A new year (2009)
Many events have happened this past year. Some historical, others personal. Let me try to jot down some of the key events as I remember them and try to offer some perspective -
SPORTS -
Football
NY Giants won the Superbowl XLII. Funny it should be right at the top of my recap. Highlight of the year I suppose. There is no greater joy as when the team you root for and support religiously goes against all odds and beats a superior team (New England Patriots, who were 17-0 and playing for a place in the record books). All the disappointments from the past are washed away. And we quietly move on to our next moment of glory. Await the next triumph. NY Giants are in the playoffs this year. Although the Eagles of this year remind me a whole lot of Giants of last year...
And that's human nature for you. We always crave for more. Bigger, better things. That's why we build taller building, faster cars and reach for the stars instead of living in a mere cave. Boston Red Sox fans waited 86 years before winning a world series title. Now they expect to win one every year. Greed. Can't think of a better word to describe the condition. But greed has such negative connotations. Isn't greed necessary for the survival of humankind? For our eternal evolution and natural progress in life? I often feel the words 'need' and 'greed' can be used synonymously. The need to be taller, more good-looking, more skinnier, more faster, brainier, more rich et al. Our perceived success or progress is largely influenced by our needs.
Anyway back to sports. I'd written a lengthy essay in one of my posts below complaining how every team I'd supported or truly expected to win had either come close and lost or were thoroughly beaten. With the NY Giants Superbowl win, ladies and gents, you shan't hear me complain no more!
Cricket
Indian cricket team did reasonably well this year. They pushed themselves well throughout the year and climbed up the world rankings and are now looking a real competitive No.2 or No.3 test squad. In India and abroad. The tour to Australia was all one could expect. All controversies aside, the cricket was beautiful and exciting. But I'm sure all the trouble off-field helped make the contest more intense. I could never understand why some people detest test match cricket. Some call it boring. And here I'm referring to people who actually understand the nuances of the game as opposed to un-initiated. Anybody who watched any of the three test matches at Sydney, Perth and Adelaide between India and Australia can attest that when it comes providing pure thrill and tension, there is no better sport than test cricket. The one hour in the last day of the Perth test, the duel between young Ishant Sharma and Australian captain Ricky Ponting culminating with Ponting's dismissal which eventually turned the match in India's favor shall forever be etched in my memory.Again we live in a world where time is of the essence. We seek the thrills, the excitement and passion of sport, but all neatly packaged and with a time limit. Like sex without the seduction & foreplay. One can't be bothered with all that when time is of the essence. Instant gratification.
Indian cricket team carried on the good form shown in the test matches into the ODI's and won a dramatic finale against Australia 2-0. 2008 marked the last time Australia would host the standard triangular series (known as world series cricket) in its present format. Australia lost its last two world series titles to England (2007) and India (2008). A semi-tragic end to a competition dominated by Australia right from its inception in the mid-80's.
The cricketing world took notice of India's challenge to Australia's throne. Australia no longer seem to possess the aura of invincibility as they go through a period of transition. They had no answers to any of the questions asked by the Indian team when they toured India in October 08. They lost the four test match series 2-0. They appeared susceptible to disciplined swing and pace bowling coupled with aggressive batting. India showed plenty of both with a steady stream of young bowlers - Ishant Sharma (consistent fast bowler who is proving to be one of the best in the world at the moment), Pavan Kumar (good swing bowler who destroyed Australia twice in the world series finals), Amit Mishra ( hardworking legspinner who has the un-enviable task of replacing the legspinning giant - Anil Kumble), Piyush Chawla (another leggie who showed maturity in Australia), Batters - Rohit Sharma (classy, elegant batter who will surely fill a test spot soon), Robin Uttappa (aggressive opening hitter), Gautam Gambhir (emerged as one of India's best opening hitters alongside V.Sehwag) amongst others. Never before has there been such a rich pool of talent surrounding the Indian cricket team, each jostling for a place in the final XI. Only good things can come from this. V.Sehwag took his game to a whole new level as did veteran fast bowler Zaheer Khan who continues to spearhead this young Indian pace attack. Zaheer Khan and Ishant worked well together to form a threatening pace combination. R.P. Singh, Sreesanth & Munaf Patel proved to be more than adequate second string pace bowlers when required. The Indian team has a good rotation of pace bowlers and new head coach Gary Kirsten should ensure they are all properly utilized.
Both Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh had a considerably good year but were inconsistent. Sachin Tendulkar crossed 12K run and became the highest run-scorer in test cricket.Indian cricket seems to have hit a rich vein of form and this should bode well for new skipper M.S. Dhoni who has impressed all with his cool-headed yet creative leadership. The only sour point was the disappointing form of Rahul Dravid, revealing the effect of age and time on a champion cricketer. I hope we haven't seen the best of Dravid yet.
Of the famous five, Saurav Ganguly and Anil Kumble retired at the end of Australia tour of India. It seems like only yesterday I watched Ganguly make his test debut at Lords and become one of India's premier batsmen and captain. If not the best Indian captain yet.
Baseball
Yankees did not make it to the playoffs for the first time after 13 consecutive years. It also marked the last time Yankees would play in the house that Ruth built. The Yankees have built a brand spanking new stadium right across the old one. The old Yankees stadium may be torn down or re-modelled in some way. It was a pretty low-key year for the Yankees. It never looked like they could make it into the play-offs. Pity they couldn't send off the old stadium in a better fashion. After all the stadium has seen much grander days. Also marked the last days in Yankees uniform for Giambi, Abreu, Mussina (retd), Pavano (Ef'ing good riddance), I.Rodriguez (amongst others).
Towards the end of the year, Yankees went on a spending splurge in an attempt to fix their broken pitching rotation by acquiring - CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett and also bagged switch-hitting batter - Mark Texeira. Total price tag $400 m +. By doing so they have incurred the wrath of many who struggle in these tough economic times and no doubt there is talk around baseball circles as to the impending ticket prices at the new stadium. Good luck to them.
Fantasy baseball & Football
Fantasy baseball and football is the best. I tried a hand at fantasy baseball in summer of '08 and was quickly addicted. Football too. I know some day it'll no longer be as addictive or exciting. I pray that day never comes.
Olympics
Came and went by too quickly. Probably one of the most popular in terms of viewership as billions tuned into watch Michael Phelps go for the record 8 gold medals in Beijing, including my dad and me. It was unbelievable and for once an athlete matched all the expectations and hype. His dominance in the pool is unquestionable. But my personal superstar of the event was Jamaica's Usain Bolt who just seemed unbeatable and by a distance. His arrogance (or confidence?) was justifiable. Its the sort of self-confidence in your abilities, that no matter who or what you come up against, you know you can win. His brash bring-it-on approach was good counter-balance to Phelps perhaps quiet & good natured personality. Excellent coverage by Bob Costas and gang over at NBC. It was thoroughly enjoyable viewing.
POLITICS
America shall remember the day Barack Obama became president elect of the United States of America. It was a historic and monumental day. Being a resident of DC during that time, one could easily discern the excitement in the air. I'd been following Obama right through the primaries, his first televised debate, his battle with fellow potential democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and his showdown with John Mcain and of course lest one forget - Sarah Palin and all the drama she brought along with her. In hindsight did John Mcain ever have a chance? Would America really tolerate another 4 years of republican goverance and policies? America answered decisively and it was an emphatic win for Obama, sweeping through most if not all the key swing states. Now we'll see how effectively he can deal with the various complex issues facing our nation.
ECONOMY/BUSINESS
It was a whirlwind year. The year the economy was declared to be in a recession. An official recession. Bail-out was the buzzword of the year. Market tanked record points on a regular basis. It was as if they were daring the government to not go through with their bail-out plans. Gas prices shot up to all time high before coming down to pre 2003 prices. The greed and mismanagement of the past changed the face of Wall Street as we know it. Iconic establishments like Lehman Bros, Bears Stern collapsed. Merill Lynch and Wachovia were bought over. Mortgage companies fell in droves. Banks shut down shop like it was 1929. Big players such as Citigroup, UBS, AIG fell to their knees and are still trying to recover. The days of total freedom enjoyed by the privileged few are now over and they will have to bear the full scrutiny of the American government and people. At least for time being. People soon forget and things will be back to normal. The CEO's of the american auto-industry, who are in their last legs, flew in their corporate jets to Washington, stood in front of Congress and basically asked for a lot of money to save their companies. They were rightly admonished and sent back to detroit with their tails between the legs. They returned in fuel-efficient hybrid cars and asked for more. But balked when asked if they would work for $1 salary for the entire year. Why should these companies be saved in the first place? They are perfectly bad business models. Bad business models which have failed. They produce extravagant cars supposedly tailored to an audience who have long foregone luxury for efficiency and as a result have embraced Japanese and European models.
And as if a slap on the face, the porn industry demanded a $6 billion bail-out in the face of economic recession. All in good humor (I hope). It truly highlights the hypocrisy of our times. We are the champions of Capitalism and free markets. But when the shit hits the roof, we have no qualms of running to big brother and asking for protection.
To sum it up was best of times. It was the worst of times.
SPORTS -
Football
NY Giants won the Superbowl XLII. Funny it should be right at the top of my recap. Highlight of the year I suppose. There is no greater joy as when the team you root for and support religiously goes against all odds and beats a superior team (New England Patriots, who were 17-0 and playing for a place in the record books). All the disappointments from the past are washed away. And we quietly move on to our next moment of glory. Await the next triumph. NY Giants are in the playoffs this year. Although the Eagles of this year remind me a whole lot of Giants of last year...
And that's human nature for you. We always crave for more. Bigger, better things. That's why we build taller building, faster cars and reach for the stars instead of living in a mere cave. Boston Red Sox fans waited 86 years before winning a world series title. Now they expect to win one every year. Greed. Can't think of a better word to describe the condition. But greed has such negative connotations. Isn't greed necessary for the survival of humankind? For our eternal evolution and natural progress in life? I often feel the words 'need' and 'greed' can be used synonymously. The need to be taller, more good-looking, more skinnier, more faster, brainier, more rich et al. Our perceived success or progress is largely influenced by our needs.
Anyway back to sports. I'd written a lengthy essay in one of my posts below complaining how every team I'd supported or truly expected to win had either come close and lost or were thoroughly beaten. With the NY Giants Superbowl win, ladies and gents, you shan't hear me complain no more!
Cricket
Indian cricket team did reasonably well this year. They pushed themselves well throughout the year and climbed up the world rankings and are now looking a real competitive No.2 or No.3 test squad. In India and abroad. The tour to Australia was all one could expect. All controversies aside, the cricket was beautiful and exciting. But I'm sure all the trouble off-field helped make the contest more intense. I could never understand why some people detest test match cricket. Some call it boring. And here I'm referring to people who actually understand the nuances of the game as opposed to un-initiated. Anybody who watched any of the three test matches at Sydney, Perth and Adelaide between India and Australia can attest that when it comes providing pure thrill and tension, there is no better sport than test cricket. The one hour in the last day of the Perth test, the duel between young Ishant Sharma and Australian captain Ricky Ponting culminating with Ponting's dismissal which eventually turned the match in India's favor shall forever be etched in my memory.Again we live in a world where time is of the essence. We seek the thrills, the excitement and passion of sport, but all neatly packaged and with a time limit. Like sex without the seduction & foreplay. One can't be bothered with all that when time is of the essence. Instant gratification.
Indian cricket team carried on the good form shown in the test matches into the ODI's and won a dramatic finale against Australia 2-0. 2008 marked the last time Australia would host the standard triangular series (known as world series cricket) in its present format. Australia lost its last two world series titles to England (2007) and India (2008). A semi-tragic end to a competition dominated by Australia right from its inception in the mid-80's.
The cricketing world took notice of India's challenge to Australia's throne. Australia no longer seem to possess the aura of invincibility as they go through a period of transition. They had no answers to any of the questions asked by the Indian team when they toured India in October 08. They lost the four test match series 2-0. They appeared susceptible to disciplined swing and pace bowling coupled with aggressive batting. India showed plenty of both with a steady stream of young bowlers - Ishant Sharma (consistent fast bowler who is proving to be one of the best in the world at the moment), Pavan Kumar (good swing bowler who destroyed Australia twice in the world series finals), Amit Mishra ( hardworking legspinner who has the un-enviable task of replacing the legspinning giant - Anil Kumble), Piyush Chawla (another leggie who showed maturity in Australia), Batters - Rohit Sharma (classy, elegant batter who will surely fill a test spot soon), Robin Uttappa (aggressive opening hitter), Gautam Gambhir (emerged as one of India's best opening hitters alongside V.Sehwag) amongst others. Never before has there been such a rich pool of talent surrounding the Indian cricket team, each jostling for a place in the final XI. Only good things can come from this. V.Sehwag took his game to a whole new level as did veteran fast bowler Zaheer Khan who continues to spearhead this young Indian pace attack. Zaheer Khan and Ishant worked well together to form a threatening pace combination. R.P. Singh, Sreesanth & Munaf Patel proved to be more than adequate second string pace bowlers when required. The Indian team has a good rotation of pace bowlers and new head coach Gary Kirsten should ensure they are all properly utilized.
Both Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh had a considerably good year but were inconsistent. Sachin Tendulkar crossed 12K run and became the highest run-scorer in test cricket.Indian cricket seems to have hit a rich vein of form and this should bode well for new skipper M.S. Dhoni who has impressed all with his cool-headed yet creative leadership. The only sour point was the disappointing form of Rahul Dravid, revealing the effect of age and time on a champion cricketer. I hope we haven't seen the best of Dravid yet.
Of the famous five, Saurav Ganguly and Anil Kumble retired at the end of Australia tour of India. It seems like only yesterday I watched Ganguly make his test debut at Lords and become one of India's premier batsmen and captain. If not the best Indian captain yet.
Baseball
Yankees did not make it to the playoffs for the first time after 13 consecutive years. It also marked the last time Yankees would play in the house that Ruth built. The Yankees have built a brand spanking new stadium right across the old one. The old Yankees stadium may be torn down or re-modelled in some way. It was a pretty low-key year for the Yankees. It never looked like they could make it into the play-offs. Pity they couldn't send off the old stadium in a better fashion. After all the stadium has seen much grander days. Also marked the last days in Yankees uniform for Giambi, Abreu, Mussina (retd), Pavano (Ef'ing good riddance), I.Rodriguez (amongst others).
Towards the end of the year, Yankees went on a spending splurge in an attempt to fix their broken pitching rotation by acquiring - CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett and also bagged switch-hitting batter - Mark Texeira. Total price tag $400 m +. By doing so they have incurred the wrath of many who struggle in these tough economic times and no doubt there is talk around baseball circles as to the impending ticket prices at the new stadium. Good luck to them.
Fantasy baseball & Football
Fantasy baseball and football is the best. I tried a hand at fantasy baseball in summer of '08 and was quickly addicted. Football too. I know some day it'll no longer be as addictive or exciting. I pray that day never comes.
Olympics
Came and went by too quickly. Probably one of the most popular in terms of viewership as billions tuned into watch Michael Phelps go for the record 8 gold medals in Beijing, including my dad and me. It was unbelievable and for once an athlete matched all the expectations and hype. His dominance in the pool is unquestionable. But my personal superstar of the event was Jamaica's Usain Bolt who just seemed unbeatable and by a distance. His arrogance (or confidence?) was justifiable. Its the sort of self-confidence in your abilities, that no matter who or what you come up against, you know you can win. His brash bring-it-on approach was good counter-balance to Phelps perhaps quiet & good natured personality. Excellent coverage by Bob Costas and gang over at NBC. It was thoroughly enjoyable viewing.
POLITICS
America shall remember the day Barack Obama became president elect of the United States of America. It was a historic and monumental day. Being a resident of DC during that time, one could easily discern the excitement in the air. I'd been following Obama right through the primaries, his first televised debate, his battle with fellow potential democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and his showdown with John Mcain and of course lest one forget - Sarah Palin and all the drama she brought along with her. In hindsight did John Mcain ever have a chance? Would America really tolerate another 4 years of republican goverance and policies? America answered decisively and it was an emphatic win for Obama, sweeping through most if not all the key swing states. Now we'll see how effectively he can deal with the various complex issues facing our nation.
ECONOMY/BUSINESS
It was a whirlwind year. The year the economy was declared to be in a recession. An official recession. Bail-out was the buzzword of the year. Market tanked record points on a regular basis. It was as if they were daring the government to not go through with their bail-out plans. Gas prices shot up to all time high before coming down to pre 2003 prices. The greed and mismanagement of the past changed the face of Wall Street as we know it. Iconic establishments like Lehman Bros, Bears Stern collapsed. Merill Lynch and Wachovia were bought over. Mortgage companies fell in droves. Banks shut down shop like it was 1929. Big players such as Citigroup, UBS, AIG fell to their knees and are still trying to recover. The days of total freedom enjoyed by the privileged few are now over and they will have to bear the full scrutiny of the American government and people. At least for time being. People soon forget and things will be back to normal. The CEO's of the american auto-industry, who are in their last legs, flew in their corporate jets to Washington, stood in front of Congress and basically asked for a lot of money to save their companies. They were rightly admonished and sent back to detroit with their tails between the legs. They returned in fuel-efficient hybrid cars and asked for more. But balked when asked if they would work for $1 salary for the entire year. Why should these companies be saved in the first place? They are perfectly bad business models. Bad business models which have failed. They produce extravagant cars supposedly tailored to an audience who have long foregone luxury for efficiency and as a result have embraced Japanese and European models.
And as if a slap on the face, the porn industry demanded a $6 billion bail-out in the face of economic recession. All in good humor (I hope). It truly highlights the hypocrisy of our times. We are the champions of Capitalism and free markets. But when the shit hits the roof, we have no qualms of running to big brother and asking for protection.
To sum it up was best of times. It was the worst of times.
posted by Nav at 12:54 PM
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