Thursday 12 June 2008

Jest gone wrong?

You are often compelled to nod your head in affirmation when Frank Tyger says there is no evidence that the tongue is connected to the brain.

Enter Geoff Lawson after his tongue-in-cheek turned foot and mouth, I mean foot in mouth.

Lawson prophesied Pakistan would spank India in the tri-series by 150 runs. Not really amused, Dhoni & Co fell 10-run short as they mauled Malik’s team. Since then, Lawson has been going to town, explaining it was a comment made in jest.

Flash back, Champions League semifinals. Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez took the most inopportune of time to share his opinion that Didier Drogba is a professional ‘diver’. Not surprisingly, the talismanic Ivory Cost hit-man replied with a brace before breaking into wild celebration on Benitez’s chubby face.

And once upon a time, India had an Australian ringmaster – and it was not Steve Irwin -- as its coach, who made the world know his view that West Indies had forgotten how to win. The slighted hosts eventually walked away with the ODI series and captain Brian Lara in his Thank-You message said, Greg Chappell’s sly remark inspired them to the triumph.

Chappell ended with so much of eggs on his face that he never asked for omelets in his breakfast again.

And before another Australian braggart bites the dust for a similar folly, pause for a moment and think, do you really need to needle your opponents and give them a reason to regroup and even rise above their limitations, as was the case with Lara’s lads?

Coaches around the world would tell you in their vulnerable moments how difficult it is to motivate their wards play game after game and in places obvious and obscure. Why hurt opponents in a way that would only unite and inspire them? That’s rival coach’s job silly!

12 comments:

straight point said...

i cant help it som but again good work...specially omelet one...

as they say...man (and woman too) learns to speak in his first year or so...but never learns to use the words in his entire life...

Som said...

SP, will remember the adage you shared.

Gaurav Sethi said...

good thing kirsten barely speaks. or for that matter emotes.
notice a super below kirsten (on tv) in y'day's bangla game that said "gaey kirsten". stayed for a split second.

Anonymous said...

NC, Kirsten finally had that silent-to-talkie era transformation in B'desh. And he talked sense as well, without trying to be funny.

Anonymous said...

Ha! Good one. Never liked Chappell and not a fan of Lawson, either.

Som said...

VM, welcome.

Q said...

These Australians think that they can say something and then deliver it on the field... they don't realise that its Pakistan who will have to deliver what is said, not the Aussies.

Anonymous said...

Q, exactly. You can't mould them at this stage and force them play the game the Australian way.

Anonymous said...

Very well written Som I enjoyed reading it, but I guess today it applies on you too, you also spoke a bit early, you should have waited until the finals.:)

Som said...

Wasim, welcome and you are spot on. I should have waited for the final to get over!

The bottom line is never under-estimate Pakistan, especially when they are pushed to the corner. But Shoaib Malik and his team needs to develop the habit of winning even in absence of Nasim Ashraf!


For me, I'm emotionally attached only to individuals, and not any team. Hope that does not make me un-patriotic!

Pakistan's win would do a lot of good to the beleaguered side. For India, it should be the wake up call.

Anonymous said...

I missed all the cricket action... looks like I was saved.

Som said...

Scorpicity, more than 600 runs scored..it was not that bad either...