Funny things to hear while watching sports.........

How many of us have faced this - The Commentator is stating the obvious thing while commentating on the live action.
Eg - "That is the first half of the race (dramatic pause).... the second half is still there"

Or have made really silly mistakes - "Few inches on either side of the goalpost and it would have been a goal..."

Or an unintentional pun or double meaning joke - "The bowler's holding the batsman's willey"

I was watching the Indian team progress towards its epoch(had to advertise my fest somehow) making series win in England and the commentary warmed my heart. The commentary box was filled with as many as 5 international captains - Sunil Gavaskar, Ian Chappel, Naseer Hussain, Ravi Shastri and Graham Gooch. What this does is gives the indication of how differently the captain thought of a particular situation. My mind went back to the time when India after a disastrous world cup, had no takers for the Bangladesh tour. And me being a cricket lover had to endure a dull series with Raj TV's commentary.

The coverage of ESPN-Star Sports-Star Cricket has the right mixture of humour and content and makes viewing really enjoyable. No unnecessary glamour added. A hard fought Test cricket series had a wonderful commentary team backing it and many viewers in India enjoyed the coverage.

I just wrote the above 2 paragraphs to appreciate the quality of broadcast.

Now back to the original topic...
There are many more funny things that have been told by people while viewing their views on air. Some of my favorite commentators include Bill Lawry(for sheer enthusiasm - "Its all happening out there"), Navjot Singh Sidhu(for making Englishmen hide in shame -"If my aunt were a man, she would have been my uncle"), Kapil Dev(for really trying too hard to match Sidhu - "I the hope that there will be the 80 international cricketers in ICL" .... may I add, unintentional comedy) apart from the usual suspects.

I have the highest regard for Steve Slater and Chris Goodwin for making a sport like F1 a spectacle. They bring the right energy that is needed for coverage of a sport as fast as F1. The commentators covering the ESPN Star Sports coverage of the EPL are making football the most watched sport in India.

So basically to make a sport enjoyable while viewing needs to be backed by a commentary team that has not only content but also good sense of humor.

I know a blog wont change everything in this world but if anyone from Prasar Bharathi happens to read it all I can say is- please dont get some half rate Hindi commentator and take away the joy of viewing sports...

As I sign off, here are a few really funny moments....
1. There's a real international flavor to this World Cup.
2. If blood is thicker than water, it must also be thicker than a calendar or a small clock.
3. Ian Pearce... has limped off with what looks like a shoulder injury.
4. And here's Moses Kiptanui, the 19 year old Kenyan, who turned 20 a few weeks ago.
5. Neil Harvey, standing at leg slip with his legs wide apart, waiting for a tickle.

Till next time..... And BTW the pic was just for glamor's sake...

Wanted to be Infidel but.....

There are moments in life when you feel like cringing "Why me?". This just puts me back to a story that I heard in my school days about Arthur Ashe. Arthur Ashe was diagnosed with AIDS and was sure to die. A fan asked him "Why you?". So arthur Ashe replied -

There are close to a billion people who play Tennis just about 200 play professionally, I am one among them - "Why me?". There were about 50 Black people playing Tennis but only I won the Wimbledon - "Why me?". There were still million people in USA, but I captained them to Davis Cup - "Why me?". Now after all these moments, should i ask god "Why me?".

This story left a mark on me and has taught to be happy with what I have. I am not any religious leader, but I always tell people that the man up there has made a path for everyone, its just that we need to follow it and reach our goal.

So I overcome my disappointment of not being an Infidel by just remembering this story of one of the most amazing athletes the world has ever seen - Arthur Ashe.

Finally quoting form Rocky Balboa, which I felt was the best end to a fantastic series..
"You, me or nobody is goina hit as hard as life. But it ain't how hard you hit; it's about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward. How much you can take, and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done. Now, if you know what you're worth, then go out and get what you're worth. But you gotta be willing to take the hit, and not pointing fingers saying you ain't where you are because of him, or her, or anybody."...