Wednesday, July 07, 2004
Hellas, Hellas, Hellas...
Greece, Greece, Greece…
No one would have believed that the first and the last matches of the just concluded edition of Euro Championships would feature the same teams. Portugal was still struggling to find form and the Greeks were not even considered the underdogs of the tournament: they were always considered the outsiders. The first match was considered one of the shock upsets that keep occurring from time to time in every sport. But the Greeks showed immense spirit as they scripted a true football fairy tale!
The Portuguese also showed some true grit in bouncing back from a rather unflattering start to what finally turned out to be a glorious campaign. It is indeed no small feat they achieved when they ousted three of the better teams in the tournament one after another – Spain, England and Netherlands. It is sad to see the last of the so-called “Golden Generation” of Portuguese football – Luis Figo, Rui Costa, and Fernando Couta – go out in defeat; they deserved to win what is their last campaign before they handed the baton to the younger crop. But all in all, it must be said that they did give us some excellent football during the past three weeks.
The Greeks stood no chance of making it past the league stages – or so thought everyone at the start, as I said already; no wonder since the Greeks never even had a single victory in a major tournament before now! They didn’t have any big names to boast of, unlike, say, France or England, or any of the other teams in the Final Eight! Coach Otto Rehhagel did a really fine job with this team and they did play well some times. But I think the main reason they won the championship is because they could convert the few chances they got. Look at the final match itself. The Portuguese almost never gave up their attacking game, always forcing the Greeks to fall back. Yet, the Greeks converted the one real opportunity they had and they managed to hold on to that lead. They never let off, they were unfazed by the big names and they stuck to their game plan. And, one more thing that favored them I think was the fact that they did not depend on any one man – “The” Man – to get their victories, there were no heroes among them, and they all became heroes together!
I guess that’s the lesson we should take out of this extremely enjoyable series – most of which I missed because of stupid games played by the cable networks, but let’s not get into that now. Back to the lesson – I think it is that when in a team, one should realize that everyone is as important as anyone else. That alone would lead to true teamwork. One might succeed on one day and another might on another day.
PS: Sorry if I seemed too serious today… just wanted to put this down online…
Signing off with a toast: To Teamwork and the Underdog!!!
No one would have believed that the first and the last matches of the just concluded edition of Euro Championships would feature the same teams. Portugal was still struggling to find form and the Greeks were not even considered the underdogs of the tournament: they were always considered the outsiders. The first match was considered one of the shock upsets that keep occurring from time to time in every sport. But the Greeks showed immense spirit as they scripted a true football fairy tale!
The Portuguese also showed some true grit in bouncing back from a rather unflattering start to what finally turned out to be a glorious campaign. It is indeed no small feat they achieved when they ousted three of the better teams in the tournament one after another – Spain, England and Netherlands. It is sad to see the last of the so-called “Golden Generation” of Portuguese football – Luis Figo, Rui Costa, and Fernando Couta – go out in defeat; they deserved to win what is their last campaign before they handed the baton to the younger crop. But all in all, it must be said that they did give us some excellent football during the past three weeks.
The Greeks stood no chance of making it past the league stages – or so thought everyone at the start, as I said already; no wonder since the Greeks never even had a single victory in a major tournament before now! They didn’t have any big names to boast of, unlike, say, France or England, or any of the other teams in the Final Eight! Coach Otto Rehhagel did a really fine job with this team and they did play well some times. But I think the main reason they won the championship is because they could convert the few chances they got. Look at the final match itself. The Portuguese almost never gave up their attacking game, always forcing the Greeks to fall back. Yet, the Greeks converted the one real opportunity they had and they managed to hold on to that lead. They never let off, they were unfazed by the big names and they stuck to their game plan. And, one more thing that favored them I think was the fact that they did not depend on any one man – “The” Man – to get their victories, there were no heroes among them, and they all became heroes together!
I guess that’s the lesson we should take out of this extremely enjoyable series – most of which I missed because of stupid games played by the cable networks, but let’s not get into that now. Back to the lesson – I think it is that when in a team, one should realize that everyone is as important as anyone else. That alone would lead to true teamwork. One might succeed on one day and another might on another day.
PS: Sorry if I seemed too serious today… just wanted to put this down online…
Signing off with a toast: To Teamwork and the Underdog!!!
Sunday, July 04, 2004
I was just browsing through the vast labyrinthine network of the great place we call the World Wide Web and came across this link to a jokes site. Apart from the usual Sardar / blonde and the question-answer jokes, there were the following two small ones that I felt were good.
Man's greatest enemy is alcohol, but the Bible says, " Love thy enemy!"
When I was young I used to pray for a bike, then I realized that God doesn't work that way, so I stole a bike and prayed for forgiveness.
I don’t have much to write now, except that the great good news of recent days is burning a real big hole in my pockets, and that too at a very fast rate. Well, I am not complaining much, but my dad sure is cribbing about the way I am spending now, and that too for small kutti treats with the real big one still pending. I guess I have just got to make time for that big one and then avoid my dad for some days!!
Man's greatest enemy is alcohol, but the Bible says, " Love thy enemy!"
When I was young I used to pray for a bike, then I realized that God doesn't work that way, so I stole a bike and prayed for forgiveness.
I don’t have much to write now, except that the great good news of recent days is burning a real big hole in my pockets, and that too at a very fast rate. Well, I am not complaining much, but my dad sure is cribbing about the way I am spending now, and that too for small kutti treats with the real big one still pending. I guess I have just got to make time for that big one and then avoid my dad for some days!!
Thursday, July 01, 2004
On Cloud Number 9
Maybe a bit higher...
There is God, and I have proof to show this! I was reading this on Aswathi’s blog just the other day. When I was reading that, I was like, “Yeah. There is a God. But He is damn selective to show the proof.” I had been in a very negative mood for quite sometime now, looking at the worst possible scenario in all situations. Understandable, given the difficulties I have been facing regarding the financial support documentation I needed to show for my visa. Well, the time has come finally to shed the cynical outlook acquired over the past four years and look at life at least as it really is. It ain’t all that bad afterall, is it?
Yesterday, June 30th, has been really good for me. Everything just seemed to fall in place as in a perfectly set jigsaw puzzle. First up, I just log into my mailbox, and the first mail that hits my eye is from this professor I had been in touch with for financial assistance, and the subject line read, “GRA Offer”!! Now these two words really made my day, well, a lot of days can be said to have been made with them now! Yes! I finally got a research assistantship from this prof. I don’t think I have been happier ever. My mom said that she didn’t see me happier even when I had made it to the hallowed portals of IIT Madras!! Well, I should say that it is indeed so. Afterall, the amount of uncertainty involved with getting an admit and no aid, especially for a PhD, is a lot more than that involved in waiting for JEE results. I guess it’s difficult to explain…
Everything else seems to fall in place, as I said – the bank managers my Dad met today were a lot more courteous and helpful and more encouraging than before; even ESPN is being telecast even though there is a soccer match today, against the norm! I guess I am just seeing the silver lining in all things now. It’s just the mood I guess. Anyway, all I can say is that I am really happy today!
I would like to end saying once again, “There is a God! And He knows the best damn time to show Himself to you. Thank You, God!”
There is God, and I have proof to show this! I was reading this on Aswathi’s blog just the other day. When I was reading that, I was like, “Yeah. There is a God. But He is damn selective to show the proof.” I had been in a very negative mood for quite sometime now, looking at the worst possible scenario in all situations. Understandable, given the difficulties I have been facing regarding the financial support documentation I needed to show for my visa. Well, the time has come finally to shed the cynical outlook acquired over the past four years and look at life at least as it really is. It ain’t all that bad afterall, is it?
Yesterday, June 30th, has been really good for me. Everything just seemed to fall in place as in a perfectly set jigsaw puzzle. First up, I just log into my mailbox, and the first mail that hits my eye is from this professor I had been in touch with for financial assistance, and the subject line read, “GRA Offer”!! Now these two words really made my day, well, a lot of days can be said to have been made with them now! Yes! I finally got a research assistantship from this prof. I don’t think I have been happier ever. My mom said that she didn’t see me happier even when I had made it to the hallowed portals of IIT Madras!! Well, I should say that it is indeed so. Afterall, the amount of uncertainty involved with getting an admit and no aid, especially for a PhD, is a lot more than that involved in waiting for JEE results. I guess it’s difficult to explain…
Everything else seems to fall in place, as I said – the bank managers my Dad met today were a lot more courteous and helpful and more encouraging than before; even ESPN is being telecast even though there is a soccer match today, against the norm! I guess I am just seeing the silver lining in all things now. It’s just the mood I guess. Anyway, all I can say is that I am really happy today!
I would like to end saying once again, “There is a God! And He knows the best damn time to show Himself to you. Thank You, God!”
