And. Here. We... Go

It's been just four years. It's been too long.

The World Cup is starting in a few hours. It is about the only event for which 'the world will stand still' is not just a cliche. It is the first and most vigorously marked day on every football fan's calendar. It creates legends and destroys myths. It is the ultimate test of greatness for any great player, you have not made it until you have performed admirably in your quest for this elegant and coveted trophy. It is contested by teams which are not together for more than a few weeks a year and yet manage to show a solidarity and enjoy uncontestable support unseen in any club. It is the one title which any player says he wants more than anything else, and for once he is not being diplomatic. It is, quite simply, the greatest show on Earth.

So sit back, cross your legs and let the television remote grow cobwebs for the next month. The show is just starting, sunshine.

Homesickness

Very rarely have I felt this emotion even though living away from home is a part of life I had to accept long ago. Then again, almost a year without going home would make even me fidgety to back to Cal, I'm still just a college kid after all. It's been too long since I saw family, friends and the city. It's time I did.

EDIT: Didn't realise this was the 50th post. Wouldn't have wasted it on something emo if I did. Oh well...

The Tractor Goes On And On

About a year back I wrote a small tribute on the greatest defender and one club player in the modern era - Paolo Maldini. His undeniable skill was only accentuated by his longevity, which saw him play at the top level well beyond the age of 40, picking up Champions Leagues like loose change till his late 30s.

Maldini is not alone in giving top class service to their chosen clubs till an age when their contemporaries have switched the ball for other pursuits long ago, although he might be the most successful. Another legend who has arguably achieved as much of a legendary status and will join him when he hangs up his boots shares the same San Siro home stadium, but for the other side. It is of course, FC Internazionale's heartbeat and soul - Javier Zanetti.

Il Trattore

Javier Zanetti, moved to Inter from Banfield at the age of 22, and fifteen years later is still the first name on the teamsheet. By trade a right back, he has unfailingly filled in a variety of positions in defence and midfield for both club and country over the course of his career. Such is his strong association with the team he is the one player any Inter fan can currently definitively identify with among a team bereft of club products or Italians, despite being neither himself. And he shows no signs of stopping.

By trade a right back, he has unfailingly filled in a variety of positions in defence and midfield for both club and country over the course of his career. Not just filling in, he has proven to be a vital cog in the wheel in each of those roles. This is typified by the recent Champions League final which brought the title to Inter after forty five years, he played in centre midfield and stopped Bayern's biggest strength - their midfield - from bossing it, and then left back when the clock was winding down, to keep Arjen Robben quiet. Versatility is sometimes an overrated trait, it is usually attributed to players who are not exceptional in any position but are useful in a variety of positions and can be used to fill in the gaps as a squad player. True versatility is someone who can excel in any position and Javier Zanetti belongs to this rare category. He is 37 now and he runs as much as his younger colleagues and plays every match. Like Maldini, his is not a sentimental selection, Inter still won't know what to do without him.

Inter just won the Champions League, and while it is a team I generally don't care much for, the one satisfaction I got out of it is that Zanetti finally got to hold up the famous trophy. It was the least a legend of his talents and service to the game deserved and no one can really begrudge him having a Champions League winning medal. It is a huge travesty that we won't see him in the World Cup after Maradona picked a range of jokers over him in one of his more inexplicable selections (and he has had a fair few). However, he shows no signs of stopping anytime soon, and who is to say that we won't get to see him four years from now in the biggest stage of them all in Brazil.

The Greatest Title Race Ever?

The most respected achievements are always the ones which are the hardest won. A league title won by a double digit points difference merely emphasises the team's superiority over the rest of the pack but it can never compare to the romanticism and drama of a title race which goes down to the last day. After all, the worth of a team is defined by its rivals and its most satisfying when your rival is almost as good as you, almost.

Never has this been more true than the FC Barcelona - Real Madrid rivalry in Spain and never has this epic rivalry been exhibited more brilliantly than the ongoing 2009/2010 season.

It has been an unwritten law of nature that both teams undergo cycles of fortune which perfectly complement each other. When Barca is riding high, Madrid is struggling to even ride the easy waves, and when Madrid is the closest to the finish line, Barca is stumbling and vainly trying to catch its breath in a faint hope of overtaking its bitter enemy. Even when the title race between the two is close (and it has been several times), there is always the feeling that one of the two deserves it way more than the other one, and it invariably wins it.

This season has broken this law. With the last game of the season to be played in less than 24 hours, Barca hold the slenderest of one point advantages over Madrid. However, this is not astonishing, we have seen this scenario so many times. The astonishing part is the points tally of the respective teams - Barca has 96, Madrid has 95. The previous record tally in La Liga was 92, in a 22 team league. Both teams swept aside this record in a greedy nonchalance while racking up win after win after win. In fact, you'll be hard pressed to find such ridiculous tallies in the archives of all the major leagues.

What is the reason behind such a points glut? Is it, as some have suggested, simply that Barca and Madrid have pulled away from the rest of the pack so much that the other teams will be inevitably defeated and the only two fixtures which will realistically decide the title are the el clasicos? There may be a modicum of truth in that, in that the big two's spending power is infinitely more than the rest and the gap is ever increasing. But when one observes the teams, Barca is essentially unchanged from last year's historic treble winning squad, in fact the one major change - the Eto'o/Ibrahimovic swap has arguably done more harm than good. Madrid's team is vastly improved from last year, but the undiluted individual brilliance in the squad tempered with a characteristic dysfunctional play has only served to bring it up to Barca's level, as the points tally shows.

Nor have the other teams suddenly become worse. Valencia managed to keep its stars against all odds and have done splendidly to finish third after two seasons outside the top four, with breakthrough seasons from the likes of Ever Banega and Pablo Hernandez making them a stronger team than before. Sevilla is similarly unchanged and a mid season change of manager has brought the free flowing football and stability back into the team. Atletico and Villareal have disappointed, the latter very much so since meltdowns are always expected of the mattress makers, but their seasons are negated somewhat by the splendid season Mallorca has had. More importantly, none of these teams have lost any of their significant players, so to characterise them as weaker is certainly a knee-jerk reaction at best.

No, the true reason, as has always been, is each other. Barca and Madrid have pushed each other step by step all season long. Unlike in England, where also the season finished with one point separating the top two but the race was run by trying to make sure that the team stumbled the least number of times, Spain has seen a title race in the teams have made each other run faster and faster and breach previously untouched frontiers. Every comfortable win by Barca has seen Madrid match the victory with a now typical resilient performance and every Madrid thrashing has seen Barca somehow hold on to their nerves and record their own positive result. Barca has lost just one game all season and did the second successive double over Madrid, while Madrid has broken the record for most number of wins, scoring over a hundred goals along the way.

But then why this season over all the others? What makes it special? The primary reason would that the current Barca, which is being talked about in the same breath as the greatest teams ever, achieved so much and so outrageously swimmingly that its eternal rivals could not help but react to this dominance. Thus came the neo Galacticos spending spree and a complete rehauling of the squad which has forced Barca to be even better than it was before. Surely a season which is defined by pushing the boundaries of perfection instead of merely hoping to screw up less than the other fellow deserves to be called the greatest title race ever?

Whatever the reasons, whatever the legitimacy of this assertion may be, the truth is that these performances have been exceptional. Cliches are so because they are often true, and neither is more true than the one that both teams deserve their hands on the trophy. In 24 hours the curtain closes, and it is a huge shame that it has to

Interwebs Funnies

In recent months, I have taken the opportunity (read: procrastination) to the useful ends of increasing my webcomics library. Webcomics hold a unique position in sequential art. They perform the same roles as newspaper comic strips but can push the limits a lot farther because their forum is the internet which isn't bound by censorship. Several webcomics also use unique technological aspects such as flash and GIFs to achieve interesting results. This post is a short but certainly not an exhaustive list of webcomics which I have liked and are worth checking out because, let's face it, you have nothing better to do as well. (Note: If any picture is too small to be legible, don't be stupid and start complaining, just click on it.)

Creme de la Creme
These are the webcomics which are nothing short of trailblazing. They have made the rules which others followed and are some of the finest in humour literature. Definite must reads.

xkcd
One of the all time classics, this self styled "webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math and language" is easily one of the most intelligent webcomics around. Rightly regarded as one of the best ever, some of the trains of thought explored in this comic are truly and absurdly unique. You are not an internet geek until you have experienced xkcd.

Sample:

Bonus: Roll over mouse on the cartoons in the site for extra quip.


The Perry Bible Fellowship
I was recently introduced to this webcomic and I am still angry at myself at not having discovered it earlier. An absolute gem, each and every one of the comics is a classic in itself. This comic mastered dark humour, hardly anything else has come close in terms of shock value. Another highlight is the excellent art, a rarity for webcomics, the artist is able to switch from disparate styles like hard boiled noir to pretty pink ponies nonchalantly. A must read, if you can stomach it at its worst.

Sample:


Bizarro
Not exactly a webcomic as the Bizarro strip is an old and popular syndicated newspaper strip, but the creator Dan Piraro does put up his offerings on his blog. The forte of this comic is surreal, wacky humour backed by the art to pull it off. Its a wonder how this hasn't become as popular as some of the truly insipid offerings in newspaper funnies but it deserves its spot among the top. His blog is an excellently bizarre read as well, one could do worse than taking the crazy train with him.

Sample:

Bonus: Go treasure hunting for his hidden symbols inside every comic


Best of the Rest
This are some webcomics which are brilliant and deservedly lauded in their own right, although they may lack just that extra bit to not make it to the cream. Nevertheless, they are definitely essential reading as well and are excellent ambassadors of the medium.

Cyanide and Happiness
A controversial choice to be put in the second tier I am sure, C&H (not the one with the boy and his stuffed tiger) is widely regarded as one of the best webcomics ever created. Created by a four member team, each member is able to bring his unique perspective while conforming to the overall theme of the comic to maintain the flow. And that theme is vulgarity, dark, dark humour and extreme political incorrectness. Not for the easily offended, definitely for the rest.

Sample:
Bonus: Check out their animated shorts too.

Piled Higher and Deeper (PhD)
A webcomic which is a must read for any student. Astonishingly hilarious, the travails of a bunch of graduate students in Stanford is made all the more awkwardly funny by the fact that so much of it is actually true. Who here hasn't experienced the scoffing of the clock because he plans to pull an all nighter and then opened his eyes five minutes later to see its morning? Or waited all day outside the professor's chambers only to be told to come tomorrow? Or.. well, the examples are endless. PhD is to students what Dilbert is to office goers, the sarcastic humour lightens the mood and makes the journey that much more bearable.

Sample:

Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal
The webcomic which I have been reading the archive of in the last week or so and what inspired me to write this post. An excellent politically incorrect comic, the common trick in the strips is to give a normal situation and then make it absurd through a subsequent comment or caption which totally changes the perspective. This can make it a bit predictable at times, which is why its in the second tier. A special mention to the recurring Jesus and sexist jokes. They are some of the best.

Sample:
Bonus: Roll over mouse on the red button underneath the comic in the site for extra comic.


Worth a Glance
These are some webcomics which are either not as good to be clubbed among the ones in the above lists or are just too specific to be for everyone's tastes. Nevertheless, they offer something different and will give good value if your taste coincides with theirs. If you're interested by its concept go for it.

Studs Up
A bloody brilliant webcomic on football, it would have definitely made it above the list if everyone loved the game. Sadly, most of the world's problems can perhaps be attributed to this failing of a good chunk of humanity. As for me, since I love both football and comics, how can I possibly not like it. Since he's best when poking fun of something current in football, here's a recent offering.

Sample:


Loli Loves Venom
A cute little webcomic with excellent art, the premise is that the mean old Marvel supervillain Venom somehow becomes the pet of a little girl. This leads to bizarrely hilarious situations (all within the awww quotient of course). A pity that the comic was cut short when real life caught up with the creator. The good news is that she is thinking of bringing it back now.

Sample:

Batman and Sons
It started out as a response by the creator who had got tired of heavy continuity laden superhero stories and wanted to see something which harkened back to the clean, fun days of yore. So he made a short stand alone story of Batman and his Robin kids and put it up on his deviantart profile. The concept became so popular that it grew and now it is a respected webcomic among superhero comic lovers. Requires a minimum knowledge of DC to properly appreciate but don't let that stop you. I have linked to his deviantart profile because that's where it all started but if you google the name, you'll find his blogs where he puts them up as well.

Sample:




Well then, that's three webcomics in each category and I think I'll stop here. There's a lot more which could have been added into any of these lists but these posts is too long already. It's not going to help my reputation of writing long, meandering posts. I can always bring out a Volume 2 if need be. Later.

La Pulga (The Flea)

There are some players who you want to see play all the time. There are some players who are so good you secretly love watching them even if they played for your hated rivals. There are some players who can inspire such loyalty that you would change club allegiances if they move.

Then there are the very few, very special players who it is simply a privilege to experience. Who do things which haven't been done before and will likely not be repeated in your lifetime. Whose brilliance transcends boundaries and unites every fan in experiencing that simple feeling which is the hardest to command - the pride of saying "Yes, I was there. I've seen him play."

Lionel Andres Messi is such a player.


This is like flogging a dead horse, no? Reams have been written about him in recent times, nothing really is left to be said. Hell, even the narrow minded English football fan who is myopic enough to believe that Theo Walcott is the X-Factor in any game, let alone a game against Barcelona, is coming around to the realisation that the lad probably is actually good. But really, how can I not?

Leo Messi is making the impossible routine. In the last 30 days he has scored 16 goals. 16! That's more than what Emile Heskey has scored in the last three seasons. Combined. He scored thrice three times in 2010 including in two successive matches in the league and so made the hattrick passe. Therefore, he went and scored four yesterday against Arsenal. And the scariest part is, yesterday wasn't his best performance, he is capable of doing better. And he is only 22.

But the statistics are not the point. They are just a side effect of his brilliance. The point is his brilliance. The point is it is such a joy for anyone to watch him play. The sheer raw innocence of taking defenders on and beating them every single time. He is the child who never grew up, the child who made a monkey's uncle of his playground opponents just because he could, and still does it. He is what we all daydreamed of becoming during our childhood, he is our dreams magnified. As Sid Lowe puts it, "he has made the ridiculous so routine that he doesn't get talked about as much as deserves; playing perfectly is hardly news." He has scored more solo goals in this calendar year than most Ballon d' Or winners have scored in their career. He is a throwback to an era when skill was more valued than physicality, he has shown that genius cannot be obtained merely by being the fastest runner or the strongest bulldozer. He makes the cheeky lovable, the impudent adorable. And he does it all without declaring that he is the first, second and third best in the world. He doesn't need to.

Leo Messi has become so good that the debate is no longer whether he is the best player in the world. The debate has shifted to whether he is the best player ever. While that is something which can only be decided at the end of his career, it is easy to see what the next step towards achieving that status is - the World Cup. Although I am traditionally a Brazil fan, a part of me will be cheering him on this time. And you wouldn't put it past him to do a Maradona and drag his country to the trophy.

Regardless of what happens, even if he by, the unlikeliest of transfers, moves to Real Madrid, I will watch him play as much as I can. Yesterday, a new mission was added to my 'things to do before I die' list; I have to watch him play live once. Because then I can boast that "Yes, I was there. I've seen him play."

Indie Richness: Review of "Too Cool to be Forgotten"

There are times when I get in the mood of reading comics which I have never heard of. At these times I trawl through the offerings of certain publishers like Top Shelf, Oni Press and Fantagraphics who consistently bring out top draw stuff in the writing department, even if the overall effect isn't as flashy and clean as the ones brought out by bigger publishers with better budgets. I also keep an eye out for certain scanners who specialise in making these unheralded comics available, one is especially indebted to Dts who happens to be one of my favourite scanners for this reason. I am rarely disappointed by these comics and they offer a clean outlet for someone who is fatigued by epic, connecting storylines as I, being a voracious DC reader, often get. This then is how I keep expanding my Indie comics collection.

One of the comics I encountered in this way was this - "Too Cool to be Forgotten". I had absolutely no idea what the graphic novel is about, the description offered little, but the cover and name were intriguing and Top Shelf is stunning when it comes to delivering human stories. So I decided to take the plunge. What I got was a brilliant emotional roller-coaster of a tale of reflection, humour and ultimately of denial and acceptance. As with most good things, the setup is simple. The protagonist is a man in his forties who wants to stop smoking but has tried and failed every conventional method to do so. At his wife's insistence, he decides to go to a hypnotist who believes that the power of mind and belief can help one cure anything. For their session she sends him back to his high school years without warning and the rest of the comic has him reliving those days as a 40 year old in his 15 year old body.

The storyline is taut and the awkwardness of an old man going through high school is brilliant. It's a good setting for humour and Alex Robinson doesn't disappoint. The scene where his head starts swimming when he sees long forgotten algebra and trigonometry equations is hilarious. (Hell, I left maths four years ago and I felt the same when my sister came to me to teach her.) And of course, experiencing the sudden rush of teenage hormones again would leave anyone disoriented.


The humour is ultimately a brilliant easing of a poignant tale on his search for why he has been transported to this period. His search leads him to the recollection of a party where he smoked his first cigarette and he comes to the conclusion that if he attended it again and declined the offered cigarette then his problems are solved and he'll go back to his time a cured man. After suitable drama and mishaps he manages to say 'no' but the solution fails. Confused, he becomes resigned to living his entire life all over again when the true reason of his affliction hits him. The final scene of him coming to terms with it is one of the most powerfully written scenes in fiction and one cannot help but feeling what he is feeling when he is going through those raw emotions.

The writing and pacing is exceptional and is the definite highlight of the comic. The dialogue, while messy and forced at times, is otherwise natural manages to drive home the point. The art while being simple complements the story well and it probably helped that nothing too complicated was required to embellish it. Any lover of humane stories with a touch of surrealism must read this and for the rest, what's stopping you anyway? It's a pity how there are so many unheralded works in fiction just because they are low-budget and not advertised well. The Indie comics scene is filled with rich stuff, methinks I will plunge into it now.