As I watched the American League Championship series conclude with THE GREATEST COMEBACK ever, one of my long-standing beliefs was justified. You cannot 'buy' success with money and as Ross from F.R.I.E.N.D.S. would say, "You could try but you wouldn't succeed." I guess Steinbrenner just found that out for a second year in a row.
The Yanks had the finest lineup that could be possibly assembled, this year as well as the last, but on both occasions they failed to win the ultimate prize in major league baseball and this time failing at the penultimate step. As if the 'steals' of Roger Clemens and Jason Giambi in the recent past weren't enough, they went ahead and acquired the highest paid player in baseball today. Load up all the talent you want Georgie-boy, you aint gonna win if you don't use your head. Having the right kind of personnel matters more these days than having the most talented (supposedly) ones.
Baseball is not the only sport to demonstrate this fact and neither is America the only place. A glaring example of embarassment of riches is Real Madrid - whose elections have quite the resemblance of their Indian counterparts with lots of promises and assurances being made. Only difference, the elected ones actually live up to them. A midfield that boasts of Beckham, Zidane and Figo should not have any reason to lose a single match. Yet as I write this, the club is languishing in the bottom half of the La Liga.
As much as I pride on myself for realising this fact, I rue it equally. If it weren't true, then India as an ultimately rich, cricket-crazy nation would have gotten some of the success that is deserving of their talent.
