@Bad ; Mahesh Bhupati did not get Khel Ratna award despite so many Grand Slams and so many medals and Davis Cup games. One thing I liked about Bhupathi is his personal sacrifice. He will leave lucrative tournaments for country sake and come for camps for every India event-whether Davis Cup, Asian Games. 12 Grand Slam titles for Mahesh Bhupati in Doubles and Mixed Doubles. Yet he did not get Khel Ratna award. Only award he got is his wife is Miss Universe Lara Dutta :P
Jwala Gutta is half chinese. (Mother chinese). That coupled with her height insured her good reputation in junior level when few ladies players were around. Time to retire with grace instead of still hanging around.
@ArsenalFan700 ; When Terry Bradshaw gives SuperBowl Trophy to the winners, he says World Champions ------Winners name. Is that really World Champions when none of the teams are from country other then USA. :P I like NFL because of their entertainment value and economic impact. I have attended College Football games in stadium in Texas. Bands, cheergirls, tailgating, food, parking-imagine 20 thousand or more cars, RVs, trucks coming to the town for game, merchandise, huge ticket prices (75 dollars ticket or so in College Football), Hotel business, Local TV rights. Inside stadium atmosphere is electric also. Mascots like Bisons running, US flag with horses, Veterans given respect, Planes/gliders flying over. There is no other way American Football can be played. Its the only way and thats why it is successful.
In Cricket we got Test Match and IPL-completely different ways. In Hockey, they diverted from conventional Grass Hockey with Off-side and 3 substitutions and completely spoiled the game with astro turf, lunatic penalty shootouts and now they are even changing goals to scores. Hockey is screwed. The beauty of Football is its traditional way, clubs. Any experiment will be a failure.
Ya, I mean look how long it took just to get technology added and that is what I mean, when people talk about why they liked the football match and stuff, ya, atmosphere is part of it but it is also the gameplay, cause when you watch for 45 straight minutes, you might as well. In American football, you only just described the atmosphere, which is amazing. Every NFL game I have been to for the Giants has had a better atmosphere than most football matches I have been to (beats Arsenal and Chelsea easy) but what about the game itself?
As for World Champions, ya, it's annoying but there is nothing abroad in terms of American football that compares, unless you want to do a series between the NFL champions and the Elite Football League of India champions (New England Patriots vs. Hyderabad Skykings)
Desperate attempt to gain popularity. I feel the HIL has lost it a bit the last couple of years due to the emergence of other leagues like the Pro Kabbadi League and Indian Super League.
Look at the HIL website for example... totally 20th century!
Honestly, the whole HIL just seems bad to me. The teams seem so bland. Debang Mumbai? Ranchi Rays? Delhi Waveriders? They had good names with Ranchi Rhinos and Mumbai Magicians but sadly those teams folded.
There are many drawbacks of HIL as compared to previous avatars of IPL style Hockey leagues- PHL and WSH. Those leagues were run way more professionally by slightly less arrogant people I feel now.
1) PHL and WSH were spread across the country. Hockey hubs like Bhopal, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad were included there. HIL spread is less.No South India at all. And what is this nonsensical team from Lucknow doing where there is no Floodlights at all?
2) HIL is very choosy about Indian players. Many Senior players are ignored. PHL, WSH recalled many experienced players who still got plenty to give to the game. The franchises in those leagues had plenty of freedom to bring players even from abroad.
3)Centralised Auction system is bad. Give teams more freedom to choose players as league progresses. Be it like clubs, not some Businessman boardroom where the only concern is to finish budget on auction day to complete the investment portfolio for invester and let Hockey be damned.
4)Arrogant HIL is only focussed on australian players. There are good players from lot of countries including Pakistan.
5) Indian coaches were promoted in WSH and PHL. HIL ignores Indian coaches.
HIL is almost competing with aiff I egg headedness...no need to take a 20 day window from FIH for a domestic league....increase the teams (south India especially), start a women's league and increase the matches...even PKL is increasing the duration...hockey has still enough spectator appeal domestically.....but then again they have the great visionary Rajiv Shukla guiding them.;)
We need great administrators like Mr Pankaj Gupta. Mr Gupta was responsible for solid foundation of Hockey, Football and Cricket in India. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pankaj_Gupta
Comments
:P
Jwala Gutta is half chinese. (Mother chinese). That coupled with her height insured her good reputation in junior level when few ladies players were around. Time to retire with grace instead of still hanging around.
:P
I like NFL because of their entertainment value and economic impact. I have attended College Football games in stadium in Texas. Bands, cheergirls, tailgating, food, parking-imagine 20 thousand or more cars, RVs, trucks coming to the town for game, merchandise, huge ticket prices (75 dollars ticket or so in College Football), Hotel business, Local TV rights. Inside stadium atmosphere is electric also. Mascots like Bisons running, US flag with horses, Veterans given respect, Planes/gliders flying over.
There is no other way American Football can be played. Its the only way and thats why it is successful.
In Cricket we got Test Match and IPL-completely different ways.
In Hockey, they diverted from conventional Grass Hockey with Off-side and 3 substitutions and completely spoiled the game with astro turf, lunatic penalty shootouts and now they are even changing goals to scores. Hockey is screwed.
The beauty of Football is its traditional way, clubs. Any experiment will be a failure.
http://www.thehindu.com/sport/hockey/dramatic-rule-changes-for-hil-2016/article7652417.ece
1) PHL and WSH were spread across the country. Hockey hubs like Bhopal, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad were included there. HIL spread is less.No South India at all. And what is this nonsensical team from Lucknow doing where there is no Floodlights at all?
2) HIL is very choosy about Indian players. Many Senior players are ignored. PHL, WSH recalled many experienced players who still got plenty to give to the game. The franchises in those leagues had plenty of freedom to bring players even from abroad.
3)Centralised Auction system is bad. Give teams more freedom to choose players as league progresses. Be it like clubs, not some Businessman boardroom where the only concern is to finish budget on auction day to complete the investment portfolio for invester and let Hockey be damned.
4)Arrogant HIL is only focussed on australian players. There are good players from lot of countries including Pakistan.
5) Indian coaches were promoted in WSH and PHL. HIL ignores Indian coaches.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pankaj_Gupta