Inch by Inch - Any Given Sunday

“I don’t know what to say really. Three minutes till the biggest battle of our professional lives. It all comes down to today. Now either we heal as a team, or we’re gonna crumble. Inch by inch, play by play, till we’re finished. We’re in hell right now, gentlemen. Believe me. And we can stay here, get the shit kicked out of us, or we can fight our way back into the light. We can climb out of hell. One inch at a time.

Now I can’t do it for you. I’m too old. I look around, I see these young faces, and I think… I mean I’ve made every wrong choice a middle-aged man can make. I pissed away all my money, believe it or not. I chased off anyone who’s ever loved me, and lately, I can’t even stand the face I see in the mirror. You know when you get old in life, things get taken from you. That’s part of life. But you only learn that when you start losing stuff. You find out life’s this game of inches. And so is football. Because in either game, life or football, the margin for error is so small. I mean… one half a step too late or too early and you don’t quite make it.

One half second too slow too fast, you don’t quite catch it. The inches we need are everywhere around us. They are in every break of the game, every minute, every second. On this team, we fight for that inch. On this team, we tear ourselves and everyone else around us to pieces for that inch. We claw with our fingernails for that inch. Because we know when we add up all those inches, that’s gonna make the fucking difference between winning and losing! Between living and dying! I’ll tell you this — in any fight, its the guy whose willing to die who’s gonna win that inch. And I know if I’m going to have any life anymore, it’s because I’m still willing to fight and die for that inch. Because that’s what living is! The 6 inches in front of your face…

Now I can’t make you do it. You’ve got to look at the guy next to you, look into his eyes. Now I think you’re gonna see a guy who will go that inch with you. You’re gonna see a guy who will sacrifice himself for this team, because he knows when it comes down to it, you’re gonna do the same for him.

That’s a team, gentlemen. And either we heal, now, as a team, or we will die, as individuals. That’s football, guys. That’s all it is. Now, what are you going to do?”
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Oh my God! What a moving speech! I need this...now.



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Ganesha, our friend

Lalbaugcha Raja (Raja of Lalbaug, Mumbai) India's most famous Idol

It was divine providence that I got to spend last week in Mumbai; in fact I landed there on Anant Chaturdashi, the day of visarjan. It was an amazing experience that one has to be physically there to get the feel of it. No amount of photographs, videos and live telecast can get us the actual feel.

The fervour, the chants, the colours and the thousands of Ganapathi mandals decorated colourfully with love and money contributed by residents of each locality; from a simple pandal to wonderfully decked up places...over the years this occasion is gaining popularity and is getting bigger and bigger.

Above all the grandeur things, it is the people. Looking tired due to continuous celebrations for over 10 days at a stretch...definitely many full night outings...taking toll on the body by final day...but the mind keeps everyone on their toes on the last day for visarjan....

There is something about Ganeshji that makes him loveable to almost everyone cutting across differences...we all just love him. It shows up in the various attire and themes that people love to deck him up with. As far as Ganeshji is concerned, people love him so much that they make him a cricket player, national leaders, modern day hero, college student ...almost anybody.

He is one God who resides in people's mind at human level. The one we relate to on equal terms, as a friend. And why not, he is the one we look up to for fulfilling our wishes.

And the fervent chant goes on and on in Marathi:

Ganapathi Bappa Morya

Mangalmurthi Morya

Ganapathi Bappa Morya

Pudchya Varshi Lavkar Yaa...

 All images from the web