IPL
IPL is starting tomorrow. But the right atmosphere for such big tournaments is not created as of now. In fact i doubt how many people of aware that it's starting tomorrow. There aren't enough advertises, no team merchandise on sale, tickets for all matches are not on sale online. Agreed that this is the first season and it will take at least 2 years to get all things in order.But there is another thing about IPL that I didn't like. Many people have compared IPL to EPL in football. But IPL is modeled on American sports and not on European football. Why?
1. Teams in IPL are franchisees and not clubs, just like US teams. What franchisees are...well they are just like companies owned by big businessmen. So basically if the owner wishes he can move his team from one city to another city, if he finds better business proposition. And this has been number of times in US. So there is less loyalty among local fans and so the passion is based only on the stars in the team and can be fickle. (That's why people say College Basketball or Football generates more passion n draws more crowd) Agreed that there are some historical teams in US, like Yankees, n they generate passion, but such teams are small in number.
Teams in Europe are based on club structure and fans often have stake in them. (Though ownerships have changes over last few years, fans still have much say in the way club is run) There is much more that a sport in a football club and thats why it's so passionate. And loyalties don't change for entire life.
2.Another issue is it's being promoted like 3 hours of entertainment, with all the Bollywood stars n all. Just like Superbowl n all US sports are promoted. You come there to have good time and then forget about it. All focus should be on cricketers n not on other stars. Cheergirls n all is also feature of US sports, another way to divert attention from pure sports.
European football on the other hand is only about the players and the teams. And there is much emphasis on the game and tradition and community. Players are accompanied by children from academies, instead of showmen, just emphasizes this fact. There is entertainment, but it comes from the pitch itself.
3. And, of course, there is tradition in European football. But it can't be brought to IPL. So I am not discussing that.
In short, IPL is just emulating US sports. I would have rather liked it to be based on European football. What does that entail to? Currently, cricket in India only equates to international cricket. So there should be development of local cricket. I think, Club structure should be developed across the cities, or rather the small clubs (which play in tournaments like Times Shield).
I would also like to support something like Western Suburb Club and would like to lock horn against some club from Central suburbs or say some town team . But this Mumbai Indians isn't generating enough passion. Maybe it would be generated as the tournament progresses. But till then IPL would be another source of entertainment and not something which I would follow with passion!
posted by ninad @ 10:19 pm
11 Comments:
Good post Ninad.
Earlier I thought, its written by some expert, then I was shocked to see your name. :)
Keep posting, now you'll have ample time to write, and we've plenty to read.
Can't find it hard to disagree on many issues. Fickle loyalty definitely seems to be a truth for American Sport.
I asked the opinion of a colleague at work and he agreed a 100% to this. "Its just a different culture. Its about highlights and great individuals, not great teams necessarily."
Quite an interesting perspective. Also it reflects how commercialized cricket had become in India..few may call it a religion. It is essential to set up a culture...But where money and politicians are involved you can't really say much...
@shailesh: thnx. hoping to continue blogging this time
@bhagyesh: my views abt US sports were based on what i ve read and seen on TV. Good to see that even your american colleague agrees with that.
@anonymous (dont forget write your name next time ): there isn't any issue with money coming to sports, but sports shouldn't lose out because of that. With commercialisation of cricket in India, money has been used to benefit few politicians, businessmen and their cronies, rather that using it for grass root development of Cricket, which is necessary for setting up sports culture in India.
Excellent post !! ninad
I agree with the fact that IPL does not emulate EPL, in fact it does not even imitate the American model properly.
It was your post that reminded me to watch the IPL today and I will do that only to see how Ricky Ponting and Sourav Ganguly play together, as also other such guys from different nationalities. Not to mention, I am lookign forward to seeing the cheerleaders too :D
agree with you on concentrating on game of cricket than entertainment part of it..cricket itself has been such a great entertainer for so many years...
I guess IPL is going English county way...
advantage of IPL for local players is of course playing with greats ..advantage for international players ifs BIGG money and getting to know indian conditions well...
Marketing of IPL will take some time..typically events of the likes of IPL takes around 2-3 years of time from the moment of conceptualization to execution..IPL has done it within 6 months..for watever reasons..but surely it is here to stay in India as it is short and crisp...
about loyalty generation and passion....we are not yet used to the concept in cricket where we worship players across the states..so have some patience on this aspect...
Btw para on IPL emulating american sports was enlightening ..gud post
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Good work and I was expecting something like this. Keep up the good work.
@All : Your blog is so nice dude.... Visit my blogs selerines.blogspot.com and selerinessports.blogspot.com. Keep in touch there dude... Let us share all the common things and have fun....
A well thought-out post.
I am not a follower of EPL (at least not as yet!) and so it will be difficult to comment on its structure (clubs vis-a-vis franchisees). But I have a lot of friends who are ardent supporters of one team or another and the passionate arguments amaze me a lot. Your comparison of IPL with American sport has some merit but I believe the following of cricket in the Indian sub-continent is unlike anything elsewhere in the world.
So, I believe IPL is neither an emulation of EPL nor of American sport (and cricket fans like me would have it that way). The new format of T20 has picked up well in terms of popularity and there has been some extent of team loyalty seen among followers. Moreover, the battles so far between erstwhile teammates have been full of sporting entertainment (leave aside the spicy news over Bhajji slapping Sree). What amazed me was the Hyderabad crowd not cheering Sehwag sending Symonds out of the park. A few months ago that would have been unimaginable!
Whatever the case, it has been a welcome distraction from the stupid saas bahu serials that otherwise would have spoilt my summer :P
And it is still young days for IPL to comment on its success or failure. Moreover, I believe that we are not in a position to evaluate IPL when the concept has to define its place in international sport.
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