Friday, June 17, 2011

My Relationship with.. Chelsea FC : How I became a Chelsea fan

When I started watching football during my school days it was just for passing my time with no real interest in the game. This is mainly because in India, football was almost obscure but for some presence in certain pockets. The nation is so cricket-crazy that the fans and media have no time or money for any other sport.

Not being an avid football fan, I started watching the weekend football matches on TV sparingly. Normally, they would show all matches of Man Utd, Liverpool and Arsenal. They show the matches of the other teams only if the slots did not clash with that of the top three. I had no idea about any of these teams. Then I saw a team playing in a Blue Jersey....

You know you’ve become a fan of a team, when you feel upset like hell after a defeat. You know you’ve become a fan of a team, when you get into never-before superstitions for a team to hold on to that lead. You know you’ve become a fan of a team when you defend a team to death, though they maybe right or wrong. All these things started happening to me with Chelsea. Without even knowing from when, I had become a  Chelsea fan !! . Very soon, everything about me turned Chelsea. I started watching and following their every game almost too fervently.

At first I was given quizzical looks when I told anyone that I was a Chelsea fan, because I didn't just support Arsenal or Man Utd like most people in India did. But I was fascinated about Chelsea and one thing about being a fan is, if you’re a real fan, the reason need not continue to exist. For many people I know the success and fame was a reason why they started to follow Man Utd or Arsenal, the disappearance of that reason might change their loyalty. But I know for sure that won't happen with me, I would support Chelsea even if they get relegated to the second division.

So, I started to read. I read everything I could find. I learned the history of the club and can now tell you how John Terry came through the academy and became Mr. Chelsea and can tell you everything about the Legendary genius of a certain Gianfranco Zola.



I've heard that there are moments when you want to start supporting a new team. But I just can’t do it. I won’t do it. I still bleed Chelsea Blue. I can’t cut the cord but Im not entirely sure why. So I do the unthinkable, I don’t want Chelsea to win.. I expect it. I get upset if they lose and if they don’t win by four goals. I get depressed when they lose to Arsenal or Tottenham or any other team and Im not quite sure how I’ll feel when we will play in the Champions League Final again.



Why did I start this blog? I love football, I love Chelsea and I love the fact that we are the only club whose stadium's pitch, the turnstiles and naming rights are owned by Chelsea Pitch Owners, a non-profit organisation of which the fans are the shareholders.

For me, this blog has been great and I hope you liked it too !! 

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

PM Manmohan Singh's reply to Anna Hazare

Dear Mr. Anna Hazare (The Last of the Gandhians) ,

Let me first of all Congratulate you. Your Strike has led to an increase in the Sales of TATA TEA (Utho mat Jaago) by 1%.

But the Bad News is. That's about it.

GANDHI-GIRI IN TODAY's TIMES :
In Response to your Letter, As an Economist I thought it was my duty to make you aware of some new developments when it comes to Gandhi Ji Ideology.
Gandhi's ideas are Eternal. But his Idea now has metamorphosed into a Physical Form.
In the form of Currency and Gandhi Family.
Today Gandhi Giri is done by Money.
Earlier you had to, kill people to plunder their wealth.
Now you just ask them to Vote, and then on Everything happens Constitutionally in accordance to the Law. CWG, 2G, Even Sonia G.
No Need to Kill anyone. But on an whole, It's all Peaceful. Like Gandhiji liked it.
Money, Not Hunger Strikes today is the tool of Non Violent Protest.
Also the Little Impact Recent Wikileaks expose has had on the Ruling Govt. goes to show the Shift.

It's no longer SATYAMEV JAYATE......  It's SONIAMEV JAYATE!

Money is the Modern Day Gandhi. So Please Don't Ever call yourself a Gandhian Ever Again!!!! For you have None!
Mukesh Ambani is Modern day Gandhi. And Pranav Mukherjee is the Nehru. Because Congress always does what Mukesh says. (Courtesy Radia Tapes)
Karunanidhi is the modern day B.R Ambedkar.. Because he writes his own Rules. Like the Spectrum Allocation Rules. ( Read the 2G Scam)
Mayawati is the Reincarnation of Rani Laxmi Bai. Because her Philosophy is, "Because Every Rani without Laxmi is a Bai!"
Sharad Powar is the modern day Bal Gangadhar Tilak: " Corruption is my Birth Right and I shall have it!"

And Manmohan Singh (me) is the Good Boy. And History Shows. Good Boys in Politics are also Good for Nothing!



Okay, you have got a couple of Likes on Facebook. 100 more People have started following you on Twitter. But It's not Egypt Mr.Anna.
Now we can't accuse you of a false Rape Case. You are too old for that.. But we can arrest you for an attempt to Suicide.

So Don't be carried away by those letters from Aamir Khan.
And if he is so Serious about your cause. Ask him to Join the Hunger Strike.
I mean Bhagat Singh didn't write a Letter to Gandhi to express his Support. He Showed Up.

Bal Gangadhar Tilak didn't tweet his Slogans. "Swaraj is my Birth Right and I shall have it!" He Showed Up.
Mr.Khan's Conscience Suddenly wakes up before a movie is up for release.

So Anna, Don't be fooled by the Support. It's only till the IPL begins. Then they will be back to supporting their Teams. And you will only be left with the Support of Tier 2 and Tier 3 Cities who can't afford an IPL Team.

If I don't pass the Anti Corruption Bill. You won't Eat.
If I Pass the Bill, then Sonia G wouldn't let me Eat.
Don't you see. Both of us are in the same Boat!

Please understand. I am only a SINGH. Not a KING.

My Sincere Apologies.

MANMOHAN SINGH

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

The value of your.. Life

In a seminar,
The speaker started off by holding up a Rs 500 note. In the room of 100, he asked “Who would like this Rs 500 note ”
Hands started going up.
He said “I am going to give this Rs 500 note to one of you but first, let me do this.” He proceeded to crumple the note.
He then asked “Who still wants it?”
Still the hands were up in the air.
“Well” he replied, “What if I do this?” And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe.
He picked it up, now all crumpled and dirty. “Now who still wants it?” Still the hands were up in the air.
“My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth Rs 500
Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way.
We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value.
You are special – Don’t ever forget it!