Cable TV effects on Indian Football

Every football generation is different from the other and every football season has a different story to tell -- new stars are born and some teams shine better than the best that have played in the past.
Yet, we humans have an inclination to eulogize or contradict our imagination on the game's standard from one era to the other, and drift towards a more stylish European and Western teams.
Barring a few household names like Baichung Bhutia, Bruno Coutinho, Sisir Ghosh, IM Vijayan, Savio Medeira, Derrick Pereira, etc, Indian spectators have hardly recognized, accepted or idolized recent blend of footballers as class.

Whenever we watch Indian games, we often hear comments like, "There is no one like 'Pele' or Maradona or Bruno or Vijayan; there are no teams like those teams" and "what a lovely game it was other day on TV; such super goals...!"

Well, Indian football standard by and large is 'unmoved' over the years. (Our international rating, however, is a different issue altogether). Infact, the standard is much superior in recent times although we don't see many 'stars' shining. It is perhaps more advanced and organized and to the best level than ever before.
But what we fail to realize, is the revolution of 'modern television' that has lazed the younger genre into fantasizing about a 'game' that is perhaps beyond our reach.
The spectators are fluxed with negative imagination from watching too much of live telecast of foreign games that has 'corrupted' everyone around to compare our Indian football to teams, players, and the standard of the west -- "Did you see Ronaldo's goal last night?.. Wow..what a free kick-kick...!"

Passionate football lovers are the ones totally engrossed in the game. Be it live or televised, they are first to be at the grounds and last to leave, and they sit glued to TV even hours after the match. They live, talk, sleep and dream -- only football.
There are other fanatics who back their teams and idols inconsequential of a win or loss. Nothing moves their loyalty.
Yet others who practice, play, watch, discuss and promote the game with dedicated worship without any benefit.

And still others who are so called 'die-hard' fans of Manchester, Barcelona, Brazil, Portugal, etc, and of Figos, Ronaldos, Rooneys, etc, whom they have seen playing only on TV. These fans may not actually understand a difference between a goal line and a touch line, goal area or goalkeeper's area, free kick and goal kick, geometry or geography. All they see is - "Wow...What a game...What a goal..!!!"
Many such folks should realize that matches shown on TV are professional games played at the supreme level of the sport -- where some players earn more per match than what some of our top Indian filmstars are paid per movie.

When we watch/discuss our own, Indian football - at the stadium or watch it on TV - we often hear mistakes being pointed out in comparison to world class players like, "You know, if you see Zidane's dribbling, you will think these guys are learning football...ha ha..."
I have noticed that people who compare the game are, on average, quite educated - no doubt. But football is perhaps the only 'perfect' game they understand. Some have never kicked a ball all their life or experienced the feel of the ball's leather or smell of the ground's grass. Yet, when we hear these remarks, some of us get carried away to agree with them.
Can we really compare Indian football to cable football or the professional game? Is it intelligent enough?

The best thing about our sport, apart from helping us to remain fit in mind and body is that, it unites us together in culture and friendship and identifies the traditional history of our game.
A true lover of the game should imagine himself to be playing the game - like many of us. We are Indians. We are our sport, we are our India. Our defeat is India's defeat; India's defeat is ours. Our win is India's victory and each victory should inch our nation to world recognition.

Cheers..!