Comments on: Pulling Down the Bermudas http://greatbong.net/2007/03/20/pulling-down-the-bermudas/ Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:38:22 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: Indiamusing http://greatbong.net/2007/03/20/pulling-down-the-bermudas/#comment-194473 Indiamusing Sat, 07 Apr 2007 08:38:38 +0000 http://greatbong.net/2007/03/20/pulling-down-the-bermudas/#comment-194473 I posed this query on another blog - any idea how we got to be such a cricket obsessed nation? Why cricket and not lets say tennis or squash or something else? Also, who decides what our "national game" is? What makes a game a national game? I posed this query on another blog – any idea how we got to be such a cricket obsessed nation? Why cricket and not lets say tennis or squash or something else? Also, who decides what our “national game” is? What makes a game a national game?

]]> By: Sriram http://greatbong.net/2007/03/20/pulling-down-the-bermudas/#comment-182576 Sriram Tue, 27 Mar 2007 06:14:07 +0000 http://greatbong.net/2007/03/20/pulling-down-the-bermudas/#comment-182576 Ok, let me try to emulate the Australian Fan. Geoff Boycott writes in <a HREF="http://www.outlookindia.com/full.asp?fodname=20070326&fname=Cricket" rel="nofollow">Outlook</A> <Blockquote>So this Australian team had better shape up. If they go home from the Caribbean even as honourable runners-up, there won't be a soul to welcome them at the airport. And I am not even going to begin on the clobbering their media will hand out to the team. That is the nature of the beast—it is not interested in finishing second. Think back to when India made the final in 2003—and played their worst game of the tournament. They batted and bowled like lemons, and were feted as heroes at home because they had at least reached the final. Well, the Australians would rather play ugly and win rather than put up a marvellous fight and lose. Honourable losers? No one gives a toss!</Blockquote> Ok, let me try to emulate the Australian Fan. Geoff Boycott writes in Outlook

So this Australian team had better shape up. If they go home from the Caribbean even as honourable runners-up, there won’t be a soul to welcome them at the airport. And I am not even going to begin on the clobbering their media will hand out to the team. That is the nature of the beast—it is not interested in finishing second. Think back to when India made the final in 2003—and played their worst game of the tournament. They batted and bowled like lemons, and were feted as heroes at home because they had at least reached the final.

Well, the Australians would rather play ugly and win rather than put up a marvellous fight and lose. Honourable losers? No one gives a toss!

]]> By: Sriram http://greatbong.net/2007/03/20/pulling-down-the-bermudas/#comment-182552 Sriram Tue, 27 Mar 2007 05:44:02 +0000 http://greatbong.net/2007/03/20/pulling-down-the-bermudas/#comment-182552 Ravi - I never justified attacking the cricketers' houses. I was only pissed off with Cricinfo's "I am right, you are wrong and if you dont agree to that you are idiotic and a person with loose morals" standard. Oh yeah, I read Mukul Kesavan's armchair rant that India is a nation of losers. No, I dont care to dispute it. About Anand Vasu's piece, I did not quote the entire article, but had given link to it. Lets consider similar <I>damning pieces</I> on the great Tendulkar and the ever right Dravid. It is taken for granted that the two are selfless and supremely talented and that their efforts go unappreciated in India. It only says that the two must overcome silly mental block and perform. But in Ganguly's case, though he plays well, it somehow becomes that he is playing for his self and is considering retiring on a high note. Similar to the way Outlook covers politics - Congress's mistakes are always tactical and can be attributed to political naïveté but BJP's mistakes are due to idealogical bankruptcy and sinister plans. Ravi -
I never justified attacking the cricketers’ houses. I was only pissed off with Cricinfo’s “I am right, you are wrong and if you dont agree to that you are idiotic and a person with loose morals” standard.
Oh yeah, I read Mukul Kesavan’s armchair rant that India is a nation of losers. No, I dont care to dispute it.
About Anand Vasu’s piece, I did not quote the entire article, but had given link to it. Lets consider similar damning pieces on the great Tendulkar and the ever right Dravid. It is taken for granted that the two are selfless and supremely talented and that their efforts go unappreciated in India. It only says that the two must overcome silly mental block and perform. But in Ganguly’s case, though he plays well, it somehow becomes that he is playing for his self and is considering retiring on a high note. Similar to the way Outlook covers politics – Congress’s mistakes are always tactical and can be attributed to political naïveté but BJP’s mistakes are due to idealogical bankruptcy and sinister plans.

]]> By: Snigs http://greatbong.net/2007/03/20/pulling-down-the-bermudas/#comment-182463 Snigs Tue, 27 Mar 2007 03:43:00 +0000 http://greatbong.net/2007/03/20/pulling-down-the-bermudas/#comment-182463 congrats on the win! cheerio! congrats on the win!
cheerio!

]]> By: uday http://greatbong.net/2007/03/20/pulling-down-the-bermudas/#comment-180098 uday Sat, 24 Mar 2007 15:27:07 +0000 http://greatbong.net/2007/03/20/pulling-down-the-bermudas/#comment-180098 @ raj: Why would Whatmore taunt Murali in that manner? @ raj: Why would Whatmore taunt Murali in that manner?

]]> By: raj http://greatbong.net/2007/03/20/pulling-down-the-bermudas/#comment-179750 raj Sat, 24 Mar 2007 08:57:29 +0000 http://greatbong.net/2007/03/20/pulling-down-the-bermudas/#comment-179750 I am as irritated by Greg as anyone else. But suggestions that Cricinfo is sensitizing Indians to cope iwth forthcoming defeat is ill-conceived. The idea seems to be leverage on reatbong's previous criticism of Cricinfo as a Dravid-stooge. I dont think there is anything malicious in suggesting that Saurav played a bad shot yesterday and Sachin got a real good delivery. Saurav was, infact, right in going after Vaas and bad luck that Dav Whatmore had taunted Muraltiharan only the previous day "that he was too old to field in the circle"! It was a bad shot, yes, but that was necessitated by the situation. I dont think we should be looking at Cricinfo looking for dada-baiting incessantly. This is just fan-talk. It would be preposterous to suggest that Dada with his tactical genius could have inspired india to win in the same circumsatances( nobody has said that here yet but it is lurking somewhere between the lines). Dravid was tactically bad yes but his resources also let him down. Oh! how he must be wishing that he had a "just-below-peak-Sachin" and "at-his-peak-Dravid" under his command like Saurav-da did! Sometimes when able deputies rise to leadership positions, they fail because they dont have as able deputies as they were to their boss- that doesnt mean the boss was a superior boss and the erstwhile deputy is a bad boss - simply meanst hat Ganguly was lucky ot have an able and dedicated Dravid as VC while Dravid doesnt have a similar luxury. Dravid is not a great captain but to suggest that Saurav was better is to ignore Dravid's contribution to that and also lack of appreciation for the latter's honest toil.If RD had as able a deputy as SG had, RD would have been just as succesful. I dont think SG would have been as succeful without RD as VC.Basically, the SG-RD combo did it for India and it is bad luck that GC came and broke it down and all fell tumbling after... United we fall, divided... I am as irritated by Greg as anyone else. But suggestions that Cricinfo is sensitizing Indians to cope iwth forthcoming defeat is ill-conceived. The idea seems to be leverage on reatbong’s previous criticism of Cricinfo as a Dravid-stooge. I dont think there is anything malicious in suggesting that Saurav played a bad shot yesterday and Sachin got a real good delivery.
Saurav was, infact, right in going after Vaas and bad luck that Dav Whatmore had taunted Muraltiharan only the previous day “that he was too old to field in the circle”!
It was a bad shot, yes, but that was necessitated by the situation. I dont think we should be looking at Cricinfo looking for dada-baiting incessantly. This is just fan-talk.

It would be preposterous to suggest that Dada with his tactical genius could have inspired india to win in the same circumsatances( nobody has said that here yet but it is lurking somewhere between the lines). Dravid was tactically bad yes but his resources also let him down. Oh! how he must be wishing that he had a “just-below-peak-Sachin” and “at-his-peak-Dravid” under his command like Saurav-da did! Sometimes when able deputies rise to leadership positions, they fail because they dont have as able deputies as they were to their boss- that doesnt mean the boss was a superior boss and the erstwhile deputy is a bad boss – simply meanst hat Ganguly was lucky ot have an able and dedicated Dravid as VC while Dravid doesnt have a similar luxury. Dravid is not a great captain but to suggest that Saurav was better is to ignore Dravid’s contribution to that and also lack of appreciation for the latter’s honest toil.If RD had as able a deputy as SG had, RD would have been just as succesful. I dont think SG would have been as succeful without RD as VC.Basically, the SG-RD combo did it for India and it is bad luck that GC came and broke it down and all fell tumbling after…
United we fall, divided…

]]> By: Ravi http://greatbong.net/2007/03/20/pulling-down-the-bermudas/#comment-179284 Ravi Sat, 24 Mar 2007 02:43:33 +0000 http://greatbong.net/2007/03/20/pulling-down-the-bermudas/#comment-179284 @Sriram, Criticism is one thing, and breaking people's houses and burning their effigies is completely another. You want Indian players to emulate the Australians' professionalism - well how about you try to emulate the Australian fan? Just because some morons in Jharkand drank Pepsi and thus "paid to watch" the cricketers (note: your taxes do NOT pay them) does not give them the right to attack Dhoni's house. Mukul Kesavan wrote a great piece on lines similar to Sambit Bal's: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/The_Desi_Fan/articleshow/1790380.cms "...... They're different because India is a nation of losers: its teams win at nothing but cricket. Two, because cricket fans from outside the subcontinent have generally played some outdoor sport, they have some practical experience of how difficult competitive sport is...." Care to dispute this? Oh and yeah...that piece that you quoted from Anand Vasu's article has similar paragraphs about Tendulkar and Dravid as well. If you want to knock Cricinfo's bias, do quote the entire article, and not just a few lines that you perceive to be insulting to your hero I'm rooting for Ireland next....after I booze myself to sleep tonight. Oh, it hurts! @Sriram,
Criticism is one thing, and breaking people’s houses and burning their effigies is completely another. You want Indian players to emulate the Australians’ professionalism – well how about you try to emulate the Australian fan? Just because some morons in Jharkand drank Pepsi and thus “paid to watch” the cricketers (note: your taxes do NOT pay them) does not give them the right to attack Dhoni’s house.

Mukul Kesavan wrote a great piece on lines similar to Sambit Bal’s: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/The_Desi_Fan/articleshow/1790380.cms

“…… They’re different because India is a nation of losers: its teams win at nothing but cricket. Two, because cricket fans from outside the subcontinent have generally played some outdoor sport, they have some practical experience of how difficult competitive sport is….”
Care to dispute this?

Oh and yeah…that piece that you quoted from Anand Vasu’s article has similar paragraphs about Tendulkar and Dravid as well. If you want to knock Cricinfo’s bias, do quote the entire article, and not just a few lines that you perceive to be insulting to your hero

I’m rooting for Ireland next….after I booze myself to sleep tonight. Oh, it hurts!

]]> By: uday http://greatbong.net/2007/03/20/pulling-down-the-bermudas/#comment-179239 uday Sat, 24 Mar 2007 02:05:45 +0000 http://greatbong.net/2007/03/20/pulling-down-the-bermudas/#comment-179239 @ Sriram: all this is retrospective reaction to Woolmer's death. It is best if the fans treated this as a game. Criticisms I believe would be welcome to the players, yes, but not physical harm. The players being professionals and fans taking this as a game are two different things. @ Sriram: all this is retrospective reaction to Woolmer’s death. It is best if the fans treated this as a game. Criticisms I believe would be welcome to the players, yes, but not physical harm. The players being professionals and fans taking this as a game are two different things.

]]> By: Captain Haddock http://greatbong.net/2007/03/20/pulling-down-the-bermudas/#comment-179207 Captain Haddock Sat, 24 Mar 2007 01:37:02 +0000 http://greatbong.net/2007/03/20/pulling-down-the-bermudas/#comment-179207 GB! Posting this after the pathetic performance of India. Agree with Anirban & Sriram. Wonder which DeBono hat Guru Greg is wearing now!!!!!!! GB! Posting this after the pathetic performance of India. Agree with Anirban & Sriram. Wonder which DeBono hat Guru Greg is wearing now!!!!!!!

]]> By: Anirban http://greatbong.net/2007/03/20/pulling-down-the-bermudas/#comment-179081 Anirban Sat, 24 Mar 2007 00:02:00 +0000 http://greatbong.net/2007/03/20/pulling-down-the-bermudas/#comment-179081 @Stone I beg to differ. If Bermuda wins (high hopes!!!), they also will have 2 points alongwith India and B'desh. Then the team with better NRR will go to the next round. @Stone
I beg to differ. If Bermuda wins (high hopes!!!), they also will have 2 points alongwith India and B’desh. Then the team with better NRR will go to the next round.

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