And we always thought baseball and basketball were the most popular sports in America

We (meaning most of the non-American sports loving population of the world) think basketball is one of the most popular sports in the USA

Because

We keep hearing about these global superstars – Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal and now LeBron James

We get to see a lot of NBA on TV and can see the mad crowd support

We see all the attention the US basket ball team gets at the Olympics

We also think that baseball is one of the popular sports in the USA

Because

We keep hearing about teams like the New York Yankees and see a lot of people all over the world wearing their merchandise

We see some MLB on TV and see the support baseball teams get

We know that there is another sport called American Football which is also very popular but don’t think it’s as big as basketball or baseball

Because we don’t see a lot of it

We are so wrong

Rick Reilly of ESPN enlightens us by making a list of the most popular sports team in 18 major American cities and this is what his list has to say

NFL (Professional American football) teams rule 12 of the 18 cities with the NBA (Professional Basketball) and MLB (Professional Baseball) following far behind with 2 and 4 respectively

And we thought we knew about the Americans

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Subhash Chandra does a Packer.....almost

With the BCCI dithering over the impending changes in the domestic cricket structure, Subhash Chandra of the Essel Group, has gone ahead and taken the bull by the horns. In a massive project, he plans to set up a parallel cricket league called the Indian Cricket League.

The salient points of the ICL

• 6 teams or clubs to play in the opening year
• Talks on with BCCI for gaining access to stadiums
• Executive Board of the league under installation
• Pool of referees and umpires to be created
• Rules committee to form regulations for ICL
• Ombudsman to look into grievances of players
• League to begin with Twenty20 format and move to ODI format
• League to be a joint venture between Essel Group and ILFS Group
• Each team to have a mentor, media manager, psychologist, physio
• Prize money for the winner- US$ 1 million
• League teams to compete with teams internationally
• Number of teams to be increased from 6 to 16 in three years
  

The similarities with Packer and the WSC are pretty obvious. Just like Packer, Chandra had failed to bag the cricket telecast rights, in spite, of tabling the highest bid. He has also learnt from the WSC experiment. Instead of taking on the cricket establishment, he plans a peaceful co-existence with the board. His insistence on using the main stadiums is also a smart move. The WSC was a non-starter, until; Packer moved the courts and gained access to the main stadiums.

However, to ensure that the gamble pays off, lessons must also be learnt from the National Football League, the Professional Hockey League and the Sanford 20-20 League in the Caribbean.

The National Football League is a colossal failure. Corporate sponsorship, foreign imports, lucrative prize money and live telecasts have failed to lift the standard of the game, or increase its popularity. Coincidentally, Zee TV is heavily involved in this project. Poor infrastructure, shoddy management, inability to attract quality foreigners, lack of talent scouting and youth programs and the complete ignorance of modern coaching and physical conditioning methods have significantly contributed to this malaise.

The Professional Hockey League fares only slightly better. The foreign imports are world class, the rules are innovative and celebrities are promoting the league. The league, however, is not going anywhere. The quality and fitness of the Indian players leaves a lot to be desired, the coaching is archaic, and there is hardly any improvement in the quality of the game.

The Sanford 20-20 was a cricketer’s nightmare and an entertainer’s delight. Based on the English 20-20 format, with more Caribbean razzmatazz, it brought back the crowds but the standard of the game in the Caribbean continues to flounder.

The lessons to be learnt for the Essel group and the BCCI

• Coaching is the key - Modern cricket is all about well prepared teams, with clearly defined roles, striving to achieve perfection in executing the game plan. Instead of randomly picking from ex-cricketers; the need is to get qualified and competent coaches.
• Fitness and conditioning –In India, a player focuses on fitness and conditioning, only at the international level; when it is already too late. The ICL needs to have fitness programs by having trainers as well.
• Participation of Indian internationals and quality foreigners- Packer had it easy, as the international players were poorly remunerated. This is no longer the case. The BCCI and Essel will need to work together to get this aspect right.
• Quality of the pitches- Again the BCCI’s role is vital. The WSC scored because the cricket was gripping, not just entertaining.
  

Kerry Packer changed the face of International cricket. Subhash Chandra can do the same for Indian cricket, provided, the lessons are well learnt.

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