Monday, June 27, 2011
Tradition Is No Mask
If tradition were a person or an object,it would rival the Ark of The Covenant,the Shroud of Turin or even the presence of a deity or priest.Not to be touched because of its powerful aura.However,in the world of sport,tradition is not all that immune to ''human'' defects and situations if the aura is not kept as mysterious as it should normally be and yesterday in Argentina,River Plate became the latest example of tradition gone wrong and out of the window.For those who might be too abreast,I'll make it as clear as possible for you.River Plate got relegated from the Argentine elite division and this is not from the league games I played on my Sony Playstation or a big footballing joke.It happened yesterday after they lost their playoff game to Belgrano by 3 goals to 1.This means that 110 years of history,tradition,clout and legacy have been sacrificed on the altar of incompetence just like in so many other cases in world football.West Ham United,Newcastle United,Deportivo La Coruna,Juventus and AS Monaco to mention just a few.
I am never against tradition.In fact,I'm one of its huge followers.Clubs like Liverpool,Real Madrid,AC Milan,Ajax,Boca Juniors,Benfica,Santos,El-Ahly (Egypt) have my eternal respect simply because of what they have given to our beautiful game.They set the standards for modern clubs to follow and that is magnificent.However,tradition can only be tradition when it grows with time, adapts to modernity and adopts contemporary ways of keeping the old brand still powerful.Real Madrid,for instance,have never gone away from their ''traditional'' ways of gathering the best talent around to put on the jersey of the King' club.They had Paco Gente,Puskas and Stefano back then.Now,it's Ronaldo,Kaka,Casillas wearing that kit and they still challenge for everything around.
But when we look at the River Plate case,it tells us of how some have failed to see the wisdom in keeping the brand alive by embedding and growing with the ages.The club that produced Daniel Passarella and blessed us with Ariel Ortega is now grappling with debts of about $19 million (according to the BBC).It looks a paltry sum but that's how huge it looks for a club popularly known as ''The Millionaires''.Alledged stories of gangsters being beneficiaries of transfer fees and a decline in general managerial success are marks that show how low River have sunk.Of course,relegation could have been nature and science's only just rewards for such sins but it tells us all that no big club is too big to go down in this modern era of football.Even my mother's favourite Hearts Of Oak in Ghana who were African Confederations Cup champions just 6 years ago flirted with the drop until late on in the just ended Ghanaian season.Frightening,it may seem but it can happen to any club.All you need to do is mismanage affairs.If your fans don't go on rampage like River Plate fans did yesterday,you'll have the club's ego to rebuild and face the constant reminder that the many years of tradition have gone down the drain under your watch.
Now that the dust has settled in Argentina,let the lesson rise up in the air:tradition is,certainly,no mask.
I am never against tradition.In fact,I'm one of its huge followers.Clubs like Liverpool,Real Madrid,AC Milan,Ajax,Boca Juniors,Benfica,Santos,El-Ahly (Egypt) have my eternal respect simply because of what they have given to our beautiful game.They set the standards for modern clubs to follow and that is magnificent.However,tradition can only be tradition when it grows with time, adapts to modernity and adopts contemporary ways of keeping the old brand still powerful.Real Madrid,for instance,have never gone away from their ''traditional'' ways of gathering the best talent around to put on the jersey of the King' club.They had Paco Gente,Puskas and Stefano back then.Now,it's Ronaldo,Kaka,Casillas wearing that kit and they still challenge for everything around.
But when we look at the River Plate case,it tells us of how some have failed to see the wisdom in keeping the brand alive by embedding and growing with the ages.The club that produced Daniel Passarella and blessed us with Ariel Ortega is now grappling with debts of about $19 million (according to the BBC).It looks a paltry sum but that's how huge it looks for a club popularly known as ''The Millionaires''.Alledged stories of gangsters being beneficiaries of transfer fees and a decline in general managerial success are marks that show how low River have sunk.Of course,relegation could have been nature and science's only just rewards for such sins but it tells us all that no big club is too big to go down in this modern era of football.Even my mother's favourite Hearts Of Oak in Ghana who were African Confederations Cup champions just 6 years ago flirted with the drop until late on in the just ended Ghanaian season.Frightening,it may seem but it can happen to any club.All you need to do is mismanage affairs.If your fans don't go on rampage like River Plate fans did yesterday,you'll have the club's ego to rebuild and face the constant reminder that the many years of tradition have gone down the drain under your watch.
Now that the dust has settled in Argentina,let the lesson rise up in the air:tradition is,certainly,no mask.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
The Mad Season
Fans look forward to it.Managers gear up for it.Agents salivate at it and players revel in it.It's not the league season but the season in between seasons.It's the transfer season.The mad period in football where players are so linked to various clubs,you wonder if they are communication lines.The period where obscene sums of money are thought of,quoted and in the some cases,given away or taken depending on where you stand in the exchange process.This year's market season has seen some of the most mind-bugging scenarios till date and I'm sure it will get crazier.
The ''El Nina Maravina and His Many Suitors'' saga is one that has captured attention.Young Chilean star,Alexis Sanchez had suddenly become the must-have player if you fancied pace,skill and some cherry in your team and a lot of teams wanted that.First,Manchester United showed their interest but Barcelona showed more than interest.They showed money and soon,Udinese chairman,Giampaolo Pozzo was rubbing his hands in expectant fashion as a deal worth about 27 million euros neared completion.Barcelona even made space for the Chilean by selling Bojan.Bloggers,tweeters,journalists and fans has accepted the facts.Sanchez was going to join the European champions.All too smooth for Mr.Murphy to let go,right?So he struck and maybe he struck Pozzo's head in a dream and when the boss woke up on Thursday morning and said if you didn't have 50 million pounds ready,get lost.He said if Ronaldo was worth 80 million quid,his ''playalike'' was also worth a lot if less.Quite engrossing for the mind and you can be sure that's not the last of it.
Luka Modric also had a say in the mad season too.Yes,Luka Modric.The quiet,nice Croatian bloke who runs the midfield for Tottenham.His claim to mad season fame was his open desire to join Chelsea as he ''wanted to win titles''.Once again,the wheels started turning and it was all in the news.The deal had begun from articles even before the two parties even dreamt of talking.However,Spurs chairman Daniel Levy didn't wait for Mr.Murphy to stir him into action.He said no and a big one at that to shut us all up.
Maybe not as dramatic as Sanchez's case but it still highlighted one simple thing.Players want to win titles and they're willing to go wherever to gain football's only objective.Fueled by this wisdom,Aston Villa's Ashley Young swapped blue and scarlet for the red and white of Manchester United and he'll be joined by Phil Jones from Blackburn.Great news for the English champions as they seek a 20th title and go way ahead of their bitter rivals,Liverpool who have also suddenly woken up and have gone into a frenzy.
First,they signed Jordan Henderson for 20million pounds and they're seeking to add more players to their team.Good shot,new owners.At least we can see exactly what you're spending on and you know whom you want too.However,the mad season has not seen one of its main players so far.This team has so much money to spend and they have an owner who's willing to throw more cash around.You guessed it right.I'm talking about Manchester City.Yes,they've looked around.They were ever present in the Sanchez episode and they're linked to every player on Earth.But they've not yet bought anything.Maybe they're still looking around but while they do,it seems they want Jerome Boateng to go away to Bayern Munich.Let's just wait and see.
But this time around,the coaches are also in on the act.Andre Villas-Boas' 13.2 million pound move from Porto to Chelsea tops the lot but the switch from Birmingham to Aston Villa will forever etch Alex McLeish into memory for purity's sake.Joining the enemy is a travesty and should he and Randy Lerner fail,the purists will have this golden rule played so much,it might win a Grammy or even a Billboard award.
The coming weeks will see lots more drama.Questions of loyalty,ambition drive and even money will come up for players and coaches alike but how they answer can and will decide how mad the transfer season will turn out.
The ''El Nina Maravina and His Many Suitors'' saga is one that has captured attention.Young Chilean star,Alexis Sanchez had suddenly become the must-have player if you fancied pace,skill and some cherry in your team and a lot of teams wanted that.First,Manchester United showed their interest but Barcelona showed more than interest.They showed money and soon,Udinese chairman,Giampaolo Pozzo was rubbing his hands in expectant fashion as a deal worth about 27 million euros neared completion.Barcelona even made space for the Chilean by selling Bojan.Bloggers,tweeters,journalists and fans has accepted the facts.Sanchez was going to join the European champions.All too smooth for Mr.Murphy to let go,right?So he struck and maybe he struck Pozzo's head in a dream and when the boss woke up on Thursday morning and said if you didn't have 50 million pounds ready,get lost.He said if Ronaldo was worth 80 million quid,his ''playalike'' was also worth a lot if less.Quite engrossing for the mind and you can be sure that's not the last of it.
Luka Modric also had a say in the mad season too.Yes,Luka Modric.The quiet,nice Croatian bloke who runs the midfield for Tottenham.His claim to mad season fame was his open desire to join Chelsea as he ''wanted to win titles''.Once again,the wheels started turning and it was all in the news.The deal had begun from articles even before the two parties even dreamt of talking.However,Spurs chairman Daniel Levy didn't wait for Mr.Murphy to stir him into action.He said no and a big one at that to shut us all up.
Maybe not as dramatic as Sanchez's case but it still highlighted one simple thing.Players want to win titles and they're willing to go wherever to gain football's only objective.Fueled by this wisdom,Aston Villa's Ashley Young swapped blue and scarlet for the red and white of Manchester United and he'll be joined by Phil Jones from Blackburn.Great news for the English champions as they seek a 20th title and go way ahead of their bitter rivals,Liverpool who have also suddenly woken up and have gone into a frenzy.
First,they signed Jordan Henderson for 20million pounds and they're seeking to add more players to their team.Good shot,new owners.At least we can see exactly what you're spending on and you know whom you want too.However,the mad season has not seen one of its main players so far.This team has so much money to spend and they have an owner who's willing to throw more cash around.You guessed it right.I'm talking about Manchester City.Yes,they've looked around.They were ever present in the Sanchez episode and they're linked to every player on Earth.But they've not yet bought anything.Maybe they're still looking around but while they do,it seems they want Jerome Boateng to go away to Bayern Munich.Let's just wait and see.
But this time around,the coaches are also in on the act.Andre Villas-Boas' 13.2 million pound move from Porto to Chelsea tops the lot but the switch from Birmingham to Aston Villa will forever etch Alex McLeish into memory for purity's sake.Joining the enemy is a travesty and should he and Randy Lerner fail,the purists will have this golden rule played so much,it might win a Grammy or even a Billboard award.
The coming weeks will see lots more drama.Questions of loyalty,ambition drive and even money will come up for players and coaches alike but how they answer can and will decide how mad the transfer season will turn out.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Who wins the Grass Crown this year?
I normally go on and on about football but tennis is one sport I like and on Monday,another serving of Wimbledon will be dished out for us to savour.The All-English Club will see the best tennis players in the world line up against each other and probably the weather (if it rains) to win one of the four Grand Slam titles.I'm no tennis expert but I'm putting this together as a fan who is excited about what happen from Monday in London.
My favourite?The smooth Roger Federer.After Pete Sampras,no player has showed more grace,coolness and panache than RF himself and especially in a tournament he's virtually dominated ever since he dumped out his hero,Pete Sampras in 2001.However,he's not been himself since winning the Australian Open last year so it puts him in a tight corner as he's no more the hands down favourite simply because of ......Rafael Nadal,the left-handed,hard-hitting,king of clay who wants to expand his territory to other surfaces and in doing that he's blitzed Federer on clay,grass,hardcourt and I'm sure that even if they played in the air,Nadal would really fancy his chances.After winning the recent French Open,he'll feel confident ahead of Wimbledon.He's now become a big name if not THE big name.Unfortunately,though,both he and Federer have a new common threat and he is ........ Novak Djokovic.Out of the shadows,the Serbian has become a major revelation or headache depending on where you stand and after going on his incredible run of 40 or so games,he's put himself in the queue for favourites.However,there are always the others who'll try and ruin the party for the big lads.Jo Wilfried-Tsonga,the Frenchman whose jumpy victory dance always excites me,Andy Roddick,the likeable American who's not yet hit the height and of course,the man carrying the hopes of the UK,Andy Murray.As to whether,he'll clinch the title or not,we'll just wait and see but I'm sure we all know the answer.He just has to show us otherwise.
For the women's game,it's not as stellar as it used to be.No more star names and eventhough,it may look like it's evened up,the seemingly lightweight nature of the rankings counters that assertion.We now have World Number 1,Caroline Woszcniacki of Denmark as the main favourite but with Li Na's win at Roland Garros,China now has a say in world tennis and a shout at Wimbledon.The absence of Kim Clijsters means no comeback fairy tale win but I hope the Williams sisters can make a big shout.Hope simply because they've been out for sometime and they lack the bite,grit and all that to win but what do I know?
So,what do we expect?Slow start, a bit of rain, a few surprises here and there but when it ends,I hope it would have been a great Wimbledon 2011.
My favourite?The smooth Roger Federer.After Pete Sampras,no player has showed more grace,coolness and panache than RF himself and especially in a tournament he's virtually dominated ever since he dumped out his hero,Pete Sampras in 2001.However,he's not been himself since winning the Australian Open last year so it puts him in a tight corner as he's no more the hands down favourite simply because of ......Rafael Nadal,the left-handed,hard-hitting,king of clay who wants to expand his territory to other surfaces and in doing that he's blitzed Federer on clay,grass,hardcourt and I'm sure that even if they played in the air,Nadal would really fancy his chances.After winning the recent French Open,he'll feel confident ahead of Wimbledon.He's now become a big name if not THE big name.Unfortunately,though,both he and Federer have a new common threat and he is ........ Novak Djokovic.Out of the shadows,the Serbian has become a major revelation or headache depending on where you stand and after going on his incredible run of 40 or so games,he's put himself in the queue for favourites.However,there are always the others who'll try and ruin the party for the big lads.Jo Wilfried-Tsonga,the Frenchman whose jumpy victory dance always excites me,Andy Roddick,the likeable American who's not yet hit the height and of course,the man carrying the hopes of the UK,Andy Murray.As to whether,he'll clinch the title or not,we'll just wait and see but I'm sure we all know the answer.He just has to show us otherwise.
For the women's game,it's not as stellar as it used to be.No more star names and eventhough,it may look like it's evened up,the seemingly lightweight nature of the rankings counters that assertion.We now have World Number 1,Caroline Woszcniacki of Denmark as the main favourite but with Li Na's win at Roland Garros,China now has a say in world tennis and a shout at Wimbledon.The absence of Kim Clijsters means no comeback fairy tale win but I hope the Williams sisters can make a big shout.Hope simply because they've been out for sometime and they lack the bite,grit and all that to win but what do I know?
So,what do we expect?Slow start, a bit of rain, a few surprises here and there but when it ends,I hope it would have been a great Wimbledon 2011.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
