Umpires under the scanner again

Some News Channels were flashing the Sachin Tendulkar dismissal again and again and again today. I will have to say it was NOT OUT and even Ian Chappel agreed to it. Asad Rauf did make a mistake. But having said that, cut the umpires some slack. They are humans too and you just sacked the two umpires from the previous match. (Steve Bucknor and that other bloke who asked Ricky Ponting for his take on a dismissal-Marc Benson.)

The Raging Technology Debate:

This is one debate I wouldn’t like to take a stand on. Whether to use technology for umpiring decisions is a big decision.

The things that go in favour of implementing technology to a greater extent are:

• More and more bad decisions are coming to the fore because of the technology that the commentators use.
• Software like Hawk-eye use sophisticated missile ballistics to make decisions.
• When you have it, you might as well use it.
• Sometimes one bad decision can turn a game around completely. (Which is why people were incensed the last match.)

Things that go against implementing technology completely include:

• Umpires will be mere on-field spectators then as they would not have any role to play.
• The tradition of the game will take a hit. (Some people are very touchy about such things.)
• The new technology no matter how good is not always 100 % correct.

It’s hard to say. But the way it’s all going and what with good umpires becoming too old (Bucknor, take my advice and retire.) and not many good umpires coming up the ranks, technology is going to butt in.

Arnab Goswami-Other views

I first wrote about Arnab Goswami here:

 Contender #1 for worst Indian journalist - Arnab Goswami

Some people feel strongly that I am overtly polarised and am not being fair to this bloke here. Further, as I am no accomplished writer myself, there is some doubt about the credibility I lend to opinions on others. So I thought I’d quote someone else who thought on similar lines atleast.

Excerpts from ‘The Insufferable Shouting Brigade’ by Amita Malik, featured in Sight & Sound in The Tribune:

 

“SOME years ago, there was a political group in Parliament which went by the rather unflattering title of The Shouting Brigade. Ironically, some of them have since become political spokespersons on television and continue to shout, not allowing others to speak, mostly when they are losing an argument which is one of the specialities of the BJP.

But it is not about them that I use the title this week but, also ironically, about some of the best-known anchors on Indian television.

I have by coincidence met a number of discriminating, sophisticated viewers (one of them a distinguished author) who take their viewing seriously. They expressed their views quite independently at different small gatherings in private homes and they all had a similar complaint which they wanted me to convey in this column. They felt that some established anchors make themselves intolerable by first shouting and then interrupting participants in their programmes. They voice more opinions of their own than give enough time to the participants to develop their arguments.

On top of the list were Rajdeep Sardesai and Arnab Goswamiof NDTV 24/7, Times Now respectively. And I was not altogether surprised as I had recently often felt uncomfortable about their new aggressiveness, where plain emphasis (a speciality of Tim Sebastian), which is legitimate, is replaced by perpetually raised voices (mostly Rajdeep’s) and rude interruptions(Arnab’s) which seem contrived. This is a new style of aggressive anchoring which is not half as effective as the more balanced and quietly effective style of Vikram Chandra or, of course, the relaxed authoritative style of Prannoy Roy. In this context I find embarrassing, and positively childish, the publicity gimmick of Sardesai throwing a dart to emphasise the belligerent attitude of his weekly programme, The Big Fight. Watching this programme with extra care last week, I found that the raised decibels are initiated at the start by Sardesai himself, who shouts more like a neta addressing an open-air political meeting than a sophisticated anchor who knows the use of the microphone. With the tone set, most of his panellists start shouting too, and, incidentally, Sardesai often chips in with more views of his own than those of the participants. That it is possible to be a panellist in this programme without shouting loudly was proved by both Alyque Padamsee (a theatre person he knows the use of his voice) and the editor of Loksatta. Both spoke emphatically but without shouting like Sardesai and the Shiv Sena participant who, however, was much more amiable than some of his party colleagues and even smiled occasionally. As for Arnab Goswami, he seldom lets a participant complete a sentence before arbitrarily butting in. One feels at times that the anchors have been given a directive to be aggressive and shout, no matter what. But I cannot believe that because the majority of anchors and reporters on NDTV 24/7 manage to keep their cool, and their voices under control”

 

Enough said!!

Rahul Dravid in the Gillette Advertisement

I was recently browsing TV channels (It’s becoming something of a hobby now) when I saw Rahul Dravid in the Gillette advertisement. While it is not at all surprising that cricketers come in advertisements (actually they tend to consider their cricketing career as side jobs focussing more on advertisements.), what was surprising were the other people in the advertisement:

Thierry Henry

Tiger Woods

Roger Federer

Whoa!! While Thiery Henry might not be the Roger Federer of soccer, Roger Federer and Tiger Woods are a class apart when it comes to Tennis and Golf. So I was wondering how Dravid even featurd in the advertisement along with these gentlemen.  I mean Dravid is a good cricketer no doubt, but you cannot draw parallels between this  chap and federer now can you ? Even if it was Sachin Tendulkar, I’d have my own doubts. But Dravid isn’t even India’s best batsman let alone the world’s.

I searched the internet for pictures of the same and here’s what I found:

Photo sans Dravid. Ah, so that’s the deal. They just showed Rahul Dravid between overs in television when cricket matches were being telecasted. Otherwise, he is absent from the campaign in other countries I guess.

Here is a YouTube videos (again Dravid is missing):

Gillette Champions

Apparently its called ‘Gillette Champions’ and Dravid is featured in Cricket. Here’s the photo I found in their site.

 

 Also, the ‘Fusion Power’ razor is not yet in India. (It’s got 5 blades!! Whoa)

Doctor No ??

So I was having my exams and as always, I switched on the TV while I was having my food to browse through channels to find out whats going on in the world around me. (Normally I am oblivious to the happenings around me. I sleep a lot and when I wake up, things have changed!! I hate that.) So I am flipping through channels, click click….click, and I heard a voice I have come to know as the falsely heightened voice of none other than the famous Arnab Goswami. A false sense of excitement in his voice to woo viewers.

 

Whats the issue about ? Some Medical college students striking for some reason…. (Hey I was flipping through channels. So don’t blame me if I don’t know what exactly was going on.) Excerpts from the interview:

 

MSR:We dont think this is right……(About the doctors being forced to do one yer compulsory rural service.)

A  G:  Mr. MSR You are saying that you are against this one year rural service. If the Government decides to give you a job in AIMS instead of the rural job with twenty thousand rupees a month, guaranteed, then would you still strike ?

MSK: ???? (Doesn’t know what to say.)

All I want to ask Arnab is How many years of rural reporting have you done ?.  How many villages have you been to in India addressing the issues of the people. All you fagots care about is masala news. Who kissed who in Bollywood and what its implications are on the country!! If the Government was to say that no journalist can become a TV reporter without five years in rural reporting, would you agree to it ? Jackass!! If every television channel was told, that they have to have one reporter in every village, in order to be invited to press conferences, would you agree to that as Editor-in-Brief TIMES NOW ? Do you know how difficult it is to do a medical course you dumb ass? Why didn’t you try ? All you wanted to talk of was which celebrity got a boob job on TV didn’t you ? These guys sweat it out for 5 years and they have every right to earn more than you do. So buzz off and seriously, get a job man!! You clearly suck at this.

Mujhse Shadi Karoge, Dr Ramadoss!

Whats the issue ? “One year’s  compulsory rural service based on the recommendation of the Planning Commission, who recommended public service mandatory for all graduates from government medical colleges. ” You crazy old freaks. You take our fees and run colleges. You bloody swindle money in the process. Capitation fees, dues. Bloody hell, you buy contraceptives with our fees. And you say we have to compulsorily serve in rural areas ?? Guys on the planning commission, seriously, you too buzz off!!

Why isn’t the same imposed on IIT and IIM graduates ? How many IIT guys go into research anyway ? Why don’t you introduce a clause saying every IIT graduate will have to do R&D for an year in Govt. centres or better still work in rural areas to sort out problems there. I am sure they will accept your proposal.  Evereyone wants to make a quick buck in today’s world. Thats all. Why should doctors alone be punished ?

 Legends:

MSR: Medical Students Rpresentative

A  G: Arnab Goswami

The new Videocon Advertisement

Advertisements amuse me a lot. Some of them make a lot of sense and reflect the brain of the person who thought of it in the first place, not to mention the skills of the people who worked on the idea and gave it shape. Almost all advertisements amuse me. Why ? While the good advertisements amusing someone is understandable, the bad ones amuse me because I try and imagine the person who came up with it. The guy/gal must look funny if not the advertisement.

The most recent Videocon has “Shah Rukh Khan” promoting his movie in yet another novel way. Whether he is a good actor or not, man atleast he is creative when it comes to the ways in which to promote his movies. So we will see “Mahendra Singh Dhoni” - captain Indian Cricket Team shake a leg with Shah Rukh Khan in the latest OSO….sorry… Videocon Advertisement. SRK plays Dhoni and Dhoni plays SRK in OSO. I don’t know what Dhoni got out of the deal ? Lot’s of money for sure and maybe now he is friends with SRK. Closer to Deepika Padukone ? Nice try Dhoni… 

Whats the AD all about ? No way I am going to tell you that. That will be broadcast in a thousand useless news channels anyway. First they will show you “The making of the new Videocon Ad.”. Then you will have interviews with SRK, MSD and maybe even the crew members. Some guy from Videocon will the the appor-toonity to say a few things about Videocon in between all the hype and hoopla. I hear the Ad is already on the idiot box….Go watch it…or not

 

Hey a few hours after I wrote this post, I checked youtube and guess what I found ? The video is available!! Heres the link:

Videocon ShahRukh , Dhoni Brothers Commercial

Contender #1 for worst Indian journalist - Arnab Goswami

While the number of Indian news channels are on the rise, the quality of the content arired on them has been hitting rock bottom. But if thats true why are they still popular ? Call it junk news. Just as your potato chips and aerated drinks. Pretty bad for health I say. And leading the line-up of comedians on news channels is none other than our contender # 1 for the worst Indian journalist award - Arnab Goswami.

This guy has to be the worst jounalist out there. That he is also the “channel content head” and Chief Editor of ”Times Now” also makes the channel the worst news channel for me.

What makes Arnab so silly ?

Firstly I hate his “Peter”. (Madras lingo for show-off ?). Secondly he tries very hard to sound intelligent but comes across as rather dumb. His interviewing style looks as though he hss seen tapes of famous news anchors and tries to copy their expressions and emotions without any reference whatsoever to context. Like he gets angry and frowns when he asks a cricketer ” Congrats on making your 1ooth 100″. Or he simply appears dumb when he says stuff like:

**************************************************************************************

……………………..

 

guest : ”Its been an amazing year for me. I have been playing well and have scored 5 centuries.”

Arnab: “So, you are saying you scored 5 centuries ?”

guest: “Yes (dumbass), that’s what I said”

Arnab: “Yes, you are very good at debating, but aren’t you saying that you were happy that you got those centuries rather than being happy because the team won?” (trying to look fierce!!)

guest: ??????

…………………

**********************************************************************************

                        I pity this guy really. He is simply no match for a Pranoy Roy or a Karan Thapar. Rajdeep Sardesai, Vir Sanghvi, Vikram Chandra and Sreenivasan Jain can remain happy that this guy makes them look much much better and more intelligent  on TV if nothing else .Even Jhujhar Singh has better charisma. Hell Arnab looks less of a man compared to Barkha Dutt . Maybe even compared to Udita Goswami. He is more like an overgrown schoolboy trying to be a cowboy.

                        I was watching this video of his “Frankly Speaking” with “Sitaram Yechury” and I couldn’t stop thinking “Is this guy The One ?”. The one who ? The one with negative IQ!! I can’t find the video online as of now. But when it is available, I shall post the link and you can see for yourself. Or if there is a re-run of the same, you people can sit back and enjoy. All Sitaram Yechury was doing was smiling simply amused that Arnab was misinterpreting everything he was saying. So when Yechury would clarify, Arnab will announce, “Yes, you are very good at debating Mr.Yechury, but aren’t you holding the Government to ranson?” Ransom my ass. Go get a real job and stop pretending to be a reporter!!