I am Australian. And I love cricket. So it is probably going to seem strange that the player I hate to love is Steve Waugh.But Australia is a complex nation, made up of six states and two territories and, as I sit here typing on the afternoon of the first match of the 2016 State of Origin series, I need to explain the depth of the rivalry between tonights combatants, Queensland and New South Wales, and hence why Steve Waugh and many of his Blues brethren have been hard to accept, if not love.Each Australian state has its own characteristics, its own culture, its own way of life, and Queensland is… well, Queensland is Queensland. With its beaches and its surfing and its fishing and its grand timber homes on stilts and its laid-back way of life and its XXXX beer and its cane-cutters cordial (or Bundaberg Rum) and its maverick politicians like Joh (for decades) and Bob Katter (more recently) and its great sporting heroes like Wally The King Lewis and Heals and Haydos and AB (who has morphed into a Queenslander to become one of our own), it is beautifully, distinctively, cavalierly, unashamedly Queensland.And to live in Queensland is to believe in Queensland. To believe in its way of life, and to have serious doubts about life beyond its borders.When sportsman, punter and (acclaimed) educator Matt OHanlon was growing up in the 70s, one of eight kids in a classic Catholic family from Rockhampton in central Queensland, his father would drive them to Sydney to visit relatives for the holidays. As they were crossing the border from Coolangatta to Tweed Heads he would turn to his flock in the back and yell, Suck in the big ones, kids. Youll be breathing New South air for the next fortnight.The OHanlons were a progressive family. Many Queenslanders wouldnt consider leaving Queensland. What for? theyd ask - and mean it.Queenslanders love their own, but they are consumed by suspicion when it comes to anyone from Down South. Sydney is no good - their clubs pinch all the good Queensland rugby league players. Melbourne is no good - its full of Victorians. And Canberra is the absolute pits. Queenslanders just want to govern themselves. Secession is not out of the question.When it came to cricket, Queenslanders were consumed with two deep frustrations in the 1970s and 80s: our cricket team couldnt win the Sheffield Shield, and our best players were consistently overlooked for Test selection. It was a miracle for a Queenslander to don the baggy green.And we were always stiff in the Shield. Wed be a game or two clear each Christmas and then the summer wet would set in. Washout after washout would force us down the Shield table. Not even Viv Richards could arrest the tropical lows that would sit in Moreton Bay and bucket down on the Gabba.In the 1980s we had the imports Greg Chappell and Thommo and AB. But they played alongside a squad of local talent, brought up on mangoes and seaming couch-grass pitches. Batsmen had to develop outstanding technique to survive if not prosper. But could these master craftsmen get a run in the Australian side? Robbie Kerr. Andrew Courtice. Trevor Barsby. Brett Henschell. They could all play.But as they were putting together a string of masterful knocks, another teenager would be picked for New South Wales and you just knew hed be anointed as the next great thing and would be playing for Australia by the end of the summer. In December 1984, Stephen Rodger Waugh made his first-class debut for the Blues against Queensland. His bowling figures were 23-12-34-0. He batted at No. 9.This Waugh, they said in the public bar of the Pineapple Hotel just up the road from the Gabba, hes modelled himself on Ewen Chatfield.Hes okay, they said, but hes no Glenn Trimble.People took more notice of SR Waugh in the Shield final against Queensland that season. He made an important 71 and 21 in a match where the Blues snuck home by a wicket.Hes a slogger, they said.Queensland had been denied again.The following season ME Waugh made his Shield debut, along with MA Taylor, and we all sat in the pub.You watch, they said. These clowns will all play for Australia.Kerr and Courtice are the best since Hobbs and Sutcliffe, they said. But will they get a look in?Steve Waugh made a couple of Shield hundreds. But he was cruising.Setting himself up for a 20-year career, they said at the Pineapple. Bowling within himself. Not chasing too hard. Self-preservation.Whats Steve Waugh got that Greg Ritchie hasnt? they asked.And sure as theres corruption and vice in Sin City, Steve Waugh got picked for Australia for the Boxing Day Test. He made 13 and 5.The next summer he made a duck in the first Test, at the Gabba. Hes cemented his spot, they said, sipping on their XXXX.Is he a bowler? we asked. Is he a batsman? we wondered.Is he a No. 3? Is he a No. 7? we speculated.Or is he just the Bob Cunis of Australian cricket?Hes no good, that Steve Waugh, they said when he was selected to tour England in what was regarded as an ordinary squad. Hell never make a Test hundred.SR Waugh wasnt dismissed until Edgbaston, the third Test, by which time hed made 393 runs and Australia led 2-0.But the antipathy did not subside. As the years rolled by and they made Taylor the skipper and the best cricketers in Australia were never given an opportunity, the voices grew louder.What about Stuey Law and Martin Love? What about Jimmy Maher? What about Kasper and Andy Bichel? they said. Its a bloody conspiracy, they said. Not only do they not play Kasper, they make him 12th man. Thats so he cant play for Queensland.Steve Waughs standing didnt improve Up North. Red ink, mate, they said. Its about keeping that average above 50. Look how he bats with the tail.Of course he had a long and successful career. He made a lot of runs, he played in many Test victories. I had mixed feelings about it all. He wasnt my sort of cricketer. I was a fun-of-the-game man, a joy-of-sport man. He was too hard for me. But, I came to realise, thats what sport is about for a lot of Australians. Fierce competition. And pushing yourself to get the best from your ability.I respected him; I respected his determination and the demands he placed firstly on himself, and then on others. I came to acknowledge that it was just plain silly of me to expect everyone to be like Lord Lindsay in Chariots of Fire or Roger Federer or John Eales. But I also knew there was Fortune in top sport and Steve Waugh kept some mighty fine players out of the Australian side.And after he retired, and the Australians struggled, and I realised we missed him, I even forgot he was from New South Wales. But only for a moment. Ultra Boost 4.0 Core Black Sale . No. 13-seeded John Isner and No. 21 Philipp Kohlschreiber were among six players who dropped out of the tournament on Tuesday, joining No. 12 seed Tommy Haas and two other players who withdrew on Monday. Ultra Boost 4.0 Triple White For Sale . The Olympic champion curler and TSN curling analyst immediately went online to look at the Halls long list of honoured members. Thats when the enormity of the honour sunk in. http://www.ultraboost4forsale.com/ . Dallas hasnt ruled out the star quarterback for Sunday nights game against Philadelphia, but all signs point to Romos back injury pushing Kyle Orton into the starting role after two years of limited play as the backup. Surely Ortons name isnt the first that comes to mind for fans wanting a change after years of damaging interceptions, fumbles or, most infamously, the field goal flub when Romo dropped the snap on a kick that could have won his first playoff game in 2006. Ultra Boost 4.0 For Sale . Pirlo limped out of Sundays 1-0 win over Udinese after just 13 minutes. Juventus says Pirlo underwent tests on Monday which revealed he has "a second-degree lesion to the collateral medial ligament in his right knee. Ultra Boost 4.0 Release Date Triple Black . The Redskins announced Monday that the quarterback who led the team to the Super Bowl championship in the 1987 season will serve as a personnel executive. PHILADELPHIA -- As soon as Claude Giroux got the puck in overtime, Jakub Voracek headed to the net and got ready. It paid off.Voracek scored in overtime after Mark Streit tied it with 1:02 left in regulation in the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 comeback victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday night.Chris VandeVelde and Roman Lyubimov also scored to help the Flyers run their regular-season home winning streak against the Red Wings to 12 games. The Red Wings last beat the Flyers in Philadelphia in the regular season on Jan. 25, 1997. Detroit did win the first two games of the 1997 Stanley Cup finals in Philadelphia on its way to sweeping the Flyers.Henrik Zetterberg, Dylan Larkin and Andreas Athanasiou scored for Detroit. The Red Wings have lost three straight.Voracek completed Philadelphias comeback by finishing a 2-on-1 with Giroux 1:41 into the 3-on-3 overtime. The assist extended Girouxs points streak to a career-high 10 games while upping his NHL-leading assist total to 11.You have to expect the pass and I kind of knew it was coming because hes one of the best playmakers in the game, Voracek said. I just tried to shoot hard.Streit tied it at 3 on a rebound after a scrum in front of the net. Goalie Petr Mrazek was taken out on the play when Frans Nielsen pushed Philadelphias Brayden Schenn into him. Detroit challenged the goal, claiming goalie interference, but it stood after a video review.I disagreed with the ruling but I dont make that decision, they do, Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said.Zetterberg broke a 2-2 tie with 11:42 remaining in the third when he finished off a 2-on-1 with Tomas Tatar. Tatar created the break when he stripped Philadelphias Radko Gudas of the puck at midice, passing quickly to Justin Abdelkader before a return pass set up the fast break.Zetterberg broke a tie with Brendan Shanahan for eighth place in Red Wings history with his 310 goals.But the Red Wings couldnt hoold on.ddddddddddddIt wasnt as complete of a game as you need to win on the road obviously, Blashill said.The Flyers tied had tied it 4 1/2 minutes earlier on Lyubimovs first NHL goal. Andrew MacDonald set up the tally with a shot from the point. After Mrazek made a pad save, a wide-open Lyubimov shot the rebound high over the Detroit goalie. Lyubimov, a 24-year-old rookie, played the last six seasons in Russia.Philadelphia continued to show its resilience with its fourth comeback victory of the season.I think thats a trait within the locker room, Flyers coach Dave Hakstol said. Thats not a surprise to anybody in our room. Weve been able to do it a couple times and come out of a game with points, but thats not a position you want to be in.VandeVelde celebrated becoming a father for the second time with his 13th goal in 208 career games. The checking line center, who welcomed daughter Larkin into the world on Tuesday morning, finished a beautiful pass from Schenn to pull Philadelphia within 2-1 with 6:21 remaining in the second period. Schenn fired a cross-ice pass to VandeVelde in the slot, and VandeVelde deked past Mrazek by quickly shifting from his forehand to backhand.Im glad I can come out here and contribute and score a goal for her, VandeVelde said.The goal capped a dominating second period for Philadelphia, which outshot Detroit 17-6 over the 20 minutes.Game notes The Flyers complete their fourth back-to-back set on Thursday when they visit the Islanders. ... The teams meet again next Tuesday night in Philadelphia in a scheduling oddity. They wrap up their regular-season series Dec. 11 in Detroit. ... The Flyers are 42-13-11 against the Red Wings in Philadelphia.UP NEXTRed Wings: Host Winnipeg on Friday night.Flyers: At the New York Islanders on Thursday night. China NFL Jerseys Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys NFL Jerseys Cheap Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap Basketball Jerseys Online Stitched Hockey Jerseys Wholesale Baseball Jerseys Football Jerseys Outlet College Jerseys For Sale Cheap MLB Jerseys Wholesale Soccer Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys For Sale Wholesale NFL Jerseys ' ' '