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[Jai]

The Way We Treat Our Icons 
While Agassi was the local favorite and the Americans took pride in designating the USTA tennis center his home, anyone who tries to speak up for Ganguly is labeled a regional bigot...
 
 
BORIA MAJUMDAR
 
It was 4.30 am in Melbourne. Yet, we were all glued to the television set watching what transpired to be Andre Agassi’s farewell match at the US Open. With each second serve by Benjamin Becker, the expectancy went up—may be the cross court or the famous down the line will be unleashed for one final time, may be the veteran still has some magic left. However, when Agassi continued to miss routine returns the maybes turned the other way —may be the hand eye co-ordination is not up to the mark, may be the Baghdatis match has finally taken its toll, may be it will be Benjamin Becker who will script his swansong turning the clock its full cycle, may be every great thing has to come to an end. And it did.

Agassi lost a hard fought third round match against his un-fancied opponent and ended what has been a miracle career in modern tennis. With every tear drop that he shed soon after, he endeared himself more to his fans who wept with him, pleaded him to stay on at the court for a few final minutes and wanted one last autograph. This is what a farewell should be like, the last hurrah for a real champion who has given tennis a lot to cheer about.

That Agassi will lose at some stage was a foregone conclusion. None, not even his most ardent of supporters, had thought that he will make the final like he did last year. And with a bad back, the end was near. However, that it will be a real spectacle when 24,000 fans wept and cheered him on was simply unbelievable. Even Becker looked like a convict having just performed a criminal act and hardly celebrated his first ever fourth round advance in the Open.



And this is where my mind turned to Saurav Ganguly.

Yet another team selection, yet another disappointment. Not that it was unexpected. In fact, just like Agassi’s fans, not even the most ardent of Ganguly’s supporters expected a national call-up this time, more so because he did not have a single opportunity to prove himself since being named in the list of 30 probables. Had the selection been done on the 7th and had Ganguly scripted a fairytale like Agassi's Baghdatis one on the 6th at the Moin-ud-daula trophy, things may have been different.

First, the obvious parallels between the two icons: both play their sport with real intensity, their supporters look forward to gulping everything published about them in the media, both are huge crowd pullers, and both have had checkered and also controversial careers. These are real, tangible and palpable parallels, for sure.

But are their any real differences? In other words, barring the difference in context, and that one plays an individual while the other a team sport, are there other perceptible differences? The simple answer is "Yes". The most perceptible difference is in the way we treat our icons.

While Agassi will continue to be hailed as a legend and people will keep talking about the way he retired, Ganguly has not been given the opportunity to finish off with a flourish. Rather, it is contingent on him to remind the selectors that he still wants to fight on and nurtures the dream of playing for India one final time. And while Agassi was the local favorite and the Americans took pride in designating the USTA tennis center his home, anyone who tries to speak up for Ganguly is labeled a regional bigot.

One simple Google search and the politicisation of the Ganguly affair become apparent. Rather then saying the Indian team for the Champions Trophy has been announced, more than 2/3rd of the news reports start with headlines that declare Ganguly fails to make it to the national team yet again.In fact, there are suggestions that this might even be the end of the road for him. It is here that the whole charade turns nasty.

Did the selectors not know that Ganguly would not have a single match to prove himself between the naming of the 30 and final pruning to 14? Did not they know that his selection has become highly politicised in the light of events that have unfolded within the BCCI lately? Did they not realize that by naming him in the 30 and then dropping him from the final 14 they were stirring divisive national sentiment?

However, despite these obvious and rather unpleasant differences, the uniquely fascinating thing about sport is that it does give the icon a chance to redeem himself against all odds. Agassi grabbed his chance against Baghdatis and scripted himself into history. It is now for Ganguly to score multiple tons in domestic cricket and prove that he is not a discard yet. That he has pledged to try is a trait that makes him different.

And with Ganguly, no less a miracle-man than Agassi, to guarantee that he will fail is a risk that the selectors led by More will also dare not take.
 

[Libran]

And those who prostrate at GC's feet will say ...."Expected.... Boria Majumdar is from Kolkatta" 

[Jai]

Btw folks, this has been published on Outlook India.

[Sahir]

This is a very pertinient article from Boria, but there are certain things I disagree with.  First, I think people miss the point that naming the 30 does have significance.  The ICC requires that players can only be selected from that 30.  Imagine we played in Sri Lanka and two openers were injured.  In that situation, you would want to have the option to select Ganguly.  If he was not named in the 30, that option would not exist.  Therefore, by naming the 30, what you are essentially doing is creating a current pecking order for the Champions, not taking into account age while providing some long-term contract.  Therefore, I would have found it terrible if Ganguly was not in the 30, essentially telling him that he is not even considered one of the top 5 openers in the country.

Next, are there differences between Agassi and Ganguly?  If all Boria could come up with was the way we treat our heroes, he needs to look harder.  Agassi developed a work ethic that was unparalleled in tennis.  Even at age 36, downright ancient in tennis, he was one of the fittest and strongest players on tour.  Unfortunately, nobody in the Indian cricket team has that kind of work ethic when it comes to fitness, particularly the senior players.  Our senior players could certainly learn a lot from Agassi as he displayed that it is never too late to up your fitness levels to world class standards.  Not only did it help him win so many more matches, it helped him to stay relatively injury-free, and prolonged his career a great deal.  To me, this difference I'm drawing is not really Agassi vs. Ganguly, but rather Agassi versus most of Indian sport and athletes.  Be it the footballers, the hockey players, or the cricketers, you will not see the sort of dedication to fitness that Agassi had (maybe Mohammad Azharuddin and Robin Singh) are exceptions.  There are far more dissimilarities between our cricketers and the professionalism and desire Agassi embodied than similarities.

[Sahir]

And those who prostrate at GC's feet will say ...."Expected.... Boria Majumdar is from Kolkatta" 

Boria is a well-respected cricket historian.  It should not matter a hoot that he is from Kolkata.  You misspelled it, by the way. 

[suraj]

Comparing Agassi to SG is like comparing sunshine to a torch - while both end up giving light, one is a legend who rates as atleast in the top 10 of his sport all over the world, the other was a prime contributor but nowhere close to the top on an intl level

[Sahir]

Comparing Agassi to SG is like comparing sunshine to a torch - while both end up giving light, one is a legend who rates as atleast in the top 10 of his sport all over the world, the other was a prime contributor but nowhere close to the top on an intl level

Top 10 of all time you mean, at the very least.

[suraj]

Comparing Agassi to SG is like comparing sunshine to a torch - while both end up giving light, one is a legend who rates as atleast in the top 10 of his sport all over the world, the other was a prime contributor but nowhere close to the top on an intl level

Top 10 of all time you mean, at the very least.

Yup- I was trying to avoid another 400 post discussion by saying top 5

[suraj]

And with Ganguly, no less a miracle-man than Agassi, to guarantee that he will fail is a risk that the selectors led by More will also dare not take.
 

BAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Libran]

And those who prostrate at GC's feet will say ...."Expected.... Boria Majumdar is from Kolkatta" 

Boria is a well-respected cricket historian.  It should not matter a hoot that he is from Kolkata.  You misspelled it, by the way. 

Would a rose smell as sweet if it were called by any other name 

[indian]

Comparing Agassi to SG is like comparing sunshine to a torch - while both end up giving light, one is a legend who rates as atleast in the top 10 of his sport all over the world, the other was a prime contributor but nowhere close to the top on an intl level

Top 10 of all time you mean, at the very least.

Yup- I was trying to avoid another 400 post discussion by saying top 5

Discussion be damned, he is in my top 5 list.
Comeon, the guy has won all 4 grandslams, since nobody has done this in the past 37 years, that should mean something , the list of course would change in future.

Coming to the topic, does Ganguly deserve a good farewell, of course YES,
but comparing him to Agassi is not how you make that point.

[Jai]

It's not a question of equating SG with AA and it's not a debate about who achieved more in their respective fields. What Boria is questioning is the way WE treat our heroes. Had AA been an Indian, his story would have been quite different. The media headlines would have been 'AA crashes out in the 3rd round of US open' and other negative ones as Boria has mentioned. We would be busy discussing for the past three years why AA is not retiring, whether his affair with Stefi broke his marriage with Brooke, how AA is a nobody compared to Sampras etc. I personally think Boria is right. We do behave like that, our media does act like that. So please....the article is not about equating AA with SG.

[pieterSAN]

First of all we are comparing tennis which is an individual sport to cricket which is team game. Andre could have played for 4 more years with bad back and taken cortisone shots as an individual and nobody would have given a damn.  In this respect, I liked CP's comparision to Beckham far more useful using the same criteria, even though that analogy is somewhat off the mark because Beckham has been dismissed by most England fans unlike Ganguly who still has a huge fan base.

And if the discussion is about how we treat our heroes, then let me be the first to dismiss any notion that we don't give our greats the due they deserve. Sachin Tendulkar, someone who is a lot more comparable to Andre Agassi, has achieved a God-like status in India. Let me also add that SG not getting a memorable farewell where Andre did is pretty lame example to back that claim.

[Sahir]

It's not a question of equating SG with AA and it's not a debate about who achieved more in their respective fields. What Boria is questioning is the way WE treat our heroes. Had AA been an Indian, his story would have been quite different. The media headlines would have been 'AA crashes out in the 3rd round of US open' and other negative ones as Boria has mentioned. We would be busy discussing for the past three years why AA is not retiring, whether his affair with Stefi broke his marriage with Brooke, how AA is a nobody compared to Sampras etc. I personally think Boria is right. We do behave like that, our media does act like that. So please....the article is not about equating AA with SG.

I'm not saying the article is about equating.  I agree with the general notion that we don't always treat our stars with respect, but it is a two-way street.  The stars almost always receive more adulation than they deserve while they are on top.  Just a few good performances can make someone a star and endorsement king (say Dhoni, for example).  It is that same extreme emotion that people express to take someone to great heights, usually heights much greater than he/she deserves, that also causes people to plot a demise.  It would take societal change to make things different and I doubt that is coming anytime soon.  However, coming back to the flaws in the article.  Boria talks about many similarities between Ganguly and Agassi, while only finding the singular dissimilarity of the way they are treated .  What I pointed out was that assessment is deeply flawed for reasons I outlined.  Furthermore, the question of retirement is completely different in a team sport versus an individual sport.  If we take the Davis Cup where Agassi made himslef available to play for the United States this year, yet was not chosen by Patrick McEnroe, who favored Roddick and Blake, at times when Agassi was even ranked higher.  It was a decision that McEnroe made that many may have made differently, but that is the job McEnroe was hired to do.  Similarly, selectors have their job and they cannot please everyone.  Yes, there ought to be accountability and some sort of independent review panel to release selectors with a poor track record.  The American public despite their love for Agassi largely understood his absence from the Davis Cup team in favor of a young James Blake.  This too would never be the case in India, because the passion runs too high.  We all consider ourselves cricket experts and second-guess every decision taken, often forgetting that two reasonable people can easily come to drastically different conclusions.  No individual is bigger than the game and people always have short-term memories.  They forget the good and the bad.  Ultimately, Ganguly's legacy will always be of a good Test batsman, a great ODI batsman, and a fine captain that took India forward, who yes, was involved in his fair share of controversy.  But, just as people remember Agassi's controversies, they do not define him by it.  Similarly, I fully expect people to eventually remember the Ganguly controversies, but not define him by them, but rather his on-field exploits.  It may not seem that way right now, because the saga is ongoing, but it eventually will happen that way as it has with so many other greats that were embroiled in divisive controversies.  Clear examples are the many of the great players in Pakistan that were forced into retirement, such as Saeed Anwar and Waqar Younis.  They are not defined by the horrendous 03 WC campaign, but rather for their greatness.  Javed Miandad is not defined by that '96 WC loss to India and Akram is not defined for controversially missing that game.  Everybody remembers the incidents and controversies, but if your on-field expoits outweigh them, that is what you will be defined by.  Even closer to home, even though Azharuddin and Jadeja were embroiled in the greatest controversy of them all (although Jadeja has been exonerated and Azhar is still awaiting trial), people still today remember them by their on-field exploits.  Jadeja is now even extensively involved as an expert commentator with NDTV.  All this despite the fact that Jadeja is nowhere near the star or player that Ganguly is.  Therefore, it may not seem like it right now during a saga, but Ganguly will get the respect he deserves, just as he did when he was on top of his game.  Mark my words-- we can revisit the situation 2 years after Ganguly has retired and see whether I am right.  And of course, if he ever gets an opportunity to perform, and he does hit a century or plays a matchwinning knock or two, all will be forgotten.

[keep-it-cool]

This is pure and unadulterated bull*. Forget work ethics, stature that the two gentlemen have achieved .. the two cannot be compared at all simply because one is playing for himself in an individual sport, the other wants to be part of a team.

Agassi is playing for himself. It is not a team sport. If he is seeded high enough, he plays. If not, he qualifies to play. Or else, the organisers decide to give him a wild card, coz they expect him to be a great draw. What has this got to do with being an icon? If Agassi is fine with losing in the first, second or third rounds and continuing for another 3-4 or however many years, that is his call. Would be interesting to see if he is included in the US Davis Cup team!

SG plays as part of a team that represents India. If he does not do well, it is not just him that suffers ... the team is affected too. He cannot say that I want to play for as long as I enjoy it. If he wants to do that, he has to be either among the top 5-6 batsmen in the country or he has to look for other teams to enjoy his cricket.

[fineleg]

 

[vincent]

There are three key points we should not forget:

1. Agassi was also subjected to severe criticism by journalists and public during early 90ies because of his dress and his inability to win any big tournament. His determination and work ethic came later since he wanted to defy his critics.(SG can learn from this)

2. US currently does not have a Tennis player at the top. In the past they used to have 2 or 3 all the time. So, for the public it was normal to bid a grand good-bye to their current best player.(This is not the case with SG)

3. Agassi announced his retirement this year quite early on. Reaching the third round in his last match was no mean feat.(SG could have announced his retirement after Zimbabwe tour in which case he too could have received a grand farewell.)

[sgusa]

Even forgetting the team component, just look at the personal form of the two. No way can Ganguly be compared to Andre. And if you look at work ethic and drive (ON FIELD!!!) ...

[justforkix]

Even forgetting the team component, just look at the personal form of the two. No way can Ganguly be compared to Andre. And if you look at work ethic and drive (ON FIELD!!!) ...

Also, look at their wives: Andre has Steffi vs. Ganguly has Dona 

[sgusa]

Even forgetting the team component, just look at the personal form of the two. No way can Ganguly be compared to Andre. And if you look at work ethic and drive (ON FIELD!!!) ...

Also, look at their wives: Andre has Steffi vs. Ganguly has Dona 

As always, you got to the most important aspect

[arjun]

I feel the issue is being deliberately taken down the wrong alley. It is absurd to compare a tennis player with a cricketer. What Boria did was to draw some parallels in their respective sporting careers and point out the difference in treatment meted out to these two icons in their home countries. One obvious instance that comes to my mind is how those lies and innuendos in that infamous email was lapped by some of our gullible souls here as gospel truths without even pausing to reflect upon the possibility that if someone had been playing for and leading the country with distinction for so many years, he might not be so bad as he was painted to be.
We have gone through all this innumerable times on this DG, so I have no desire to prolong the debate any further. Still, it saddens me. But then that's the way we are, I guess. ( We are like this only, as that MTV guy would proclaim)

[suraj]

It's not a question of equating SG with AA and it's not a debate about who achieved more in their respective fields. What Boria is questioning is the way WE treat our heroes. Had AA been an Indian, his story would have been quite different. The media headlines would have been 'AA crashes out in the 3rd round of US open' and other negative ones as Boria has mentioned. We would be busy discussing for the past three years why AA is not retiring, whether his affair with Stefi broke his marriage with Brooke, how AA is a nobody compared to Sampras etc. I personally think Boria is right. We do behave like that, our media does act like that. So please....the article is not about equating AA with SG.

I'm not saying the article is about equating.  I agree with the general notion that we don't always treat our stars with respect, but it is a two-way street.  The stars almost always receive more adulation than they deserve while they are on top.  Just a few good performances can make someone a star and endorsement king (say Dhoni, for example).  It is that same extreme emotion that people express to take someone to great heights, usually heights much greater than he/she deserves, that also causes people to plot a demise.  It would take societal change to make things different and I doubt that is coming anytime soon.  However, coming back to the flaws in the article.  Boria talks about many similarities between Ganguly and Agassi, while only finding the singular dissimilarity of the way they are treated .  What I pointed out was that assessment is deeply flawed for reasons I outlined.  Furthermore, the question of retirement is completely different in a team sport versus an individual sport.  If we take the Davis Cup where Agassi made himslef available to play for the United States this year, yet was not chosen by Patrick McEnroe, who favored Roddick and Blake, at times when Agassi was even ranked higher.  It was a decision that McEnroe made that many may have made differently, but that is the job McEnroe was hired to do.  Similarly, selectors have their job and they cannot please everyone.  Yes, there ought to be accountability and some sort of independent review panel to release selectors with a poor track record.  The American public despite their love for Agassi largely understood his absence from the Davis Cup team in favor of a young James Blake.  This too would never be the case in India, because the passion runs too high.  We all consider ourselves cricket experts and second-guess every decision taken, often forgetting that two reasonable people can easily come to drastically different conclusions.  No individual is bigger than the game and people always have short-term memories.  They forget the good and the bad.  Ultimately, Ganguly's legacy will always be of a good Test batsman, a great ODI batsman, and a fine captain that took India forward, who yes, was involved in his fair share of controversy.  But, just as people remember Agassi's controversies, they do not define him by it.  Similarly, I fully expect people to eventually remember the Ganguly controversies, but not define him by them, but rather his on-field exploits.  It may not seem that way right now, because the saga is ongoing, but it eventually will happen that way as it has with so many other greats that were embroiled in divisive controversies.  Clear examples are the many of the great players in Pakistan that were forced into retirement, such as Saeed Anwar and Waqar Younis.  They are not defined by the horrendous 03 WC campaign, but rather for their greatness.  Javed Miandad is not defined by that '96 WC loss to India and Akram is not defined for controversially missing that game.  Everybody remembers the incidents and controversies, but if your on-field expoits outweigh them, that is what you will be defined by.  Even closer to home, even though Azharuddin and Jadeja were embroiled in the greatest controversy of them all (although Jadeja has been exonerated and Azhar is still awaiting trial), people still today remember them by their on-field exploits.  Jadeja is now even extensively involved as an expert commentator with NDTV.  All this despite the fact that Jadeja is nowhere near the star or player that Ganguly is.  Therefore, it may not seem like it right now during a saga, but Ganguly will get the respect he deserves, just as he did when he was on top of his game.  Mark my words-- we can revisit the situation 2 years after Ganguly has retired and see whether I am right.  And of course, if he ever gets an opportunity to perform, and he does hit a century or plays a matchwinning knock or two, all will be forgotten.

Great post Sahir- applause!!!

One request though- can you please split the long posts into paras- I didn't go to law school so not used to reading the "briefs"

[suraj]

Even forgetting the team component, just look at the personal form of the two. No way can Ganguly be compared to Andre. And if you look at work ethic and drive (ON FIELD!!!) ...

Also, look at their wives: Andre has Steffi vs. Ganguly has Dona 

you made my day- great analysis

[suraj]

I feel the issue is being deliberately taken down the wrong alley. It is absurd to compare a tennis player with a cricketer. What Boria did was to draw some parallels in their respective sporting careers and point out the difference in treatment meted out to these two icons in their home countries. One obvious instance that comes to my mind is how those lies and innuendos in that infamous email was lapped by some of our gullible souls here as gospel truths without even pausing to reflect upon the possibility that if someone had been playing for and leading the country with distinction for so many years, he might not be so bad as he was painted to be.
We have gone through all this innumerable times on this DG, so I have no desire to prolong the debate any further. Still, it saddens me. But then that's the way we are, I guess. ( We are like this only, as that MTV guy would proclaim)

Why arjun?? For every guy who throws barbs at SG, there is one who will defend him with his life. Does all America worship Agassi- I know ppl who can't stand him so mixed responses is a universal phenomenon.

do you think if SG played in a match now and scored a quickfire 100 whether at Eden Gardens or at Wankhede, he will not be cheered and when RD/SRT make any comments there are not some critics as well as fans.

It's not the way we are- its the way everyone is for every star; in SG's case somehow fans just take it very personally one way or the other

[Sahir]

Great post Sahir- applause!!!

One request though- can you please split the long posts into paras- I didn't go to law school so not used to reading the "briefs"

Sure thing.

[arjun]

Sorry that was not my point at all. Of course to criticize a player for his bad performance is perfectly ok. All I wanted to say was the alacrity with which some people fell for GC's character assassination attempts vis-a-vis the country's the then current captain points towards a very unfortunate character trait in some of us.

[suraj]

Sorry that was not my point at all. Of course to criticize a player for his bad performance is perfectly ok. All I wanted to say was the alacrity with which some people fell for GC's character assassination attempts vis-a-vis the country's the then current captain points towards a very unfortunate character trait in some of us.

Honestly IMO they both came out looking bad. There was some truth in GC's comments combined with SG's stupidity of bringing out the dressing room conversations in the press that made fans throw barbs at SG. But GC's venengance and exaggerations were easy to see through too and made him look petty and control freak. SG's charcter holds well much better among even his die-hard opponents vs his current utility in the team.

[gouravk]

I think that is your own personal opinion Suraj. I for one still do not perceive any venegeance on the part of GC.

[LosingNow]

GC's venengance ..

?? (vengeance for what? why?)

[justforkix]

I think that is your own personal opinion Suraj. I for one still do not perceive any venegeance on the part of GC.

everything except Stats are opinions anyways

[ThankYouChappel]

As far as Agassi and Ganguly comparison is concerned, smart guys have already written..

But one thing that SG's fan base has continued on ignoring is that "Being respected and Grand farewells are not personal rights.. " and every time, some one retires and given a farewell, it does not do any good to write a comparison between great grand SG and the..

BTW, where does the question of treating our icons arrive from? Retirement is a choice while being dropped is not. If you are dropped from the team, you dont get a farewell in a stadium. If you retire on the day you are good enough to play in the middle,you do get an ovation. You cant hold it against Indian public if you dont retire untill you are dropped.

Had Steve Waugh decided not to retire and had he got dropped prior to his team touring England, who would have given him a farewell.. I supose it would have just been a headline and a few interviews in the TV.

I hope SRT/RD understand this and know their time. Stay in touch with selectors and get right advice and go on a high.

Ganguly has already lost his chance in my opinion. His retirement will be sour now because I dont think he is gonna play for a series of matches and will go away declaring it.

[JJ]

As far as Agassi and Ganguly comparison is concerned, smart guys have already written..

But one thing that SG's fan base has continued on ignoring is that "Being respected and Grand farewells are not personal rights.. " and every time, some one retires and given a farewell, it does not do any good to write a comparison between great grand SG and the..

BTW, where does the question of treating our icons arrive from? Retirement is a choice while being dropped is not. If you are dropped from the team, you dont get a farewell in a stadium. If you retire on the day you are good enough to play in the middle,you do get an ovation. You cant hold it against Indian public if you dont retire untill you are dropped.

Had Steve Waugh decided not to retire and had he got dropped prior to his team touring England, who would have given him a farewell.. I supose it would have just been a headline and a few interviews in the TV.

I hope SRT/RD understand this and know their time. Stay in touch with selectors and get right advice and go on a high.

Ganguly has already lost his chance in my opinion. His retirement will be sour now because I dont think he is gonna play for a series of matches and will go away declaring it.

I have some issues with the basic premise of this article. As it has been pointed out by several members of this DG - some points stand out

1.  Agassi chose to retire gracefully -- unlike SG who is still fighting for a spot in the team - how can you give a
farewell to someone who does not want to retire ??

2.  Agassi and SG's performance and fitness just cannot be compared - Agassi is miles ahead - one of the all time greats in tennis history as well as being one heck of a fit guy at his age.

3. Agassi has handled his career - hihs and lows (dropped from Davis Cup etc) with much more grace.


The question is not about how we treat our icons - it is about how icons want to be treated ...

[sgusa]

So basically, If i get fired and escorted out of the building, and then I announce that I "retired", i can expect a farewell dinner with speeches and gifts ?

[suraj]

GC's venengance ..

?? (vengeance for what? why?)

Gauravk and LN,

Well technically venegeance might not be the right word but an "overboard response" is; it was ot GC's job a sa coach to just stay there in the dressing team like a pole and not shake up things. To that extent his discussion with SG and expressing his opinion decisively is admirable. But after SG went public, I do think GC's response reflected some anger, not pure coaching. The detailed e-mail reflects some very true points but there were a few histronics there that indicate the anger specially abt incidents before GC joined the team.

The follow-up seemed to go right when GC and selctors did not include SG in the team but then suddenly GC giving an interview to a British journalist again reflected that he was not letting go of the personal animosity- that was rather unneccessay to comment on SG's need to continue playing because of financial reasons.

Look I am with GC on his decisions and coaching methods but these episodes do reflect an overboard response. The fact is SG never came back with his performance at all otherwise I wud be curious as to what GC's response wud have been. Obviously this is mere speculation and as it is the reins of the team are in RD's hands- not his so SG wud have made it back if he just performed.

[Cover Point]

And those who prostrate at GC's feet will say ...."Expected.... Boria Majumdar is from Kolkatta" 

Boria is a well-respected cricket historian.  It should not matter a hoot that he is from Kolkata.  You misspelled it, by the way. 

Would a rose smell as sweet if it were called by any other name 

EXACTLY. NOW MR KBAN, Mr DEXTROUS, Master BLWE and all please jump down his throat the same way you guys jumped down mine for misspelling Kolkatta! Please call him a hate mongrel who is insulting the great city of Calcutta and personally insulting every Bengali and any person related to a bengali by his desecration of the great city!

[sgusa]

And those who prostrate at GC's feet will say ...."Expected.... Boria Majumdar is from Kolkatta" 

Boria is a well-respected cricket historian.  It should not matter a hoot that he is from Kolkata.  You misspelled it, by the way. 

Would a rose smell as sweet if it were called by any other name 

EXACTLY. NOW MR KBAN, Mr DEXTROUS, Master BLWE and all please jump down his throat the same way you guys jumped down mine for misspelling Kolkatta! Please call him a hate mongrel who is insulting the great city of Calcutta and personally insulting every Bengali and any person related to a bengali by his desecration of the great city!

CP: Not so much drama We know, the clique knows all. What is the point of this? Not going to change things or people.

[suraj]

And those who prostrate at GC's feet will say ...."Expected.... Boria Majumdar is from Kolkatta" 

Boria is a well-respected cricket historian.  It should not matter a hoot that he is from Kolkata.  You misspelled it, by the way. 

Would a rose smell as sweet if it were called by any other name 

EXACTLY. NOW MR KBAN, Mr DEXTROUS, Master BLWE and all please jump down his throat the same way you guys jumped down mine for misspelling Kolkatta! Please call him a hate mongrel who is insulting the great city of Calcutta and personally insulting every Bengali and any person related to a bengali by his desecration of the great city!

tu bhi na................

wait kar raha tha is situation ki

[Sahir]

And those who prostrate at GC's feet will say ...."Expected.... Boria Majumdar is from Kolkatta" 

Boria is a well-respected cricket historian.  It should not matter a hoot that he is from Kolkata.  You misspelled it, by the way. 

Would a rose smell as sweet if it were called by any other name 

EXACTLY. NOW MR KBAN, Mr DEXTROUS, Master BLWE and all please jump down his throat the same way you guys jumped down mine for misspelling Kolkatta! Please call him a hate mongrel who is insulting the great city of Calcutta and personally insulting every Bengali and any person related to a bengali by his desecration of the great city!

You misspelled it again by the way.  It is Kolkata with one t.

[Cover Point]

As far as Agassi and Ganguly comparison is concerned, smart guys have already written..

But one thing that SG's fan base has continued on ignoring is that "Being respected and Grand farewells are not personal rights.. " and every time, some one retires and given a farewell, it does not do any good to write a comparison between great grand SG and the..

BTW, where does the question of treating our icons arrive from? Retirement is a choice while being dropped is not. If you are dropped from the team, you dont get a farewell in a stadium. If you retire on the day you are good enough to play in the middle,you do get an ovation. You cant hold it against Indian public if you dont retire untill you are dropped.

Had Steve Waugh decided not to retire and had he got dropped prior to his team touring England, who would have given him a farewell.. I supose it would have just been a headline and a few interviews in the TV.

I hope SRT/RD understand this and know their time. Stay in touch with selectors and get right advice and go on a high.

Ganguly has already lost his chance in my opinion. His retirement will be sour now because I dont think he is gonna play for a series of matches and will go away declaring it.

This is like .. sooooo well said!

Guys the comparison should be retirements of Imran Khan for Desi Yankees team and Gavaskar. Gavaskar truely retired at the top of his skills and got a GREAT farewell. Kapil too did to a point though many felt he had far outlivved his time.

Ganguly has been D R O P P E D. So where the heck does a farewell come in?

I would be happy to give him a farewell of 100 no even a 1000 rasgullahs if he decides to retire and comes and visits me in Chicago!

[LosingNow]

You misspelled it again by the way.  It is Kolkata with one t.

ROFLMAO!!!!! Aadat se majboor.