[rsjaurr]

After Jaffer,Dravid and Ganguly now its the turn of Laxman.
Well.........he is out for a duck in 6 *****.T20 is not their cup of tea.

BTW DC seem to have one of the best batsmen in their rank along withh decent bowling options.

[Samurai]

I tried watching couple of IPL matches, but it couldn't hold my interest for more than 5 minutes. I really like the T20 format, I fully followed the T20 world cup last year. But IPL just bored the hell out me...

1) The telecast itself was dull, with dark background. Bad lighting?
2) The teams don't represent anything, no national/state/regional pride, no history, no passion, no nothing.
3) It is just a bunch of players forming a team because they were bought off by the same buyer. I know it works similarly in US/European club team, but I find it hard to accept in cricket. Ganguly and Ponting who were at each others throat not long ago, playing in the same team? Is there really a bond of team-mates among them? I find it very hard to accept. Some sportswriter pointed it out in TOI recently. Would the players betray their national players from the other teams by revealing (national team) strategies to IPL team mates. Would McGrath tell Viru how to tackle Ponting, or Pathan share Ishant's strategy to Sangakkara? I can't see it happening. So where is the team?
4) Frankly these teams remind me of short software consulting projects. Bunch of people are hired form various head-hunting companies and formed into a team. By the time they know each other, the project is over. Such teams hardly have any cohesion. Especially when they are of international mix, there are usually multiple sub-teams plotting at each other, showing each other down affecting the productivity and morale of the team. The only thing that bind them together is money, what else can make Ponting server under Ganguly.

Anyway, for me to follow a team, to root for them, I need a passionate cause. And I can't see a cause in case of IPL.

[Mayavi]

Originally Posted by Samurai

2) The teams don't represent anything, no national/state/regional pride, no history, no passion, no nothing.
..
...

4) Frankly these teams remind me of short software consulting projects. Bunch of people are hired form various head-hunting companies and formed into a team.... The only thing that bind them together is money, what else can make Ponting server under Ganguly.

Anyway, for me to follow a team, to root for them, I need a passionate cause. And I can't see a cause in case of IPL.

I think all this will change with time. There is more money in IPL than in national teams and if IPL becomes a success, things are going to change. The passion, team spirit are going to come or atleast will be generated by suave marketing.

Here is what I envision will happen 3 - 4 years down the lane:

1. Once IPL becomes success, team owners will demand a bigger role in how the game is conducted and BCCI's role will slowly be relegated to a regulator with less power over things.

2. The team owners will demand better performance and loyalities from its high priced players and this will bring innovation.

3. The owners who plonked in millions of dollars will demand more of the players time after IPL season and they will definitely get it. Surely million dollars for 44 days is over pay for any player. Some players may even quit international cricket just to play 44 days of IPL as they make enough money.

4. The current generation of cricket players and audience grew up on a diet of ODI's between international teams. We all identify Ponting, Hayden, Jayasurya, Tendulkar, Ganguly etc with their respective national teams for a decade or so and it will be difficult to see them as IPL players. But these players will not last more than 3 years. The next crop of players like David Hussey etc have never donned their national colors. They will only be identified as IPL team members. To me Kohli, Ojha, Vinay kumar, David Hussey etc are names only heard in IPL and not international cricket.

5. The teams on their part will pump in more money to market the game and stir passions. Already there are advertisements trying to create rivalry and once the season finishes.


Anyway, this is what I reckon will happen given that so much money is at stake. Money can manufacture opinions. Yesterday, we were watching a basketball game between Phoenix Suns and SA spurs and when the game went into 2nd OT we were cussing and swearing. Then it struck, we had so much passion for a basketball game which we never watched growing up in India, rooting for a team which had one canadian, one brazilian player and one who till last year played for the most hated opponent and now is loved the most! All this in a city we have been living for just 3 years! This in because of the marketing done by NBA over several decades (ofcourse high quality of game has a lot to do with Basketball's popularity, but rivalry is manufactured). I am sure IPL will go the same way. Players nationalities will be forgotten and they will become local players. The other affect will be on international games... ponting will not be booed much next time he dons aussie cap and plays in Eden Garden.

[Bass&Trouble]

Woo Hoo!

Just came back from the game.. and found myself a side to root for too!

Ishan, I must admit you were right!

[razor4077]

Went for the Knight Riders vs Deccan Chargers game at the Eden Gardens today. Was good fun, though the quality of cricket was not up to the mark (the pitch had something to do with that!). Entertainment was great, plus the Eden atmosphere has to be experienced to believe. It wasn't filled to its 1 Lac capacity, but was somewhere around 85% full. DJ was great, and the music really rocked. The cheerleaders were of course delicious :P
And in between a couple of the floodlights just went out! While it wasn't a great advertisement for Kolkata, the people in the stadium had a pretty good time during that forced halt. Dimmed lights, DJ belting out some awesome tracks, strobe lights... it was basically the world's biggest open air disco with close to a 100k people!!

IPL is cricket+entertainment. It is not for purists. It is for people who want to let their hair down and watch some sport at the same time. Works for me!

PS: Guys, it's not Kolkatta, but Kolkata (note the single T) !!

[Mayavi]

Originally Posted by Mayavi

Then it struck, we had so much passion for a basketball game which we never watched growing up in India, rooting for a team which had one canadian, one brazilian player and one who till last year played for the most hated opponent and now is loved the most! All this in a city we have been living for just 3 years! This in because of the marketing done by NBA over several decades (ofcourse high quality of game has a lot to do with Basketball's popularity, but rivalry is manufactured). I am sure IPL will go the same way. Players nationalities will be forgotten and they will become local players. The other affect will be on international games... ponting will not be booed much next time he dons aussie cap and plays in Eden Garden.

Quoting myself, I just remembered that there are some die hard fans of English premier league (?) in India who without ever being to Europe or watching a single game of soccer in stadium passionately root for some of the teams in EPL. Same with basketball. The one thing that differentiates Soccer, Basketball and Cricket is that Cricket is at a disadvantage compared to those games. In BB and Soccer, both teams have scoring opportunities at the same time while in Cricket there is only one team that does all the scoring for 20 overs.

[Blue_V]

Camera focuses on the Cheerleaders

Rameez Raja: They are keeping us busy.
....30 seconds elapse
Sunil Gavaskar: And how may I ask?

That was so funny and why are the commentators going ga-ga over the cheerleaders? Jadeja , now rameez raja. Guys stop acting like teenagers!

---------------

I found the quality of coverage to be average. Over excited commentators, lousy camera work, why does the picture appear stretched? I have Tatasky.
THE ADS! So irritating, Godrej and esp Vodafone. GRRRR!

One more thing, Gavaskar and Rameez talking to the Mumbai wicket keeper just so unecessary. It was like they wanted to use it for the sake of using it. It was rather a distraction for the keeper.

[gkrishn]

I found the naming of teams little strange.

Mumbai "Indians". Is mumbai team going to have only indians playing in their ranks?

Bangalore "RC". First, Why is mallya slapping his product name on the bangalore team's name? I know he "owns" it. Second, if he decides to sell it, then will they keep changing the name just like they do in F1?

BTW, punters are siding with super kings!!!

[suman]

Well, found myself a team to back - KKR; apart from the "Bong" connection, its a good team & will go a loong way I think. Lol, in another two years its only going to be IPL, I wonder how the players will adjust psychologically once they've played alongside each other - what happens to the inter-country matches then!

[srishiva]

The players will play very well for whatever teams they are in. Its the audience with the regional block in our heads who will find it difficult. Its so much different than NBA. You move between cities and can change your loyalty. It much difficult in India (because its made up of us Indians who are so different)

[finneyp]

Am supporting the Kol Knight Riders!

The team composition is superb with Dada, Ponting, Mccullum, Hussey who can smash the bolls around, and Ishant, Ashok T & Agarkar in the pace attack!

The nearest rivals are Chennai Super Kings.

Originally Posted by suman

I wonder how the players will adjust psychologically once they've played alongside each other - what happens to the inter-country matches then!

Shouldn't be any probs, just see how EPL works, Rooney & Ronaldo can play together for Man Utd, but when they play for their countries, they are fierce rivals!

[DCEite]

I hate that Vodafone (uh-ah ..bla bla) ad. So disturbing it is, cuts off all the commentary in between. Damn! And then there is the little girl ad, where the dog keeps on helping her.

The CEAT 'change' ad is a good one though..

[iraghava]

Originally Posted by DCEite

I hate that Vodafone (uh-ah ..bla bla) ad. So disturbing it is, cuts off all the commentary in between. Damn!

Yup, that's very irritating & pissing off.

Originally Posted by DCEite

And then there is the little girl ad, where the dog keeps on helping her.

You don't like those ads? You seem to be the only person who doesn't like them, everyone else (including me) seems to love them.

Originally Posted by Bass&Trouble

Ishan, I must admit you were right!

See Ajay, I told you it'll work!!

[snaronikar]

Guys does anybody know when will Styn, Bracknan & Misbah is joining BRC team ?

[suman]

Originally Posted by srishiva

The players will play very well for whatever teams they are in. Its the audience with the regional block in our heads who will find it difficult. Its so much different than NBA. You move between cities and can change your loyalty. It much difficult in India (because its made up of us Indians who are so different)

I was talking about the International bit, not the Regional or National. I'm talking about a Ponting & a Ganguly or a Symonds & a Laxman. It will take a while getting used to but eventually they will (a good example mentioned by Finney)