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.

IPL or Irritating Premier League?

Frankly the sundry crowd of bollywood celebrities at each break in play is irritating to put it mildly. They don't deserve to be in the frame even. When will these jokers learn to let the players get on with it and withdraw into the background?

Celebs and sports have a long history of togetherness. Lots of big names own sporting franchises the world over but the sporting franchise in itself overshadows the celeb owners everywhere other than in the IPL. I sometimes wonder who the crowds are in the ground to see? Last year when in the ground for a few matches, the crowd decibel levels went up significantly each time a celeb was shown on the big screen making me wonder.

If the IPL has to take off in the real sense of the word, all the side shows have to be minimised and the game itself needs to shine through like it did in the inaugural year inspite of the hoopla and celebrity sheen. It's even more critical this year with the tournament shifting out of the country.

When will sense prevail? If it's left to Modi, never I reckon.

Weekend, pregnant with sporting possibility..

The IPL has been dominating the headlines all of this week, hell nearly the whole month. A part of me says, the right thing was done by moving it out. For one, all the international players will have no excuse to give this edition a miss. This will ensure a proper second round and at the end of it, the deserving team will win. The win won't be tarnished by absences or excuses.

While this has been going on, the wider world of sport continues to thrive. This weekend promises to be full up with sports. The familiar roar of F1 engines will drown living rooms at odd hours in houses with the new season kicking off in Melbourne. Can't wait to see the first race. Lots of questions will be answered.

Manchester United meanwhile have spectacularly brought the EPL back to life with two consecutive defeats. Wonder what Sir Alex had to tell his boys. I read somewhere about dryer sales going through the roof somewhere in Manchester. Beckham and the manager's hair dryer anyone? I hope they can resurrect their campaign and win the remainder of their matches. Can't bear to see them lose.

Meanwhile, Dhoni and his merry band are rewriting a few rules in Kiwiland. Who expected them to win a test so comfortably anyway? Well, this Indian team sure has its own rules and it feels good to see that. I just hope the second test blues don't ground them this time around. Bring on the weekend!

Ragging

They say ragging builds character. It helps build bonds between seniors and juniors. It helps break the ice, they say.
For Aman Kachroo, the only ice it broke was the one in which his body was put after some seniors had their way with him. I am amazed that this happened in a medical college, where one presumes people know what can happen when the human body is abused badly?
These seniors were there presumably to learn the noble science of saving lives. They have had quite a start I must say. How will they ever be able to save lives when they themselves can take lives so impudently?
When will the law make some examples of these idiots? These sub-humans should be branded killers and rusticated from the college first and then stopped from continuing their education anywhere else. They need to be made examples off to deter other misadventures from happening.

Cricket Post Lahore

The game I make a living from is now changed forever. Some senseless twits changed it forever a couple of days back in that country which changes by the second.

IPL part 2 is due and the teams and the world at large is holding it's collective breath. Some will be celebrating if it does happen and some will be celebrating it's demise.

The environment in which it will be held this year will be tense and suspense-filled. Many of the draws are threatening to skip it. How will the league withstand that? Will the cricket be still of a high quality or will it slip down the slippery slope of destruction?

Will the economy get the kick start it needs with the second edition of the IPL?