Brands understand the passion of international sport. Daily Telegraph readers it seems do not.

1715701 — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 15:07:00 GMT

Brands are drawn to sports for the same reasons the fans are.

It’s about elite performance, it’s about the competition, it’s about the drama and above all it’s about the passion. And where international sports are involved its about national pride.

National pride doesn’t mean being right-wing or racist – it’s simply pride in your nation.

Fuller's get it. The brewer runs great ads, by DCH, with emotive words from Shakespeare’s Henry V: ‘Once more unto the breach dear friends. Once more’. Stirring stuff.

The BBC even get it. It’s ads tell viewers that in the 6 Nations you don’t play the team, you play the nation.

But, it would seem, some Daily Telegraph readers just don't get it.

After the mediocrity of the past 1,2,3,4,5…6 years (yes, it really has been that long) England’s mauling of the French last week should have brought universal outburst of euphoria and optimism. Not so.

The players exuberant try celebrations were ‘grotesque displays of trumphalism’ to one reader. ‘The extravagant behaviour of some England players at Twickenham last week directly reflectss the extravagance of their new strip’, whimpers Vincent Gormally of Parbold, Lancashire.

Hardly. That Delon Armitage would kiss the English rose after scoring a great try against our arch rivals is hardly a hanging offence.

Let’s face it – it was not comparable to the increasingly ridiculous Robinho kissing the Manchester City badge after scoring against Chelsea just days after accidentally declaring his joy at signing for Chelsea….errr Manchester City. D’oh.

Can it ever be right to bet against your own team?

1715701 — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 09:49:00 GMT

Since their peak at the 2003 Rugby World Cup, stock in the England team has fallen so alarmingly Gordon Brown should consider the 'Red Rose brigade' a serious candidate for nationalisation.

And as with the banks, nobody it would seem is to blame. I've found solace in various justifications over the years. It's the coaches' fault. We need to blood younger more exciting players. Our players are exhausted, give them more down time. Injuries. The coaches again.

Having passed through Anger, Denial, Bargaining and Depression I've finally arrived at the final stage - Acceptance. Last week, it finally dawned on me: We are simply hopeless.

So, it's fair to say I'm looking forward to Saturday's game against reigning 6 Nations champions Wales in Cardiff about as much as, well, the England team probably.

In light of such pessimism I'm tempted by a cheeky bet on the Welsh, who are currently 7-1 to beat England by 16-20 points and a very tempting 8-1 to win by a margin of 21-25 points. A return of £40 for a £5 stake would certainly cushion the blow, but is it right? Or is it as a colleague of mine argues, ‘blood money'!?

Disappointingly the bookies haven't come up with any comedy bets for this weekend's matches. So, what else can we bet on during England's inevitable humiliation on Saturday?

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Brands understand the passion of international sport. Daily Telegraph readers it seems do not.

Can it ever be right to bet against your own team?