, having seen him get his wings clipped the public will get behind him now.
I like the guy, he's a good fighter but has a suspect chin. He was pasted by Prescott but his career isn't over IMO. A lot of that coverage, and the car incident, did him damage.
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Captain Hook
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Re: Why do us Brits love to hate?
The Oliver Harrison debacle as well.
I think he's being pushed by the wrong people, his family etc, and the same happened with Naz when his ridiculous brothers got behind his management.
A monkey could have made millions with Hamed.
I think he's being pushed by the wrong people, his family etc, and the same happened with Naz when his ridiculous brothers got behind his management.
A monkey could have made millions with Hamed.
Re: Why do us Brits love to hate?
Murray is a complete twat. A text sent to Setanta News that they showed on their "ticker-bat" last night sums him up.
"Murray has done really well to get to the final but he has the looks and personality of a skany haggis"
I wonder what the reaction would be if an englsh tennis player came out and (basically) slagged the scotts off, well, at the very least said straight out "I am not british I am English. I support whoever plays scotland in football too. I hope the scottish lose" - well, im sure he'd be embraced by all in Scotland.
If he never wins a grand slam I wouldnt give a toss. It should be an individuals choice to support a certain player, not "you must ebcause he's british and we want to win things to prove we're superior". What is patriotism anyway? We are better than you? We are superior to you? Andy murray does nothing to endeer himself to me, miserable little git. 6-2 6-4 6-2 fook off.
"Murray has done really well to get to the final but he has the looks and personality of a skany haggis"
I wonder what the reaction would be if an englsh tennis player came out and (basically) slagged the scotts off, well, at the very least said straight out "I am not british I am English. I support whoever plays scotland in football too. I hope the scottish lose" - well, im sure he'd be embraced by all in Scotland.
If he never wins a grand slam I wouldnt give a toss. It should be an individuals choice to support a certain player, not "you must ebcause he's british and we want to win things to prove we're superior". What is patriotism anyway? We are better than you? We are superior to you? Andy murray does nothing to endeer himself to me, miserable little git. 6-2 6-4 6-2 fook off.
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mark thompson
- Heavyweight
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- Joined: 05 Sep 2008, 05:13
Re: Why do us Brits love to hate?
Wales wrote:Murray is a complete twat. A text sent to Setanta News that they showed on their "ticker-bat" last night sums him up.
"Murray has done really well to get to the final but he has the looks and personality of a skany haggis"
I wonder what the reaction would be if an englsh tennis player came out and (basically) slagged the scotts off, well, at the very least said straight out "I am not british I am English. I support whoever plays scotland in football too. I hope the scottish lose" - well, im sure he'd be embraced by all in Scotland.
If he never wins a grand slam I wouldnt give a toss. It should be an individuals choice to support a certain player, not "you must ebcause he's british and we want to win things to prove we're superior". What is patriotism anyway? We are better than you? We are superior to you? Andy murray does nothing to endeer himself to me, miserable little git. 6-2 6-4 6-2 fook off.
Who cares ?
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Captain Hook
- Heavyweight
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Re: Why do us Brits love to hate?
He's a complete twat because he made a jokey remark about English football and is a bit dour?Wales wrote:Murray is a complete twat. A text sent to Setanta News that they showed on their "ticker-bat" last night sums him up.
"Murray has done really well to get to the final but he has the looks and personality of a skany haggis"
I wonder what the reaction would be if an englsh tennis player came out and (basically) slagged the scotts off, well, at the very least said straight out "I am not british I am English. I support whoever plays scotland in football too. I hope the scottish lose" - well, im sure he'd be embraced by all in Scotland.
If he never wins a grand slam I wouldnt give a toss. It should be an individuals choice to support a certain player, not "you must ebcause he's british and we want to win things to prove we're superior". What is patriotism anyway? We are better than you? We are superior to you? Andy murray does nothing to endeer himself to me, miserable little git. 6-2 6-4 6-2 fook off.
Ok, but he is still a cracking player. Federer will go down as best of all time, so it was no disgrace.
Re: Why do us Brits love to hate?
That and the whole "Im the best in britain" then fighting relative unknowns instead of proving it. Traditional route never has been in Warrens vocab, far too risky. Go for rankings.Captain Hook wrote:The Oliver Harrison debacle as well.
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Captain Hook
- Heavyweight
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Re: Why do us Brits love to hate?
Wales is on the rampage today, duck for cover...... 
Re: Why do us Brits love to hate?
The thing that gets me about the criticism about Amir is the personal scorn that has been levelled at him. He's been found out for his deficiencies as a boxer, which most people recognised a while ago, and that's one thing, but the level of dislike for him as a person that I've heard, from people who don't even have a good reason to base it on, is very distasteful to me and typically British.
Re: Why do us Brits love to hate?
...c'os he can't come.
Sexual frustration.
Now that's a Barry White song I wanna hear.
Sexual frustration.
Now that's a Barry White song I wanna hear.
Re: Why do us Brits love to hate?
Captain Hook wrote: He's a complete twat because he made a jokey remark about English football and is a bit dour?
Ok, but he is still a cracking player. Federer will go down as best of all time, so it was no disgrace.
It wasnt a joke, it was hi being a grumpy scotsman. Paraguay were the nation in question, wasnt it? Regardless, yes, dont like him. Seemed to get injured at appropriate times too at one point, over that now granted. Federer may go down as being the best of all time, or will nadal could catch him up in the coming years.
Mark Thompson: I certainarly dont care for tennis, neither do most till bloody Wimbledon crops up once a year. Then the country goes tennis crazy with that horse woman and ruddy sue barker. Ah well.
Re: Why do us Brits love to hate?
I must have been in the minority I could never stand the overhyped Bruno and always stood for Lewis. By the way Born in London within the sound of bow belles he is more cockney than alf garnett.Emerson Poncey Name Ghent wrote:Wasn't the Lewis hatred because:
a) he beat Bruno
b) people didn't see him as a "true Brit" because of him representing Canada?