edit: I'll qualify the above just to be sure of what I mean.
there are many englishisms I like and am proud of and the values that go as a part of it, but there are equally as many I abhor and find so painfully embarrassing. I'll support and be proud of the elements that I think have a degree of virtue in them, ie the athletes at the games, the spirit of cricket - mock me if you will - might be problems with the selectors there, but generally the way the game is played, and the personnel who represent it.
I have enough problems with football as it is with the obscene money and the fact most footballers act like clearings in the woods, and the only reason I follow generally is a link with Villa since I was a kid, especially now we have owners and a manager who exude the kind of traits one can be proud of, but generally, a growing - if small - part of me wishes I'd not been brought up following football.
For me, there is absolutely **** all to be proud of in the English football side, from the players, through to the FA, the journalism that surrounds it, and the fans who'll switch from a bit of bigoted chanting to a chorus of boos as and when they please. If they play on tv that I can watch there's a chance I'll probably watch anyway if im not doing anything, but i'm certainly not going to rush out to watch them if I can't when I have extremely limited investment in the team ( will barry score? ) for a start.
Rodders, are you English or not?