In some sense, this blog is a little bit like a rap. It is written in anger.
While many of us are saying goodbye to Sachin Tendulkar after enjoying his cricket for 24 years, there are a few who are saying things like “I don’t understand the obsession with one game”, “why do you glorify a man so much”, “he was just another cricketer”, etc. What ticks me off most is when people ask me “why do you call him God”? (We recently came out with a TShirt Celebrating "God's 200th Test Match" - http://shop.fantain.com).
I am actually angry at these people.
When they ask that question, they immediately put themselves on a pedestal - they KNOW Sachin is not God while, poor me, I am still under the mistaken belief that he is actually God. In their mind, they are saying “This is what is wrong with this country…. now I know why we are not prospering as a nation…..”. Let me answer - on behalf of a million people who refer to Sachin as ‘God’. WE KNOW HE IS ACTUALLY NOT GOD. There it is - I said it. When we call Sachin ‘God’ or Rajnikanth ‘Thalaivaa’ - it is not as if we are getting ready to abandon our families and follow blindly in their footsteps. We are just expressing our passion. We are just being funny. Every nation has it and every field of activity has it. I am sure many folks refer to Ustad Amjad Ali Khan as ‘Master’ and ‘Divine’. I am equally sure there are some die-hard sports fans who offer the same kind of adulation to a Michael Jordan or a Roger Federer. All we are actually saying is “we will give good money to watch these folks perform”.
So - don’t think I am an idiot because I refer to Sachin as God. Don’t think you are smarter because you know he is not. Sit back, take a deep breath and enjoy the game - if you do that, you will probably understand why this nation is going crazy.
While many of us are saying goodbye to Sachin Tendulkar after enjoying his cricket for 24 years, there are a few who are saying things like “I don’t understand the obsession with one game”, “why do you glorify a man so much”, “he was just another cricketer”, etc. What ticks me off most is when people ask me “why do you call him God”? (We recently came out with a TShirt Celebrating "God's 200th Test Match" - http://shop.fantain.com).
I am actually angry at these people.
When they ask that question, they immediately put themselves on a pedestal - they KNOW Sachin is not God while, poor me, I am still under the mistaken belief that he is actually God. In their mind, they are saying “This is what is wrong with this country…. now I know why we are not prospering as a nation…..”. Let me answer - on behalf of a million people who refer to Sachin as ‘God’. WE KNOW HE IS ACTUALLY NOT GOD. There it is - I said it. When we call Sachin ‘God’ or Rajnikanth ‘Thalaivaa’ - it is not as if we are getting ready to abandon our families and follow blindly in their footsteps. We are just expressing our passion. We are just being funny. Every nation has it and every field of activity has it. I am sure many folks refer to Ustad Amjad Ali Khan as ‘Master’ and ‘Divine’. I am equally sure there are some die-hard sports fans who offer the same kind of adulation to a Michael Jordan or a Roger Federer. All we are actually saying is “we will give good money to watch these folks perform”.
So - don’t think I am an idiot because I refer to Sachin as God. Don’t think you are smarter because you know he is not. Sit back, take a deep breath and enjoy the game - if you do that, you will probably understand why this nation is going crazy.
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