Confusion reigns supreme

Well, everything about me is confused, say 'insiders'. Yes, true, I say. When it comes to personal issues and preferences, one cannot be black and white all the time - what say?

But, some areas of confusion get solved automatically. Like yesterday, I was confused who to support - Agassi, the eternal fighter, the best 'returner' of the generation, the achiever of so many things (who wouldn't give their right hand to have Steffi supporting for you!) OR Federer, the master craftsman, the 'butterfly' and the 'bee', the magician? I was not even given an opportunity to think through the confusion. The cable wala helped me out. He gave us only ESPN and Star Sports and not Ten Sports on which the live telecast was on! On coming to know that Federer ultimately won, was I happy? Or was I sad that Agassi lost, albeit fighting hard? Well, it was time to leave for office, on another wet Monday morning.

Wish, isn't there a cable wala in our lives too - who ultimately resolves the confusion?

Have I changed ?

In various contexts, people – even close family, tell me that I have changed a lot in these last few years. Is that so much of a bad thing, necessarily, I wonder? If you were caught up in a time warp, is it a crime to still be not caught in it. Well, I guess I have changed. And what surprisingly made me realize this? Of all things, sports!

I have always been the passionate supporter of the underdog, especially against a champion. I would always root for an Ivanisevic against an Agassi, for Anand against Kasparov, or India against Pakistan (!)

With the Aussie tail-enders doing what they are expected to do – fight, that is, and only 1 wicket separating England from a series equaling victory, guess who I rooted for. With much consternation I realized that I was rooting for an Aussie victory. To the extent that I was dejected and disappointed that Australia lost out by just 2 runs.

The process had been set in a month earlier, I guess. People say that Mohammed Ali was referred to as he “who floats like a butterfly, stings like a bee”. I guess the description would more fit Roger Federer than any other sports professional, these days. The delectable touch, combined with the out of the world angles in the cross court and down the line passing shots, scores a lot over the power of his ground strokes. Having defeated Roddick in the semi-finals at Wimbledon two years back, and returning the kitchen sink and more that Roddick threw at him in the finals at the exalted grass courts last year, I expected myself to root for Roddick, the underdog. But, despite my wanting to, I was ecstatic that Federer played another classic and won.

Well, it’s not about the underdog or the champion anymore, for me. It’s about who I appreciate better, I guess. Of late, I have been liking fighting qualities and hence my biased support for Australia – even in their failures, I see only the positives. Similarly, any tennis aficionado would vouch for the talent of Federer – for the generation that has not been fortunate enough to watch McEnroe, there is Federer and then there is God, they’d say.

So, have I changed? Yes, seems to be the answer. But then, I have always been a fanatic supporter of the Samba boys, in the football field, irrespective of who the underdog is, or what the fighting qualities of a German team are!!! Maybe, I have not changed at all ……