MJ-TN-RF-AM-UV

It’s probably been my busiest week in a very long time. What with the numerous exams to attend in the evenings, the countless tests to prepare for the next day, loads of homework dumped unceremoniously on our backs..? Class X is far worse than I had imagined. It is only during these weekends that I have minimum time at least, to cater to the needs of this page, which gives me contentment in times of extreme helter-skelter.

This week is one that hasn’t been short of sensational happenings across oceans and continents. Michael Jackson’s untimely demise might have triggered off journalists across the globe to come up with subtle conspiracy theories, but it has plunged his ardent fans on planet Earth into deep melancholy. Whether he died of a drug overdose or a cardiac arrest or some 'foul play' is immaterial to us passionate devotees. The vase broke, whether it was a cat that pushed it or a rat. However, it is painful to observe that certain members of the world media are resorting to irrational aggrandizement of the situation in order to reap financial benefits. TIMES NOW for example is the only news channel in the whole wide world (BBC and CNN included of course) to insinuate these mysterious ‘foul play’ theories into the equation. The channel in question has had a history of blowing things out of proportion and it seems to be living up to its rather shameful reputation. I can quote to you several situations in the past wherein it has been singularly responsible for pervading false news among people, but it will probably take a book or two for me to complete doing so. I wouldn’t entertain a second thought before stating that it is probably the most irresponsible English news channel in the country. It does have a pool of talent, but its priorities seem to be concentrated elsewhere.

This year’s Wimbledon Championships will probably go down as one of the most boring ones in recent history. Roger Federer’s monopoly shows no signs of coming to an end very soon. He is sublime as he always is, robbing words from commentators’ mouths. I foresee a Federer victory in the final, and yeah…I’ve also noticed with surprise the hype that is being built up around Andy Murray. I vividly recall Vijay Amritraj stating after Murray’s first round match (in which he dropped a set and struggled to victory against some unseeded bloke) that, "Murray was at his B game today and yet, he played very good tennis. When he is at his A game, Roger will probably relent." After his second round match against another unseeded guy, the British media lost all their senses. An ordinary 6-3, 7-5, 6-2 win raked in unimaginable plaudits, ranging from ‘Murray in a hurry to win title’ to ‘Murray’s performance reminded me of John McEnroe’. I hope the latter didn’t check out those newspapers that morning. They would probably have mortified him to utmost shame. Nobody seems to be talking about Roger Federer this Wimbledon. Come to think of it, winning this slam would make him the undisputed GOAT (Greatest Of All Time), and yet for the last 4 years at the Championships, the media has been talking at great lengths about Andy Murray ‘creating history by becoming the first Britisher in 70-odd years to win the crown’. It’s time the British media got a grip on the ground realities. Andy Murray might be a talented player, but as he has realized over the last few years, he is nowhere in comparison to the Federers and the Nadals of the game. What about that ‘sore loser’ comment he made on Federer, eh? If the greatest player of all time can be equated to a sore loser, I cannot imagine what Andy Murray can be equated to. I’d love to see a Federer-Murray final at this year’s Championships, a simulacrum of last year’s US Open final wherein Roger annihilated Andy beyond expectation. If we get to see that final on July 5^th, I think there will be very little to predict about the outcome.

And yeah…I haven’t forgotten our beloved Team India. I’ve been following every move of theirs in the Carribean, although staying up till 3 in the morning isn’t a great idea, with school the next day. I did stay up till 12 for the first ODI though, the main attraction being Yuvraj’s blitzkrieg. Many people said over a couple of years ago that Yuvraj Singh will be the Brian Lara of the Indian Cricket Team. I must admit I had my initial misgivings about that but he certainly has been extraordinarily coherent in the shorter formats of the game over the last couple of years pocketing the Man of the Series trophy in almost all the ODI series played since. His knock on Friday was among his best ever. The principle talent this lad possesses is the ability to get the big shots at will. And when he hits them, they do clear the boundary on most occasions. A batsman of such supreme talent is an invaluable asset to the team. I don’t think Sachin Tendulkar will be greatly missed if Yuvraj continues to blossom the way he has in recent times.

But this week will stand out in my memory for the unprecedented demise of Michael Jackson, the man who will always be my hero…no matter if he was Black or White.