|
: some more weak points. And then there will be the domestic players from the catchments who will rub shoulders with the greats. Imagine the thrill for the likes of young left arm spinner Pragyan Ojha from Hyderabad who could end up sharing the dressing room with Andrew Symonds and Adam Gilchirst.
It’s all music to the ears now. But where will the Piper lead us? Tonnes of moolah at stake could easily lead to corruption — of the organisers, the franchise owners and also the players. Already the boundary rope has started inching closer, clearly with a view to have more hits possible. Now this is with a clear intention of pleasing the crowds and nothing to do with the enhancement of the game. Watch out for more such moves as television producers and franchisees take over the game.
Experiences with excessive commercialisation of sport have seen the rise of evils like betting and match fixing. Recently NBA, a professional basketball organisation that rakes in millions discovered their referee gambling on games. The incessant violence seen in ice-hockey is thanks to the over-competitive spirit that has been built in and also the sensationalisation of the media. The kind of footage that the auction got is an indicator of what is yet to come for television channels that often run into sensational news content shortage.
The jamboree could well drown the true lover of sport, an expression of skill, art and human abilities. It would be sad when hedonistic crowds drunk on sensationalism throng to the coliseum to watch gladiators fight till death. Or worse, patronise the farcical wrestling matches. Playing to the tunes of the gallery, the Piper could make scurrying rats taking a leap to drown....
| Single Page Format | Previous - 1 - 2 |
Discuss this story on expressindia forums
|
|
 |
 |
 |
About Us | Contact Us | Advertisers | Site Map | Make us your homepage | Work for Us | RSS | Subscribe | Electronic Edition | Privacy Policy© 2009: The Indian Express Limited. All rights reserved throughout the world
