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Sunday, April 5, 2009
Miss (ed) India...
Then comes SRK taking on 'Sunny Sir' ( Sunil Gavaskar to you) , for writing a column in which he slammed coach Buchanan for his multiple captain theory. Having known Sunil for years and years, I can safely say, here's a man who NEVER says something loosely. He is very careful with his words, and a respected, responsible commentator. Srk resorted to his standard trick - by first declaring his 'love' for Sunil, before twisting the knife in. SRK'S argument is that Sunil has never played this form of cricket himself and is therefore not qualified to comment on it. The cruel dig refers to Sunil's seniority (age wise), like it is a handicap of some sort. Sunil's legendary status does not need to be further underlined, and one can hardly question his credentials as an authority on the game. Now that the gloves are off, let's see where this battle is headed. I'd read Sunil's column this morning, and entirely agreed with his take on the arrogant Aussie coach who has filled the support staff of the Knight Riders' team with his cronies from Downunder, including his own son! The proof of the pudding etc etc... will be known soon enough. If Buchanan's Boys perform on the field, Sunil may have to eat his words. If not?? Will Srk sack the coach?? And eat his own?
Am watching the last round of the televised Miss India contest while keying this in. It is so ho hum, I'm surprised I'm still watching. Malaika and Madhavan (hosts) are unbelievably BORING and mechanical as they robotically read out their lines from the teleprompter. The girls are impossible to tell apart - they are uniformly uninspiring. But the show has to go on.... and it is.....they don't make them like Sushmita Sen ( one of the judges this year) or Aishwarya Rai anymore.
39 comments:
- small_town girl said...
am first here!
- April 6, 2009 at 12:07 AM
- kala said...
What you said about the Miss India contest is too true. SRK need not have to react like that. And he is not a cricketer. One can own a horse but it is the horse that runs the race. What say Vijay Mallya?
- April 6, 2009 at 12:29 AM
- oo7 said...
well, i think what the coach john has proposed shouldn't be ruled out before testing...
SRK is right to defend any attack on his team.
Sunil Gavaskar was one of the first to object to 20-20...he thought it would destroy test cricket...look at the scene now...not only test the one-day format has also been revolutionized.
I won't get anything by supporting any of these...
i just wanted to say what i had seen.
missed reading you for a long time.
will be regular now
tc mam
- April 6, 2009 at 1:12 AM
- small_town girl said...
srk was rough on his words with sunil. actually srk was forced to reinstall dada as captain i think. due to pressure from kolkata ppl of course. i mean, i am a die hard srk fan, but he is making some very irrational choices with T20. and John buchanan is a bit psycho too.
saw miss india. totally agree with you. didnt even finished the show. :|
- April 6, 2009 at 1:20 AM
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- April 6, 2009 at 1:39 AM
- Anil Kumar said...
It is such a disgrace that bollywood has started to give lessons to cricket legends now.
First this Bollywood made this country morally bankrupt with the help of third rated "kapade utaaru" actresses (some of them happen to win padamshree as well), in "Jugalbandi" with TV news channels and now ShahRukh who does not know the ABC of cricket licking the Australian in the hope that it will make his CRICKET BUSINESS more profitable.
This joker from Delhi probably does not know that Buchannan was successful coach of Australia because he has Mcgrath, Shane Warne, Gilchrist and other great players to coach. This does NOT MEAN that if he starts coaching Bangladesh tomorrow they will start winning. A coach or captain is as good as the team and can only help to get the best out of the team but definitely not with 4 captains.
I wonder if concept of 4 captains has something to do with the concept of 4 wives in Muslim culture and SRK/Buchanan might got confused. Whites in western world, on average, marry 4 times in their life...although they are not allowed more than one at a time.
"Kul-Mila kar eik hi thailli ke chatte-batte hain".
Gavaskar is no saint when criticizing Australians because of his old wounds with Lillie. But this time Gavaskar and Vengasarkar are 110% CORRECT and just for SRK's information Indian team hardly played 2 matches before winning the T20 world cup. Whether Gavaskar played t20 or not...that's not an issue.
There can only be one Gavaskar, one Kapil Dev, one Mohinder Amarnath and one Sachin Tendulkar. And few others who have/had special talents like Sehwag, Azharuddin, Gambhir, Dravid, Laxman and Manoj Prabhakar.
SRK may be patting his own back last year when he decided to own KKR (Bengal) in the hope that Bengali's behave with stupidity and crazy with sports. And tickets sales will be in plenty. Now he must be kicking his a_s that if Dada does not retire voluntarily and KKR does not do well, he will be stuck on whether to please Australian red neck or the Bengali Babu.
Bollywood should keep a suicide watch on SRK if KKR go down the drain with 4 captains concept.
Watch out Preity and Shilpa Shetti from "Kapde Utarru" category.. 3rd rated actresses. I don't know what's going in the mind of Kapoor Khandaan ki naak...Kareen Kapoor since at least she can say that her 3rd mard in life belongs to cricketing family even though his physique is from his bollywood mother.
Anil Kumar
New Delhi
- April 6, 2009 at 1:45 AM
- Gautham said...
Gavaskar has a right to have his say. He is a cricketing legend. What I find disturbing (Shobhaji also seems to concur with Gavaskar's statements) is the kind of personal attack on John Buchanan.
So what if he did not play for the national team. Lets face it, this is a man under whom Australia remained in top of the game for many years (Shane Warne may disagree). A coach of the Australian team, that was almost unbeatable in any form of the game (test or ODI). Can anyone name a cricketing giant/legend, who coached a team to such greatness.
We had Greg Chappell (we know how that turned out). How did India fare under Wadekar, Kapil, Dilip etc. Name others if you can, because I can't? The other side to this is; Was Bob Wilmore a legend or was Tom Moody. Gary Kirsten seems to be doing a good job though.
The point being, you do not have to be great player to be great coach. So the question is what makes anybody believe John is arrogant and incapable of coaching a team. He has a theory, never tried in a game of any form. So why not try it. If it works good, if it does not, the team will know. A much larger question is why should this be a case of Ganguly vs. John Buchanan (aka Greg Chappell to many). Even though Ganguly is the most resilient, hardworking and best cricketer we have, there is nothing wrong in questioning his fitness levels in this form of the game. SO what is wrong in utilizing this season to train 3 likely captions if ever Ganguly is not able to play in the ensuing years. Given the international feel to any IPL team and the lack of no other captain material Indian national player, I think there is nothing wrong in testing the theory.
I have issues in the article by Sunny and by Shobhaji. You want to comment, comment on how technically flawed it can be. The level of persuasion/thoughts or debate is wanting in the article. Want to know why. Read an article in the Indian express on the same or any other column articles. You will know why. Hitting on a personal level, both at the coach and the owners is neither cricket commentary nor critique. It may be good for blogspace (like Shobhaji's), not as columns.
Full disclosure: I am a SRK fan. So I wonder why does Shobhaji give so much time and attention to anything said by or said to SRK; and then jump to his/her defense. I have my reasons, so I ask what is yours.
- April 6, 2009 at 2:21 AM
- The abstract scientist said...
I really wonder about the credentials of the industry called Shobha De.I think Shobha De will do better if she can write something about herself and her achievements in India before continuing to write more about the world around her. I have been reading this blog for a while and am quite sure that she is typically judgemental and her words( supposedly contrary to S.Gavaskar) are a ten a dime.She has only criticism and dismissive remarks for most individuals that she writes about. Even in this blog post she criticises and dismisses Nafisa Ali as a so called 'activist'. She has also written in a sarcastic tone about Nafisa's partying habits. If she is a namesake activist, how will you define Ms. Shobhaa De.You have claimed that you have known Sunny for a long time, but I wonder if he is willing to say the same thing about you. You might not even remember the derogatory comments that you might have written about him someday to earn your bread. The comment that you dont make beauty queens like Aishwarya and Sushmita nowadays made me laugh. Are you not the one who said that it was the beauty enhancement product makers that were fixing up such contests? I thought you said "we will soon see Chinese models win all these the beauty pageants because China is the next target untapped market".Well, Your blog should be voted the most hilarious blog in India. The funniest thing in this whole world is the number of people who second your thoughts in these blogs.
- April 6, 2009 at 2:26 AM
- Anil Kumar said...
In response to following
We had Greg Chappell (we know how that turned out). How did India fare under Wadekar, Kapil, Dilip etc. Name others if you can, because I can't? The other side to this is; Was Bob Wilmore a legend or was Tom Moody. Gary Kirsten seems to be doing a good job though.
Just so that it makes it little easier to understand. A coach can only fine tune a player who are playing for last 20-25 years of their life. It's almost impossible to convert a "Rohan Gavaskar" to "Gautam Gambhir" unless he has talent in first place. Teams under Kapil Dev, Vengsarkar lacked fire power in bowling and the rest of the international teams were really good. Pakistan was at it's peak during that time, South Africa had genuine pace with Allan Donald and West Indians were just too good. With the decline of these teams and some improvement in our Indian team we are basking in glory. The true challenge will be if India wins series in South Africa and Australia. Only then Gary Kirsten can be judged. Rest of the teams are little mediocre at this time.
A coach and captain are as good as the team and only thing they can do is to improve them slightly and make sure that there are NO RIFTS in the team. Either SRK was STUPID or his hands are tied....He is doing a double talk so that both Buchanan and Ganguli dont get hurt....But the rift has already been started...If concept of 4 captains is going to create uneasiness in the team...that team is going to be doomed.
Remember that was the undoing of Greg Chappel in first place.
Hope it makes things little more clear.
- April 6, 2009 at 2:41 AM
- Gautham said...
Agreed, I would like to highlight a counterpoint to this. Can it also be true that the team is also good as the coach. If the coach does not deliver (e.g Greg Chappell et al.), not matter if you have Ganguly, Tendulkar, Dravid et al at the peak of the cricketing careers, the team still loses.
In most fast games, basketball, American football, the coach and his multiple cronies stratergize. There are one quarterback (American football) and other main players in defense.
Talking about coaches and "Rohan Gavaskar", is it also not true that the MRF pace foundation (started by Dennis Lillee and T.A Sekar) laid the foundation for a generation of fast bowlers in India. This was a time when once India was completely dependent on the spin quartet.
The point being that a coach is equally capable of turning a team or individual to greatness. Only if the team or the individual has the ability to test the waters. A indifferent approach from a singly player of the team does not mean general indifference.
Anyways, Mr Anil Kumar's response and possibly my argument highlights the kind of debate which should have been dealt by Mr. Gavaskar in his column in the first place. Calling somebody stupid or failed is not way to debate. I rest my case.
BTW: I am wondering why I am even debating this in a Shobha De column. Beats me but it's fun. Thank you, Shobhaji.
- April 6, 2009 at 3:46 AM
- Stillness Speaks said...
It's the first time I'm commenting here, though I am a regular reader of your blog. And a big fan too! Just love the way you express yourself :-)
I watched Femina Miss India myself and so agree with you when they say that they don't make Sushmita Sen's and Aishwarya Rai's anymore.
In the question answer round, some of the girls didn't understand the questions & fumbled with words. Which isn't expected of them really. Agreed that they get nervous, but this is precisely what they get trained on.
No wonder that the Ms. Indias this pagent churns out fade into oblivion after the Ms Universe and Ms World pagents are over.
Somehow the quality of the shows (Ms India and Filmfare) is on the decline. It's no longer fun to watch them. Maybe I'm just growing old :-)
- April 6, 2009 at 5:23 AM
- introspection said...
Shobhaa, you seem to have struck a chord here, though I have no clue why even after reading the post twice.
There is nothing different about your views here than ever before. Your views are far too judgemental - they have always been, as if you make/break the world.
For some like me, your posts may have tremendous writing style appeal, for some it may be your self contradicting views and for others it could be purely a sense of controversies that you love to stir.
This particular post seems to have got people writing their own blogs rather than commenting on the Post itself. Strange.
Sunil gavaskar is a gentleman par excelence. You are so right about him. He always talks straight,and responsibly. His cricket remarks are far prophetic than any one else's. But Bollywood has been known to create scenes, controversies, rumours, drama, false relationships, open confrontations simply to make headlines and stay in peoples mind. I think this happens to the more successful heroes as they start to get over exposed and reach the twilight zone of popularity. They are desperate to remain on top no matter what. We saw this happen to Mr Bachhan (Shahenshah, Bade Mian chhote Mian) in movies and also in real life - befriending Amar Singh, making anti Marathi remarks in Public. A set pattern. now SRK & Aamir khan going the same route. Desperadoes, loosing their dignity to remain popular!
Your remarks on Nafisa are unnecessarily strong. What could be the reason? you cant hold her 'partying' as a grudge. Are all of our other Lok sabha candidates are any less dumb.
The Miss Femina Pageant is certainly a fiasco. I refused to sit through it all. The whole show was unnatural, and contrived in a hurry. You could see that the training was insifficient. TOI group is doing an imperfect job - a wake up call to them. But their choice of judges was far better this time.
- April 6, 2009 at 9:19 AM
- No doubt SRK is a good orator and an illusion is present when he speaks. But one should also remember that few subjects such as cricket is about performance. Illusion/Dream is helpful for the start but in the end what matters is performance & performance.
One can not win each field with stardom. Even ideas are limited. One should take rest to bounce back again for few more years with refreshing ideas.
Remember: Last IPL SRK was in profit but was away from the stadium when team start losing matches. Reason SRK knows the best.
I wish SRK best-of-luck but illusion/stardom - No No. You can win for yourself but not the match.
- OSO yet to be seen ;)
- April 6, 2009 at 10:07 AM
- Sakshi said...
Srk is a pompous big mouth. We all know who to listen to in matters of cricket. I wonder what pleasure he gets out of talking like an expert on um, everything.
Oh femina. I missed. :(
And your page is about to reach one lakh mark!! Congsie! (Me is the first one to wish. :P)
- April 6, 2009 at 11:28 AM
- *Aham* said...
Nafisa... you know.. I thought has a lot of spunk and style. But I wonder why she has dirtied her hands and legs and everything in this politics of politics.
sunil gavaskar, yes, i trust him. though i must admit that i dont follow cricket that well, i do understand that gavaskar would definitely weigh his words before he spills them out. SRK on the other hand is a businessman. and he is very pr-wise. he could do anything to get his knight riders team in news. see, we are all just speaking about knight riders. they will always remain in the news.
preity, shilpa vagaira vagaira.. is all forgotten.
misshhh india... o! i still remember Ash's tripping on stage, madhu's straight-from-the-heart statement about the need for big stadiums, Sen madam's mother teresa blabber with grace and poise...
but woh sab is past... abhi everything looks so so mechanical... no innovation, no modification.. i loved the pradeep guha days... it had some special style and class.
TOI has managed to get more eyeballs to filmfare though, i loved nangu kapoor and tweezer khan's performance at this years event... whereas I was appalled by the lukewarm response that Om Puri received when he was given the lifetime achievement. And SRK usually bring a lot of energy on stage, but this time he was terrible.
- April 6, 2009 at 11:43 AM
- introspection said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- April 6, 2009 at 12:29 PM
- introspection said...
A 100,000 hits...!!!
Good going shobhaa. At this rate by the end of this month I will be Congratulating you for 200,000 hits and perhaps 1000 followers..!
Great going....you got it..!!!
- April 6, 2009 at 12:34 PM
- Falc said...
Hey Shobha,
Reg, Nafisa, atleast she is not a criminal. We dont hv many educated and honest people standing for elections, so i guess she is the next best option. People who complain can themselves come forward and run, dont u think??? And i repeat (ur words actually) India is on Auto Pilot. So not unduly worried.
Gavaskar is a legend yes..But he believes in cricket being a traditional game, that has to be played in a traditional format. Thats the reason he was against 20-20. He still cannot adjust to the fact that The Gentleman's Game has gone totally commercial. Maybe it pains him to see what cricket has come down too. Hence his outburst. SRK is the present generation, an actor and definitely a businessman. For him its about raking in the moolah for himself and his investors, cos its a lot of money at stake. He is answerable to his investors offcourse and thats what he is worried about. Any fortright businessman would think this way, cos he has a reputation to protect. U may remember the ABCL fiasco, and how Mr. Bachchan went all out to repay the money he owed his investors. Almost to the tune of 100 crores I read. So SRK is also right in his own way, cos if someone tries to project his business in a negative way he will answer. And its upto him how to run his business. The purity and sanctity of the game be damned !!!
Have stopped watching beauty pageants a long time back. There was a time we knew who were our Miss India's representing our country in the Miss Universe / World pageant. But now...hmmmm we dont even remember and care about who won last year..!!!!!!!!
- April 6, 2009 at 12:59 PM
- krish said...
Dear De
Me thinks sanju baba has lost his nuts in the jail , or as you said there might be sum cut deal with Mr Amar singh in the pipe line.Sanjay dutt was booked in for a vrime no less than that of a terror act so why is he being made into sum kind of freedom fighter......book him as per the law of the land.
Sunil gavaskar and srk at looger heads ........intresting.
and finally agree with you they dont make more like sush and ash.
- April 6, 2009 at 1:14 PM
- athi said...
Super models... Beautiful gals like Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington and Claudia Shiffer... Past dream! Make up can turn a dowdy to a glamour star, with all the innocence running out the door! The only model I actually liked in ages has been Frieda Pinto! She isn't drop dead gorgeous but there is this charm about her smile! Fresh!
Miss India is definitely lost its touch. A lot of the gals look as boring as me! So should I go contest? :P
- April 6, 2009 at 2:43 PM
- Rajlakshmi said...
I would agree with the opinion on Miss India... truly girls look so similar ... the originality is missing ...
- April 6, 2009 at 3:03 PM
- Sidhusaaheb said...
There appears to be a clear distinction between Gavaskar's comments and SRK's.
Whereas, Gavaskar attacked Buchanan's multi-captain theory, SRK attacked Gavaskar the player.
So, who's hitting below the belt here?
- April 6, 2009 at 3:58 PM
- Anil Kumar said...
@ Gautham,
You have made some good points.
I think the basic difference is that Buchanan is coaching players who are already established players.
They are not in the age group of MRF pace academy. When a 20-22 year old player comes and plays unders a high profile coach, like Buchanan, he can only polish these players. If he tries to change their basic techniques the player will get confused. Cricket is 90% talent and 10% luck. There are lucky captains and coaches who keep winning because they have a good teams at their disposal. Similarly there are good coaches and captains leading mediocre teams and lose repeatedly.
Same is true with a good captain wo can get best out oftheir players. But the moment there is rift among different captains and coach the whole concept of experimenting is defeated.
Test matches are won by bowlers. Indian bowling is still way behind in terms of fire power. It works in only in patches. Best batsmen in the world can only help to draw a match but rarely they win for the team.
American footbal is not for human race in my humble opinion. The offensive and defensive coaches are because of the nature of the game. If I remember correctly there are different players in offensive and defensive team in a single match.
If cricket is changed in such a way that there are specialized batting team and bowling team playing in a single match. In other words a team batting first can allow all 11 players to bat and then in the same match when they are bowling, a different set of 11 bowlers are allowed. In theory 22 players can play from one team in a single match and 44 players if both teams are considered. That kind of cricket will be equivalent to the American footbal and hence two different coaches.
But 4 coaches in a traditional T20cricket match is height of stupidity and when the comment comes from a bollywood character then this is the crude form of commercialization of the game of cricket.
If people have any respect for the legends of the game they should boycott these IPL matches. And SRK is stuck with Bengali babu for at least 2 years because he knows how Calcultta will respond if he goes against Ganguli unilaterally.
- April 6, 2009 at 4:50 PM
- Another Kiran In NYC said...
Nafisa is a good polo wife. Karisma is becoming a good polo wife. Both are stylish. Both are lightweights at anything else. Enough said. Any questions?
Why did I bring Karisma into it? Frankly I have no idea, but I think Karisma is going to grow up to become Nafisa with more makeup. Really what else can I say about Nafisa and her social activism and her politics. My admiration for her swimming medals, her impressive early forays into writing and the movies, everything is khalaas. Abhi its just bad politics and kissy face with that hot old man Richard Gere.
I dont follow cricket... sorry Baba (my dad follows the game rabidly). I think I stopped following it when the cute looking guys my age stopped playing and got fat.
SRK is a Marwari in disguise. His game is about his brand name. Gavaskar likes the traditional game with white flannels and tea breaks. Never the twain shall meet. The game leaves me cold, so atleast I can enjoy thier sniping at each other. Fight! Fight!
Miss Indias are all bekaar. Boring as hell and with terrible convent school accents. Sabira Merchant as language coach, needs to correct this and then thier diction and speech cadence before Jamuna Pai and Co start "whitening" thier skin. I wish they would all speak in a normal bazaar accent and stop talking about Mother Teresa and world peace. The looks only go so far.
And Sushmita and Ash really were not all that fantastic either. Same crappy mold when they were in the contest. Its what they did with thier fame later that made them stand out.
Ohhh I think I need to go workout to restore my good humor!
- April 6, 2009 at 5:33 PM
- Gautham said...
What are we talking here. Technicalities within cricket or repartee between 2 people. If we are talking technicalites, I am sorry to say, I did not find it in the original article itself. If it is the latter, then we should atleast get the facts right before passing judgement.
@ Anil
With the exception of Ganguly and 10 international players (some of them just made to the national teams), a lot of them are still youngsters. Out of the team of 57 odd players, more than 60 % are youngsters.
As I said earlier, is this a case of indifferent attitude or indifferent stratergy. A cricket player will perform (90% talent) whatever indifference the coach have with the said captain. While not completely agreeing to it, it is still a experiment.
The question is should it receive some benfit of doubt to be tested. I believe it should. Nobody is saying there should be 44 players in cricket. How much influence does a fielding captain have on the game being played. What is captaincy all about. Is it the capacity to stratergize, make the right decisions for the team and push players to perform at the highest levels or is it an ego trip to oblivion. If key decisions within the team are made collectively, and the decision makers are given a title, what is wrong.
Single player sports (tennis badminton et al.) are based on pure talent. Multi-player sports are team efforts and this includes the coach also.
And BTW, the comment or idea behind the 4-captain theory did not come from a bollywood character (just making sure the facts are right here). It came from a coach who had a stratergy for the team. What happened pursuant to the announcement of such a theory was some debunked it, some said it could work.
@ Siddhusaheb
With due respect to Gavaskar who thought T-20 would kill the game of cricket, he is entitled to his opinion. Tell the readers why the thoery would fail. Give its merits/demerits. That is food for thought. However, just criticizing the coach as being arrogant, incapable, calling him failed cricketer (and his multiple cronies) is not good opinion. Same applies to Shobha De. She knows Gavaskar very well and can have a high opinion on his honesty. The point is she does not know John Buchanan (I am sure of that) and thus can not speak about his character. John Buchanan may not be as accomplished as Gavaskar, but he has earned his right to test his views and theory within his team.
All the Bollywood character said is please give the idea the breathing space (obviously defending his coach). He said let me run the team as per the wishes of the coach (for now). If it does not work, we will know. So I say, that is ok. The bigger question is if Vijay Mallya, N Srinivasan (CSK), Ness Wadia, GMR and Ambani defended the same idea, what would you say. That they do not know cricket and should be in the business of running the big companies they run.
- April 6, 2009 at 5:45 PM
- kala said...
John Buchanan's idea of 4 captains is like a multi starrer bollywood movie. Ultimately they are reducing the game or upgrading it like a bollywood movie. I have new ideas coming like football with multiple goalposts and some players suddenly switching sides in the middle of a game. Toi has to innovate to make beauty peagants more interesting. Some surprise elements to put the girls off their guard. Otherwise these beauty peagants are becoming as boring as coaching class IIT entrants.
- April 6, 2009 at 6:32 PM
- Gautham said...
Having gone to numerous websites carrying the SRK-Gavaskar issue, I find myself more involved and even more detatched. My capability of persuasion are limited, unlike others whose 10-word sound bites create more ruckus like no other. Are we living in a cynical world. What are we so cynical about. Ridiculing an idea and ridiculing somebody are two different things. Ridicule an idea, but make a point on why. Do not berate.
Why do we like to ridicule others. Because it makes us feel good about ourselves.What is so cynical of SRK saying something or respectfully disagreeing with Gavaskar (again check facts). What was so cynical about any public figure disagreeing with the general opinion, no matter who made that opinion. Even if the opinion maker literally berates the individual.
I am a researcher, a teacher and used a play a lot of sports for school and college team. My professor and coach used to tell me: "No idea or question is stupid or insane enough." To me insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. I have seen success (however modest) and failure because of these stupid ideas. I firmly believe that I would never have known how stupid an idea was until I tested it. Edison took more 1000 times to make a light bulb. When asked, he said " I have discovered 1000 ways how not to make a light bulb. I only needed one to make it work." I am sure I can not persuade anyone otherwise, but I will continue to bat for what I think is right.
- April 6, 2009 at 7:47 PM
- Anil Kumar said...
I am not against experimenting and I appreciate your clear thoughts.
I think more than experimenting I am against businessman/bollywood trying to educate a legend of the game....Just because he has filthy money from bollywood.
I find the concept bizzare but there is nothing wrong with experiment. I have followed the game closely when it was not a commercial business and have played it too...though not at higher level.
I don't follow IPL seriously but what I heard there were two statements from SRK...one was that KKR will not doanything wihtout Ganguly...Ganguly denied that he knows anything about 4 captains concept (although I doubt it) and the coach says that he wants to have 4 captains.
From above statements I gather that Buchanan and SRK wants to have 4 captain but because of backlash they don't want to hurt Ganguly and therefore bengali sentiments. And as I told you that even if Ganguly has willingly told that he is happy with this concept, I would still say that this concept defies logic because it creates more confusion and disillusions and it will cut the KKR team to pieces because there are always some hidden loyalties among different players for senior players.
It surprised me that there are 57 players in KKR team and 60% of them are youngsters. Is it fair to assume that all 57 are going to South Africa as part of the KKR team??
I have my reasons for negative against IPL even though that was not part of original discussion. I belong to an era when cricket was a sport and not a business. I would have enjoyed IPL as well but by bringing these sl_ts from bollywood and abroad as cheerleaders and showing their bustline and cheap dances have made it difficult for some to watch it as a sport.
And the way our media rushes to Preity Zinta, Shilpa, Sharrukh or daruwalaa for comments everytime something related to cricket makes me feel, how CHEAP are our TV journalists. Be it Barkha Dutt and company or others on star news and many more whom names I don't remember.
- April 7, 2009 at 1:04 AM
- Gautham said...
@ Anil
Get your facts right. I say again (part of my 1000 attempts) he is not educating a legend. See the complete news and then express your views. I am not passing sermon here, but attempting to let people the truth. Want to watch the entire press conference. Look at youtube or other news articles on the same in today's paper.
Yes FYI! KKR had selected 57 players. Out of which 25 are currently in SA and 16-18 will be selected after the final trail. According to news reports, there is a talk of developing a cricket academy in Kolkata, spearheaded by John and possibly Ganguly. They form the Jr. KKR team (that is why these many youngsters).
I again ask you Mr. Anil. Would it have made a difference if Ravi Shastri or Kapil Dev had owned the team. I understand that you have your reservations about IPL. Try distinguishing between two things. A company owned by a Bollywood star owns a cricketing franchise. Similarly a large petroleum and cement firm owns a franchise. Both the franchises are operated by a cricketing technical staff consisting of former captains as coaches, team captains et al, while the finances are handled by the said firm/star. Does it make a difference.
People had reservations when ODI came to being. Even more during Kerry Packer's WC (otherwise called pyjama cricket). Things do take time.
When we used to play for school, colleges or for some low level division league, the matches used to be 25 overs or less. I got paid Rs 50 per match for playing in a division league in 1995. Today, a youngster gets paid 30-40K for getting selected in one of these franchises and playing one season. If he performs, he gets a call for the national team. While not having to worry about the next food on his table, he can concentrate on his game. So I ask, what's wrong. There aren't enough platforms for sport in our country where people can give it their best shot.
If I may comment, pardon me for saying this, but the sl_t happens to a somebody's sister, daughter who happens to be in a acting profession. I do not understand what is wrong with that. Are they dumb as many (including Shobha) claims. Is it not true that the same Shobha shared stage protesting against the govt with the same sl_t in the aftermath of 26/11. Is is also not true that the same person worked personally towards cleaning Mumbai beach in televised program, geared to get support for getting electricity in villages, cleaning Yamuna river and so on. This work was spearheaded by our Nobel peace prize winner for this year Dr. Pachauri. I did not do any of this. If you did anything like this great. If not please refrain from passing character judgements (3 times, 997 to go).
And for the record, Shobha De used to be a model prior to becoming the editor (I think) for a film gossip magazine called Stardust, which was nothing more than a tabloid. Her book to fame was called Superstars, based on Bollywood film industry.
"Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones on others"
- April 7, 2009 at 4:51 AM
- Gautham said...
Now the gloves are off!. After the fact that SRK press conference and its unedited version is in the public domain, here are the facts translated from hindi verbatim.
Quote 1: Gavaskar Saab knowledge of cricket is 1.5 billion times more than me. So I can not even think about commenting on his statement.
Quote 2: Gavaskar saab never played T20 format of the game. Even if he did not, he has enough knowledge to comment on it.
Quote 3: Please let us try this. Everybody says to me, do this do that. Please give the team some breathing space. We give Gavaskar's saabs comments very seriously. But we also take our coach and the team seriously.
So SUSH! to Shobha et al. The larger question and obviously to the named persons are:
Will you lick (not eat) the comments or whatever u can lick; you made earlier.
Whose honesty are we discussing here. Shobha's and Gavaskar's or SRK's. My answer is clear. Every sleaze needs to be dealt with the sleaze.
"You truly are a joke in a designer saree". You demean Tendulkar, he dedicates a century to the country. You demean Aamir, he encourages the right to vote. You demean Preity, she becomes the activist for inspiring causes like no other. You demean SRK and Amitabh, you truly lick your own words and I do not know what else.
4th attempt. Do not pass premature judgements, without knowing the truth or just knowing half the truth.
- April 7, 2009 at 6:58 AM
- Nithya S said...
Though your thoughts are often dipped in cynicism and sprinkled with venom they are entertaining to read. We all know that you have a personal score to settle with SRK. Being an SRK fan, I can help but notice perks in nastiness index while dealing with him. Its kinda sad.
- April 7, 2009 at 11:43 AM
- Anil Kumar said...
I have few observations and I will tell you precisely where I differ with you. My language is sometimes blunt and crude and some things which may seem minor to be part of IPL actually impact larger population in different ways...I have nothing personal against people like you.
I don't know why you decided to skip the last comment which has been reported across different section of news media and that was
"If you have a problem with 4 captains theory then you buy your own team and run it the way you want."
This last statement of SRK nullified everything and shows his frustration with Gavaskar's comments. You are right that SRK was not educating him on cricket and I think he tried hard to say positive things about him but he couldn't resist taunting him to bring his own team. In other words if you don't have money to buy a team then just keep quiet. That's the essence of his statements which is shameful.
Let's wait and see how these 4 captains theory is going to unfold when this tamasha actually begins. To me this is probably the only politically correct way to tell Saurav Ganguly about his last few seasons. But the dillema for SRK is that he is too afraid to mess up with sports crazy bengalis and hence this bizzare concept.
You also mentioned
"I again ask you Mr. Anil. Would it have made a difference if Ravi Shastri or Kapil Dev had owned the team. Does it make difference??"
Yes. It does make a difference. And it's because of combination of bollywood and TV journalists. If the owner of the team is selling cement or daaru, no journalists ever bother to ask for their comments on cricket. Because OUR MEDIA is GREEDY, and lacks journalistic values, the moment something happens in cricket field they will rush to these sleazy owners from Bollywood for comments. And people from Bollywood always look for any opportunity to come in front of camera. That's why when SriLankan players were attacked in Lahore or Indian team was in New Zealand I had to hear comments of these same bollywood jokers namely Shilpa Shetty, Preity Zinta, Shahrukh Khan who suddenly become experts on all matters of cricket. Could you explain to me that NDTV and other TV channels showed Preity Zinta doing bungi jumping 20-30 times in 2 weeks period. What the hell that has to do with cricket. Why not they show Mallika Sherawat doing bungi jumping in 2 piece bikini...just because she does not have a share in IPL franchise.
That's the UGLY side of IPL being in the hands of attention seeking bollywood sl_ts and for some it does make difference and that includes me.
There is nothing wrong when younger players are getting money. In fact I wish sportsperson from each sport category earns good money to have a descent living. Be it cricket, hockey, archery or weightlifters. But that's just a wishful thinking in other sports.
On the question of sl_ts being someone sister or mother. I think that's clear to everyone as no one lands on this planet out of thin air. But these kind of loose character women, which are in plenty in bollywood, used to be in the past as well though not as high in number as today. The biggest difference is that in those days their turmoiled lifestyle were limited to this bollywood fraternity and few magazines like stardust...probably Shobha De was part of it. It's one thing to read and see few pics and completely different thing to see these same sl_ts coming personally on TV and tellling their filth on TV 365 days a year. This wave of sl_ts in bollywood these days are affecting family values with the help of those in the TV news channels. If that provocative dances, cheap talks stay in magazines, theatres or a DVD , it doesn't affect masses that much and specially kids. But if the same provocative dances are shown on National TV, 24X7 every single day then it creates havoc in the mind of a large population. And by large population I mean 80% of population who is downright poor and specially poor women suffer the consequences of this western ills.
You can say it's not their fault but to me the bollywood, TV News media and now sl_ts alias cheerleaders in Cricket who are there just to show their bustline are the true axis of Kalyugi times in which we are in.
The culture and favourite past time cricket is being hijacked by Bollywood with the help of many journalists on TV news channels. We all know country is in the hands of corrupt politicians.
- April 7, 2009 at 7:51 PM
- Anil Kumar said...
When I say I have nothing pesonal against you, I mean to say that I have nothing personal against people like you who seems to be good citizen of India.
- April 7, 2009 at 7:53 PM
- Gautham said...
And I say this again Mr. Anil, Gavaskar has every right to criticize the 4-captain theory. You may call whatever you like. To each their view. He is not the first one to do that. Wadekar, Vengsarkar et al have debunked the idea one time or other. The question of paramount importance is what kind of critiquing is this.
If you say, you have a flawed theory. I respect that. If you say your theory is flawed because you are an idiot, I do not respect that. The age of you hit me and I will show the other cheek is gone. It does not matter who you are. In your own private space, you can be as condescending as possible. In the public space, everybody needs to be restrained. This is how we got here and this is how it gets worse. Save the soul, not the man. That is how a civilized nation breathes and is taken seriously.
Gnadhiji preached the biggest form of violence to bring change. Hit the person where it matters most. His intelligence, his head. And he did all of that without abusing, without ridiculing and what we know as Ahimsa.
- April 7, 2009 at 8:33 PM
- Anil Kumar said...
@ Gautham
No one can defend Gavaskar's personal attack on Buchanan. You are absolutely right about that. I can give you more than one instance when Gavaskar's ego clashed with his arguments.
But my thrust was not on Gavaskar's personal attack.It was on theory and resposne of Bollywood.
Gavaskar punched Buchanan's cheek with his personal comments. I expected Buchanan to punch back and come to media to defend his 4 captain theory and slam Gavaskar's personal attacks. That would have been a sensible and fair approach. Everyone who understand the game would have enjoyed the clash between a great coach and a great player.
My question is then why did that idiot from bollywood come in front of camera when his job was to provide finances to experts in cricket as you said previously.
And besides that he didn't criticize Gavaskar's personal attack on Buchanan in front of media. What was he up to then??
Criticizing 4 captains theory is acceptable to you and me. Why did SRK find it hard to swallow it since obviously he was not defending personal attacks on Buchanan.
The essence of bollywood joker's commens was don't criticize 4 captains theory and if you are so upset about this theory then get your own team.
As I said before these jokers like SRK, Akshay Kumar, Preity Zinta and Shilpa Shetty are desperate to be on camera and their role should remain to be owner of teams rather than experts of cricket.
- April 8, 2009 at 4:45 PM
- Anil Kumar said...
Just noticed a blooper from Shilpa shetty---She asked a Rajasthan Royal medium pacer to bowl lots of spin in the upcoming second IPL. The poor medium pacer didn't know what to say.
That's what I call "Khuda meharbaan tto Gadha Pahalwaan".
Welcome to IPL-2 and world of Shilpa, Sharukh, Preity, Akshay Kumar, Juhi, Daruwala, Cementwala.
Bye bye folks who never played 20-20 cricket.
- April 9, 2009 at 3:04 AM
- Gajendra said...
I agree shobhaa, srk had no business questioning the credibility of a cricketing great.
SRK's comments were highly condemnable, laughable !!
- April 9, 2009 at 9:34 AM
- ashkd said...
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i am blessed to be part of this blog.. i know that this is going to be fruit for all thoughts.. :-)
- April 9, 2009 at 7:29 PM
- Siva Cool said...
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- July 4, 2014 at 12:17 PM


text:
Seventh Annual Ride to Provide
The seventh annual motorcycle fundraiser, Ride to Provide, will be held on Oct. 20, at Bronson High School. On-site registration begins at 7:30 a.m. with free coffee and doughnuts. Kickstands up at 10 a.m. Participants are encouraged to pre-register online at www.ridetoprovide.net. This Law Enforcement escorted ride is approximately 64 miles in length and will travel through scenic Levy County. This ride is free of cost but donations are greatly appreciated. Riders will have another opportunity to support Levy ARC by purchasing a hamburger/hotdog plate at the end of the ride. All proceeds from this event directly support the Levy Association for Retarded Citizens. T-Shirts will be available the day of the ride.
For more information or to help sponsor this event please contact Sean or Beth Mullins at 352-316-3260 or 352-528-2222.
Annual Breast Cancer Awareness Trail Ride
The Levy County Horse Club sponsors the 12th annual Breast Cancer Awareness Trail Ride at Tidewater Trailhead in the Goethe State Forest on Saturday, Oct. 20. It begins at the south end of County Road 337 with registration beginning at 8 a.m. for a $25 fee per rider for the poker ride. Ride at your own pace. Lunch is free with registration, or available for $6. The menu includes choice of barbecue or lemon pepper pork with green beans and potatoes, whole kernel corn, rolls, dessert and a drink. Lunch will be followed by fun raffles.
Overnight primitive camping is available for those coming in on Friday or staying over til Sunday. Water for horses and bathroom facilities are available. This is a no hunting weekend with trail use and camp fees waived for this benefit event. Coggins required. All donations go to benefit local breast cancer patients.
To donate or help sponsor this event or more information please check our web page at www. levycountyhorseclub.com or email email@example.com.
Concealed weapons class
The Lighthouse Word Church will be offering a Concealed Weapons Class on Saturday, Oct. 20, at 9 a.m., at the church on US Alt 27, Chiefland. Lieutenant Ray Tremblay of the Chiefland Police Dept. will be conducting the class which includes classroom and firearms training. The cost of the class is $60 and includes lunch. Lieutenant Tremblay is a certified law enforcement instructor in pistol, advanced rifle and shotgun instruction and also a certified N.R.A. instructor. Money must be turned into the church office no later than Thursday, Oct. 18. If you have any questions you can contact Pastor Walter Turner at the church office at 352-493-1554. All ladies are welcome. If you do not own a firearm, one will provided for you.
Saturday & Sunday
Seafood Festival
The 43rd Annual Seafood Festival in Cedar Key will be held in the historic downtown and City Park. Great food and entertainment in the Park and art lines the streets of Cedar Key. Funds raised by various groups go to support charitable projects and Cedar Key School. (See Pages 5-12)
October 28
Senior Adult lunch
First Baptist Church of Bronson is hosting a Senior Adult Lunch on Sunday, Oct. 28, at noon in its Fellowship Hall with guest speaker Mary Lee Tanca on Medicare 2013 changes. Medicare 2013 Part D Plans starts open enrollment from Oct. 15 through Dec. 7. Bring a copy of your Medicare Part D Plan card and a list of all your prescription drugs. By reservation only, please call Juanita at 339-0747 by Wednesday, Oct. 25.
October 30
Fall Festival in the Park
There will be a Fall Festival in the Park brought to you by some of the Cedar Key area churches and businesses on Tuesday, Oct. 30, from 4-7 p.m. Fun in the form of candy, games, prizes and food (hot dogs, drinks and chips) will be provided. Costumes are not required for children to attend the event, but, if worn, they should not be scary nor should they be suggestive.
Donations of candy and prizes, etc, will be greatly appreciated.
For questions, comments or to donate candy or prizes, please contact Tom/Michelle Pearson at 352-325-0134, Todd/Star Pope at 352-543-5000, or Josh/Erin Pearson at 818-669-3652.
Look at the next news edition for further information and updates.
October 31
Book Bunch to meet
The Non-Fiction Book Bunch will meet on Wednesday, Oct. 31, at 1:30 p.m. at the Cedar Key Library. Some of us have read Cornell University's "Legacy Project Thirty Lessons for Living: Tried and True Advice from the Wisest Americans" over the summer. If you have read it, great; if not, great.
We will meet and decide upon the next months' readings. Please, bring suggestions with you. Proposed thus far are: S.C. Gwynne's "Empire of the Summer Moon"; Manning Marable's "Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention"; and Candice Millard's "River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey".
No treating in Williston
There will not be a Trail of Treats in Williston this year.
The Williston Chamber of Commerce, the longtime sponsor of the event, elected not to host the event this year due to safety concerns and financial obligations.
November 3
'Global Warming and the Changing Oceans'
Cedar Key Public Library will be hosting a presentation by Captain Dan Kipnis on "Global Warming and the Changing Oceans" on Nov. 3 at 1 p.m. He is the past president of the Miami Beach Rod and Reel club and member of the Climate Reality Project.
A Florida native and ardent fisheries conservationist, he will explain global warming and its effects on the oceans and near coastal environments. Captain Kipnis is chairman of the Economic, Social and Health Committee of the Miami-Dade County Climate Change Task Force. He has also served on the Biscayne Bay Management Committee, Miami River Review Committee and City of Miami Waterfront Board. The captain was also Commissioner of the State of Florida Marine Fisheries Commission.
November 6
Quit Smoking Now classes
Do you smoke, dip or spit and want to quit? First Baptist Church of Bronson, 460 S. Court Street, Bronson is hosting Quit Smoking Now classes from 6-7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 6 through Dec. 18. Free group sessions with free nicotine patches, gum or lozenges provided. This program is sponsored by the Suwannee River Area Health Education Center and the Florida Department of Health. To register, call Juanita toll free at 1-866-341-2730.
November 9
Hiers-Baxley to host veterans luncheon
To show appreciation for the dedicated service of veterans to this country, Tri-County Area veterans are invited to a free luncheon in their honor on Friday. Nov. 9, at the Tommy Usher Community Center in Chiefland.
The guest speaker will be retired Navy Lt. Cmdr. Elden H. Luffman. He is a former military chaplain, WWII veteran and author of "Bringing God To War."
Seating is limited so those wanting to participate should call for reservations by by Monday, Nov. 5, to Pam Leaptrot at Hiers-Baxley, 352-493-0050.
Through Nov. 12
Sign up for Vets Day celebration
The city of Williston will host the 2012 Levy County Veterans Day Parade and ceremony Monday, Nov. 12.
The parade will kick off around 11 a.m. and wind its way down Noble Avenue to Heritage Park on North Main Street for a short program that will include music and guest speakers.
All veterans and their families will be treated with free hot dogs and drinks at the park. Special tributes will be given to the men and women who served in our Armed Forces.
Any organization or individual that wants to participate in the parade should contact Frances Taylor at email@example.com or call 352-528-3060.
November 23
Cedar Key Christmas kicks off
The annual Cedar Key Christmas Celebration will kick-off this event with a tree lighting ceremony in the Park.
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OpSail comes to Boston
OpSail comes to Boston
Midshipmen stood on the deck of the ARC Gloria of Colombia as it entered Boston Harbor.
Midshipmen stood along the rigging of the ARC Gloria.
A midshipman climbed along the rigging of the ARC Gloria.
From left, the ARC Gloria, BAE Guayas, and Cisne Branco docked at Fish Pier.
Pleasure boats got a closer look at the tall ships.
An ARC Gloria crew member slid down ropes to do touchup work on some chipped paint on the bow.
Two small canons were fired from the port side of the ARC Gloria as it passed Castle Island.
The USCGC Eagle glided through Boston Harbor during OpSail's Tall Ship arrival event on Saturday.
Cisne Branco, a tall ship of the Brazilian Navy, was in Boston Harbor.
Midshipman Juan Sebastian Sanchez shook the paw of Colombia's ARC Gloria's dog, Argos.
Crew members aboard the ARC Gloria of Colombia raised the flag.
A crew member stood aboard the ARC Gloria of Colombia.
The USS Wasp sat docked in Boston Harbor on Saturday.


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Date and starting time:
Sun 19/05/2013, 08:00
Starting from Surrey Sports Park, Guildford, Surrey, on May 19th 2013, this year there will be 2 courses to choose from: A medium (67 miles) and long (80 miles) sportive, taking in the rolling roads of Sussex and Surrey and the less well-known punishing climbs of the Greensand Ridge - aka The Surrey Hills. Feed stations on the course and at the finish supplying homemade cake and GU energy gels will be available to all riders. Roaming marshals from NEG, First Aid, and mechanical support will be on hand. More details are available at the event website www.gbsportive.co.uk


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20" BMX BikesClick here to read more!
20" BMX bikes are just the right size for those riders who want something lighter and smaller when doing tricks or racing. With BMX bikes, there is a wide variety of riding to choose from. Whether you want to just ride around the block or get adventurous and start learning tricks, 20 inch bikes are ready to help push your limits so you can meet your next challenge. BMX bikes no matter what the size never hold you back and let you grow within the sport.


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Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Preliminary TV Overview For 2012
The last big TV change was Allen Bestwick stepping-in to take over the Sprint Cup Series races for ESPN only days before the coverage started. Tuesday, there was another item involving on-air personalities that caught our attention.
This tweet from SPEED's Hermie Sadler shortly before noon: "Bittersweet week for me as I prepare to do my last @racedayonspeed show this Sunday. Been a hell of a lot of fun."
In response, Kyle Petty offered: "You are still the man." Other TV production personalities echoed Petty's comment. It would seem that Sadler is indeed done with RaceDay for good.
Sadler has been working as a reporter on the series alongside Wendy Venturini for quite a while. Like Venturini, Sadler works well in the garage area. His past racing experience and easygoing personality allow him to maneuver through the tangled web of PR reps and high-profile personalities in the Sprint Cup Series.
SPEED also uses Sadler as a pit reporter on the truck series, a field reporter for NASCAR Live and in the TV booth for Nationwide Series practice and qualifying shows. It will be interesting to learn if Sadler is done just on RaceDay or across the board with SPEED.
As the final weekend of racing approaches, let's take a look at some of the things we know about the 2012 line-ups for the NASCAR TV partners in talent and programming.
FOX informed us a while back that Jeff Hammond was out of the Hollywood Hotel next season and driver and current multi-car owner Michael Waltrip was in. Hammond is moving to a "roving reporter" role says the network.
Both Waltrip brothers will become centerpieces in the NASCAR on FOX telecasts. This change resulted from the Waltrips working together on several NASCAR races carried on SPEED earlier in the year. Network execs apparently liked what they saw.
The rest of the NASCAR on FOX team should stay intact. This crew has been around a long time and the personalities and their roles are well defined.
TNT lost infield host Lindsay Czarniak, who moved to ESPN as a studio anchor after the summer race telecasts. The network still needs to fill that position, but the remainder of the crew including pit road newcomer Chris Neville should return.
It should be very interesting to see what ESPN does with Marty Reid. After being moved off the Sprint Cup Series races, Reid was left with the Nationwide Series and a handful of IndyCar races. When ESPN cranks back up for year six, it will probably be Bestwick in the TV booth at Daytona. Reid has a long history in both IndyCar and the NHRA. We should know how this issue shakes out after Christmas.
While the core of ESPN's team is set to return, the odd twist is Carl Edwards. Next season Edwards is rumored to be hanging-up his driving shoes on the Nationwide Series side and joining ESPN fulltime to work on the telecasts. His current owner Jack Roush let that cat out of the bag a while back.
As a driver, Edwards would be looking at two familiar faces already in place. Dale Jarrett currently works in the TV booth and Rusty Wallace in the infield studio. Wallace has been re-signed through 2014 and Jarrett is the face of NASCAR on ESPN. In fact, Wallace left the booth to make way for Jarrett several years ago. What slot Edwards might fill will not be disclosed until after Jan. 1.
The heart of SPEED's Camping World Truck Series team is poised to return. Rick Allen, Phil Parsons and Ray Dunlap have been the face of the series for years. Sadler was one of the pit reporters and Waltrip was the third man in the booth. We should know next week if Sadler's RaceDay departure and Waltrip's Hollywood Hotel deal will change things for 2012.
One rumor swirling right now is that NASCAR Now has been cancelled by ESPN. As most fans know, the show was moved from 5PM back to 3PM and the only re-air was cancelled a couple of months ago. ESPN2 has a new afternoon line-up and NASCAR was pushed to the back burner.
Nicole Briscoe lives in the Charlotte area and commutes to Bristol, CT for her hosting duties. Mike Massaro relocated to Connecticut fulltime and Monday show host Allen Bestwick continues to reside in his beloved Rhode Island. That's just the tip of the iceberg.
ESPN has a significant number of reporters and analysts who rely on this series for employment. The show is on six days a week and during the Chase races adds a one-hour wrap up show as well. The loss of this series due to basically logistical on-air issues would be tough for the sport.
Update: Thursday late afternoon ESPN advised that NASCAR Now will be returning for 2012 as a daily show with the same staff. Time of the series airing is not yet known. Good news for NASCAR fans, just need a better timeslot!
Even though SPEED moved RaceHub to 6PM, the network loves the show. Steve Byrnes and Danielle Trotta originate an hour of NASCAR-themed content Monday through Thursday. Almost all of the SPEED and FOX analysts appear and the series is dream for promotion of the network's agenda. Expect that lead duo to return.
It's been a grand experiment seeing Jimmy Spencer in his role as on-air curmudgeon. His RaceHub antics include the awarding of cigars and straight-jackets. His "Kurt Busch Radio Sweetheart" segment is hilarious. The question is, does the new production management team at SPEED feel the same way.
There is no information out about the return of Inside NASCAR on Showtime. This series is said to be under contract for another season, but the show has shrunk to thirty minutes and seems to be all about promoting the profanity on the team radios.
On a non-TV note, veteran reporter Dustin Long of the Landmark Newspaper chain is ending his role as a NASCAR beat writer after this weekend. Long is a past president of the National Motorsports Press Association and has been helpful with our efforts here for years. His company is eliminating his position. We wish him well and hope his next assignment is a great one.
There has been a lot of breaking news this week. Should any new information become available on additional on-air changes, we will update this post.
In the meantime, please feel free to offer your opinions on the personalities and programs listed above. Thanks for taking the time to stop by The Daly Planet.
32 comments:
- scarletandmaize said...
Not that we need it, but canceling NASCAR Now would be the latest reason ESPN should not be allowed to televise NASCAR ever again.
- November 15, 2011 at 9:10 PM
- Anonymous said...
I didn't get to watch RaceDay....do we know why Hermie is done with RaceDay? Will he be staying on as a parttime commentator or pit reporter I hope!?!?!?
- November 15, 2011 at 9:16 PM
- Buschseries61 said...
Hopefully SPEED keeps Sadler for the Trucks, he did a good job replacing AA. The whole Truck series team continues to get the job done season after season despite the wild peaks and valleys the series has gone through since 2009.
Do you think the Trackside girl they hired is moving up to RaceDay? That would really be a horrible decision.
Jeff Hammond's role next season appears to be as useless as Tim Brewer based off the information we have so far. The garage area has been really quiet most of the season. I bet if the garage is quiet, he will be pointing at car parts.
AA needs to step it up on TNT next season. He hasn't really impressed and ended this season on an awkward thud with his goodbye speech.
The Edwards story has been interesting. It's the elephant in the room as Carl appears on ESPN week after week. Roush's comments from the summer are just ignored by ESPN as if nothing was said. Edwards is treated like a regular employee without the official title.
I really hope Dustin Long ends up somewhere. His weekly fan council was always an interesting read.
- November 15, 2011 at 9:45 PM
- Anonymous said...
News Corp should've hired Lindsay Czarniak ... Put her on SPEED ...
Dump Trotta and Marianella (or however you spell her name) ...
I don't watch Race Hub like I used to because I cannot stand Trotta & her lame softball questions ...
I've completely STOPPED watching Trackside because of that lame Marinella ... She adds NOTHING to the show ... IF people want to see what the drivers are tweeting, they can google it ...
It's a shame that Patti Wheeler and George Bodenheimer are screwing over the NASCAR fans ... apparently, with Brian France's full support ... Can we impeach Brian?????
Btw - Miss Non-Monica Sprint Cup screwed up today when she said Sammy had not tweeted since January of LAST YEAR ... Sammy's last tweet was from November of 2010 ... NOT January 2010 ... Geez, WHY is Monica leaving us??
- November 15, 2011 at 9:55 PM
- Dot said...
Sure, SPEED can get rid of Hermie, yet BSPN keeps Rusty & Brad.
nascar now being cancelled is no surprise. The way BSPN plays time slot roulette with it, no one can find it to watch it or record it anyway.
I agree with what scarletandmaize wrote, "ESPN should not be allowed to televise NASCAR ever again." 2014 can't get here fast enough.
- November 15, 2011 at 11:16 PM
- Matt said...
You know, the worst part of this story is that there is no mention of John Roberts. RaceDay would do well to flush that guy and his tired, heavily scripted segues. I can't watch when I know they're going to commercial because he's just going to say something that gets on my nerves.
Shannon Spake seemed to have had her Nascar role diminished this year after returning from pregnancy. Will she continue to transition into other ESPN event roles as we saw this past year or can we expect her to come back to Nascar full-time in 2012?
- November 15, 2011 at 11:24 PM
- Steve L. said...
Being a member of the National Motorsports Press Association myself, I hate that Dustin has to make such a change at this time. I know how hard it is to try to find any paying media jobs anymore in this sport. The 'Super Internet Highway' has hurt so many jobs, especially the print media. Good luck Dustin, I hope you fall into a great job soon, you deserve it.
- November 16, 2011 at 2:10 AM
- Anonymous said...
I refuse to watch Race Day, but when I did, Herme and Wendy were the only ones I had any use for. I will NOT watch the two Waltrips. The only Nascar Now show I used to watch was the Monday show. When they switched times, I stopped completely. Hammond and Krista hosted a practice session a few weeks ago. Hammond was terrible. He was putting me to sleep with the way he was trying to form his thoughts. I won't watch Crusty,Nicole and Brad. Reid and Brewer are two more that should go. You can see that I've really cut back on my Nascar viewing time. At times, Spencer used to drive me crazy on Race Day/Victory Lane, but I never miss him on the Hub Tuesday nights. Often, he gives you the straight story with audio/video to back up his claims. He's like a breath of fresh air and is very funny. Kinda depressing isn't it?
- November 16, 2011 at 5:50 AM
- Roland said...
I guess the Hermie move is logistical. That is if he stays at Speed. He was on TV every weekend this year and him being a family man and a business owner, I could see why he would want to cut it back a bit.
You know how I feel about Mikey on Fox. I agree with Buschseries61, the Hammond gig sounds useless.
I would hope Marty Reid is reassigned away from Nascar. But that creates a problem, who would be the backup. AB cant be everywhere all the time. Vince Welch was an epic fail. Dave Burns isnt cut out for play by play. Im actually not opposed to having different crews for Nationwide and Cup.
Speed needs some more people to handle practices and stuff. Here down the stretch John Roberts has been the pxp person for practices. Hes not really cut out for that. I thought Leigh Diffey did a great job at The Glen earlier this year, but I hear hes leaving.
I think eventually when Larry Mac gets fired from Fox for his last name not being Waltrip, he would be a great addition to Raceday and Victory Lane. I like Kenny Wallace as a driver and a person, but Im tired of him yelling at us.
Speaking of yelling I watched Speed Center recently for the first time since February. Much improved. The set and graphics are very cutting edge, and Adam has cut down on the yelling. Adding Ray Evernham was great. Much improved show.
Once again we go into another season of the same stuff from the same people on the same networks. Woo Hoo.
- November 16, 2011 at 9:04 AM
- Dan Laycock said...
The Showtime show is the only reason I buy Showtime. Soon to drop it. The cussing gives the drivers and teams a REAL feeling. Normally they walk the NASCAR line and talk proper. I even kinda of like Jimmy & Chad since I saw they are real people.
- November 16, 2011 at 9:10 AM
- Paige said...
I guess FOX doesn't realize that I cringe throughout their races at the beginning of the season. I can't stand the Wal-TRAPS. They're super annoying and NOT funny.
A shame NASCAR Now has likely been cancelled. It's been good. But we all know ESPN's least liked sports programming is auto racing in general. If something happens it's more than likely NHRA, NASCAR, or INDYCAR will be preempted for some sport with a ball.
As for Carl in the ESPN booth for Nationwide races - YAWN! I'm so sick of him and the obvious obsession they have with him.
- November 16, 2011 at 9:48 AM
- TEX said...
IF I were in charge...
Here's my wish list.
IMO Andy Petree and Vince Welch are the best guys over at ESPN doing their broadcast.
They outta get Marty Smith in there somehow. He has a great relationship with everyone in the sport and I think he could excell in a role on pit road.
Ryan McGeee is great as well. He's a guy you could easily put in the race day countdown role right along side Nicole.
The rest of the ESPN team could all go...
You may laugh at this one but I believe Mike Bagley of MRN/Sirius Would be a great PXP guy. He's energetic and he's a regular guy like us race fans. He makes great points and is very educated in this sport.
Put Him in the booth with Petree and Jarrett and watch the energy and experience rise ot the top.
Your thoughts?
- November 16, 2011 at 9:54 AM
- GinaV24 said...
sorry about Hermie, he seems like a good guy and has been a decent reporter - of course I don't watch raceday all that much - it is too long and too silly for me.
It's also a shame if they are going to cancel NascarNow - it became a very good show. ESPN obviously has no interest in NASCAR programming, I hope they don't bid on the new TV contract - they are a waste of space.
I have absolutely zero interest in having crazy carl in the booth. He may be ESPN's dreamboat but ESPN seems to be committed to their conflict of interest scenario with Rusty, Brad and adding an active driver to the booth.
Two Waltrips in the booth - gag me with a spoon. I will definitely be keeping the TV on mute and will get my audio coverage via radio. There is no value added for me in that scenario.
- November 16, 2011 at 10:11 AM
- MRM4 said...
I like Hermie Sadler's work. I hope they keep him around.
- November 16, 2011 at 10:44 AM
- matriarch said...
Why on earth does Speed keep firing the good people and bringing on board the bad. Hermie is one of the good guys. Get rid of KP, JS, KW, and the soon to be MW. They would do well to listen to the fans. Maybe they will when fans decide watching Speed is something they can do without. It just goes from bad to worse.
- November 16, 2011 at 11:23 AM
- Bill said...
Poor Jeff Hammond has a speech impediment, and that hurts him, especially now with the FOX brass trying to slicken and polish up everything under their control.
You have to give Jamie Little (and Spake, for that matter) an "A" for effort, as neither women knew anything about NASCAR when they started.
Jamie's attempts at getting crew chief's thoughts after pit stops has been a great idea, but you can see a slight disdain from the crew chief as she ascends the pit box.
However, when Petree, who garners immense respect in the garage area, interviews the crew chief, it's a far more open and receptive attitude. Now, if Hermie was the one climbing the pit box, I think we'd get more of the same as with Petree.
Nothing at all against these women, and I'm glad they are breaking these barriers and the garage area is slowly coming around. But, if the reporter, male or female, is clueless, then any respect is lost. Spake's scripted question to Stewart after the Phoenix race seriously damaged the small amount of credibility she has worked so hard to gain, all due to some ESPN clod who knows nothing of this sport, spoon-feeding her these questions.
Thus far, Wendy Venturini is the most effective female NASCAR reporter, as her family is a household name in the garage area. Plus, she's darn good at her job.
I've always been a fan of Nicole Manske-Briscoe, but then I'm a male, and she's a beautiful female. But, her skills have dramatically improved over the past two years as well, and having a racecar driver husband probably doesn't hurt either. Her ability to keep Rusty and Brad in line is not only impressive, but hilarious.
It's looking more and more like NASCAR could be one of the first major US sports to be heading to online event broadcasts. It wouldn't surprise me to see half the races only available on the internet, with TV only covering the major races. Hell, if they can't get the Chase on broadcast TV, then something is amiss.
Oh, and while I'm at it: the Chase needs serious revamping, and has since the beginning.
Driver's meeting: Helton tells the drivers not to tangle with Chasers (Vickers must have missed that one), and on Sunday, you will have 41 drivers doing everything in their power to avoid the final two.
That's ridiculous! I am so glad a non-Chaser won this past race, but why do you think both Carl and Tony have led so many laps since Martinsville? The rest of the drivers are too afraid that Sheriff Mike will put them in jail if they tangle with the championship leaders!
Hence, racing has all but stopped while this is going on. Homestead ought to be a real joke.
- November 16, 2011 at 11:26 AM
- Dennis said...
I really enjoy Hermie. I enjoy his interviews and he's a very likable person. We need more guys like Hermie, not fewer.
If you haven't had the chance, I'd invite you to have a look at his bio on Wiki.
- November 16, 2011 at 11:35 AM
- glenc1 said...
I hestitate to comment until we know the full story, but I hope they leave Hermie on reporting & the pits on the trucks series (and if they don't, ESPN could certainly stand an upgrade.) I've always liked Hermie--I know he's not the most articulate guy on the planet (he has an unusual sort of breathless delivery) but he manages to get the necessary info out and he knows what he's talking about, and he seems respected in the garage.
I have nothing against people like Marianella as doing fluff pieces on whatever show, but it seems like they have others doing that, how many 'fluff' people do you need? There's already way too much fluff in general. And if that's all they want, I think they could find 'racing' people to do it. We need more NASCAR kids to take communications/broadcast journalism like Wendy did. I do a *little* humor or personal touches, or even silliness is okay. The problem is if you have too much eventually your broadcast has no guts (ie, Trackside.) As for Raceday...I sometimes have it on, but I'm usually in & out, not paying strict attention. Kenny Wallace is barely tolerable (and when he sends me over the edge I hit the remote...)
- November 16, 2011 at 12:13 PM
- 52 yr. fan said...
So sad to read about Dustin Long.
He is one of the few factual reporters left on the circuit. Never an indication of bias.
Maybe one of the networks could find a place for him to add some integrity to their agendas.
- November 16, 2011 at 1:03 PM
- Zieke said...
I've said it again and again, the Waltrips will completely spoil any NASCAR show and or race.
Other announcers and color people are tolerable, they are not. I guess the women are trying to get a good handle on the sport, whether they succeed will be known in the future.
- November 16, 2011 at 1:23 PM
- w17scott said...
Mr Editor -
Hermie elevated his game this season, good to see ...he has earned more air time, not less ...Marty Smith's rapport with drivers and knowledge of the sport show in the quality of his work ...Dustin Long consistently reports factually and accurately ...FOX and ESPN hold their nose and until advertiser checks clear the bank ...disgusting to see that they hold NASCAR in such disdain ...more Evernham will be welcome ...Spencer has his place ...can only hope Craven and Lajoie could be paired on NNS broadcasts
- November 16, 2011 at 2:36 PM
- glenc1 said...
just saw this at Jayski (gee, I wonder why Marty got Stewart....):
ESPN news and information programs SportsCenter and NASCAR Now will have reporters Shannon Spake (Edwards) and Marty Smith (Stewart) following the two contenders in Miami on Thursday and at the track Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
- November 16, 2011 at 3:24 PM
- KoHoSo said...
If ESPN does indeed cancel NASCAR Now and refuses to find it a home even on the web-only ESPN3, that should remove any doubt held by any serious commenter on TDP about Disney's level of commitment to NASCAR and why they give us such terrible race telecasts.
As I always say about these issues, I do not hold it against any television outlet when they try to go for bigger ratings. On the other hand, when we know the size of the NASCAR viewing audience, it seems inconceivable that there should not be at least one support program for NASCAR on at a decent hour when so many programs going over the same football/baseball/basketball issues already exist and ESPN has so many channels.
Either that or there is somebody powerful out there that is just hellbent on never allowing the public to enjoy seeing Bestwick, Schrader, and Benson together ever again.
- November 16, 2011 at 4:44 PM
- Anonymous said...
Maybe that explains some of the changes ESPN made to their race coverage. Moving Bestwick to the pxp and Briscoe to Nascar Countdown because maybe there was an inking that Nascar Now may not come back next season. By being proactive they keep Ms. Briscoe and improve their pxp coverage. Question becomes what happens with Mike Massaro? Does he become a Nascar reporter for Sportscenter, or a pit reporter and somebody loses their job, or does he host Nascar Countdown for Nationwide races only?
- November 16, 2011 at 6:26 PM
- Daly Planet Editor said...
KoHoSo, just a reminder that ESPN has the same situation as SPEED. Turner Sports holds the online rights to the sport and ESPN cannot produce or post something online.
The reason ESPN can stream to Watch ESPN devices like laptops and smart phones is because that is simply the network's own signal sent online to subcribers only.
Isn't that a mess?
Anon, good suggestions. We should know about NN next week, but the 2012 line-up is not usually announced by ESPN until January.
- November 16, 2011 at 10:05 PM
- KoHoSo said...
JD...yeah, I should have thought of that re: online rights to not cause confusion. I was just trying to make my point by using what is probably ESPN's least-watched service. Just replace "ESPN3" with Classic or News. ;-)
- November 16, 2011 at 10:39 PM
- Anonymous said...
Funny how there is no ESPN comment about changing the IDIOTS in the production truck
They must be worried about "firing the handicapped"
- November 17, 2011 at 8:08 AM
- Vicky D said...
I love Hermie on pit road, he asks different questions of the drivers. I also really like Steve Neville I hope he's kept maybe Neville & Sadler can work the pits for the trucks that would be great. Yes, please please get rid of Marianela she adds nothing to the broadcasts!
- November 17, 2011 at 9:25 AM
- Fed UP said...
As long as Fox/Speed continue to push the motormouths on me, the more I will continue to tune out. Get rid of the Waltrips, or at least tell Darryl to drop the ditzy act-no one outside of Gomer Pyle is that stupid and he was a character on a t.v. show!
I liked Hermie on Speed...such a shame. I miss Elliott on Trackside. Watched ONE episode with the new format, haven't bothered to turn it on since.
The TNT crew, imo..do a good job. Even Larry Mac. The guy is much better away from motormouth waltrip.
ESPN-since they changed times of Nascar Now, haven't watched it. If they are going to be serious about the racing program, first start would be to stop scheduling races on sunday until 4 hours have passed for the football games. I like for the most part, the hosts..I htink that AB, DJ, and AP have good chemistry together. I will not watch CArl Edwards however. I think he's a bigger phony than DW, and that's saying alot.
I refuse to get showtime to watch one show..and if my cable company continues to move the Speed channel to the next tier..I won't be watfching that either.
- November 17, 2011 at 5:31 PM
- Darcie said...
OK, when did the Waltrips take controlling interest in Fox Sports? That can be the only explanation for the Fox Sports love fest of those two. Both are nothing more than down home bozos who are painful to watch. Are there any intelligent race fans who like either of those two on their televisions?
Losing Hermie Sadler is wrong. He was the only good thing about Raceday. I hope he lands someplace else.
To Dustin Long, a sad goodby. I hope he finds a great job.
- November 17, 2011 at 6:14 PM
- Anonymous said...
Vicki, I think you mean Chris Neville (Rolex sports cars) but yes, he is very good.
And Aaron Neville is a cool singer.
- November 17, 2011 at 9:52 PM
- Anonymous said...
Number one ... it's called contracts. You cut the highest contract to save the most money. Number two, they screwed up with Hermie. Best guy on TV dumbasses!
- December 21, 2011 at 9:09 PM


text:
The better you are able to draw, the more control you will have and the more creative choices open up to you. Frank Thomas says it very well in this too short article:
Solid doesn't mean "realistic", but a cartoonist who understands form, perspective and balance has a huge advantage over unskilled cartoonists who have to rely on copying superficial aspects of other artists' work. Artists who are in turn copying superficial aspects of an earlier decadent artist.
Grim In His Own Words
The hunt to find an animatable style that had form and pliability led to the idea of construction.
The animators of the 1930s developed it and let it evolve for a decade and half - then it decayed and fell out of fashion -which led to amateurish animation for the next half-century and here we are today left with primitive animation and even more primitive drawings - left with broken fingers and all our creative choices wiped out.
Animation is left to the mercy of trends that get progressively more decadent with each generation of unthinking trendy copycats, blind to the world outside their cliques.
There is a lot more I want to say about solid drawing and many examples to show, but it takes time to gather them together.
I want to compare and contrast 2 masters of solid drawing and animation next time: Milt Kahl and Bob McKimson.
Of course, solid isn't everything you need, but it will make your other goals much easier to reach. Without it, you are basically crippled.


text:
Posted on March 11, 2013
I have mentioned elsewhere that you can tell a veteran book dealer by the occasional glance at an old book and the murmur, "We used to get that all the time." It's a reflection on the passage of time and the shock that accompanies the realization that a book that was only ten years old thirty years ago is now forty years old. If you don't understand that, you are young yet, but I promise you you'll get it one day.
This thought came to me last week after I looked over a book we almost never get, from a collection of books reflecting the passions of a previous age. Lothrop Stoddard was a leading racial theorist; he wrote a number of books warning that if the white races did not guard their supremacy, the lesser races would take over and destroy western civilization. He had gone to look over the exciting new government in Germany and was stunned by their efficiency in dealing with the Jewish problem, but felt they were too lax in enforcing sterilization of those people unfit to breed.
I wondered what had become of Lothrop Stoddard, and learned several things about him. A. He is the inspiration for the "man Goddard" cited several times by Tom in The Great Gatsby. B. He lost a lot of his audience during World War II. C. His father was a man who promoted a Jewish state in what was then Palestine, and was known for giving travelogues.
"It couldn't be the same man as…." thought I. But it was. And, once upon a time, we got Stoddard's Lectures ALL the time.
The father–John Lothrop Stoddard–was a child prodigy who whipped through his education and set his sights becoming a clergyman. But being the sort of prodigy who thinks deeply on things, he decided that religion was a silly way to spend one's time. He seems to have been honestly stunned when it was suggested to him that he not seek to be ordained. Bereft of a career plan, he fell back on two of his great loves: travel and photography. For decades thereafter, he would spend half the year travelling the world and taking pictures, and half the year showing the pictures and telling ever-growing audiences what he had seen. He did so well that he retired to a life of leisurely writing at the age of 47.
An organist played background music when Stoddard stepped onto the stage, a large, square, robust man with a grand Victorian mustache. He looked like the hero of a melodrama, the kind who can take on half a dozen weaselly stage villains without even breathing hard. (Oddly, his son's photo on Wikipedia looks like a weaselly stage villain. Could be a coincidence.) He would show scenes of breathtaking beauty, castles where once scenes of passion and dash were enacted, colorful natives doing colorful native things from Glasgow to Constaninople, and quiet corners of the world where only man is vile. He narrated, explaining the importance and beauty to those who couldn't figure it out themselves. He made millions for his managers, and some thousands for himself, and sold hundreds of thousands of copies of John L. Stoddard's Lectures, a set which ran to ten main volumes and five supplements, available in cloth or leather, postage paid.
He loved to hit the same theaters in the same cities over and over, and it became traditional in some communities: if it was September, it was time to go hear what John L. Stoddard had to say. He and Chicago had a special relationship, and he did not neglect the Columbian Exposition, to be sure.
I am sorry to say that his official biography, which arrived a few months ago, is rather dry; the author taking his tone from the books of lectures, but without quite the style Stoddard himself might have brought to it. He concentrates heavily on Stoddard's spiritual search (Stoddard wrote a number of philosophical and religious books in retirement in South Tyrol, the nicest place he had found in all his travels) but treats it as another travelogue. Stoddard, after thirty years as a thorough agnostic, decided that made as little sense as anything else, and became a devout Catholic. But the whole thing sounds very Rational Victorian, as if he found a mathematical mistake in his ledger and corrected it. His wife joined him in the conversion but his son Lothrop, of whom little enough is said in the book, did not.
I don't believe I have a set of Stoddard's Lectures so far this year (we used to get it all the time) but one may yet appear. It'll be in Travel. Son Lothrop will be found in Sociology, if you want to put father and son on the shelf together. But I don't know if they'd fit.