United gets a dressing down!

Manchester United's dreams of a Quadruple trophy winning season went up in smoke last night in Rome. Most teams and fans would have been happy with a treble any season but not United and it's famously greedy fans. The double last season had whetted the appetite for more this season and the team did not disappoint winning 3 out of the 5 trophies they were contesting for. But the biggest one eluded them and how.
The Catalan giants played a mesmeric brand of football to unravel United in a spectacularly one-sided final. For United fans, the Barca display would have been painful yet enthralling to watch as it was for me. I have been a United fan for a long time but even I could not but marvel at the silken grace of the Barca midfield with the 2 dimunitive masters Iniesta and Xavi holding court with United being helpless spectators.
I had an inkling that this one was not going to go the way every pundit was predicting. The premiership win was too scratchy and opportune almost to give me any comfort. Liverpool were the better team in the premiership by a margin. United didn't look like they were going to swamp lesser teams unlike the 08 season. All of this came home to roost within the first 10 minutes of the final with E'to's goal. That just liberated Barca and tied United down. The rest as they say is 'history'. I however did not watch the whole thing. I could not bring myself watch as my team were outplayed by the better team on the night.
However, this should just gee up Sir Alex for one more tilt and Pep Guardiola better watch out!

The new center court at Wimbledon

While the rest of India was busy OD'ing on the IPL, I was busy watching history unfold at Wimbledon. As promised the roof was up at Wimbledon and the opening was a show befitting the most coveted slam of all. With a full house in attendance, the roof was closed and the show got on. And it rained. But it didn't interrupt the proceedings. Thats a resounding success for a new idea at the oldest slam steeped in tradition.
But the highlight of the evening for me was watching Agassi and Stefi play on a court they had lorded over during their playing career. More so in Steffi's case. For a couple of 39 year olds, they sure put on a show. While Agassi has always been a hero for me, Steffi has only recently been accepted into my set of favorites and it has a lot to do with her marriage to Agassi. The love and affection they have for each other even after many years of marriage and 2 kids is something to behold. Some might say it was a put on, but to me it looked totally natural and that's what made it so beautiful to watch. While Agassi pretty much dispatched Henman as was expected, Steffi put up a fight after having retired 10 long years ago. The forehand was still in evidence and the court craft was as immaculate as ever.
If she did want to have another go in the top flight, I think she can give the current lot a good run for their money as Klijsters found out to her discomfiture.

Class is permanent as they say. Yesterday on center court was another demonstration of that oft repeated truth.

Lok Sabha 09!

What a relief the election verdict has been for hordes of people this time. After dire predictions of a hung parliament and nightmare scenarios of seeing 'Behnji Mayawati' as PM were painted by pollsters and power brokers alike, it sure was a welcome sight to see the results. The 2 GOP's of India polity were clearly the largest parties with one of them going on to win a significant number of seats to safely continue in power for the full term.
Now the country will expect some decisive moves from the ruling coalition and some definite results in the next 5 years from them. If they squander this chance then they won't recover for a long long time. I just hope the youngsters in the government make their voices heard and lead India forward.