IPL is great entertainment, an addictive timepass despite its long duration and vociferous publicity and support by BCCI, Bollywood, India Inc et al have translated in a success dazzling enough that nobody probably remembers the older poorer cousin, ICL, now. Yet, with its gripping power over the masses, it looks like its doing some serious damage with its regional philosophies.
I'm sure some marketing strategist would've advocated it, and maybe it pumps up the moolah by some skewed complicated equation too, but IMHO it's a bad move in the greater scheme of things to have regionally identified teams...we might as well have had SuperKings playing Royal Challengers, but instead it's a Chennai vs Bangalore clash, and unfortunately not just on the field but also in the stadium and on the streets. And hence a crucial Delhi DareDevils vs Mumbai Indians clash brings Dilliwallahs at odds with Mumbaikars, and the regional pride and self-esteem of parts of our country dips and rises with the IPL point tally. It couldn't have been incidental either, since the first promos of IPL itself focussed on bitter rivalry between supporters of different teams, identifiably natives of those regions.
There is definitely a section of people, me included, who care for the team, the players and cricket only to decide their loyalties (damn Mumbai the chokers, they're a better team than people to throw away 3 on 3 matches in the last over) but then, I love test matches as much as T20, perhaps more, and the glamour and glitz was never targetted at me in the first place(for the record the Lahore XI in ICL is an awesome team). It does make a difference, however, for the masses who burn effigies at world cup losses, celebrate Diwali at Dada centuries and pray for Sachin's back to heal faster. They count, I don't, and it is them who're being manipulated in a dirty way. What surprise then that the Mumbai crowd chooses to boo the Mohali players defeating "their" team, even if it means cursing their favorite Yuvraj Singh.
Encashing on feverish patriotism was a bad enough exercise when India played an ODI with Pakistan and gunshells boomed on the LOC depending on who won, but taking the rifts deeper inside home seems like a very bad move at a broader level for a country already struggling to hold up despite differences (and mindless Gujjar agitations).
I'm sure some marketing strategist would've advocated it, and maybe it pumps up the moolah by some skewed complicated equation too, but IMHO it's a bad move in the greater scheme of things to have regionally identified teams...we might as well have had SuperKings playing Royal Challengers, but instead it's a Chennai vs Bangalore clash, and unfortunately not just on the field but also in the stadium and on the streets. And hence a crucial Delhi DareDevils vs Mumbai Indians clash brings Dilliwallahs at odds with Mumbaikars, and the regional pride and self-esteem of parts of our country dips and rises with the IPL point tally. It couldn't have been incidental either, since the first promos of IPL itself focussed on bitter rivalry between supporters of different teams, identifiably natives of those regions.
There is definitely a section of people, me included, who care for the team, the players and cricket only to decide their loyalties (damn Mumbai the chokers, they're a better team than people to throw away 3 on 3 matches in the last over) but then, I love test matches as much as T20, perhaps more, and the glamour and glitz was never targetted at me in the first place(for the record the Lahore XI in ICL is an awesome team). It does make a difference, however, for the masses who burn effigies at world cup losses, celebrate Diwali at Dada centuries and pray for Sachin's back to heal faster. They count, I don't, and it is them who're being manipulated in a dirty way. What surprise then that the Mumbai crowd chooses to boo the Mohali players defeating "their" team, even if it means cursing their favorite Yuvraj Singh.
Encashing on feverish patriotism was a bad enough exercise when India played an ODI with Pakistan and gunshells boomed on the LOC depending on who won, but taking the rifts deeper inside home seems like a very bad move at a broader level for a country already struggling to hold up despite differences (and mindless Gujjar agitations).
18 comments:
Sadly, money doesn't care. First, our players whore themselves out to big names, then we have regionally targetted ads and now the country is crumbling from within. I hate it even when there is an ODI and an upsurge of fake nationalism, which gives people a silly excuse to hate and abuse a country. Sports and war aren't too different. And I think instead of having teams with national identities, there should be teams with players all from different countries having names like "Firebolters" or whatever, that doesn't betray nationalistic, religious or blah blah distinctions. Heck, people around the world are more common than different, but everyone's too proud to accept that!
I agree! IPL is become more of a glam affair..ICL ne Mumbai Mirror ke last page pe ad kiya tha! Atleast in Mumbai it wasnt even remotely famous!On the regionalism factor,its not just about difference in cities but also about the players from other countries!I vividly remember,the whole stadium for a match kept screaming Shoiab is a b******,for the entire match,then came Dada's turn!I personally think,that its good! but there should be a code of conduct which is implemented very very strictly so that atleast people from the same team (originally)do not argue like cats and dogs!But besides that,IPL is an excellent platform to recognize upcoming Indian Talent and most importantly its not just about they win or lose,yesterday's match even the game was fabulous..Sachin ka catch was stupendous man!I HOPE Superkings Lose! and Indians win! (no puns intended!:P)
Not entirely convinced with the argument...I agree with there being a little sense of regionalism prevailing in, but ideally its pride that we are talking about here.it should have been there in the first place had Ranji matches been a big thing...when getting into a team like Mumbai used to be as tough as india's.
Every sport needs that bit of passion and pride...and when its not a national team, state is the next obvious choice...in this case the state becomes a city - the very people who would flock to the stadia.
Plus it is not entirely a delhi vs mumbai battle as you would find an ashish nehra bowling against another dilliwallah or manpreet gony, a punjabi munda playing for a "maddu" team !
Just because there might be occasional fanaticism is not a good enough reason for a sport not to be promoted - its a different issue that a game like cricket needs no more of it...
I dunno what's the problem with that ? Dividing teams on based of region is not only the most obvious thing to do but is also which has been done all these years ! Its throughout the world be it english counties, aussie pura cup or the football/soccer clubs and not to forget even in our very own "non-glamarous" ranji/deodhar/dileep trophies in case u forgot them !! So what's the big deal in it. Its just that it is now for the first time getting into real limelight.
Supporting their own region teams and not necessarily indian players is perfectly fine for me, inface that is the essence of it. If the ppl keep supporting only the indian players irrespective of the teams then the tournament doesn't have any point. I think cheering ur own team and booing the "away" team is again perfectly fine and infact makes the game more *interesting* and tests the players even more. Ya booing a team after they have beatem ur team isn't gud for me but throughout the game its fine :). And just to add i think yuvraj really acted like a cry-baby by saying "some of these players also play for india". Oh cmmon...most of the indian players actually act like crybabies !! Be it sreesanth, harbhajan, or yuvraj..
Vaise i too personally prefer test cricket over other forms but still 20/20 is not-so-bad experiment and a really good cricketer will still come out good in this form of the game. Just look at warney :)
To finish off..i'll say that it's not necessary that u support ur own region team, u can support any team like am supporting rajasthan royals simply coz of my all time fav player warney.
That's how we are :) With or without IPL. As you said, they are encashing something that already exists, so maybe the matches aren't bad but good, because they're making something apparent which normally doesn't show up so openly (but exists!).
(But this IPL-ShiPL is making too much noise now...and giving me a headache!)
Yup yup...agreed but somehow apart from money and noise dont you think its actually giving the young ones a chnace to show off there talent...??
btw whic team are u supporting??
i was also a bit skeptical about this whole IPL thing in the beginning and posted my views about it , but now living in bombay and being a hardcore tendulkar fan .. i cheered for delhi in front of the hostile mumbai crowd ..in Saturday's match .. and if looks were any indication .. i would have been surely dead by now ... but i am happy that having got my tickets for the friday's semifinal, i will be cheering for delhi at the wankhade :)
I, for one, am totally enjoying these matches :)
[akshay]
Exactly my point, there could be just as much fun in cricket without a team being identified by a region or state..I don't really hold much against the players, they have all the rights to earn money for their skills whichever way it comes as long as it doesn't harm anyone for they are hardworking normal young lads too, but somebody up there should have a greater sense of responsibility towards national unity and sentiment. Sports may not be war, but cricket is an exception, for in India it is bigger than religion. It does galvanise a country together when the international team wins laurels, but the same force could be equally acidic inside.
[metallica bhakt]
ICL flopped, but IPL has a greater pan-national involvement due to a host of factors. India has a very very immature sensitive audience, and we as a society have plenty to be ashamed about, but given this colatile situation somebody had to have some brain and not turn people against each other on the street. IPL is great, has plenty of advantages and a is a HUGE opportunity for many, it just has some facets which are uglier than they could be.
[phirchalen]
I understand your view point, but really this is cricket in India we are talking about, and the way IPL has managed to involve the media and the masses, it is much bigger than a sport here. I do not dispute by any count the great platform that IPL is, nor do I deny a sport needs passion, but when one can support an EPL club with hardly ever identifying himself as a resident of a particular place, why cant we just play teams which do not have a city name in.
Ranji is not as big in India, with much less of a media attention, although for a cricket purist and fan it is HUGE.
My argument here is not generic, it specifically applies to the case of a glamorous tournament like IPL of "cricket" in India. That is a religion, that has too much uncontrollable passion, and that has the potential to turn people against their Bengali neighbours because of a defeat by KKR. That is what causes mass hysterians among Bangaloreans, mostly the amateur passing-interest no-Tests-only-T20 fans when "their" team, which they are supposed to support by default, does not do well.
[Kon ??]
Read my reply above to understand what I'm putting forward here is an opinion based on this specific much-hyped much-glamorised situation. All I'm saying is giving people the bait of "their city" to support is fine only when it is restricted to healthy cheering, but in case of cricket in India emotions run too high to control. Being a cry-baby or not is a different thing, and they're immature young lads n nothing more smtimes, and I know you dont have to support your region team, but thats wat the majority of new converted fans do...and I dont like the way it is spilling outside the stadiums and the 3 hr durations of the matches. Wont be long before the "aamchi mumbai" brigade claims ownership of Mumbai Indians, and TN vs Karnataka political clashes spill into sport at a bigger level.
Still, it's only my opinion. It's only..as I say..for the love of the game!
[vibhav]
Haan, woh to hai. I sometimes worry about the sensitivity and immaturity (and intolerance) of the Indian society and audiences as a whole...the kind we frequently see towards art and artists, literature and cinema.
Pata nahi, don't feel like it's a situation where you need to flare up the problem if only to bring it out into the open because I wonder if it will solve it. Let's face it, ours is the most racist society in the world.
[chakoli]
I am not saying it's a bad exercise, and it's absolutely great for the young players as well as for the lovers of the game (just so long as it doesnt tire n injure all our internationals)
My support is for a few teams, mostly the underdogs and depends on the match. I always cheered for Dravid's RCB [:P] n smwhat for Delhi Rajasthan and Mumbai...basically I'm cheering cricket n i hope everyone plays it well.now in semis...i dunno..bw raj and delhi i think
[daman kohli]
the hostile mumbai crowd is the nagging worry for me, I mean haven;t they otherwise cheered for Veeru or Yuvraj or dada..
But theek hai, hopefully we get great cricket..
[Kanupriya]
so am I. no doubt about it!!
I guess its 1st or second post I am reading on your blog & here I am 'amazed' by the depth of you thoughts.... I am also amazed that people's thots take them to unexplored frontiers....Although I totaly disagree with your thoughts but appreciate your thought process.
There could not have been anything better than IPl to the India cricket. I feel proud that India is the country hosting IPL. It is comparable to any football league in the very first year of existence. Amazing is the concept & marketing of IPL. Hats off. But I feel pity for Subhash Chandra as it was his brain child but ICL failed miserably.
Arrey waah! Editorial!
T20 is a game for crickets. It's not the gentleman's game for sure. I can't stand Dhonis, Bhajjis, Haydens, and any other variety crickets come in.
Waise I don't think these matches influence the way masses think. (Waise, I don't even think that the masses 'think') Their thinking is deep ingrained inside them, and only politicians know how to bring it to surface in worst possible ways. You were very right that day..'hum dark ages mein hi to jee rahe hain'.
[passionate]
welcome, dear passionate.
To each his own I guess, it was just an opinion anyway. I totally agree IPL is a great platform, loads of advantages and an awesome timepass :D
Hope you keep reading!
[vik]
ab variety to maintain karna padta hai na!!!
And now that you have reduced cricketers to karr karr karne wale crickets, lets leave the game in its glory and pray that the dark ages pass soon! :D
loved the post.. concise, staright and to the point.
I actually thought the other way, I thought IPL would enable people to see cricket just as a game and not as a war between two countries or two cities.
I agree that the marketing was done based on the regions, but then there needs to be something to hold the team together and the people to cheer. I just hope people after some time will get used to IPL and realize the fact that its just a sport afterall.
[maverick]
Thanks.
I hope so too, but I dont have an unshakeable faith in that hope. People in India have a long way to go before they'd think of cricket as just another support...it is, quite frankly, the opium of the masses.
Post a Comment