E-commerce in Sports

India now buys products and services by violently tapping its fingers across the keyboard of a desktop/laptop that was bought in similar manner.With a user base of over 10 million, e commerce has close to revolutionalised the way  people buy and brands sell products. The popularity of the new medium of retailing has led to arguments around timely product deliveries,quality assurance,genuineness of the product and the effect on traditional retailers.

A couple of years back, one would imagine conversation similar to this ,"Hey I think the iPhone is way more expensive in the mall.I would rather buy it from the gadget shop in the local market." Today,everyone seems to have to shifted to the online format of buying and conversation on where to buy seem to end mostly with a .com.

There are standard products that people buy off e commerce portals which include gadgets,books,music,clothes,bags and now even paintings.The though that keeps circling my sporty head is, " Would I ever buy sports equipment online?." Eleven out of ten times the response I get from within is a strong NO. Sports equipment is try personal to the style of the person using it.While,I might go to a shop check out the same model ,test it an then come home and order it,there is one major psychological emotion that I am ignoring in the process and its called ,familiarity. While many professional sportsmen talk about weight distribution in a cricket bat,or the level of tension of the guts of a tennis racket or even the shaft of a golf club, one of the most important things people miss out on is the fact that sports equipment is a translation of ones passion/desire of indulging in a sporting activity. While I consider mysql as an evolved and avid user of technology and the internet,I would still like to have a twenty minute conversation with a salesman before buying a specialized product.

I believe sporting equipment is an extension of a person.It must do the trick on the battle field but must also blend with the personality of the person using it.Many professional sportsmen including Mahesh Bhupati and Yuvraj Singh have recognized the power of e commerce and have set up their own online shopping stores. There are interesting perspectives on why they chose to set up their online ventures.

As an aware Indian passionate consumer of sports goods,I honestly believe I would never buy equipment online because I like the excitement of going to a store and testing  5 other products that I don't intend to buy . I love playing shadow strokes inside a mall store and like I said,I have to see what meets my needs and blend with my life.

Three Life Lessons from Sports

I have been intending to write my first blog for the longest time now, its just that I never really found something that I would want to center it around.I thought to myself and after  long introspection figured that I was truly passionate about one thing,Sports.

A majority of my life has been dedicated to playing, watching, thinking and discussing sports.The passionate sports journey really taught me a  lot of things that I would like to classify as life lessons.

Courtesy Google Images

1. Tennis really helped me build my perception of honest hard work "It's easy to lie about your preparation off the court but as soon as you get out there, the first person to remind you of your weakness is yourself."A sport will always be a true indicator of your strengths and weaknesses,The game is an extension of your own self.

2. Another important lesson that I learnt was that what looks calm at the surface is not necessarily a cake walk.Golf boasts of being an attractive sport however,it also carries the tag of being 'the most boring game ever.'Stylish outfits and beautiful courses add to the charm of the course and the calmness of the course have contributed to it being called boring.However,being a regular at the golf couse I can swear my life that the sport is way more attractive than it looks and is far more challenging and non-boring than most sports in the world.

3. The final lesson that I learnt from sports is the fact that 'if your playing a game ,play every point like your life depends on it but if someone else is playing,its only entertainment."We love sitting and discussing players and their games on particular days.Its only when you have argued for hours or someone says something foolish that you realist that the subject of the debate is sleeping miles away in a mansion you could have only hoped to buy.Hence,let the games other people play be a form of 'mere' or 'passionate' entertainment.

Courtesy Google Images

This blog is a platform for my opinions on everything sporty; players,games,controversies,sporting equipment and everything that surrounds the sporting universe.Please do share your opinions and inputs on the way.

Rory McIlroy on 'Late night with Jimmy Fallon'

Rory McIlroy in conversation with Jimmy Fallon on CNBC's popular talk show, 'Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.'

           
           

Innovation leashed: Apple iPhone 5

It's surprising how big events in life change what you do and the way you do it. Today is exactly one such day. I sit and think to myself what's the biggest sports news I want to write about. The only thing that hits my head Apple and whether Tim Cook will match the great Steve Jobs in any way. There are questions in my head on whether Apple will still hold onto its # of innovation ending today.

Courtesy: Google Images

I sit and wonder whether there is a reason for me to write about Apple and the Iphone 5 launch which is what the world is talking about.Well, there is always a connect between two things and the one that I am looking for is much simpler,Sportsmen use phones.

Courtesy: Google Images

We all carry our phones everywhere we go. Strangely, phones are now the new societal barrier. They are also a pretty cool tool to stereotype. It's like a Blackberry user is boring, an Android kid is curious and cool, an Apple loyalist is hmm.... loyal and Windows,well they are still finding their ground.

The point I am making here is that brands spend enormous amount of time, effort and money into shaping up their stereotypes which in brand/PR terms are called 'evangelists.'

What happens when you can't stick to your niche anymore? Unfortunately, Apple has forced me into thinking whether the reason it sued Samsung was because it is slowly losing confidence in its own products.

Courtesy: Google Images

Speculation around Apple's downfall has already begun. Many believe Apple might not be the innovator it once was, it might just be a brand that is associated with upgrades and loads of money. What happens when Apple launches the iPhone 5 and its mini iPad and its 'loyalists' are not satisfied and want to see Apple recreate some Steve Jobs magic again.

The way I see it, the three things the world might see if Apple follows its path of minor upgrades in the name of massive launches are:

• Respect for Steve Jobs goes up further
• Another twist in the Apple story
• Expectations from Apple go down, which means the platform for an innovation is set

Apple is a global giant, however deep it falls conversations around the brand will never end. Apple launches a product, the media will write about it, review the product, feature it on cover pages and the whole cycle will ensure the brand remains popular and desired.

Here's hoping for a breakthrough Apple device!!!

ICC Twenty20 World Cup Promo

There is grueling battle in store for all . The mighty Indians are all set to take on the world to win the most prestigious Twenty20 cricketing battle in the world.

The buzz is on and the promo around the ICC Twenty20 world cup says everything about the tension that surrounds the extravaganza.

        


Its all happening here and its all happening now. As cricket takes center stage again, everyone is ensuring no stone is left unturned to take the excitement to the next left.

Stock up the fridge with your favorite snacks and drinks, take a break from work and get ready to witness the battle of a lifetime.. 

T20 World Cup Schedule

The T20 world cup is round the corner and the excitement seems too be right up there. Cricket fans have already started analyzing statistics and making predictions. Sport's happy meal fast food combo, the 20-20 world cup is finally here!!!!!

Courtesy: t20wordcupcricket.com

Divided into four groups,the actions unleashes on the 18th of September with the hosts,Sri Lanka playing Zimbabwe at Hambantota. India play their first game at Colombo against Afghanistan on September 19th. 

Keep the schedule handy and enjoy an exciting time of Bam Bam cricket.

Group A - England, India and Afghanistan
Group B - Australia, West Indies andIreland
Group C - South Africa, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe
Group D - New Zealand, Pakistan and Bangladesh

Courtesy: Google Images

Get set to cheer Dhoni and his boys on and hope India regains t20 supremacy in Sri Lanka.

Conversation on golf

Its almost impossible to be passionate about something that scares you on most days. Very few things would force me out of bed at 7 AM on a Sunday morning. It all boils down that one common interest that makes even men sit in groups and gossip about....Golf. Like most passionate about the sport,I wake up in the morning to take stock of my activities for the day only to ensure that I have enough time to complete a round of golf.

Although,I can't wait for the weekend to play golf,its unthinkable in terms of how much I abuse it after the game is played.More often than not,I promise myself to not return to the greens again...in the end the love for golf ensures I get back there to remind myself of how useless I could be.So,there are many who think the way I do.We all love the sport no extent but we also love to hate it.We love telling our partners on the course,why we played a series of shots awfully.

There are a lot of interesting and humorous quotes around golf that we come across very often.I tried to compile some of them and put them together in this blog post.Hope you enjoy them.

Happy Reading and Happy GOLFING !!!!!

When I die, bury me on the golf course so my husband will visit.

Author Unknown

I don't say my golf game is bad, but if I grew tomatoes they'd come up sliced.

Author Unknown

I've spent most of my life golfing. the rest I've just wasted.

Author Unknown

They call it golf because all the other four-letter words were taken.

Raymond Floyd

The ardent golfer would play Mount Everest if somebody would put a flag stick on top.

Pete Dye (His golf courses reflect this belief!!!)

Golf is played by twenty million mature American men whose wives think they are out having fun.

Jim Bishop

It took me seventeen years to get three thousand hits in baseball. I did it in one afternoon on the golf course.

Hank Aaron

Golf is a game in which you yell "fore," shoot six, and write down five.

Paul Harvey

Give me golf clubs, fresh air & a beautiful partner, and you can keep the clubs and the fresh air.

Jack Benny

Have you ever noticed what golf spells backwards?

Al Boliska

The only time my prayers are never answered is on the golf course.

Billy Graham

Reverse every natural instinct and do the opposite of what you are inclined to do, and you will probably come very close to having a perfect golf swing.

Ben Hogan

Go play golf. Go to the golf course. Hit the ball. Find the ball. Repeat until the ball is in the hole. Have fun. The end.

Chuck Hogan

If you think it's hard to meet new people, try picking up the wrong golf ball.

Jack Lemmon

It's good sportsmanship to not pick up lost golf balls while they are still rolling.

Mark Twain

Don't play too much golf. Two rounds a day are plenty.

Harry Vardon

Golf is a game in which one endeavors to control a ball with implements ill adapted for the purpose.

Woodrow Wilson

A golfer's diet: live on greens as much as possible .

Author Unknown

Gone golfin' ... be back about dark thirty.

Author Unknown

Born to golf. Forced to work.

Author Unknown

My body is here, but my mind has already teed off .

Author Unknown

Golf and sex are the only things you can enjoy without being good at them.

Jimmy DeMaret

May thy ball lie in green pastures.... and not in still waters.

Author Unknown

If I hit it right, it's a slice. If I hit it left, it's a hook. If I hit it straight, it's a miracle.

Author Unknown

The difference in golf and government is that in golf you can't improve your lie.

George Deukmejian

Social Media in Sports

Everybody is talking about sports; Olympics,cricket matches,PGA Tour,its all happening right now. Leading national dailies that would have four pages dedicated to sports today have seven or eight of them. Sports is a conversation starter, a trigger for heated arguments and also a test for awareness in the present day scenario.

That takes me to the question,where are these conversation really happening ? They are happening on the phone, in the metro,in buses,in office... and just about everywhere you could think of.However,the most popular platform for these conversations is the internet.The increasing popularity of social media has opened up a completely new dimension to conversation around sports.

London 2012 :The most social sporting event ever

The social media madness can be judged by the  9.66 million tweets were sent out during the opening ceremony of the Olympics 2012.The London 2012 Facebook and Twitter accounts boast of over 1.2 million likes and over 13 lakh followers each.Its only for reasons such as these that have made London 2012 being refered to as 'the most social sporting event ever.'While a lot of the social media success of the games is organic,initiatives of the International Olympics Committee such as the players hub cannot be ignored.

The 5 W's and 1 H of why London 2012 was a social success

When I asked a bunch of social media enthusiasts on what makes them 'like' a Facebook page or 'follow' a certain twitter handle,the answers were quite similar to the constituents of this years Olympic games.Its exciting,larger than life,full of big names and interesting stories that anyone would spare lives precious moments to listen and acknowledge. 

Voula:Banned for a 'social media offence'

Talking of stories, Greek triple jumper Voula Papachristou was the first athlete to be banned from the games on account of 'social media offense.' There is also a story of countless Indians who have been held captive in their offices while their favorite sport is being broadcasted. Fans or sport enthusiasts like most of us use social media platforms to stay updated with latest results and expert predictions around the games.Other stakeholders including the marketers, organizing committee and the athletes themselves have felt the impact of social media to a great extent.

Impact of social media on the stakeholders of sports

What will be really interesting to see is what other sporting bodies do to create conversations in the social media space and what is the impact this would have on the future of sporting events globally.

Its time you cheer -Support India at the Olympics

Very few things unite India the way music and sports do.Its the spirit that they carry that creates a sentiment of belonging among every Indian.The recently launched "Its time you cheer" support anthem does exactly that.It creates an environment of "Indianness" and brings about the urge to support the largest contingent in this years London Olympics,the 81 member Indian squad.

The Indian squad is more hopeful than ever to bring themselves and the country glory that we truely deserve.The lease we can do is support them and create a positive sentiment around by far the greatest sporting event till date.

Lets go guys...Its time to cheer India at the Olympics