NBA Finals #6 - Jun 18, 2013

I have been a sports fan ever since I knew a game... I have been a Spurs fan ever since I knew NBA. Today I possibly saw the greatest game all my life!
If you are a Spurs fan and you watched all of this game, it was heart-wrenching.
If you are a Heat fan and you missed even a minute of it, you really missed IT.

Manu (#20), you are the biggest sportsperson I love to watch on the field (or court) today.
Timmy (#21), you are the sporting hero I want kids to look up to.
Tony (#9), for the first time I feel sorry for you not winning a game today.
Kawhi (#2), you will be the basketball hero after the Big 3 in San Antonio for me, but you clanged a big-time FT :(
and Pop, you have always come up as someone unable to improve the rebounding ability of a very talented group of players, still, today may have been the biggest mistake of your celebrated coaching career :(

The big 3 may well retire after this series, I don't think you are winning another championship as a Spur after this :( You may well have lost this series too :( :( :(

Under 30 seconds to go, you have a 5 point lead.... You lose that game?!?!?! HOW!!!!! With the minds of Popovich, Ginobili, Parker, Budenholzer, .... you still didn't want to
 - put Duncan on the floor for defense
 - foul a heat with a 4 point lead and less than 20 seconds to go
 - have a better FT shooting unit than a 63% shooter
 - Couldn't pat the ball off from landing into Bosh's hands
 - Get Danny (#4) nail a second 3 pointer
Come on guys!!

Well, but Thanks, you gave one of the best basketball games I have ever watched. You showed how to drop a game firmly clasped, well this was a championship! Ray Allen, once again, showed how to maintain calm and composure and change the course of a game. Chris Bosh showed how to make sure you keep your words in deeds. There is always the best basketball player of the generation, LeBron James, he showed what needs to be done to keep hopes alive.

At least, unlike Federer, you didn't go down hitting unforced errors, although Manu manages to keep throwing the ball to Heat players.... I will watch one more game of this GREAT TEAM on the 20th. But, this was a painful loss

AO2012 SF1 - Federer Rafa-ed up

It was yet another display of melting down at the face of Rafael Nadal in a Grand Slam for Roger Federer. It was very indicative from the first set, when playing Del Potro, he was in the same state, 3-0 up, cruising in 4th gear, appearing invincible, but soon after, Rafa broke him. If it had been DelPo, or anybody else, Federer would have just blown it off and got away, but he knew he was playing Rafa, let the set get to tie-breaker, and managed to get one set under his belt. But then, things started getting more apparent.

Overall in that match, Federer had 63 unforced errors and 5 double faults! To win 3 sets, assuming no game goes to deuce, anybody needs 72 points. Considering this match went 4, Rafa needed 96 points. Federer served him 68 of those on a platter. So Rafa knew he just had to win much fewer than if he was playing anybody else, and the match was so heart breaking, I feel like all of my 2012 is ruined now :(

I do understand that there were many games in deuce, 2 tie breakers, and so the 68 cannot be taken at the value as I have noted, still, when you dish out 68 points in a match, you leave very little room to draw a W against your name. Apart from this, Federer helped Nadal convert atleast 20 of his defensive shots into winners, play a real hard shot to Nadal's FOREHAND and start slowly running up to the net, get caught up in the middle of the court, neither at net nor baseline. Rafa should have been surprised himself that he was winning those points, and felt there is no way he is going to lose this match. Well, we all know the genius in Federer, how can he not know that you can't play a ball to Nadal's forehand and stay in the middle of the court to see the ball land safely on one side? But only on Jan 26 2012, the genius was absent, and Rafael Nadal took over the genius' place, commanding RoFe to play his game one way, and only one way.

I am not sure if 2012 is going to be any different than 2011 for RoFe, he should be seething deep inside if he ever got to look at this match again (yes, I've seen it twice already :(). May be if Rafa played him with a hockey stick, I would still win the match over him :(

Come on Roger, you are way better than anybody else in Tennis today, how do you lose these matches?????? How can you break our hearts so easily!! :(

Compare Michael Vick to Donte' Stallworth???
I just happened to start reading this column from Jason Cole, and unfortunately, I think that is the worst I have ever read anytime. I am serious, this is really a very very very poor comparison.
One guy, has repeatedly killed dogs, and here is another who was intoxicated and ran over a man. IMO, I don't think we can even compare these two, both of them deserved massive punishments, and I don't see why Michael Vick can already play this season. Now, here comes Mr. Cole who says Commissioner Goodell did the right thing, by handing Donte' a bigger punishment than he did to Michael Vick!!!
These guys have to understand that they are just human beings, irrespective of being immensely talented, being massive earners, being hot shots - these things don't give them the license to breach rules. Would a normal man find it so easy to get another job if he committed something as cruel as what Mr. Vick did (and he's signing up with the Eagles already)? Mr. Stallworth was intoxicated, he drove, and killed a human being. Are you telling me that makes him a worse criminal than Michael Vick? What is the comparison here? That you can kill 100 dogs for a man? Where on earth is the comparison? Please, let me understand. Why do animals not deserve any consideration? Ohhh.... Whatever....

Why is Kamal a genius beyond compare?
So, I have been having this discussion, that even became an argument at times, with a lot of my friends about the great thinker called Kamalhassan. I feel the Indian people, and the Tamil tinsel world in particular, should be very thankful this genius was born in India. With every movie of his that I watch, he just grows much higher in my view, and I feel he deserves a lot more respect than he's been getting. Latest case in point, Dhasavathaaram. What a movie! I don't think anybody could have said such an important, solid concept so very lightly. Put simply, it was just like his song in P.K.Sammandham:
Annikke sonnaanga periyavanga adichu sonnaanga, aththaye annaaththa thanni vittu light-a sonnaaru
In just the prelude to the movie, the monologue where he explains what he's trying to convey, he proves whatever I am trying to say now, so, here's what he said (and I apologize if I made any mistake in quoting him here):
Rangaraja nambi seththadhu sivanin seyalum alla, andha nambi nambiyum pizhaikkaamal ponadhu vishnuvin soozhchiyum alla. Nambinaar kaividappatta kadhaigal meignaanathil mattumalla, vignaanathilum pala undu. Indraya vignaanathai kutravaali koondil etralaam, aanaal, meignaanamo kutramatradhu enbadhe aanmeega kutravaaligalin mudhalvaadham. ellaavatrirkum mel oru sakthi undendru oppukkol, arindhukol endru adhattuvar avar. pagutharindhu sakthigalai pattiyalittu ondranmel ondraaga adukkinaal, uchiyul oru sakthi nichayam undu. udhaaranam, seyarkaikol, kadavular sanjarippadhaaga sollappadum idangalil tharpodhu thaamasikkum oru uyariya sakthi. ulagaiye kankaanikkum indha sakthiyum seri, ulagaye padaiththadhaaga koorappadhum sakthiyum seri, kaakka vendiya nerathil, ulagai, en thamizhnaattai, kaakka marandhadhu enbadhe ulagarindha unmai. udhaaranam December 26, 2004, vangakkadaloram kol thappi oozh serndhadhu kadal. saga nigazhvugalin korvai thaan ulaga sarithirame...
Now, I have heard several complaints about the movie, like, Kamal tries to denigrate Hinduism and exalts Islam (???); Kamal couldn't relate chaos theory to his movie, although he claims that to be a part of his concept (!!!); Its just a movie with no story (aah, well, itsn't all about a story guys, there's a moral, please think); and the least of them, Kamal hasn't conveyed his point well enough to reach the masses (well, this is one, I partly agree, but, this isn't a concept that can be easily explained).
So, of all that is said, most of them can be proven baseless if the movie is watched closely and observed, rather than just watched. His point is, "God, as most people believe, is not real, but, if (s)he was, it will be amazing", which he mentions at the denouement as "kadavul illanu enga sonnen, irundha nalla irukkumnu thaana solren?". Isn't that true? As a matter of fact, in everything Hinduism (or Brahminism, if I have to mention it that way) says, there's a hidden indication to the fact that God is not real (which other religion has so many forms of god as Hinduism does? If you can point one to me, I will definitely hold those people at very high respect). Chaos Theory, has this been very well understood by the PhDs around? But, he has still explained how something that happened in the 12th Century could have caused the tsunami in 2004! Well, there is a lot more in the movie, and I am sure, there is something there that I have not gathered very well, but, with the comedy track, the other common occurrences, Kamal has tried to explain the deficiencies of today's malformed theism.
Well, in all this, I am not saying this movie is flawless, the make-up, graphics, some english grammar in the subtitles (if you watched the movie out of India, maybe?), and probably a few more, had some holes. But, the concept is very very very good. Now, if someone thinks this movie lacked something, please put your point forward, I would definitely try to understand why Kamal is wrong, or atleast why some people think he is!

AIN'T THIS COOL?
I saw this in The Hindu Crossword 9283 and found it pretty cool, iff I am correct that is:
Down 8 - Young beginner (Y) longs to be at SEA with fleet (Royal Navy) (6) - YEARNS (?) = longs

As cool as this was, I found another to be kinda bad, again, if I am correct:
Down 18 - Quietly (P) SEND worker (ANT) for a lamp hanging from the roof (8) - PENDANTS (?)
Specifically mentions the article there to indicate singular, then why would it be a plural?? Or is my English so bad? Oh well

I can't reason this very well, but,
Down 19 - Embarrassed about (RE) a misshapen NOSE, it's thought (8) - REASONED
is REASONED for "it's thought"? Then what does "Embarrassed" have to do with AD??
Or, if READ is for "it's thought" what does "Embarrassed" have to do with "REASONED"???
hmmm... reasoning seems to be - "VS, your answer is wrong" :(

Oh well, I am only glad that I am doing this again :D

Hindu Crossword 9280
Got into it again :D

Across

 1 Girls in love — just the opposite — cowboys throw them over (7)

 5 Loving to take a girl to heart (7)

10 It is rare to find same mountain range in Spanish countries and the U.S. (6)

11 If not a topper, then bowler is needed to perform it (3,5)

12 Here an oracle made capital about party leader (6)

13 Not independent of a kin (8)

14 Betrothed has a stricken engineer for a fan (6)

15 Series of steps needed to get to the stars (6)

18 Sad to beg stupidly to have distinguishing names (6)

20 Forgive one who is equal to a Spanish nobleman (6)

23 Control others before a wet shower (8)

25 Acted as a weak-minded person and ran away taking couple of rings (6)

26 Not befitting the well born (8)

27 Comes into view (6)

28 Moneylenders certain to be on road in U.S. (7)

29 Boils with anger as he looks around (7)

Down

 2 Remains to endure (6)

 3 Very quietly one gets into line for undressing (9)

 4 Rumour coming up about Virginia dodging the question (7)

 6 Tom lets appearances get blotched (7)

 7 There’s a new art to card game (5)

 8 Hope for the lost and sick (8)

 9 Divide the cost of investment between us (5,8)

16 An advocate put a river record first (9)

17 Spectacles for boy workers (8)

19 Dash to pieces with wild threats (7)

21 Reason for delayed start to match anti-monetarist policy (7)

22 Conforming to a rigorous standard, always remains in quarter (6)

24 The heir belongs to them (5)

Hindu Crossword 9279
After a very long time, sat down with the Crossword today, and it doesn't seem too bad, have done decently well. Although, I had to browse to get some (the lowercase characters) :(

Across

 1 Oh madam, I nearly bled! Can I be taken out? (9)

 6 Frilling used in ecru chemises (5)

 9 You need to tie her up with a knight (5)

10 Gathering done in great number for a service, we hear (9)

11 Supported animated in trouble (10)

12 Hold me back on the way (4)

14 They may propel balls to great length (7)

15 Freckle observed by astronomers (7)

17 Red returns with barren heart as a stripper of land (7)

19 Makes comments about German currency with the dollar (7)

20 Name it in the Church of England (4)

22 Sight for sore eyes (10)

25 Play some role in dismantling (4,5)

26 Keen to agree somehow (5)

27 Extremely stupid to have office in quarter (5)

28 Scandalous informers (9)

Down

 1 Render planks of a boat watertight by pressing old ropes into its seams (5)

 2 Instant perception is needed in teaching (9)

 3 Bed linen gets twisted — gets into knots (5,5)

 4 Closer fitting hats made in Eastern base (7)

 5 In their cunning ways they slip away (7)

 6 Rugby union on the way becoming inefficient by inaction (4)

 7 Lower quality bread made to deceive (5)

 8 I’m going into property assessments (9)

13 A spy of the hostile country (5,5)

14 Devoted wholeheartedly he acted, but died in a ferment (9)

16 Al on a faulty leg becomes a lawyer’s assistant (9)

18 It’s about time to have plan to surgically replace a severed limb (7)

19 To many it was a real music performance by a composer (7)

21 Mark of authenticity (5)

23 Separates into lots (5)

24 Protective screen used for batting practice (4)

Hawk Eye - A faux pas?
The more I see the use of Hawk Eye in Tennis, the more I feel it is not the right way to call, atleast not in Tennis. There has been so much questioned about the technology, more since the Federer-Nadal 2007 Wimbledon Final. Now, I am one of those who want to bring in more innovations using Image Processing into all these sports. But, today, I got to read the explanation given by Mr. Hawkins in www.hawkeyeinnovations.co.uk, and I still am not very convinced.
The technology sounds solid and interesting, atleast for someone who is interested in Image and Video Processing. But, the logic associated with the idea seems to have a void. In Tennis, the ball is claimed to skid upto as much as 10cm! Now, can the system really find out the moment of contact better than a camera capturing at 150 frames a second? Can they collect data from 10 different cameras and estimate the exact location in real time?? If Federer in the 2007 Wimbledon Final, standing so close to the ball near the baseline, could not see the ball bounce ON the line, and all TV cameras to the naked eye show the ball bounced beyond, and only the Hawk Eye says it was a millimeter on the line, to me, that is definitely questionable.
Mr. Hawkins shows another example of Sreesanth's delivery to Collingwood in a Test match at the Oval. Now, this ball is supposed to have clipped the leg stump because of a variety of reasons. So, how does the Hawk Eye accommodate for the abrasions in the ball? What if the side of the ball to hit the stumps was more abraded than it would have been at the beginning of the innings? Isn't this more valid considering Collingwood comes in 2nd to 4th down, and Hawk Eye claims the ball would just have rubbed past the leg stump? Also, if the bails wouldn't fall, the batsman cannot be given out, so, how should we apply that to a Leg Before decision, given the margin was so minute?
But in cricket, the decision is more probabilistic, as against Tennis, where you could freeze the frames and see where the ball really bounced. At that point, the human error could still occur as against a not-so-well-explained technology to throw in its frailty. Honestly, I don't think the Hawk Eye is the right approach for Tennis. Even in Cricket, where it would probably better suit, they're still not willing to subscribe to it, how come in tennis? Can they not use something more like the Cyclops for these close line calls? The ball makes a faint noise somewhere, say an observatory tower, when it hits the line. That way, if the call is challenged, they can take it to the tower and then decide on what the right call should be!!! Oh well, so much for technology's advancements!

Hypocrite's Honesty
I really did not think I'll get back into blogging. But, the second 3 mobile Test match between India & Australia at the SCG, just makes me feel so bad that I couldn't avoid this.
The words have now been clearly etched that the current bunch of Australian cricketers, headed by Ricky Perfidious Ponting, are dishonest machiavellians you'd ever seen on a sports field. Asking players world over to be honest and take the words of the fielders, what Ponting & co. have done this match is really disgraceful. It has tarnished the name of the Gentleman's Game. Here are the reasons why I feel so...
1) Ponting should have walked (by his standards, I don't claim this should happen everywhere, and I am not very disgruntled about this, except that Ponting asks for other batsmen to do so) when he was caught behing off Ganguly. But, seriously, this isn't too much to what happened later
2) Ponting was furious when he was incorrectly adjudged leg-before (Oh, so, where did all this go when you were left to score 30+ more runs?)
3) Symonds, the cry-baby, does he know what sportsmanship is? So, he just runs around every cricketing ground, when they're losing, and lodges a complaint about racism. Have you seen anything more shameless in a sporting field? He played atleast 4 innings this match!!
4) Nothing about the umpires can be an exaggeration. May be I should say in short, They just don't know professional cricket.
5) Hussey's wicket in the second innings. It was so evident to everybody that he was plumb, why did Bucknor not call it? And hey, Bucknor warned Kumble for his appeal against Symonds (the hat-trick delivery that wasn't)!!!
As if these weren't enough...
6) Ponting takes a pitched ball and claims to have caught it
7) Clarke grasses the catch and claims to have taken Ganguly out, to top it, Ponting tells the umpire he's out!!!
8) Ponting says the media shouldn't be standing there for questioning his integrity. Mate, you just shouldn't be playing cricket. You may be a great batsman, but, if I played cricket, and wasn't given out everytime I was out, I'd be having a Bradmanesque average! You didn't walk, faked a catch, and tried to fake 2 more.

In all these, I didn't forget that Laxman was let to score a 100 in his first innings (the lbw was a difficult call too, otherwise, Bucknor wouldn't have let that appeal go down). Still, there was a 100 from Sachin, and Ganguly and Harbhajan played enough to take the lead. This wasn't Australia's win, it was Cricket's loss only for the way it was played by the home team. Five absorbing days of cricket have been marred beyond recognition by the umpires and one team. Now, I don't understand what should make me think if Ponting, personally, did not fix the match paying Benson and Bucknor. Can and Will that be investigated???

Escapists' Elixir?
As has been said, India losing out in the first round of the World Cup, is good for Cricket, even Indian Cricket! But, what has happened so far, doesn't give us a feeling that there is really some big plus coming out of it. My views may be flawed, but, here is what I think....
- Sachin's gripe against the coach: Agreed, Greg Chappel hasn't done a great lot as a coach for the team. But, how much of an impact did that have in this WC? How could you score 413 against Bermuda and not even 206 against SriLanka or Bangladesh?? How can the coach prevent you from being pepped up on the field? Why did the first team huddle not come until the 41st over of Bangladeshi innings (the first match for India in the WC)? There definitely seems to be an attitude problem. If you made a match out of the games against SL or Bangladesh, there might be some credibility, but, this, is just complaining for the sake of an excuse, nothing more.
- The coach not getting the team he wanted: There is no way to justify the presence of Robin Uthappa, Virender Sehwag, and Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the same team, definitely not in the match against SriLanka atleast. And, its Uthappa's inexperience that might have been replaced with a Mohd. Kaif. Atleast, Dinesh Karthik might have been a better option, given he wouldn't try to flash at every delivery, and could have batted a little longer, some kind of support for Dravid? Add Suresh Raina and Venugopal Rao to this team in Ganguly's and Sehwag's places, now you know our scores in the two matches we lost, not even 150 maybe?
- Need for bouncy pitches in India: Now, the WC is over, and we are going to correct the 'wrong's. But, wouldn't make all the pitches in India bouncy, make cricket a little duller? So, we make our pitches like there are in Australia, and may be we don't lose that badly in Aus hereafter, what do we do when start losing matches in SL or WI? The challenge is in adapting. Play in completely different conditions, yet, not failing miserably. That's probably where a coach would help, not a coach who wants to roll the team into his fist, but, one who can push the players, motivate them, make them technically correct during practice. With all the money they get, can the BCCI not afford indoor synthetic pitches? Make them really fast and bouncy, make these pitches less than 22 yards, create match-like scenarios in practice. Making Perth-like pitches in India (if possible), doesn't solve the bigger problem.
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