There’s old adage- Yatha Raja Tatha Praja, meaning ‘As the ruler so the ruled’. After being ruled for two centuries by the British, we are very much entitled to posses some of their traits & opinions. Likewise, taking nothing away from docile ability of the Indians is the fact that we do are as fanatic sports’ fans as do the Anglos. Though consumed by two different sports- Football & Cricket, ‘Buffs’ are equally avid for their sports.
Financially Premiere leagues
When Mr Modi concocted the idea of new 20-20 league, he wouldn’t have thought of a better name than ‘Indian premiere league’, same on the lines of EPL. Its no secret that both are the richest leagues in their sports luring the very best of the game, Courtesy: The crazy followers. Any other time we might find serials like kyu ki saas bi kabhi bahuti (Pardon me, I aint really good at these serial names) up in the TV viewer ship ratings chart. But come the IPL time, there is none to match SET max , both, in viewership as well as the advertising rate. Though EPL is more spread through out the year in terms of schedule, money is nothing less. Samsung actually paid $100 million just to put their name on Chelsea jersey. ( Nike, I guess, would have spent less given it just has 4 alphabets..:P). Given all these big bucks, it ain’t surprising that the biz tycoons overspending to make the whole event more a commercial enterprise than mere
entertainment.
Batted Cup winners
Every four years excitement soars to new heights in India during the World cup, so does the speculation. We come across umpteen number of articles in the media, speculating India’s triumph, by the experts.. Their explanation goes something like this – If team has notched up string of wins coming to cup, they would respond “Team is on a roll we might witness glory days of 1983”. And If team comes into world cup after string of losses, they say “As team has lost almost everything in recent past, This might be their lucky break. They might just go all the way”. Even the most optimist of seers would have second thought to come up with a prophecy like that. It does not end there. They would even come up with the teams India has gonna face at each level and reasons why it would beat them. Situation ain’t different in England either. Perhaps English might sound bit, may be a lot, optimistic considering that we, at least, have made it the summit clash six years ago unlike British, who haven’t even made it past the quarters for quiet , hmm..lets say, two decades. But Indi
ans went one step further. They even showed how Nostradamus predicted India would win world cup. (Interpreting the prediction that world would end on certain day is one thing, interpreting that India would win cricket world cup at time when the guy could not even envision either’s existence is altogether different.) With the expectations running over the skies, the least thing world cup team can do, to pacify the supporters, is to go all the way. Anything less you are under the hammer. Next thing you know, Speculations circulating in all dailies- Who should be chucked out? Who should be brought in? who is the new captain? Who is the vice?. ..Pseudo great players
Yuvraj, soon after blasting a rookie bowler for six consecutive sixes on flat pitch, was heralded as next Sobers ( Those of you for whom cricket is Greek & Latin, am not talking about yuvraj abstaining from going to pubs, here…:P. Sobers, the player, is considered the greatest left hander to have ever played the game). “Phew! For heavens sake, the guy cannot even handle moving red ball” any non Indian expert would have commented, questioning yuvraj’s ability in Test cricket. Likewise, there was a time when the celebrated footballer David Beckham was hailed as the world’s best footballer by the English media. But much to ire of British, none of the other experts could even find him a place in the top ten. Ridiculous it might sound, but nothing insane than this. A recently conducted football survey by British website named 3 EPL players in Top 5 ranks for 2008. For those of you who were in state of hypersomnia for past year, It was Barcelona who won Champions league & Spain who lifted Euro, where England even failed to qualify. These are just the specimens. Players rise to greatness in short time in these countries and they take even shorter time to fall from the grace. One day people queue up in thousands just to get the glimpse of the player, next day, before you realize, they are hurling stones at his house. Strange games, Strange followers!
May be it is more about passion than the insanity of the fans that is being vented when they go about in such absurd manner.
P.S: Am too one of the ‘Buff’…:D
