Let the Games begin

"I always turn to the sports section first.  The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures." ~Earl Warren

      If there is one thing in the world that wakes me up at five or keeps me awake till three, the answer is sport (did someone guess Sneha?). Over the last 5 years, I've watched the combined lot of sport channels more than the rest of the 270 channels I subscribe for every month. Cricinfo.com, Espnstar.com & Premier League.com flood my browsing history as much as Facebook & blogger. My leisure time is spent on Fifa, Football Manager, Ashes 2009 (the versions vary every year) and International Cricket Captain. So, what is the verdict?

     The best thing about sport (unlike life) is that our memories are short. Victories are savoured like yummy rasagullas, the sugary syrup trailing the initial saccharine. Defeats, on the other hand, linger only till the next victory. We forget, forgive and celebrate again. During my childhood, I'd spend hours together watching the Indian cricket team play on television. My uncles & elders in the house would chide me, "they'll play and make money, what will you get out of it?"

     I remember two instances, both semi-finals of the cricket world cup. The former in '96, when I cried at our exit. In 2011, there was a reversal of fortunes. We were out in the streets of Bangalore, celebrating with the masses way past mid-night. I had never seen so many people in my life celebrating a common cause (except at the metallica concert where most of them were high on dope life). We had overlooked the caste, creed and religion of the people who rubbed shoulders with us that night. For a single moment in my life, I could almost see the reel life reflecting in our lives. The one Chak De moment that sport had brought about.

     I've always held a special place for soccer in my life, right from the beginning of my school days. My favourite teams include the mighty Brazilians (for the flavour of football they play) & Arsenal. Over the past one year, my support for sport has extended to a higher level, at times on the brink of fanaticism. I've seen the depths of ignominy and shame for my favourite teams. I've also witnessed a few moments of delirium, almost childlike, supporting them till the end. It hasn't deterred my interest for the game, spending sleepless nights as a die-hard fan. At the end of the game, it doesn't contribute to a personal victory or defeat. But, for those few couple of hours, I live in a surreal world. A world that evokes the best of emotions within me.

P.S: I love Arsenal & any team that Tendulkar plays in (read Mumbai Indians, Indian Cricket Team).

    

"Sport is where an entire life can be compressed into a few hours, where the emotions of a lifetime can be felt on an acre or two of ground, where a person can suffer and die and rise again on six miles of trails through a New York City park.  Sport is a theater where sinner can turn saint and a common man become an uncommon hero, where the past and the future can fuse with the present.  Sport is singularly able to give us peak experiences where we feel completely one with the world and transcend all conflicts as we finally become our own potential." ~George A. Sheehan