India as a sporting nation

[Guest HariSampath]

"money" here is a metaphorical reference to the investments in terms of time, effort etc in following the sport, and most importantly the passion and the support expecting to see if not winning but always fighting performances. want my money back doesn't mean I am asking BCCI to send me a check, but just saying that this is not what I am supporting the team for. And it means if this is what I am gonna get, I am not gonna support the side. Understand ?

In othet words, Ihave been sold a Lemon, this is a ripoff... etc... get it ??

[yoda]

Well said Hari. It is only in India you see this player worship. I dont think Aussie fans follow their greats above their country. If you see European soccer, NFL or NBA fans consider teams above individual player.

Not true. The NBA and NFL are also very stat conscious. You have QB rating, scoring leaders and hyped up individual players especially in the NBA.

[Aditi]

Not true. The NBA and NFL are also very stat conscious. You have QB rating' date=' scoring leaders and hyped up individual players especially in the NBA.[/quote'] Look no further than Michael Jordan.

[Guest HariSampath]

Okay Sriram, let me take you up on that. Lets begin this with a very simple question(which I bet you have thought about before): Q > Why do we SUCK as a sporting nation? Write as many points as you would care to. xx

I will tell you here what I think. We are NOT a sporting nation, because as a country we don't love sport. We just love a game on Tv as if it were a vent to our passions accumulated from al aspects of life. How many sporting lovers in our country take a conscious effort to just folow the game and not personalitiies ? How many people in the country know lots about the sport they love and want to learn its history, the former great sides of various eras, for mer great players of various countries/teams etc ? Finally one crunch test of the so called "mad cricket fan passionately following the game of cricket", and in India "cricket is a religion" How many of these Cricket religion followers you see holding posters in stadiums for ESPN to capture on camera, know the record of their State side in Cricket ? How many will supoort their state side and take an equally passionate view of say, a game between Punjab and Mumbai ? How many will even go to a first class game when stands are empty and there is high quality of cricket being played , to appreciate all the finery of the game ? How many will think it necesary to go to a youngster playing his first game for the state and tell him his innnings of 24 was actually very good and that ondrive was great and you sure were glad you came for the game and hoped he will play for India ? See thed fellow's face when you do that and you will know what the value of appreciation means to a player of the game even at those levels. Adulation or appreciation will not be just for the stars if you are a true lover of any sport I do all of the above.Have done so for 35 years, and so I have the right to call myself a fan of the game as well as my local sides and country's side.

[head coach]

Not true. The NBA and NFL are also very stat conscious. You have QB rating' date=' scoring leaders and hyped up individual players especially in the NBA.[/quote'] Yoda, My allegiance towards Lakers outgrows my liking of Kobie Bryant(regardless of whether he plays for Lakers or not) I think that is what Hari meant and my reference to it.

[Lurker]

Not true. The NBA and NFL are also very stat conscious. You have QB rating' date=' scoring leaders and hyped up individual players especially in the NBA.[/quote'] Popularity is very different to hero-worship Yoda. In USA players are very popular yes, the fans are really crazy about them, yes to that too. But when was the last time you heard fans exerting such a huge amount of pressure to bring back a player(as they did when Kapil Dev was dropped)? When did you hear about President of a country asking a former great to come out of retirement(as happens across the border frequently)? Am I wrong in assuming that if SRT is dropped from the team there is a good chance that there would be atleast some disturbance in the country, if not downright rioting. Heck wasnt that what the supporters of Ganguly were doing sometime back? I would say that Western fans are quite crazy too, specially in soccer where there are riots now and then, but they are all about a team and rarely about Individuals. In India it is just the opposite. xxx

[Guest BossBhai]

-- Removed on request of the user --

[Guest HariSampath]

Look no further than Michael Jordan.

crap Lol ... I am a Bulls fan and a great Michael fan, AND I turned up to jeer Michael when he came to Chicago with the wizards to play against us :haha:

[Guest HariSampath]

Its a anology metaphor euphemism whatever you want to call it ... Your attitide is similar to the examples I quoted ... wherein you assume that you have a birth right to literally "demand" things .... Understand ?

Yes " demand" is nothing but a passinate expectation of excellence and efforts. And isnt that why all of top professional sport is considered "demanding"

[Aditi]

Yoda, My allegiance towards Lakers outgrows my liking of Kobie Bryant(regardless of whether he plays for Lakers or not) I think that is what Hari meant and my reference to it.

We're playing the Warriors tonight, btw....pre-season opener.

[Lurker]

I will tell you here what I think. We are NOT a sporting nation' date= because as a country we don't love sport. We just love a game on Tv as if it were a vent to our passions accumulated from al aspects of life. How many sporting lovers in our country take a conscious effort to just folow the game and not personalitiies ? How many people in the country know lots about the sport they love and want to learn its history, the former great sides of various eras, for mer great players of various countries/teams etc ?

Wise words and close of discussion. We are NOT a sporting nation. We are a country, a culture where a wrestler(pehelwaan) is automatically deemed as a foolish person. We are a country where the Doctors(generally speaking) are in perennial bad health. We are a country where parents rarely visit their kids playing a game. Heck we are a country where atleast 50% of the population has not played a game other than cricket in their life. And yes we are a nation of hypocrites too. Naipaul calls India, a Nation of Million Mutinies, I call it a Nation of Billion excuses. xxx

[Guest HariSampath]

Yes " demand" is nothing but a passinate expectation of excellence and efforts. And isnt that why all of top professional sport is considered "demanding"

Let me put it this way. Its pure and simple a love affair between the sport's team and sports fan. Period. So you find all sorts of "expectations", phrases and emotions like " I have given all my time , effort and passion to this, so I EXPECT and demand nothing less than ideal perfection and complete success " etc... of course imperfection can always be excused if it is ability or form etc, but insincerity in sport is tantamount to infedility for a sports fan

[yoda]

Yoda, My allegiance towards Lakers outgrows my liking of Kobie Bryant(regardless of whether he plays for Lakers or not) I think that is what Hari meant and my reference to it.

Well I for one will always be a Kobe fan whether he plays for the Lakers for not. And I am a Laker fan no matter who plays for them.

Popularity is very different to hero-worship Yoda. In USA players are very popular yes, the fans are really crazy about them, yes to that too. But when was the last time you heard fans exerting such a huge amount of pressure to bring back a player(as they did when Kapil Dev was dropped)? When did you hear about President of a country asking a former great to come out of retirement(as happens across the border frequently)? Am I wrong in assuming that if SRT is dropped from the team there is a good chance that there would be atleast some disturbance in the country, if not downright rioting. Heck wasnt that what the supporters of Ganguly were doing sometime back? I would say that Western fans are quite crazy too, specially in soccer where there are riots now and then, but they are all about a team and rarely about Individuals. In India it is just the opposite. xxx

Disturbances and rioting and stone throwing happen in India for the same reasons we have bandhs and bus rokhos and what not. They have nothing to do with the sporting culture alone. I do agree that we have more obsession towards cricketers, but remember we have just one sport (for all practical purposes).

[Aditi]

crap Lol ... I am a Bulls fan and a great Michael fan' date=' AND I turned up to jeer Michael when he came to Chicago with the wizards to play against us :haha:[/quote'] Good for you then. OTOH, I have a childhood buddy who has lived in LA his whole life, but supported the Bulls because of Jordan alone.

[Gambit]

It's almost hilarious now to read the oft regurgitated spiel about India, her lack of sporting achievements, how Indians have pot bellies etc etc after a cricket loss.

[yoda]

Look no further than Michael Jordan.

To play the devil's advocate, MJ became more popular after he won those rings.

[Lurker]

It's almost hilarious now to read the oft regurgitated spiel about India' date=' her lack of sporting achievements, how Indians have pot bellies etc etc after a cricket loss.[/quote'] Not really. I doubt any half-educated Indian shall disagree with the fact that we SUCK as a sporting nation. We have 12-15% of world's population and dont even pick 1.2-1.5% of medals at Olympics. And please dont give me this - population doesnt mean automatic medals - line of logic . Every half-ar$ed country in the world is better than India in Sports. So how prudent it is to assume that a bad sporting nation shall excel in cricket? I say little. If anything it will only make false pretenses that we are very good and shall keep blowing up in our face time and again. xxx

[Guest HariSampath]

Yoda, My allegiance towards Lakers outgrows my liking of Kobie Bryant(regardless of whether he plays for Lakers or not) I think that is what Hari meant and my reference to it.

Oh....Lakers man ? Remember the 1991 playoffs ? :haha: ya, I love the Bulls but I also love Michael, but will boo Michael if he had ever ever considered playing for the Lakers against Bulls, that would be "treason" right ? Same way there may be certain players I love to see performing, say Larry Bird, but that doesn't ever mean I can cheer the Celtics against the Bulls. But I may do some Birdwatching and cheer Larry if he were playing the Lakers :D

[kumble_rocks]

Why are answering your own post Hari . I have noticed this happenstance few times. Can you please correct it.

[Gambit]

Not really. I doubt any half-educated Indian shall disagree with the fact that we SUCK as a sporting nation. We have 12-15% of world's population and dont even pick 1.2-1.5% of medals at Olympics. And please dont give me this - population doesnt mean automatic medals - line of logic . Every half-ar country in the world is better than India in Sports. So how prudent it is to assume that a bad sporting nation shall excel in cricket? I say little. If anything it will only make false pretenses that we are very good and shall keep blowing up in our face time and again. xxx

I am not debating the merits or demerits of this argument. What I find so predictable and laughable is the following (again): It's almost hilarious now to read the oft regurgitated spiel about India, her lack of sporting achievements, how Indians have pot bellies etc etc after a cricket loss.