His Master’s Voice – Rafi Sahab
To me he is the greatest singer India has ever produced. The first time I listened to one of Rafi sahab’s songs on the television, I was blown away completely. While my classmates used to love the music of the 80s era, I felt myself gravitate toward the songs from the 50s and 60s. Md. Rafi could sing any song effortlessly. His voice felt divine and would tug at one’s heartstrings. Whatever be the mood of the song, Rafi sahab would ensure that the final result would be pure gold and played millions of times by the Indian radio stations.
The song could be romantic, sad, patriotic, devotional – the music directors knew that if they could have Rafi (playback) sing , it would become popular. He was the first choice of almost all the music directors and actors. I cannot imagine another voice singing ‘Ehsaan tere hoga mujhpar’ or ‘Aapke haseen rukh pe’. Only Rafi could do justice to ‘Suhani raat dhal chuki’ and ‘Chaudvin ka chaand’. Then there is ‘Madhuban mein Radhika’, ‘Jab dil se dil takrata hai’, ‘Sar jo tera chakraye’, ‘Main yeh soch kar’, ‘Insaaf ka mandir hai’, ‘Tu kahan yeh bata’, ‘Kaun hai jo sapnon mein aaya’, ‘O duniya ke Rakhwaale’, ‘Dil ke jharokhe mein’, ‘Aaja re aa zara’, ‘Man re tu kahe na dheer dhare’ .. the list goes on and I have not mentioned a single duet yet!
The genius of Rafi sahab also lies in the fact that besides his incredible range, he was also a ‘singing mimicry artist’. Some of the songs mentioned are incredibly difficult to sing and to add to the complexity, Rafi could modulate his voice to suit any style. There would be an immediate connection with the audience. One could immediately picture the song just by listening to it once. One could figure out the mood and in most cases even the actor lip syncing the song on the silver screen. His voice would work for Shammi Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand, Rajendra Kumar, Guru Dutt, Bharat Bhushan, Dharmendra, Shashi Kapoor, Joy Mukherjee, Biswajeet, Johnny Walker, Pradeep Kumar and Rishi Kapoor to name a few. Some of these names are the biggest stars of Indian cinema. In India, the movie’s music and songs play a huge part in the success. One can perhaps say that by lending his voice to the most influential actors Rafi sahab increased their individual appeal to the masses!
Everyone knows what a decent human being Rafi sahab was. He would always say that his ability was a gift of God in all humility. He worked with the great music directors Shankar-Jaikishan, O.P. Nayyar, Laxmikant-Pyarelal, S.D. Burman, Ravi, Madan Mohan and sang duets with Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhonsle, Suman Kalyanpur, Mukesh and Kishore Kumar. He sang songs penned by the greatest lyricists in the history of Indian cinema. However, his contribution to a song would raise it several notches above. Even the great Manna Dey has said that no one could even come close to Rafi sahab. Almost 40 years after his death, Rafi sahab is immortalized by all his fans and continues to live in our hearts!
The greatness of Cristiano Ronaldo
Cruyff and Beckenbauer, McEnroe and Borg, Sampras and Agassi, Federer and Nadal …. Messi and Ronaldo. There are certain sportsmen whose fates are intertwined. It is difficult to come up with an article about one without mentioning the other. Hence even though this post is about Ronaldo, please bear with me because Messi will be mentioned every other line. Every Ronaldo needs a Messi and every Messi needs a Ronaldo. Together they have propelled each other to greatness and also have lived rent-free in the heads of the other’s supporters!
It is very easy for me to confess that I worship Messi but as a soccer fan I have nothing but the greatest respect and admiration for what Ronaldo has done on the football pitch. Blessed with a physique and a face that is the envy of billions around the world and one that has been splashed across numerous sports and fashion magazines, Ronaldo is the most famous athlete on the planet today. His achievements in the last 15 years are nothing short of legendary – 5 Champions League titles and many goal scoring records both in the Champions League and La Liga. His move from Sporting to Manchester United led to him honing his skills under Sir Alex Ferguson. He was already one of the three best players in the world along with Messi and Kaka when he was bought by Real Madrid for a world record transfer fee. Ronaldo at Real Madrid vs Messi at Barcelona has dominated soccer headlines for the last decade. The fairy tale ended this year with Cristiano joining Juventus.
There was a time when Messi was ahead as far as individual awards and titles were concerned up until 2013. Also, he was a big game player aided by the great Xavi and Iniesta in the Barca mid-field. However, Ronaldo’s single minded obsession to be the best and an amazing Real midfield in the last 5 years has seen him catch up and even surpass Messi in many statistical categories. I personally feel that football comes naturally to Messi. Ronaldo on the other hand has practiced hours to perfect his skill. His dedication to his craft is undeniable. There is no denying his genius though – a case in point is the gorgeous bicycle kick goal past Buffon in the Champions League.
Another factor that gets overlooked is that while Messi is generally loved by friend and foe alike, Ronaldo has had to work really hard to endear himself to everyone who is not a die hard Ronaldo fan. He was viewed as a diver who would do anything to win a penalty. He was also perceived as arrogant by the soccer fraternity. However, arrogance backed by real talent has quietened even his harshest critics. Ronaldo has let his football do the talking. Right foot, left foot, header .. Cristiano Ronaldo you are just that damn good!
Before Nadia Comaneci, there was Olga Korbut
‘Perfect 10′ is something that everyone aims for in any field. In gymnastics, it is more than a number. It is a statistic which defines perfection, a statistic which defines flawlessness, a statistic which defines excellence. Nadia Comaneci was the first to get a Perfect 10 in the 1976 Olympic Games although it had been done before in the 1967 European Championships by Vera Caslasvska. Nadia’s performances made her the darling of the 1976 Montreal Games. Her performance in the uneven bars was sublime and deserved a ’10’. There was a surprise in store. The scoreboard displayed ‘1.00’ since it could accommodate 3 digits only. Many documentaries have been made to highlight the performance and deservedly so. However, there was another performance in the 1972 Munich Olympic Games which in my opinion was equally impressive and it could have been the first ‘Perfect 10′ in the Olympic Games – Olga Korbut on the uneven bars. It was that good of a performance that ironically it got a silver!
The Olympics provide a global platform to showcase one’s talent. Olga Korbut was considered the second best talent on the USSR 1972 gymnastics team behind Ludmilla Tourischeva. Olga’s performances in the team events made her the favorite for the all-around title but mistakes resulted in Tourischeva winning the gold. Olga more than redeemed herself with golds in the Balance Beam and Floor Exercise events. As good as she was in these events, I think her Uneven Bars performance where she finished second should have been a ’10’ for the unique combination of skill, daring and artistry.
I have watched Korbut’s Uneven Bars performance hundreds of times on YouTube and am still amazed. The smooth mount segued into the legendary moves for which she will always be famous. For someone her size, the strength to pull off the ‘Korbut Flip’ (named after her) just shows what a phenomenal athlete she was. Olga would stand on the high bar (the higher of the two bars in the uneven bars event) and then flip and grasp the bar. Then Olga would use the momentum to perform a back flip from the lower bar and re-grasp the high bar. The degree of difficulty is insane. In fact the move was later considered too dangerous and was made illegal. This was followed by a few more incredibly difficult acrobatic moves. The entire routine left everyone who watched it in awe and the perfect backward dismount from the high bar put multiple exclamation points for the performance. Indeed the ‘Sparrow from Minsk’ had enthralled one and all. It is a Perfect 10 in my book!
References
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olga_Korbut
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korbut_flip
Disclaimer – I don’t own the copyright of any of the following videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9aFvxz_jso (Uneven Bars – Individual)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2NGqI6FqeQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=461zBWmJHNc ( Uneven Bars from the Team competition – With commentary)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrDtXx87C38
Football is intelligence in motion – Messi’s greatest Champions League hits
‘Magisterial Messi’ as Ray Hudson would say. A fortnight ago, I watched in awe as Messi took his game to stratospheric levels when Barcelona met Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League. A couple of days back it was another terrific display against Sevilla in the La Liga. Alas it lasted a mere 15 minutes. It is only befitting that I write about Messi because for the next three to four weeks my soccer world will be devoid of joy as he recovers after breaking his arm in the match against Sevilla. Messi has had performances extraordinaire in the Champions League. It is difficult to narrow it down to a few but I will give it a try. Most of them are against the English opposition. The Manchester City nutmegs and the Bayer Leverkusen 5-goal haul just missed out on my top 5. Here are some of my favorite Champions League moments when Messi has excelled:
1. Tottenham Hotspur (Oct 3, 2018) – In his previous Champions League game, Messi had scored a hat-trick against PSV Eindhoven. In this game he was a couple of steps ahead of everyone every second of the game. In the 2nd minute a gorgeous pass to Jordi Alba was followed by a goal from Coutinho with the keeper Lloris in no man’s land. Then in the 28th minute, he scooped a beautiful pass above the defender found Suarez who controlled it off his chest. Coutinho tried to smash the ball past the goalkeeper but it was saved. Coutinho kept it in and passed it to Rakitic whose wicked volley took a deflection off the post and found the net. Rakitic’s strike was superb but Messi was the one who started it all. In the beginning of the second half, Messi evaded three defenders but hit the woodwork with the goalkeeper beaten. Then a few minutes later he glided past four defenders and in a carbon copy of the previous attempt hit the woodwork again! Was it not going to be his day in terms of goals scored? Harry Kane pulled one back for Tottenham. Messi passed wide to Alba on the left who crossed it and Suarez left it for Messi. There was only going to be one result as Messi steered his shot past Lloris and accurately this time. Spurs scored again. With a few minutes left, Suarez dummied Alba’s ball and Messi had the easiest of finishes. Messi created a couple of goals with his vision, hit the woodwork twice and scored another couple of goals. Not a bad day at work!
2. Bayern Munich (May 6, 2015) – I was at my client office in San Diego and extended my lunch break to witness an amazing performance in the semi-finals. Messi was facing his former manager, Guardiola and the best goalkeeper in the world in Manuel Neuer. Neuer had prevented Messi and Argentina from scoring in the World Cup final. The Bayern defence was proving impregnable. For 77 minutes the Bayern wall stood tall. Then Messi happened. A pass from Alves and a booming left foot strike from outside the box and Neuer beaten to the near post. The resistance was broken. Then a few minutes later magic happened. Messi received the ball from Rakitic and pulled off a juke and a jive move with Boateng landing on his back. Messi then scooped the ball over Neuer and into the net. What a finish. Then in the dying minutes, Messi provided an assist to Neymar to complete the decisive win.
3. Manchester United (May 28, 2011) – It was the final of the Champions League and I was watching it at home in Orange with my friends. The stage was set for the best player in the game to shine in the biggest game of the year and he did not disappoint. Messi was running circles around the United players but it was Pedro who scored for Barcelona. Rooney equalized from a Giggs pass. Messi came close to scoring in the beginning of the second half. Then Xavi to Iniesta to Messi and boom! Messi took a couple of steps and from about twenty yards hit a vicious shot and Van de Saar was beaten. It was a sensational strike. Then another dazzling run followed from Messi who skipped around Nani and the ball fell for Villa who curled it into the net. Barcelona were Champions of Europe again.
4. Real Madrid (Apr 27, 2011) – ‘El Clasico’ is always special but this one was extra special as it was the first leg of the semi-final of the Champions League. I was at a client in Lake Forest and excused myself from meetings and went to the break room where I was joined by another football fanatic. The game was fiesty. Pepe was shown the red. Mourinho was sent to the stands. Real were down to 10 men and Barcelona took full advantage. Messi received a cross from Afellay and steered it past Casillas and Ramos. The second one was an amazing solo goal. A quick one-two with Busquets and then Messi bisected Alonso and Lass. The commentary that followed describes the next few moves and the goal perfectly – ‘Away from 2 .. 3.. 4.. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful .. A near super natural goal from Lionel Messi.. Best player in the world bar none!’
5. Arsenal (Apr 6, 2010) – It was the second leg at home. Barcelona were behind. Then Messi decided to do it on his own. First he curled a ball from outside the box into the right hand corner of the net. Then Messi passed to Abidal whose cross got deflected off the defender and fell to Perdo. Pedro gently passed it to Messi and he used his right foot to put it past the goalkeeper. Then he completed his hat-trick before half time with a perfectly executed chip over the goalkeeper. And finally the fourth goal between the legs of the goalie. The commentator’s reaction summed it up perfectly – ‘They are trying to contain him but it is an impossible task. This man is just unstoppable!’
Words cannot do justice to the skill, the enthusiasm, the agility, the vision and the unbridled joy with which Messi has played the game over the years. His is a work of art. The football pitch is his canvas and his paintings will stand the test of time. One can only admire his talent and genius. The above games highlight how good Messi has been over the years. There have been some adversities but it would be fair to say that no one brings to the table all the qualities that Messi possesses and he does it on a consistent basis. He squeezes water from stone time and again. He has a fraction of a second to make decisions with his dribbles and runs but never ceases to amaze us. Messi indeed proves that football is intelligence in motion!
The Beatles and after – Dear Friend
‘Dear friend, what’s the time?
Is this really the borderline?
Does it really mean so much to you?
Are you afraid, or is it true?’
— Dear Friend (Sir Paul McCartney, Album: Wild Life)
Friendship is a beautiful thing. The meaning of friendship is subject to interpretation. In some cases it could be unconditional loyalty while in other cases it could just be a close association. The nature of friendship is perceived differently by different people. As in a relationship, the word ‘friendship’ could have varying degrees of significance. When two individuals are extremely close, sometimes feelings get hurt. Even a trivial issue between friends can get blown out of proportion and that requires some healing. When communication breaks down, it takes a long time for the relationship to thaw. Someone has to take the first step.
One of my favorite post-Beatles songs is ‘Dear Friend’. The world perceives it as an olive branch extended by Paul McCartney to John Lennon. It was turbulent times in their relationship post the breakup of the Beatles. The friendship between the two individuals who comprised the greatest songwriting partnership of all time seemed to be at a precipice. Lennon took umbrage to McCartney’s ‘Too Many People’ and responded with ‘How Do You Sleep?’. Two young Liverpool lads who were 17 (Lennon) and 15 (McCartney) when they met and who had lived most of their adult lives in each other’s company writing songs ‘eyeball to eyeball’ were at daggers drawn. Someone had to make the move and get the bitterness out. What better way to do it than with a melodious tune and with beautiful lyrics. There could have been only one possible way. Indeed McCartney surpassed even himself!
‘Dear Friend’ is much more than a song. It epitomizes Paul’s feelings towards John. He clearly seeks reconciliation and wants to bury the hatchet. It is emotional and sad but hopeful. In some ways it characterizes helplessness since it takes two to tango. This was McCartney’s open letter to Lennon – a pleading of sorts. The master musician that he was, McCartney left no stone unturned in creating a masterpiece. The lyrics are simple but convey a world of meaning. I personally attach a lot of significance to this song. There are times when I am feeling a bit down after an argument with a friend. ‘Dear Friend’ is so uplifting that more often than not I have picked up my phone and called up the friend and apologized after listening to the song. It has always resulted in better sleep to answer Lennon’s question.
‘Dear Friend’ has a healing effect. This is another life lesson expressed beautifully through a song by one of the Beatles. The next time when you feel that a friendship is about to breakup, please listen to the song and think about the following lines and hopefully the situation will improve –
‘Does it really mean so much to you?
Are you afraid, or is it true?’
Disclaimer: I am just a huge Beatles, McCartney and Lennon fan and do not own any of the copyrights to the names of the albums, songs or the lyrics mentioned in the post. This post just expresses my love for The Beatles and my experiences.
The Beatles and after – Here, There and Everywhere
The world has not seen a phenomenon like The Beatles. So much has been written and every song has been analyzed in depth umpteen times that there is not much left to be discussed. Yet there is a lot to write from my personal experiences and how the greatest group ever assembled has influenced my life. Beatlemania was something that did not come naturally to me since I grew up on Bollywood (Hindi) music. A colleague of mine handed me the CD of ‘1’. I primarily listened to the album because I wanted to hear the original version of a popular Hindi tune. The song was ‘I Want to Hold Your Hand’. I loved it but was even more impressed with ‘Yesterday’. Those 27 songs were all impressive but I had a predilection for McCartney’s songs more than Lennon’s. One can’t go wrong with either and in future posts I will mention the songs of Lennon and Harrison that have left me yearning for more and some from their post-Beatles work. At that time it was all Sir Paul McCartney and I would mostly listen to ‘Yesterday’, ‘Eleanor Rigby’, ‘Penny Lane’, ‘Lady Madonna’, ‘Hey Jude’, ‘Let It Be’ and ‘The Long and Winding Road’.
Fast forward another 8 years. A friend played an amazing tune on the guitar and asked me to identify the tune. I was stumped. At different times one likes to listen to different songs but this tune was different. This seemed eternal. Of course I did not know the answer. The song was ‘Here, There and Everywhere’. Since then I have had a few laptops and a few smartphones and the first song that I always play on any new device is ‘Here, There and Everywhere’. Such is my obsession with the song. I personally find it flawless. My friend lent me a few CDs without the names of the songs and asked me to identify each tune. I spent nights listening to the CDs and identifying each song. This was followed by months on Wikipedia, YouTube, discussion forums, understanding what a concept album is and listening to songs in the correct order. Thus began a journey into the magical world of The Beatles. My friend had indeed created a Beatles-loving monster and that one tune changed my world.
The song ‘Here, There and Everwhere’ credited to Lennon-McCartney was penned by Sir Paul McCartney and appears on the ‘Revolver’ album which was released in 1966. The chord progressions are mind-blowing. When I listened to it for the first time, I felt that it was a bit slow but a beautiful ballad. By the time McCartney utters the line ‘And if she is beside me I know I need never care’, one is madly in love with the song. As with a number of other Beatles’ songs, this one was on repeat for hours. It was not only my ears but I also felt an instant connection with the song in every possible way. The tune is amazing and complete and would in itself qualify as a work of genius. The lyrics are equally brilliant and rendered in pitch perfect style by McCartney with backing vocals from Lennon and Harrison. Over the years I must have listened to the song at least a few thousand times. Every time I discover something new and this mini-journey has not yet reached its destination and probably never will.
There have been lots of cover versions of the song and instrumental ones too. I love Giovanni Marradi’s piano interpretation, Celine Dion’s rendition and a few other versions. An instrumental version was also featured in ‘Friends’ (TV series) for Phoebe’s wedding. I still think nothing can match the original. I always feel that there is an inflection point when one follows a particular artist or sportsperson. This tune proved to be the inflection point for me as far as my love for The Beatles and the post-Beatles work is concerned. As much as I loved the songs on the ‘1’ album, the song ‘Here, There and Everywhere’ is the reason behind my lunatic obsession with The Beatles. I am forever indebted to my friend for introducing me to this ‘perfect’ song. The Beatles have been a constant companion on those long, lonely nights when I have been working really hard to meet a deadline. My only regret is that this was not part of Sir Paul McCartney’s setlist when I attended his concert at Dodgers Stadium in 2014. Regardless, this song lives within me here, there and everywhere!
Disclaimer: I am just a huge Beatles fan and do not own any of the copyrights to the names of the albums, songs or the lyrics mentioned in the post. This post just expresses my love for The Beatles and my experiences.
My numero uno Sports Show
What constitutes a great sports show? Is it the knowledge level and experience of the analysts? Is it the chemistry or the friction between the hosts or maybe the popularity and viewership? Having grown up watching John Dykes cover a variety of sports and then being introduced to some in the US, there are a number of sports shows and sports talk shows that I really admire. My day used to begin with the now defunct ESPN’s Mike and Mike followed by First Take (with Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless as hosts and then with Max Kellerman replacing Bayless). I also like ‘Skip and Shannon Undisputed’ on Fox. I am a fan of Papi in ‘Highly Questionable’ and admire ‘Pardon The Interruption’. Alas, I could never really figure out the random scoring system in ‘Around the Horn’. However for sheer drama, camaraderie, knowledge, fights, thrills and hilarious moments, nothing can match TNT’s ‘Inside the NBA’.
Let me start with ‘Ernie, Ernie .. Lemme tell you something’. I started following ‘Inside the NBA’ with Ernie Johnson as host and Kenny ‘The Jet’ Smith and ‘Sir’ Charles Barkley as analysts over a decade ago. ‘The Big Aristotle’, Shaquille O’ Neal was a welcome addition to the team once he retired. A winner of multiple Emmy awards, the show has become a fan favorite of many basketball fans. The show is sometimes controversial and not always politically correct but that is what endears the audience to the show. Whether it is ‘E.J.’s Neat-O Stat of the Night’ or ‘Kenny’s Pictures’, each segment is informative. Sometimes the hosts are too brutally honest to be on television as they don’t mince words when criticizing players. This makes for some awkward moments as well. The blooper segment ‘Shaqtin’ a Fool’ is meant to embarrass even the biggest superstars of the game.
The chemistry between the hosts takes the show to stratospheric levels. Shaq and Barkley get personal at times and Kenny and Ernie have to step in. Barkley needles Shaq about riding Kobe and Wade’s coat-tails to his championships and ‘Kazaam’ flaunts his rings. There have been many funny incidents during the show with Shaq and Barkley threatening to throw chicken wings at each other or trying to wrestle in the studio. I love Kenny’s in-depth analysis. The analysts’ knowledge of the game having featured in several all time great NBA Games is second to none. One gets to live the 80s, 90s and noughties through their stories. Barkley comes across as extremely honest in his assessment. He is loved by one and all for his candid statements. He is very self deprecating and a great sport. He has also been involved in some weird bets like his race with referee Dick Bavetta during the All Star Weekend.
With three legends of the game and an amazing host in Ernie, the show is one of the most popular on TV. The hosts are not just limited to discussing NBA. They talk about several other topics – NFL, NCAA football, March Madness and issues impacting America. Chris Webber and Grant Hill do an amazing job as supporting analysts. The hosts are not scared of criticizing the players and officials if they feel that something is amiss. I thought I would never admit this but during the playoffs when there is a lot of tension, ‘Inside the NBA’ seems to be a voice of reason. No NBA team wants to be part of the ‘Gone Fishin’ ‘ segment as each team wants to be the last one standing. As a tribute to one of the biggest X-factors that the NBA has seen, let me end the post with a shout-out in Sir Charles’ unique style – ‘GINOBILI’!
2006 AFC Championship Game – Peyton Manning is going to the Super Bowl
Can a single game define the legacy of a sportsman? Can one game change how a sportsperson is perceived by peers, the expert media, and the fans? Sometimes it is just destiny. In recent times, Goran Ivanisevic’s 2001 Wimbledon win comes to mind but that is a story for another day. Can the same be applied to a team sport?
Max Kellerman describes Peyton Manning as the greatest regular season football player and not just the greatest regular season quarterback of all time. Few would argue now that he is retired with 5 MVPs to his name. Until 2006, despite his regular season success and records, Peyton Manning and his Indianapolis Colts would always come up short in the post season against the Tom Brady led and Bill Belichick coached New England Patriots or against a determined Pittsburgh Steelers team. In the NFL, despite football being a team game, the quarterback is the most important player and the leader of the offense and takes the blame for most losses while also being glorified for the wins. Imagine being in Manning’s or Brady’s shoes and performing well week in and week out!
It was the 2006 AFC Championship Game between the Colts and the Patriots. The winner would go on to take the NFC Champions in the Super Bowl. In the Wild Card game, Manning had thrown three interceptions but the Colts beat the Kansas City Chiefs easily by a margin of 23-8. In the Divisional Playoffs, Manning had thrown two interceptions but scraped past the Baltimore Ravens 15-6 courtesy of 5 field goals from Adam Vinatieri. Thus Manning entered the AFC game without putting on a notable display in the postseason. Brady and his Patriots had always been the Colts’ nemesis and were already three time Super Bowl Champions. The Patriots could be forgiven if they had a sense of entitlement for the big game. Apparently, the Patriots had no weaknesses. They had the clutch Tom Brady (who will perhaps go down in history as the greatest quarterback of all time), a stifling defense and were coached by the legendary Bill Belichick. The Colts coach Tony Dungy and Manning had a lot on their plate.
On that January afternoon, I was in Denver with my friends and we switched on the TV set almost resigned to the fate that the Patriots would beat the Colts again. The game was being played at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis. The ‘house that Peyton built’, the Lucas Oil Stadium did not exist then. We were rooting for the underdogs – Peyton and the Colts. The game began and in the 1st quarter, the Patriots’ running back Laurence Maroney fumbled the ball but it was luckily recovered by their guard Logan Mankins for a touchdown in the end zone. New England was up 7-0 after the PAT. It was an ominous start to the game for Indianapolis.
With about a minute left in the first quarter, the ex-Patriots and the new Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri scored a 42-yard field goal following a Colts drive that came up short. The Colts were finally on the score board. The score was 7-3 in favor of the Patriots. In the second quarter, Corey Dillon rushed for a touchdown and the Patriots were up 14-3. All the Colts fans probably had the same sinking feeling that they had become accustomed to during the postseason. Well if that was not enough, things were about to get even worse. On the next Colts drive, Asante Samuel stepped in front of the Colts receiver and Manning’s pass was intercepted and returned for a touchdown. With the Pick 6, the Patriots had a comfortable lead of 21-3. Manning and the Colts were imploding again. No team had ever come back from an 18 point deficit in a Championship game. However, the Colts were able to drive 80 yards and a Vinatieri field goal made it 21-6 at the half.
My friends and I were hoping against hope. Trailing New England by 15 points at halftime was one of the worst possible scenarios. We were wondering what the mood would have been in the Colts dressing room. The Patriots defense must have been very happy with the result. Then the second half began. Wonder what the pep talk was during halftime but the Colts scored a touchdown in the opening drive. Then they forced the Patriots to punt. In the ensuing drive aided by some smart plays by Dallas Clark and Dominic Rhodes, they made it to the 1-yard line. Manning threw a touchdown pass to Klecko and then his favorite receiver Marvin Harrison coverted on the 2 point play. The score was tied at 21 apiece!
Then Hobbs returned a kick for 80 yards. Brady threw and it was brilliantly caught by a leaping Gaffney who was pushed out of bounds and it resulted in a touchdown. Patriots took the lead again 28-21. Then in a carbon copy of the Mankins touchdown in the first quarter, Rhodes fumbled the ball but it was recovered in the end zone by the Colts center Jeff Saturday for a touchdown. The score was tied 28-28. A Gostkowski field goal was answered by a Vinatieri one. The score was tied again 31-31. Gostkowski was clutch and the Patriots were up 34-31 with 3:49 on the clock.
A Colts punt was followed by an amazing play by Bob Sanders who jumped right in front of Troy Brown which prevented a first down on 4th and stopped the Patriots from extending the lead. When Manning started the next drive with 2:17 left and down 31-34 after the succesive punts, we were hoping for a miracle. It was perhaps going to be his greatest drive ever, a career defining one and under extreme pressure. First he threw a pass to Reggie Wayne for a first down. The next pass to Fletcher with 2:12 left was incomplete. 2:08 left on the clock and Manning under pressure looked down the field and threw a lovely pass to Fletcher for 32 yards and he stepped out of bounds to stop the clock. 2:01 left on the clock. A beautiful short pass to Wayne who scooped up the ball when tackled but managed to catch the ball. A flag on the play gave them a few more yards. 1:53 to play. Addai got a few yards. 2nd and 6. Another Addai run. A couple of yards gained. New England called a timeout and the next play Addai rushed in for the touchdown with a minute left in the game. Colts had their first lead in the game. 37-34 to the Colts. Vinatieri’s PAT made it a 4 point game which ensured that to win the Patriots would have to score a touchdown and a field goal could not tie it. The Colts had scored 32 points in the second half.
It was Brady time. Brady lives for such moments. He thrives in them. Patriots always win the close ones. The writing was on the wall. The Indianapolis defense was determined though. An incomplete pass by Brady. 2nd and 10 with 49 seconds to go and Brady passed for 19 yards. The next play resulted in a 14 yard gain. Manning had his head down – possibly praying. It looked improbable that Brady could be stopped. Then the unthinkable happened. Brady threw a pass and it was intercepted by Marvin Jackson and the Colts won the game 38-34. One of the greatest games that I have watched and Peyton Manning was going to the Super Bowl!
NFL owns the rights to the following video on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZG1WpsOB4E
The Royal Troon Shootout – Stenson vs Mickelson
My love affair with Golf started while watching the 1997 Ryder Cup (Valderrama, Spain) where Seve Ballesteros’ Europeans just about managed to hold off the challenge of Tom Kite’s Americans. Though I have watched a lot of golf over the next two decades, nothing would prepare me for the famous duel between Henrik Stenson and Phil Mickelson at the Royal Troon in 2016. I remember waking up early on a Sunday morning in California to watch the drama unfold on the final day of The Open Championship and I was thoroughly entertained.
Phil Mickelson who had doubts that his game was not suited for links golf had surprisingly won the 2013 British Open with a brilliant display on the final day. In 2016, he started with a first round for the ages and scored a 63. It could easily have been a 9-under 62. After the second day, Phil ‘the thrill’ Mickelson led Henrik Stenson by a shot. Phil was 10-under to Stenson’s 9-under. After the third round, Stenson was 12-under and led Mickelson by a stroke. The stage was set for a matchplay or a shoot out. The third placed Haas and the fourth placed Johnston were a further 5 and 6 shots behind the second placed Mickelson.
Stenson (68-65-68 = 201, -12 to par) and Mickelson (63-69-70 = 202, -11 to par) were deservingly paired for the final round after destroying the field. On the first hole, Phil hit a brilliant tee shot and hit the fairway. A great second shot from Phil landed inches from the hole. Stenson had a bad birdie shot and ended up bogeying the hole while Mickelson birdied it and now Mickelson was leading The Open after the first hole on the final day. (Mickelson -12, Stenson -11). Stenson brilliantly birdied the next two holes while Phil could manage pars. Stenson regained the lead after three holes (Stenson -13, Mickelson -12). Stenson had a third consecutive birdie on the fourth hole but could only watch as Mickelson eagled the hole with a brilliant putt. Evens Stevens: Stenson -14, Mickelson -14. I had my heart in my mouth.
Both men managed a par on the fifth hole and matched each other’s birdie on the sixth. After six holes they were tied at 15-under. They had matching pars on the seventh but Stenson brilliantly birdied the eighth while Phil managed a par. They both had pars on the ninth hole. The score read Stenson -16, Mickelson -15. Each man finished with a 32 over the first nine holes with jaw dropping shots and precision putts.
Both Stenson and Mickelson birdied the tenth but Stenson missed a putt and bogeyed the eleventh. They were back even at 16-under after eleven holes. By now, I was just biting my finger nails and it could very well have been my breakfast, lunch and dinner combined in one. A few quick restroom breaks would happen only during commercial breaks. I did not want to miss their body language – in a way each man was daring the other to play better than himself while each was playing at a level which was out of the world.
By now, all bets were off. They matched each other with pars on the twelfth and the thirteenth hole. Then Stenson took the lead for good in the fourteenth but it was not a given. He birdied the fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth with some amazing long distance putts while Phil could only manage to birdie the sixteenth. These two master craftsmen were providing a spectacle. The golf world was at the edge and applauding the feat of two amazing sportsmen. (Stenson -19, Mickelson -17 after sixteen). Stenson held his nerve on the seventeenth. This was a very crucial hole because Mickelson was a 5 time major winner whereas Stenson was seeking his first major. On to the final (eighteenth hole), Stenson put the icing on the cake with a birdie. The score read Stenson -20, Mickelson -17 with Holmes finishing third 14 shots behind Stenson and 11 shots behind Mickelson!
Henrik Stenson claimed the Claret Jug for his first major in a thrilling final round. Stenson ended up with a 68-65-68-63 (20 under) and Mickelson with a 63-69-70-65 (17 under). Just to put this in perspective, Phil Mickelson had a bogey free 6-under 65 with 4 birdies and an eagle after starting the day trailing by 1 and still lost. Stenson scored an 8-under 63 with 10 birdies and 2 bogeys. The level of shot making was insane. People always talk about the Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson ‘Duel in the Sun’ but in terms of quality play and drama this one was a shade better. It had to be seen to be believed and it appeared as if even the Gods were watching in admiration from above!