Sporting Year
It’s been that kind of a year. A horrible horrible sporting year for me.
It started off with the Detroit Pistons losing in the conference finals.
That hurt a lot. They had played some of the best basketball in the regular season, notched up the league best record, were at one point of time threatening to challenge the Bulls’ Jordan-era wins record, grabbed home court throughout the playoffs...and lost to the Miami Heat.
Hurt a lot.
My quote then to the Devil (whose Lakers had already been eliminated), and who knows a thing or two about bad sporting years for quite some time now, had been “I am looking at the silver lining now. This loss only means that something even more special is going to happen. Argentina is definitely going to win the World Cup.”
And Friday happened.
More hurt. I won’t get to the details. Hurts even more.
And I, with my ever-ready declarative mouth, said, “It’s been really really bad this year. But there is only one person who always sees to it that my sporting year is never an abject failure. Never ever lets me down...”
Rahul Dravid.
The smile is back. Kind of.
The Hindu’s report on the match today begins like this,
If there were any doubts about Rahul Dravid being his country's greatest ever Test batsman, he dispelled them in the fourth Test here.
Man of the Match.
Man of the Series.
Captain of a team to win in the Windies after 35 years.
Enough said.
Or is it?
I promise to make no more comparisons to the “other” player. I have just turned a corner...along with Dravid.
It would be a gross injustice to even go down that lane.
I mean...what was I thinking...with all those mail-wars in Infy, or the “comparison post”! Can those “supporters” even begin to write a line in their defense?
Why couldn’t I have just waited, and let Dravid do the talking?
Chris Gayle, in his column in today’s TOI, narrates this incident. The gist is this –
Apparently he asked Dravid how he managed to concentrate so hard, and remain so focussed. To which Dravid’s reply was, “I am not like you. I have to work very hard for every run. I can’t score boundaries like the others...”
Brilliant.
L Sivaramakrishnan’s quote: “It seems like there are two pitches. One, when Dravid is batting. The other, when the remaining players are batting...”
Why couldn’t I have just waited, and let Dravid do the talking?
Hmm...that’s a tough question.
Probably all the anger at the ignorance of the others.
But that anger has been replaced by pity. A lot of pity actually.
So, as I said, the smile is back.
Thanks dude!
:-)
It started off with the Detroit Pistons losing in the conference finals.
That hurt a lot. They had played some of the best basketball in the regular season, notched up the league best record, were at one point of time threatening to challenge the Bulls’ Jordan-era wins record, grabbed home court throughout the playoffs...and lost to the Miami Heat.
Hurt a lot.
My quote then to the Devil (whose Lakers had already been eliminated), and who knows a thing or two about bad sporting years for quite some time now, had been “I am looking at the silver lining now. This loss only means that something even more special is going to happen. Argentina is definitely going to win the World Cup.”
And Friday happened.
More hurt. I won’t get to the details. Hurts even more.
And I, with my ever-ready declarative mouth, said, “It’s been really really bad this year. But there is only one person who always sees to it that my sporting year is never an abject failure. Never ever lets me down...”
Rahul Dravid.
The smile is back. Kind of.
The Hindu’s report on the match today begins like this,
If there were any doubts about Rahul Dravid being his country's greatest ever Test batsman, he dispelled them in the fourth Test here.
Man of the Match.
Man of the Series.
Captain of a team to win in the Windies after 35 years.
Enough said.
Or is it?
I promise to make no more comparisons to the “other” player. I have just turned a corner...along with Dravid.
It would be a gross injustice to even go down that lane.
I mean...what was I thinking...with all those mail-wars in Infy, or the “comparison post”! Can those “supporters” even begin to write a line in their defense?
Why couldn’t I have just waited, and let Dravid do the talking?
Chris Gayle, in his column in today’s TOI, narrates this incident. The gist is this –
Apparently he asked Dravid how he managed to concentrate so hard, and remain so focussed. To which Dravid’s reply was, “I am not like you. I have to work very hard for every run. I can’t score boundaries like the others...”
Brilliant.
L Sivaramakrishnan’s quote: “It seems like there are two pitches. One, when Dravid is batting. The other, when the remaining players are batting...”
Why couldn’t I have just waited, and let Dravid do the talking?
Hmm...that’s a tough question.
Probably all the anger at the ignorance of the others.
But that anger has been replaced by pity. A lot of pity actually.
So, as I said, the smile is back.
Thanks dude!
:-)
10 Comments:
Chilli,you probably should regain your lost love for F-1.That way you have a race every two weeks to make you smile. :):):)
Alright!!!Dont reply to my comment.I know you hate F-1.
well said lakshmi!
but i don't think his love for F1 is lost...its very much in him, just that he doesn't admit it ;)
NJ & Ashwini:
Yeah rite!
Sher-e-Punjab:
As I said, don't you mean, "Balle!"
Yo Big Ben is moving to da 'Bulls' ...
Maga:
Yup, I know that. Should be posting on that sometime this week...
shastri actually went on air in espn and said dravid is the 4th best ever indian batsman after gavaskar, vishwanath, tendulkar..so i guess the jury;s out on that one..but what a player!
BV:
Yes, I remember the occassion when Shastri said that first. It was after Dravid's 233 & 72 against Aus at Adelaide. I distinctly remember wanting to strangle that Shastri to death as well!
Oh no...this one doesn't need a jury. The decision has been known for a long time. There are just a "few more" ignorant people...that's all!
Chilli - Its remarkable how our sporting interests cross the same roads. We began with our pro-Dravid fights for the ignorant fans of some 'other' person, then I realised that both of us are voting for Pistons - and now it comes - the same hurt, the same sleepless night, the same pain, when Argentina lost. No words. Just pain.
But really, this man - The Wall - Whenever you are down and out, just watch him play, and you are back.
Everything else except ignorance can be forgiven! Let them learnt it the hard way. We can keep quiet.
Abhi / Chili
AMEN!!! :)
Just to reply to Shastri's comment on the air - don't we know that Shastri gets a cut on every ad that Tendulkar signs --- the WorldTel deal. Even if he wasn't ignorant of Dravid's greatness - why would he admit it.
Abhi:
Very true! You were so damn lucky to stay at Auburn Hills for so long. I wish I could get a shot at watching one Pistons game live.
Hebbar:
:)
I guess so. It's all a corporate game now. Anyway, better sense will prevail eventually.
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