Gag bag

So many differences. So many languages, religions, colors, regions and people all over the world. But it needs only one ball to bring all of them together. Its four years since the last time the world woke up to see away all those differences for a period of 1 month once again. And no matter how much you try to slander it, how you try to include your stories of scams and scandals and oppression and exploitation into it, the fact remains, that it’s the worlds’ biggest sporting event, and it is here upon us, now!

The funny thing is, that only 32 countries from a possible 200 odd represent themselves in the championship. But I am sure that all over the world, people may they be Indians or Egyptians or Mongolians or Chinese know and associate themselves with a team they want to support. And for that matter, it doesn’t even matter if the country they support has some emotional bond that they associate themselves with, it just needs one or two of their most favorite players and bam, there go the 1000s of bucks in buying jerseys and flags and cleats of the team they want to support.

The competition or the competition winner doesn’t bring any glory or monetary gain for the supporter. On the contrary, all it does is it wastes his/ her time which he/ she would in all probability have had spent with his loved ones. It makes him spend loads of money on random shit which he/ she may not even want. But it’s the whole passion which drives the game, and that is something far more important than all other petty things. And then, for a cup which comes in for 30 days after a time gap of 1300 odd days, I think it is totally worth it.

I don’t mean to defame any other sporting event, specially the World Series and the Super Bowl and the NBA whatever, but this is how a world cup should be. It should be a cup wherein most of the world represents itself, and the others draw associations with the sport in some good way. It should make up a sample of the people from all around the world. And it needs to be broadcasted all around the world too, and that too by demand, not by force. To put numbers into perspective, the FIFA 2010 world cup was watched by atleast 3.2 billion people in the world (for atleast one minute), making up a whopping 46% of the population of the world. Compared to this, the super-bowl was watched by 110 million people all over the world. If you just want to compare apples with apples, the world cup final was watched by around 1 billion people. And yes, in a way I do mean to defame the other games!

One good thing about the World Cup is that it comes once in 4 years. It’s a good thing because you get to build up the excitement about it. Players thrive to represent their nation at the cup finals. And if at all he is injured, he has to wait another 4 years, which probably shatters most of his dreams of ever getting to do what he likes to do most.

And this time, with the competition in Brazil, I think it doesn't need anything more to be said. The football capital of the world, Brazil represents a people so madly in love with football, that for them, and for so many others outside Brazil all over the world, it is the Mecca of football. Thousands will get on planes and fly to Brazil in a hope to catch the madness of the games, and the others will sulk away at home, whilst trying to catch a glimpse of the people they know in the stands.

The world cup does so much more than just the 90 minutes. The amount of money, blood, sweat being put into it is humongous. Nike always brings out the best in the advertisements, with the best players in the world representing a part of a dreamy day tournament, all together playing in one team. Sports bars and sports joints suddenly shoot up their businesses, while companies show the lowest productivity ever, thanks to people watching the games during the work hours, while others write blogs and bits about the same. For a person like me, I just can’t think of anything else at the moment, and I burst with excitement whenever there is some news about any team in the tournament.

I love Football, I love the world cup, I love the excitement it brings along with it, and I love and live to be associated with football any and every moment of my life. Since the start of this year, when the build up and the count down to the games started, I have on my part done so many things just for football. We at our work place have ordered a television specially to show the games on a big screen TV. We have got together to play fantasy games to bet on winners as part of the fun during the games. We play foosball, we play futsal, we play football. I learn, I coach and I join random groups of people, sometimes driving upto 40 miles alternate days just to play the damn game!

For a person like me, who dreams of football all 365 days, this is a dream come true. It’s the first world cup I am going to experience when all the resources, time, money and freedom are within my own clutches, and I am going to make the most of it. I have been playing for a long time now, and to me, this is the religion I want to follow. I have often heard of people saying that for them, football is a religion. And yea, with religion, you always have a good side and a dirty side. But when a religion is so wide spread, so lenient, and so very fun loving, and when all you need to follow that religion is a ball, it takes no Einstein to say why it is followed by about 50% of the world population. Nothing in my life has ever broken barriers of every kind other than a black and white patched football, and if ever you feel the need to communicate with someone else, take a ball along, and notice the change in demeanor instantly. You can talk, hug and drink and chit chat with the randomest person ever, thanks to football. And for this and so much more, I salute this game.

No more wives, no more work, no more girlfriends for a period of 31 days. Football is here, so save us from lying, and if you find our phones switched off, unanswered or otherwise, please do not mind. Everything else is secondary, because it is here and it is now. For the Neymars and the Ronaldos and the Messis and the Suarezs and the Gerrards, go out there, and get your minds blown..