NFL Week 15: From a Giants Fan’s Perspective

A dreary loss in Dallas. After looking very good in their wins over Pittsburgh and Baltimore, the Giants seem to be developing some cracks. Unlike last year, when they peaked at just the right time, this year the team seems to be faltering down the home stretch. Of course, one should not read too much into this loss , since the G-Men  were missing Brandon Jacobs, their star runner. Without a running game ( and without the breakaway threat of Plaxico Burress), the Dallas defense was able to tee off on Eli Manning. Consequently, the Giants were not able to mount a credible offensive threat though their defense kept them in the game almost until the end. 

 This game did not mean as much to the Giants as it did to the Cowboys since the loss is not going to make any difference to the Giants post-season positioning.  The next game, at home against the Carolina Panthers , will. If the Giants  beat the Panthers. they will get home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Otherwise , if they lose to the Panthers,they will finish second in their  division to the Panthers . In that case, if both teams advance to the NFC Championship game, the Giants will have to play an Carolina’s home turf, a daunting proposition.

Playoff Hopes. In order to repeat as champions, the Giants will have to play to the peak of their abilities. They are not an overpowering team and they will have to play almost perfect , error free ball if they are to prevail. They will get a first round bye and perhaps the banged up Jacobs can recover from his injuries in time to help the Giants regain their swagger. Otherwise, looking at Carolina’s multifaceted attack( WR Steve Smith and the running back duo of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart) it could mean the end of the Giants commendable season. If only that idiot Plaxico had been able to control his freaking ego…

A Real Humdinger in Baltimore as the Steelers staged another fourth quarter comeback, this time against the Ravens . Yes, this was a defensive struggle too but, unlike the Giants-Cowboys game, this was hugely entertaining. The game had everything one could wish for and was close throughout.What is it with the Steelers? Are they plain lucky or is it just that they are slow starters? This win may not have been as dramtic as last week’s win over the Cowboys but it was close. For more than 3  1/2 quarters, the Ravens held Ben Rothleisberger in check but then he caught fire and led the Steelers down the field for the winning TD. I was rooting for the Steelers and that made me very happy.

Speaking of luck, is there anybody luckier than the Jets ? The Bills had them down for the count ; all they had to do was run out the last 1- 1/2 minutes. And what does Bills QB J.P.Loser, sorry I mean J.P Losman do ? Instead of playing it safe when he is flushed out of the pocket, he sprints out,  is tackled and fumbles the ball which is picked up by the Jets DE Shaun Ellis who rumbles in for the  game clinching TD. No wonder the Jet fans in the stands were going bananas . They must have given up hope before that one play turned it all around.  It should be interesting to see who emerges in the AFC East where the Jets are in a three way tie with Miami and New England. The Indianapolis Colts appear to have locked up one of the two wild card spots and Baltimore is likely to get the other so it appears that only one team will be coming out of the AFC East … unless the Cowboys are able to somehow beat the Ravens.

What were you thinking ,Jeff Fisher ?  With the Titans trailing by one point in the waning moments of their game against the Texans, Fisher could have called upon K Rob Bironas . Bironas had already kicked four FGs and the Titans were close enough . If Bironas had kicked his 5th three pointer, the Titans would have been 2 points ahead and they could have relied on their defense to stymie the Texans and keep them out of field goal range.Instead, Fisher went for it on fourth down, Kerry Collins’ pass sailed incomplete and the Texans won 13-12. Go figure.

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A Fairy Tale Win in Chennai

What a fairy tale ending to a pulsating match and how wonderful it must have been to be in the stands at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday ! To watch as Tendulkar scored his century and ring up the win with his last boundary must have been exhilarating. I only got the news through Cricinfo, but even reading the Cricinfo articles gave me some idea of the electric atmosphere in the stadium.

In some ways I rate this win even higher than the one against the Australians at Mohali. True, India thoroughly dominated Australia at Mohali and England are not in the same class as Australia. However, this win was achieved after India conceded a sizeable first innings lead and had to chase down a competitive total in the last innings… something which they have not been known for. I think this is a prime indicator of the confidence and aggressive mindset of the Indian side since  Dhoni assumed the captaincy. Definitely, Sehwag’s explosive innings did a lot to bolster the side’s self belief and Tendulkar played the sheet anchor role to perfection but , at bottom ,is Dhoni’s positive , fearless attitude . Terrific win !

Man of the Match. I understand that the MOM award usually goes to a player on the winning side and Sehwag is definitely a worthy winner but Andrew Strauss must be regarded as a close runner-up. He held the England batting together in both innings while scoring two centuries and was unlucky not to have got the award. 

The Rest of the Story. It is painful to read of Dravid’s continuing struggles. He is now in the same position that Ganguly was in before he was unceremoniously dropped and is in danger of suffering the same fate. There is little doubt that he is hanging in there so that he can break Mark Taylor’s record for most Test catches but at some point, India can’t afford to wait for him to do so. Ideally, Dravid should announce that the Mohali Test will be his last and then retire, whether he breaks the record or not. ( At this time , I don’t know if he is being retained in the side for the second Test). Incidentally , it strikes me that all these Test records for most runs, most catches, most wickets etc. are likely to be permanent as (a)I don’t think Test cricket will have the same importance going forward and (b) no players will be able to stay on in a Test side long enough to set a new record. Inspite of all the euphoria caused by this win, I think Test cricket is on the way out and will die a slow , lingering death as ODIs and T-20 take center stage.

Finally , Yuvraj came good with his unbeaten 85 in the second innings. Is this a sign that he has arrived , at long last, or is this a flash in the pan ? I don’t know. What do you think?

The Indian batsmen will garner all the glory but India’s bowlers certainly did their bit . The Indian attack ( particularly Zaheer and Ishant ) got the English batsmen out cheaply, except for Strauss and Collingwood. Harbhajan was a disappointment and I hope they drop him in favor of Ojha, or another pacer, at Mohali. No chance, but we can always hope, can’t we ?

I know it is too much to hope for but I wish that Tendulkar would announce that he retiring from ODIs. That way, youngsters  can be tried out before we settle on the 2011 World Cup side while Tendulkar continues with his personal goals in Tests.

It was amusing to read of Bhajji’s comments. After correctly lauding England for going on with the tour in the wake of the Mumbai atrocities, he couldn’t help speak slightingly of the England spin attack and of how confident he was that India would win. For awhile, I thought ,India were going to have to eat crow but Sehwag’s blistering knock opened the door and Tendulkar, Yuvraj and Co. did the rest.

Kudos to the English. How different they are from the Australians ! After a hard fought match that they must have thought that they were going to win, they were still gracious in defeat . I am  very appreciative of the tenor of the comments both by Kevin Pietersen and by the English writers on Cricinfo. The Aussies could learn a thing or two or two ( or three) about sportsmanship from the English.

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Ancestor Veneration : Remembering those who are gone

Back in January, my wife and I were visiting one of her uncles , a gentleman of advanced years,who was not keeping well. We had a good visit and as we were saying our goodbyes, he caught hold of her hand and said ” You won’t forget me when I’m gone, will you ?” We made the appropriate response      ( ” Of course not” ) as we  took our leave. As it so happened , he did pass away a couple of months later and my wife has kept her promise. Every morning , when she says her prayers she remembers him and all the other ancestors who meant so much to her in life. I too do the same. Near my computer is a little photograph of my parents and each morning I say a prayer for them. And increasingly, I find myself thinking at odd moments of a departed ancestor, a grandparent or an aunt or an uncle , and I remember  with gratitude the pleasure of their company. Another close friend has a photograph of his late parents near his bedside . Every morning , he remembers them as he prays and offers  them a couple of boiled sweets which he places before their photograph. ” But what happens to the sweets ?” I asked. ” Each night, I say another prayer and then I eat the sweets.” he replied. At first this struck me as funny but then I realized that all the “offerings ” we make to God or others we wind up eating ourselves. Besides, in a way, his parents are continuing to feed him sweets much as they used to do when he was a child .

The wish to be remembered after one’s passing is one of the most fundamental desires that there is. Almost all  societies, but espescially those influenced by Hindu, Buddhist or Confucian influenced cultures , stress the importance of remembering one’s ancestors. These societies have a strong belief that the spirits of the departed continue  to take a keen interest in the lives of those they loved. They are also believed to be able to influence the living . That is perhaps why so many different cultures have festivals to honor the departed . In Japan, the Obon festival which occurs in mid-August, is marked by prayers and offerings of fruit and vegetables to the spirits of the departed.In China, in Korea and in Vietnam there are similar observances to honor the deceased. Sumptuous platters of festive foods are prepared and ritually offered  and incense burnt before the photographs of the ancestors. In India, the occasion  is called shraddha and is  observed on the 13th day after the passing and , every year after that ,on the death anniversary.In Europe the remembrances take place on All Saint’s Day ( November 1st), in Ireland on Samhain and in Mexico and Latin America on the Day of the Dead ( around Nov. 1st).

I suppose it is comforting to feel that our ancestors are still looking out for us after death as they did in life but the idea doesn’t seem logical particularly if one believes in re-incarnation. If after leaving this existence , the soul goes onto another body , another life, how can it still be able to stick around and affect the lives of those it loved ? It doesn’t make sense, but , then again , who knows? It is all speculation.

With me, it is more a matter of showing my gratitude for all that they have already done for me and keeping their memory green by remembering the time we had together.

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NFL Week 14: From a Giants Fans Perspective

Meltdown at the Meadowlands. I had known of course that the Giants were bound to lose a game sooner or later but I didn’t expect it would be against Philly. I knew that the Eagles were a much improved team of late with Donovan McNab having regained his confidence and Brian Westbrook his form ,but the Giants had been so focused that I thought they would win this one too. Particularly since it was at home. What a disappointment. Whatever the reason ( Plaxico?), they looked absolutely flat.  The final score was not indicative of how thoroughly they were outplayed. They got a gift TD on the blocked field goal just before the half and the last TD was too late to be a serious threat. Almost every player performed below par. The offensive line was leaky, the receivers dropped passes, the running backs were so-so, the defensive line didn’t pressure McNabb … I could go on and on. What was surprising was the coaching miscue by Steve Spagnolo in which he packed 10 players on the line of scrimmage and , consequently, Westbrook was able to go all the way once he squirted through the line.

Let’s hope that this was a one-off and that the Giants are able to regain their intensity and focus going forward. They are certainly going to need it becuse the next three opponents are Dallas ( away), Carolina and Minnesota. Dallas will be a desperate team, fighting for its playoff  life ; Carolina will be motivated because it can get home field advantage  if it beats the Giants and Minnesota is in a dogfight to win its division. Two additional worries are : Brandon Jacob’s knee and the lack of a home run threat now that Buress is gone.

Dallas is  going down, down, down. What a collapse against the Steelers ! The way the Cowboys completely outplayed the Steelers for 3- 1/2 quarters, I was sure they were going to win. In fact, when I was called away at the end  of the third quarter, I didn’t go back to the game. What a surprise to find later that night that the Steelers had won,and  in regulation too ! I have to agree with Tony Romo that this loss was on him. It is mystifying how he plays so well at other times but makes these costly miscues in crunch time , and particularly in December. However, owner Jerry Jones should learn to keep his mouth shut. I know he was smarting from the loss but what was the point in questioning Marion Barber’s decision to sit out the game ? All it did was to alienate his star running back, one of the cornerstones of the Cowboys future. Jerry Jones reminds  me very much of  George Steinbrenner. Both men opened their checkbooks to build winning teams but have an exaggerated opinion of their smarts. They think of ‘their’ players as cogs in a machine and  have no real enjoyment of the game . I don’t see the Cowboys  beating both the Giants and the Baltimore Ravens and if they don’t run the table , they are almost certainly out of the playoffs.

The team I fear most. No it’s not the Titans. Or the Steelers. Yes, the Titans have a stout defense and Giants cast-off Kerry Collins is playing out of his skull but they seem vulnerable. In a big game , I expect Collins to unravel. As for the Steelers, the defense is formidable but Rothleisberger is playing hurt and has been less than impressive this year. The team I fear most is  the Ravens. Even though the Giants beat them, the Ravens seem to be the biggest threat in the AFC. The defense with Ray Lewis and Ed Reed is fearsome and now that the offense  has a decent QB in rookie Joe Flacco they are a threat to anybody. I remember how they dominated the Giants in the Super Bowl a few years ago : and that was Trent Dilfer at QB ! I’m glad the Giants will not have to face them unless both teams make it to the Super Bowl.

The other team that worries me is the Carolina Panthers. They looked frighteningly good against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last night.The defense is not quite as scary as that of the Ravens( though they are plenty good) but the offense is more potent. Delhomme ‘s game is not pretty ; he just gets the job done. Steve Smith and Muhsin Muhammad are breakaway threats and , in DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart they have a pair of RBs to rival those on the Giants. The regular season game in week 16 should be a real test for the Giants and an indicator of how far they can go in the playoffs.

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Karaikudi Chettinad Restaurant

Karaikudi Chettinad Restaurant opened a couple of weeks where Malgudi used to be.

I’m not quite sure when Malgudi closed down or why. They served good food and the place always seemed to be busy. And then one day, almost a year ago, it was gone.Passing its location on Oaktree Road, we used to keep tabs on it and we saw signs proclaiming that Bawarchi was opening soon. That didn’t happen and , after a further delay, Karaikudi Chettinad opened in its place. It’s a good swap as Karaikudi is definitely worth a visit.

Malgudi featured South Indian food with a preponderance of Hyderabadi / Andhra dishes. I believe its owners were from Hyderabad. Karaikudi , on the other hand, features Chettinad cuisine, the cooking of the Chettiars. It is  named after one of the major towns in the Chettinad district of Tamil Nadu. The Chettiars are  a community that started out as money lenders before going on to become financiers and traders , many of them migrating to do business in Burma, Malaysia and IndoChina. While abroad, Chettiars acquired a taste for the local spices which they then took back home. As a result, Chettinad cuisine utilises ingredients such as star anise in addition to home grown spices such as pepper, turmeric, cumin ,coriander and  fenugreek and plenty of kadipatta ( curry leaves). It is a spicy, aromatic cuisine, not merely hot , the heat coming from pepper rather than from green chillies. Along with the Mudaliars, the Chettiars are one of the few Tamil Nadu communities that eat meat.

My wife and I went to Karaikudi for the lunceon buffet ( $ 9.95 / head)  one day last week. Entering Karaikudi, we were reminded very much of its predecessor, Malgudi, because the new owners have retained many of the furnishings. The orange colored tear drop shaped  lamps and the booths are still there though the buffet has been set up differently.

Let me list the buffet dishes first as I remember them. A platter of sliced tomatoes and  cucumbers . Onion pachdi. Chutneys . Two appetizers : Cauliflower pakodas and Chicken 65. Two soups; a rasam and mutton bone soup. Mini-Uthappams. Parathas. Chicken Curry Chettinad. Beans poriyal. Mixed vegetable curry. Sambhar. Biryani. Plain Rice. Morkholombu. For dessert; chakara pongal ,i.e rice ,moong dal and jaggery cooked in milk.

Overall, I would rate the food as Superior. Both appetizers were excellent though they would have tasted even better had they been hot rather than lukewarm.  Chicken 65 has an intriguing history. Some say that it is named for the 65 spices that are used to make it but  I don’t believe it; I don’t think there are that many spices in our cuisine. The other story is that it was a favorite of the jawans who fought in the 1965 border war with Pakistan .I think this is more plausible ; essentially Chicken 65 consists of Spicy bite- sized chicken pakoras.

My wife enjoyed the rasam and I loved the mutton bone soup, spicy, strongly flavored and muttony. I had mixed feelings about the mini -utthappams. They were tasty enough but  they are best served piping hot. I do wish that they and the parathas were cooked and served individually to diners. I realize that this is extra work but some other buffets, such as the ones at Moksha and Aachi’s , do offer this service. When dosas / utthapams and parathas are left out on a hot tray, they lose half their appeal.

The chicken curry was the centerpiece of the buffet. Tender pieces of chicken in a thick , delicious gravy. Very authentic. Of the rest , the pachdi and the morkholombu were the pick of the lot though the other dishes were also good. I would have preferred that at least one of the dishes was plain rather than spicy. When all the dishes are spicy ( as was the case here, except for the pachdi and morkholombu ) , there is no contrast and it makes for a one -note meal. The chakara pongal was delicious , a welcome change from the usual gulab jamuns and fruit salad that are so common in Indian buffets.

Some of my neices and nephews who were home for Thanksgiving tried out the weekend buffet at Karaikudi and were fulsome in their praise. It costs a couple of dollars more but they said it was well worth it. In fact two of them said it was better than they had had in India. In addition to the afore-mentioned Chicken Curry Chettinad, they particularly lauded the Mutton Biryani ( “Yummy!” )  and the Fish Curry. The Mutton Kurma was so-so, they said. There were more dishes and desserts at the weekend buffet but you can check them out yourself. All in all, Karaikudi is a welcome addition to the Edison dining scene.

Though the address is on OakTree Road, Karaikudi is not visible from the road,being located behind the Habib American Bank and Shezan Restaurant. 

Karaikudi Chettinad Restaurant. 1671 OakTree Road, Edison, NJ 08820. (732) 516-0020.  Closed Tuesdays. Hours 11;30 to 3:00 and 5:30 to 10 PM. Weekends : 12 noon to 4:ooPM and 5:30 to 11 PM.

P.S There seems to be a sudden exposion in the number of restaurants featuring South Indian food , no doubt because of a sizeable portion of the recent Indian immigrants work in the IT field and are from Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. There are at least two other Chettinad restaurants that have opened here recently and I intend to try them out in the new year.

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NFL Week 13: From a Giants Fan’s Perspective

A Workmanlike Win in Washington: The way the G-Men started out I thought it was going to be a blowout. Eli Manning marched them down the field three times even though they had to settle for two FGs after the opening TD. The rest of the game was more sedate. The Redskins pulled to within 13-7 at the half but that was as close as they were destined to get. The Giants pulled ahead slowly but surely. The Skins may not have been blown out but they never looked like they were going to win either. Truth to tell, they looked a lot like the team the Giants beat in the season opener. Coach Zorn appeared clueless and QB Jason Campbell was spraying the ball all over the place. To give him his due, the Redskins receivers did not aid his cause, dropping several catchable balls.It didn’t help either that injuries made the Skins’ leading rusher , Clinton Portis, a non-factor. Without the semblance of a running attack, the Skins were toast.The Giants , once again were solid rather than spectacular. They seem to play just well enough to beat their opponents rather than steamroll them. Eli Manning is not as flmboyant as his older brother but he is just as deadly. On a rainy day, he took advantage of the Redskins gearing up to stop the Giant rushing attack and picked apart the Redskin secondary. Good to see Brandon Jacobs back and have everyone come out of the game healthy. Next up , Philly which appears to be playing well once again. Westbrook is still playing injured but McNabb seems to have regained his touch. We’ll see.. many players look like worldbeaters but  come apart against the Giants.

Giant Jerk and Gridiron Gunslinger are just two of the names that Plaxico Burress has been called after inadveretently shooting himself in the thigh at a NY nightclub on Friday. Burress and LB Antonio Pierce were enjoying themself when a concealed gun that Plaxico was carrying discharged accidentally ( how ? ). Burress was rushed to hospital and treated for a flesh wound and discharged but is expected to be arrested on Monday and charged with carrying an unlicensed firearm, a felony that carries a mandatory 3-1/2 year sentence. Burress had been ruled out of the Washington game because of injuries but this latest shennaigan may result in a much longer hiatus , even the end of his Giant career. Fully 80% of the Giants fans in a weekend poll said they would like to see the Giants cut him loose. So would I. At a certain point, the headaches are not worth the talent ( not that Plaxico has been a factor since the 2nd game of the season) . A team oriented organization like the Giants should cut this selfish, disturbed player much as the Red Sox did with Manny Ramirez. It’s true that, without Burress, they will not have a deep threat who will attract double coverage but I hope the others will step up. First, of course, they have to wait and see what punishment NFL Commish Roger Goodell will dole out. Goodell needs to take swift ,decisive action as the NFL is fast becoming the National Felony League. Antonio Pierce is ‘co-operating fully’ with the police and I hope he escapes severe punishment. Burress deserves whatever he gets and is expendable , but Pierce is generally well regarded and a leader who will be difficult to replace. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The Best Division in Football. Early in  the season, the NFC East was widely touted as the best . Commentators were saying that three of its teams would qualify for the playoffs. Since then, only the Giants have lived up to those initial predictions.One reason is that the NFC East teams have taken turns beating each other ; another reason is that Dallas has been beset by injuries. The net result is that Washington and Philly have fallen out of the playoff picture for all practical purposes. The new              ” strongest” division is the NFC South where Tampa Bay and Carolina are tied for the lead with 9-3 records and Atlanta is only a game behind. Conceivably all three of those teams could qualify for the playoffs and push the Dallas Cowboys out of a playoff spot. These are the remaining games for the three teams contending for the NFC wildcard slots:

Cowboys ..  @ Pittsburgh / Giants / Baltimore /@ Philly

Carolina … Tampa Bay/ Denver/ @ Giants/ @New Orleans

Atlanta …@ New Orleans/ Tampa Bay /@ Minnesota / St. Louis

Atlanta has the easiest schedule of the three and Dallas the toughest. Cowboy fans are talking big about next week’s matchup against the Steelers( about the lack of a Steeler rushing attack and ” Rottenburger”) but they ‘d best beware. The Steeler defense could make it a long night for Romo and his underperforming OL. In order to be sure of a playoff spot, the Cowpokes will have to win at least 3 of the remaining 4 games and I don’t think they can do it.

Is there a more unpredictable team than the Denver Broncos ? I never know ,from one week to another, what they’re going to do. Some weeks they look inept and then they pull off a stunner like they did yesterday. Who’d have thought that they would wallop the Jets 34-17 ;in an away game too. It’s amazing to check the standings and find that they’re leading their division.

The Best NFL Owners. The Sports Business Journal polled it’s readers recently as to the best NFL team owners. The following were the results: ( Percentages rounded off to the nearest integer).

1. Robert Kraft ( New England Patriots)… 32%

2. Jerry Jones ( Dallas Cowboys) … 28% 

3. John Mara/ Steve Tisch ( New York Giants) … 11%

4. Dan Rooney ( Pittsburgh Steelers)… 5%

 5. Publicly Owned ( Green Bay Packers)…. 5%

The one name that surprised me was that of Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys. He hasn’t had much success lately and he has been reviled for his arrogance, his poor trades and his interference with the day to day running of the team. I have to admit though that he did fine when he first bought the team and with Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer as coaches saw the ‘Boys win three Super Bowls in the mid-nineties. Besides, as someone remarked, he is ” a fine owner but a lousy GM’. Whatever, I don’t think of him as being in the same league as Robert Kraft , Mara/Tisch or Dan Rooney.

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