There is something about the frenzy that comes up in supporting your team, your side .. its almost as if it belongs to you and that you share with it a sentiment that no other can replace. Talk on it, comments about it, a name that appears suddenly somewhere, suddenly sets your blood racing and a great devotion to it taking over. It could be the School eleven, or the Corporate team, your own ‘muhalla’ guys .. there is something about the compassion that one exhibits towards it. It may be the worst team in the world, but the sincerity of your allegiance to it goes beyond all other. Many fail to understand this. Many look upon it as a designed obsession – one that threatens at times to uproot and disturb your domesticity. If the ladies in the house are indifferent to sport, nothing could be more devastating for them when the men gather together to watch a game or worse visit the stadium for a live performance .. the worst of course being when they gather together at a bar or a friends place for a men’s night out !!

The ladies have their night out too. The ‘girls’ get together and meet up at common ground over dinner or lunch or just an evening at someone’s home, laugh, comment and generally have fun ..!!

Its healthy understanding. Many wives follow husbands teams and are indeed fond of sport too. They join them at the stands or sit along in front of the tv looking after the snacks and drinks while the men discuss and concentrate on the finer elements of the game, the strategies and the results. Its a wonderful experience and a comfortable easy evening or night is spent. But … where there is discontentment on the activity, a dislike towards not enough time being devoted to other more important facets of family, a discord erupts. And at times has been known to get ugly.

May every home be devoid of such tension. May there be clear and undisputed understanding among all on the reasons for the interest in sporting events by the men and may the ladies join in too or make way. Rightfully then the men must also learn to bear and understand the interests of the wives. Their shopping desires, desires to spend hours in choosing something and eventually not satisfied with it and returning back without anything. Happens all the time and a fair point of view is in order. A sensible give and take never harmed anyone !! Men are like that. And women are like that too !!

I think great sporting events are wonderfully designed moments to let off steam. To be able to sing and scream at volume. To show disgust and anger at bad play, or to exult on a brilliant move. To laugh and scream at victory and at times to show disappointing loss through emotion and tears. Its a release !! And i think it does the system good .. Once a week is not an unbearable average !!

I watched the Rugby 2011 World Cup semifinal between Australia and New Zealand and I watched it alone, because I am alone. I did try to perform two acts at the same time – respond on the blog and the twitter, but realized the game was not being given the attention it deserved and so stopped mid way. This may disturb some of the Ef, for they may think that I choose special people to respond to and forget the others. No that is and can never be. Going in sequence is helpful in maintaining some order and record of where and which direction we are headed. Same with Twitter. The names that come up are not in order of my likes or dislikes. They come up randomly. If a name of a known person comes up and I am responding to them, does not suggest that I have taken it upon myself to answer some and ignore the others. I answer those that fall in front of me in the order decided by the medium !! The problem really on such occasions is that on knowing of a response, the respondent starts responding on the response and this then never allows me to go further down, as I should. So do understand these minor glitches and for God’s sake do not jump to disastrous conclusions and veiled accusations on my conduct.

Ok … so tomorrow is the first day of shoot and it would be in order for all to send a little prayer for me, so that all goes well and I do not trip over the furniture right into the surprised arms of one Leonardo di Caprio ..

Good night .. dear ones .. and shall be with you with more on game watching and domestic harmony .. ha ha … bet you thought it would be more on my shoot ?? Nope that is not permissible by contract. So ….

Amitabh Bachchan