Dada-logy 7 : LEGENDS

The human nature in itself can be compared to a “parts of speech” called OXYMORON. An OXYMORON is a set of words (usually a set of two words) with opposite meanings, for example – “OLD NEWS”.

Now the reason I quote such a difference is because of the highly volatile nature of an average human being towards a single cause. This is perhaps best explained in William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, where, a simple “friends, Romans and countrymen” by Mark Antony had an upper hand on Brutus’ speech. This particular Act of the play brought forward for the first time, that in the eyes of the normal people, NOTHING is permanent, YET everything is permitted, as long as it has a majority supporting it.

The crowd in a way is like a baby, they believe what you want them to believe, and this goes the same in today’s world also.

Sourav Ganguly, a.k.a DADA, a legendary batsman and a captain has always been the centre of controversies, which made him more and more popular amongst the crowd. There have been players who are better than him, captains who have a better record than him, yet, today he lives and strives in the hearts of all of us. Why? Has anyone ever asked this question?

Even today after such a catastrophic performance by the PWIs, his popularity is WAY above Gautam Gambhir’s IPL champion KKR as well as Dhoni’s World Cup winning India team.

Now the question is WHY? WHY so much respect for a falling knife that has almost lost its edge? WE ALL HAVE ANSWER TO THAT.

It was DADA who created the very crux of the Indian cricket team, brought in players like DHONI, YUVRAJ, PATHAN, NEHRA, ZAHEER and the like, who were followed by GAUTI, KOHLI in Dhoni’s reign.

We all know of DADA’s contribution to Indian Cricket. He was one of the fastest 10,000 run scorers in the world, and his cover drive was legendary. To sum it up, we can say, HE IS A LEGEND.

What makes him a legend?

A: He was not only a famous batsman but also a team leader, a motivator and perhaps the boldest captain the Indian team has ever known.

Now, we all know the above claims that I made, but what we are not ready to accept is that, a legend, CANNOT BE COMPARED.

Since the last nine or ten months, I see a few fans of DADA screaming that DHONI‘s victory was fluke, that GAUTI’s victory was nothing and if there is one true prince, it always has to be DADA.

Now there is a general question to all my readers, what do you all think a LEGEND means?

A LEGEND is someone, whose works and very position is incomparable. A legend is a man with such extra-ordinary achievements that a comparison downgrades the very guts of his existence.

WE, are all sports lovers, WE are all DADA fans, admirers and maniacs. WE WILL NOT STAND ANY DISPRESPECT AGAINST HIM! But, if that is so, then WHY increase your sense of animosity towards other cricketers?

We live in a democratic country and I write this to an educated crowd – CHANGE is the diadem of human civilization. Great Kings and monarchs have been replaced by even greater Monarchs. Kings who brought change, fostered better kings, just as DADA did.

A man cannot remain a God throughout his career. Great football legends like MARADONA, PELE, LEV YASIN, ZIDANE and the like have gone and come, but their footprints are still as alive in the football field as ever. Same goes with the cricket stars like KAPIL DEV, SUNIL GAVASKAR, PATAUDI, GANGULY, TENDULKAR and the like…

The world of sports is a war in many battlefields that has seen the rise and fall of legends. The rise of a legend is just like the life cycle of a human being. A legend is born, he grows to his PRIME MATURITY and then starts his decline, which, is evident, because he is a human being, and, as fans it is our responsibility to save him in our hearts and reminisce the past and look ahead into the future.

In the beginning of this article I had mentioned that the human nature is like an Oxymoron, a part of it says I will survive I will win and this is right, while the other part says I won’t, this is wrong. No one can undo this nature – self-conflict and a sense of hostility is what makes us SO very human… A part of us always accepts a particular view, while the other part, that is scientifically called the ALTER EGO will deny it, which I know is happening inside you at the moment.

DADA had built an entire TEAM, rather than a bunch of players swaying away in the cricket field. He had brought in a sense of oneness inside the green rooms that made the players behave like one big family, and this was the sole reason, he is remembered today as a messiah of Indian cricket.

Sourav Ganguly, was a legend in INDIAN cricket history, and he WILL ALWAYS be remembered as one. Comparing him with rising stars or present players or the captain downgrades his very existence.

Stop comparing DADA and stop undermining the victories of other players…

A LEGEND CANNOT BE COMPARED, HE CAN ONLY BE ADMIRED.