Attic is one of the most intriguing places in one’s life... It stores all our valuable memories which once made our life worth living but in present, sadly those memories are hardly of any significance. I watched “Toy Story” a few days back and reminisced days when toys were no short of any mortal. But to me, attic also means many unfinished thoughts that I had left in the nascent stage. So while I was obliging my laziness, I was writing something a while back but then given up on it for which I have not yet garnered a proper excuse.
But it kept banging by brains to jump out and just when I thought it had completely given up on me, suddenly that thought awakened with all the vigour and forced me to keep my laziness away for a while…
The media (which will be dealt with separately sometime soon) can make anyone a star, at least a “well-known” personality. But a talented person can simply be raised to the level of a demi-god. And which most definitely has been evident with sports-players or rather sports stars.
What has captured the attention of the moral watch dogs is the behaviour of Tiger Woods. "The scandal of Tiger Woods" generated a huge furor. In a game as elegant as golf and the player who has been simply the best, this scandal shook this game by its core. The poster boy of the great game and of few billion dollar brands was overnight a villain and subject of mass media bashing. I don’t follow Golf, one of the sports which have been arcane to me. So the Tiger-gate remains just an outside curiosity. But the issue here is far different. The likes of Tiger Woods, John Terry, Ashley Cole, Shane Warne and the latest addition Wayne Rooney have all been caught in these scandals and then subsequently there has been huge controversy about sport stars (deliberately not using the word sportsmen). The simple question which bothers me is, whether we don’t have good enough ‘idols’ left in our society ? And frighteningly answer to this question is “yes” or they are simply not marketable!
Tiger Woods was or rather is an idol in Golf, but then that’s it. Why we have to make him the greatest man on the planet by expecting all the virtues? Similar thing had happened with Shane Warne and may be that was the major reason why he did not go on to captain
May be the time has come when we look beyond sports and entertainment for our idols…Cause they are doing wonderfully well in their respective jobs and to expect everything from one person is just putting too much pressure on one’s shoulder. Another funny story was wedding of Sania and Shoib. Our watchdog had absolutely hilarious reactions. One of which was, “may be this will help to ameliorate Indo-Pak relations.” Now here, I am as expert as a common man on the streets. But surely this is not what all of us were waiting for last 63 years to happen!!
Something very similar takes place when Sachin breaks (or rather I like to call “creates”) any new record, all of us epitomize mass hysteria. As if we have found a solution to all our problems!!! We are blessed to have a player like him. But when you expect him to go to T20 World Cup after 20 years of service to the game (deliberately “nation” has been omitted) isn’t it asking far too much from a mortal? Next thing you know, Global Warming will be solved by Sachin!!!
But what shook me to complete this write-up was story of Wayne Rooney. Undoubtedly the most talented prodigy of English football, had a miserable and forgetful World Cup. But the reason for which was revealed to be - a fling with a hooker-and some people just could not digest that Rooney had to pay!! What a shame, isn’t it??
So as the story goes on, his marriage was on the verge of breaking down! (He is 24) But he could not stay away from his son……he loves his wife…..and so on and so forth…and now dust has settled!!!
I just don’t understand what is expected from sportsmen? At the age of 18, this boy has the world at his feet!! (Literally, no pun) He is earning millions every year. And he is still 24! Do we want every sportsman should master the book for moral and ethical behaviour? Let’s accept the fact that they are sportsmen and mostly they have spent their entire childhood and young age only playing the sport which they love! And what makes them special is their talent in the game. Our own Sachin, with due respect to him is not even a graduate!! In normal walks of life what you expect from a under graduate? And despite of this, he has carried the mantle with utmost dignity for last 20 years. But then again, it’s a bonus not the actual talent!! Diego Maradona- perhaps the greatest player to have graced the football field, battled grave issues off the field. But all we remember him for is two goals- one most dubious and one most brilliant and to me that’s how it should be.
So what’s the point? Simple- it is a plain stupidity on our part to search an ideal idol in sportsmen. Lets give them due accolades for their display on the field. If we want idols to imitate then there are tons of people who may not be as popular as these people are but surely not an inch less inspirational. Let’s broaden our visions and understand that “Indian Idol” is chosen every year. But likes of Lata Mangeshkar are borne once in a generation! Sachin makes us proud with every run but there are soldiers who are protecting every one of us. And then there are countless people who dedicate their lives and only then we can recline in our chairs and watch “
-N.D.K. Nikhil
