Since I left the college, there has been a small group of KRECians who have kept in touch by meeting every (almost) weekend to play football. Initially, it was either cricket or football, but then some time afterwords, it had decisively tilted towards football only.
It really makes me happy to see that that group is still so much enthued about getting its weekly dose of football every week which leads us to the essence of this blog.
Background:
The last few weeks have been hectic for me in terms of balancing office with PGSEM because of which I have not been able to join this group for football. What happens next is amazing! An email chain starts off with a trickle of random pjs and digs at others to commence to this humongous email by our beloved Hooda (didn't know till now that he like writing so much so much :D)...I give you all, THE email of the week (if not the month):
Hi Folks,
It was a nice sunny day on Sunday, 27th of July, 2009 AD (after death of Christ) and early in the morning was looking so fine. Glittering reflection of the sun, when it touches the Dew Drop, the sweet chirping of the birds in the bushes, singing for the unknown mate who’s flying somewhere far in some other place. The very first shock in the morning (as generally I’m not habitual to clocks), and with rolling here and there on the bed for few minutes I finally opened the eyes in the frustration, why someone has put the clock in my room. My remorse suddenly withered away with remembering the football meet in Jeevan Beema Nagar ground, which everyone affirmed in the eMail.
In slight mood of happiness with the blinking of the eyes I glanced at the clock which was slowly passing the 6:00. I put the clock on hold and started my standard procedure with the nature’s call. Just it happens every time that nothing goes as smooth one thinks of in life, I misplaced my jersey somewhere and knickers also ain’t dry. I was trying pretty hard to remember but I lowered down my enthusiasm and replaced jersey with the normal T shirt. Putting iron on the sim, dried the knickers and started searching for the pair of socks which our beloved Baba (piyush Kaushal) gifted me. I still remember the day when he presented the pair of shoes and socks and how with the valuable gift he smartly contrived me to be part of the celebration called Soccer meet. I did feel like being dragged to the ground due to some conspiracy but lately realized the wonderful phenomenon of the affable meet, the chuckling of the college mates and the warmth in the first meet. Are they smirking or laughing at me coz I was novice, I really don’t know, but I enjoyed every bit of it (even Sarcasm).
Anyways, getting back to the track, I remember those moments when I was searching for the socks but for this case also I had to go for the change (to normal socks). I thought, now everything is gonna be fine, like a log flowing in the river but I realized that my contact lens solution is finished. I try using water and putting those lenses in the eyes and rushed to the ground, reaching where I can’t find any similar faces. I suddenly looked at the date in my cell phone to make sure, if it’s not April fool and after confirming called Baba to confirm if we’re playing today. Baba half asleep nodded which ofcourse I can’t see through the phone, then I asked him again the same bloody question, and he in his feeble voice (due to sleep) said yes and I asked him to accompany me as I’m alone in the ground and he told me to wait as Marathali folks would be reaching the ground in 10 mins.
Guys, I have waited for trains in India (which always gets delayed), the DTC(delhi trasporation corporation) buses which never reached the bus stop on time specified in the table, but this wait was different, as I was in the excited but, bubbling with exuberance and waiting made the time move so slow. I remembered the relativity theory of Einstein that the Time is also not constant (well that’s the only thing I knew about relativity theory :P) and in that situation I was feeling so much in state of affirmation to the greatest scientist of last century (It doesn’t mean we’re on same plain though :P).
So in order to relax my nerves I took the lime juice and by that time I saw the group of junkies were coming with their apparels on and I knew for sure they’re Krecians.
With automatic response from the pituitary gland I recalled everyone I met on first day of assembly and suddenly realized that we’re not missing much in number but total view. So I thought C’mmon what’s the meaning of the view, if there’s only 1 guy less in the team, but guys it was a substantial difference, I was really thinking in a single glance that our team size has been dwindled in half. As the time passes by, we all realized a big difference in the overall team but the reason was not apparent to everyone of us. It wasn’t due to numbers, not certainly due to quantity and we all somehow over the span of time realized the funda leanred in college, Qualitative and Quantitative analysis. Guys I was so poor in all this sort of analysis, but subconsciously college prepared me for the big differences (anyways I couldn’t notice the small ones, even until now). All time during the play, we’re missing something, something really important, really mandatory, without which everything around us seemed in bits and pieces rather in wholeness. I remember the great philosopher who said the individual sum is always less than the whole sum and again it was a moment of truth for me.
As we all are engineers, so for the sake of the group let’s represent the same thing mathematically,
Classic mathematics,
• A+B+C+D+E = F (final result), only for quantitative methodology, but this doesn’t have any weightage as generally we count total 11 players in usual match (like Indian voting system, every person is equal. So eqn becomes 1+1+1+1+1 = total no of players)
• Now, in modern mathematics k1 A + k2B + k3C + k4D…. = F (final result)
So, considering all the payers which generally plays (0.1)1 + (0.1)1 +(0.1)1+(0.1)1 +(0.1)1 + (0.5)1 = 1 (the total result) or ultimate team. So the biggest point here is this that all the players get the weightage of “0.1” except 1 with the weight = 0.5 (so guys any guesses who’s this guy)
• Moreover, in reality, k1A + k2B + k3C + k4D…. < F (final result) – {yeah individual sum is always less than the whole sum – example all the desktop PC parts combined together will be the Sum of all the parts plus the function it carries called computer system). So any one guy specifically with the weightage (0.5) misses the game make the huge difference in the overall result (coz it’s not DVD player we’re missing, or woofer, but guys we’re missing the CPU and how can any PC work without that)
So we kinda feel the same deplorable condition the financial world is going through for last 6 months (well in our case 6 weeks).
Anyways, we miss our dude and hey without you calling the game is not even game man (Like Chinese movie playing in Bangalore theater and that too without the visuals)
Well enough for today guys.
Have Fun, but with the loaded gun (Sid – the bullet, C’mmon load our gun)
Phew, I wonder how much time would it have taken to write that email :)
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Sudoko Domino Effect
I started off with Sudoku to while off time when I was completely jobless months back and since then, I've been hooked to it. I would still consider myself a novice in solving sudoku, but the good thing is that if I spend some time with a pen on a sudoku, more often than not, it gets solved. Moreover, success spurns the desire to solve more...so it ends up being a good cycle of events.
The best part about solving a sudoko is what I shall term as "Domino Effect". At some point, after struggling on the puzzle for a long time, there comes a time when on filling one box in the puzzle, all the other numbers fill in their respective places and then it is time to say Voila!! :). It is the sheer abruptness by which the puzzle gets solved that accounts for the kicks in solving the puzzle.
Curiously, when I was thinking about it, a random part of my brain linked it to the scene in V for Vendetta where V topples one small pack and the entire system comes crashing down.
I googled on "Domino Effect" and there is something like that already existing!!
So long for my patent on the theory :)
The best part about solving a sudoko is what I shall term as "Domino Effect". At some point, after struggling on the puzzle for a long time, there comes a time when on filling one box in the puzzle, all the other numbers fill in their respective places and then it is time to say Voila!! :). It is the sheer abruptness by which the puzzle gets solved that accounts for the kicks in solving the puzzle.
Curiously, when I was thinking about it, a random part of my brain linked it to the scene in V for Vendetta where V topples one small pack and the entire system comes crashing down.
I googled on "Domino Effect" and there is something like that already existing!!
So long for my patent on the theory :)
West Indies Cricket
The last few days have been interesting in the Cricket world - though Pakis were hammered by the Sri Lankans, the other two test series (Ashes and WI-Bangladesh) were different for reasons distinct to each.
The Ashes has till now been very uniformly contested, with more masala added to it with Flintoff's retirement plans. Moreover, who does not like the Aussies getting bashed up? :)
The second one is the one that is of deeper significance in terms of the changing relations between money and cricket. WI, playing their second string team, underestimated the Banladeshis, who obliged them by trashing them in the tests (first series win). The one day series too seems to follow the same lines till now.
Which brings us back to the main question - what is happening between the WIPA (WI player's association) and WICB (WI Cricket Board)? I went to cricinfo to get to the genesis of the problem.
Flashback to Jan 2005:
WIPA protests on a few clauses put in by the WICB which could lead to "commercial exploitation" of the players. Moreover, WIPA felt that the players were pressurised to sign the contract leading to friction amongst these bodies.
Digging deeper into the "commercial exploitation" part leads to the real reasons for the dissent - Cable & Wireless (a former sponsor of the West Indian side) and Digicel(the new sponsor)
I'll add some excerpts from that blog here:
Digicel entered the regional market in 2001, and operates in seven countries, with its headquarters in Jamaica. It has aggressively pursued market share, with promotional offers and sponsorships of major sports like cricket, football and the Special Olympics. In July 2004, Digicel signed a five-year US$20million sponsorship deal with the WICB in London, becoming the official sponsors for the Test and one-day teams, event sponsors for all home and away Tests and ODIs played by West Indies (a first for the board, since Cable & Wireless only sponsored home matches), and the official mobile and communications provider for the WICB.
Two months earlier Cable & Wireless had signed up to become one of the official sponsors of the World Cup in 2007. The company had re-directed its strategic positioning after its US$10million offer over three years did not find as much favour as Digicel's US$20million promise. As an official sponsor of the World Cup, Cable & Wireless assured itself of continued regional presence in cricket. Following its individual endorsement contract with Brian Lara in 2003, it signed Ramnaresh Sarwan, Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, Omari Banks, Fidel Edwards, Ravi Rampaul and Dwayne Smith.
Generally, while a sponsorship contract like Digicel's covers the team, unless there are specific terms, it does not include individuals, who have the right to negotiate their own terms for use of their personal image and intellectual property. That is why in advertising, for example, players would be shown in groups of four or more, with no obvious predominance of any one player.
A few weeks ago, during negotiations over retainer contracts, the WICB offered to buy out any contracts the players had which would be in conflict with their new sponsorship, and WIPA had not objected. But that offer has been replaced by one, according to WIPA, that seeks to have the players end their contracts for free or face non-selection.
The WICB has now found itself in a curious position. Obviously there was no support from Digicel for the board's initial offer of a buyout. But by insisting that the players break their individual contracts, which had been signed with the WICB's knowledge, it is also placing itself at odds with one of its official sponsors for the World Cup. The ongoing impasse could also force the ICC to ask questions about the manner in which the World Cup will be organised, and might even make it look at an alternate venue. The Cable & Wireless contract is with the CWC WI 2007 Inc., the organising body of the World Cup, but that is a fully owned subsidiary of the WICB, and the contract for hosting the World Cup lies between the WICB and the ICC.
WIPA issued a statement refusing to end their personal deals, saying that this constituted a restriction of the players' rights to practice their trade. "WIPA's position is that the board wants to unilaterally assume indefinite ownership of the players' endorsement rights and is effectively threatening to ban them from working (participating in the tour) if the players do not immediately concede." The WICB responded by saying that it "has never sought to assume ownership of the individual rights of the players or requested them to forego these rights." Also, while the WICB may be contemplating compiling a substitute team, they should consider that the WIPA represents under-19, first-class and international players, the bulk of their possibilities.
The question is this: has the WICB sold rights to Digicel that it cannot deliver? What exactly is included in the Digicel package is anybody's guess. And while the arguments go on about the principles involved, there might yet be another twist in the tale. Since Digicel has signed a contract that is not restricted to home matches, and has an all-year effect, the players still individually contracted to Cable & Wireless might find themselves restricted by clauses which ask them to limit their performance of these contracts to time periods surrounding matches. So, if it is normal to ask that they hold off for two weeks say, before and after a sponsored event, they might find that Digicel's year-round presence could make it difficult for them to fulfil their individual contracts.
A few very interesting things apart from the screw up that WICA did:
1. The players have private advertising contracts with companies who could be rivals to the tournament/association sponsors. This has an interesting parallel example in IPL team sponsorship v/s individual player sponsorship. Even there, the same problem is reappearing in a different manner. Everyone (companies/players) are indecisive on how to sort out the confusion.
2. WICB trying to "own" a players. This reminds me of the BCCI-ICL tussle that happened a couple of years back. ICL, though started well, fell into oblivation, with the advent of IPL.
The future of advertisement marketing and contracts in the world of cricket is sure to undergo a sea of change in the next few years. A few pointers could be:
1. Established players opting out of contracts with their boards.
2. More private tournaments diluting the ownership of a player - Andrew Flintoff retiring for IPL could be the indication of things to come.
3. More stringent clauses in the private player's contracts trying to fill the loopholes. This could lead to lot of legal dogfights amongst the corporates.
Let's see how does it sort itself in the long run...
Sidvish
The Ashes has till now been very uniformly contested, with more masala added to it with Flintoff's retirement plans. Moreover, who does not like the Aussies getting bashed up? :)
The second one is the one that is of deeper significance in terms of the changing relations between money and cricket. WI, playing their second string team, underestimated the Banladeshis, who obliged them by trashing them in the tests (first series win). The one day series too seems to follow the same lines till now.
Which brings us back to the main question - what is happening between the WIPA (WI player's association) and WICB (WI Cricket Board)? I went to cricinfo to get to the genesis of the problem.
Flashback to Jan 2005:
WIPA protests on a few clauses put in by the WICB which could lead to "commercial exploitation" of the players. Moreover, WIPA felt that the players were pressurised to sign the contract leading to friction amongst these bodies.
Digging deeper into the "commercial exploitation" part leads to the real reasons for the dissent - Cable & Wireless (a former sponsor of the West Indian side) and Digicel(the new sponsor)
I'll add some excerpts from that blog here:
Digicel entered the regional market in 2001, and operates in seven countries, with its headquarters in Jamaica. It has aggressively pursued market share, with promotional offers and sponsorships of major sports like cricket, football and the Special Olympics. In July 2004, Digicel signed a five-year US$20million sponsorship deal with the WICB in London, becoming the official sponsors for the Test and one-day teams, event sponsors for all home and away Tests and ODIs played by West Indies (a first for the board, since Cable & Wireless only sponsored home matches), and the official mobile and communications provider for the WICB.
Two months earlier Cable & Wireless had signed up to become one of the official sponsors of the World Cup in 2007. The company had re-directed its strategic positioning after its US$10million offer over three years did not find as much favour as Digicel's US$20million promise. As an official sponsor of the World Cup, Cable & Wireless assured itself of continued regional presence in cricket. Following its individual endorsement contract with Brian Lara in 2003, it signed Ramnaresh Sarwan, Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, Omari Banks, Fidel Edwards, Ravi Rampaul and Dwayne Smith.
Generally, while a sponsorship contract like Digicel's covers the team, unless there are specific terms, it does not include individuals, who have the right to negotiate their own terms for use of their personal image and intellectual property. That is why in advertising, for example, players would be shown in groups of four or more, with no obvious predominance of any one player.
A few weeks ago, during negotiations over retainer contracts, the WICB offered to buy out any contracts the players had which would be in conflict with their new sponsorship, and WIPA had not objected. But that offer has been replaced by one, according to WIPA, that seeks to have the players end their contracts for free or face non-selection.
The WICB has now found itself in a curious position. Obviously there was no support from Digicel for the board's initial offer of a buyout. But by insisting that the players break their individual contracts, which had been signed with the WICB's knowledge, it is also placing itself at odds with one of its official sponsors for the World Cup. The ongoing impasse could also force the ICC to ask questions about the manner in which the World Cup will be organised, and might even make it look at an alternate venue. The Cable & Wireless contract is with the CWC WI 2007 Inc., the organising body of the World Cup, but that is a fully owned subsidiary of the WICB, and the contract for hosting the World Cup lies between the WICB and the ICC.
WIPA issued a statement refusing to end their personal deals, saying that this constituted a restriction of the players' rights to practice their trade. "WIPA's position is that the board wants to unilaterally assume indefinite ownership of the players' endorsement rights and is effectively threatening to ban them from working (participating in the tour) if the players do not immediately concede." The WICB responded by saying that it "has never sought to assume ownership of the individual rights of the players or requested them to forego these rights." Also, while the WICB may be contemplating compiling a substitute team, they should consider that the WIPA represents under-19, first-class and international players, the bulk of their possibilities.
The question is this: has the WICB sold rights to Digicel that it cannot deliver? What exactly is included in the Digicel package is anybody's guess. And while the arguments go on about the principles involved, there might yet be another twist in the tale. Since Digicel has signed a contract that is not restricted to home matches, and has an all-year effect, the players still individually contracted to Cable & Wireless might find themselves restricted by clauses which ask them to limit their performance of these contracts to time periods surrounding matches. So, if it is normal to ask that they hold off for two weeks say, before and after a sponsored event, they might find that Digicel's year-round presence could make it difficult for them to fulfil their individual contracts.
A few very interesting things apart from the screw up that WICA did:
1. The players have private advertising contracts with companies who could be rivals to the tournament/association sponsors. This has an interesting parallel example in IPL team sponsorship v/s individual player sponsorship. Even there, the same problem is reappearing in a different manner. Everyone (companies/players) are indecisive on how to sort out the confusion.
2. WICB trying to "own" a players. This reminds me of the BCCI-ICL tussle that happened a couple of years back. ICL, though started well, fell into oblivation, with the advent of IPL.
The future of advertisement marketing and contracts in the world of cricket is sure to undergo a sea of change in the next few years. A few pointers could be:
1. Established players opting out of contracts with their boards.
2. More private tournaments diluting the ownership of a player - Andrew Flintoff retiring for IPL could be the indication of things to come.
3. More stringent clauses in the private player's contracts trying to fill the loopholes. This could lead to lot of legal dogfights amongst the corporates.
Let's see how does it sort itself in the long run...
Sidvish
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