Ballack and Euro 2008

Michael Ballack rattled the crossbars with a masterful header in a clincher of a match with Portugal and I almost rattled a nerve in my forehead. Ahem, trying too hard to avoid any discussion about the boyish striker-turned macho-Deutscher oozing chutzpah, Ballack hasn't disappointed me at all.

However, any die-hard football fan would admit that watching football in a paltry television telecast isn't half as magnificent as watching it on the grandstand. I root for the German team and I take time to watch every match that the Rhinelaenders play. There's something blond and lively and tall about the German team that takes away some of the Bavarian brashness. I would infact, wager to watch them on the field and so would my, soccer affectionado father.

Oli Kahn at a recent match in Kolkata--Mohunbagan vs Bavarians(that turned out to be more of a feel-good match) convinced me that soccer matches are meant to be watched on the grandstands only. The Salt Lake stadium seething with fifty scores of moving masses shouting Kahnda as our humble home-team suffered in silence. (It's another story that Mr. Kahn's gigantic legs gave way to excessive sluggishness after he could hardly see the ball pushed within twenty yards of the goal post).

The psychedelic colors of fans, a sheer sense of atmosphere that television can hardly capture, outcry among opponents and the defeaning roar after every cut or pass, where every spectator doubles up as the supporter. And every goal is a lifesaver for the fans. Every fan has the advantage of offering physical homage to his favorite player on the field; every fan on the field experiences a sense of autonomy when expressing his disapproval on a shot. What a view from the turnstils!

As I came to know from my father, during pre-televised times, football was a gentleman's game to it's quieter cousin cricket, somuchso that the penalty kicker would stroke the ball and then throw it to the opposing player, simply to affirm that the foul occasioning the kick was not malicious and therefore, the team to whom the kick was made would not misuse the advantage. But I'm going to admit that even wrestling isn't as telegenic as fouls in football matches are- theatre par excellence, a-not-so-recent-example from Zizou's farewell match. A profligate kick can attract a disapproving fan's discontent and make him switch allegiances. But even then, it doesn't appear 'scripted' like a WWF match. The theatre here might be entertaining, but it doesn't have any choreographed fakery. Meanwhile, I'm going to make a paradigm shift from this discussion about the rivalry and instant ness of football matches to watch wonder boy Ballack head a quick riposte!