Off The Mark

This is our first post on Offthebar, a bit of an introduction and a preview to our blog.


My name is Aashwin and I’m a senior in college. I’m a Milanista at heart but also partial to Real Madrid. My obsession with football began when I was 7 after watching the world cup in 1998. I loved watching Zidane and Ronaldo (the real one not the one seen pouting on television these days) terrorizing defences, but the player that I really fell in love with was one Paolo Maldini, Il Capitano and thus began my love affair with Milan and their number 3.

Zidane scoring one of his two goals in the 98 World Cup final against Brazil.

Once I started watching football I just couldn’t stop, I started watching everything from Serie A to La Liga, EPL and the Champions League. Oh the champions league what a glorious competition. Europe’s top teams playing against each other, what a brilliant idea and so terribly addicting. I was hooked; I had to watch every game. I was overjoyed to see Milan winning the Scudetto that year. In other leagues Bayern Munich won the Bundesliga, Madrid lost out to Barcelona in La Liga and United attained an unprecedented treble and this was just the start.

I have followed football ever since, I have watched the likes of Zidane and Totti cut through sides, Ronaldinho and Ronaldo (Il Fenomeno) befuddle defences, Ballack and Scholes dictate play and Maldini, Nesta and Cannavaro master the defence. And I have loved every bit of it, from Champions League triumphs to world cup final losses, from the development of an exciting new player to the retirement of legends. I have laughed and cried and enjoyed every possible emotion, for me this is not just a game it is a religion.



Paolo Maldini of Milan applauding the fans.

Needless to say, football is more than a pastime for me, it's a passion.

It’s been exactly ten years since I came upon the beautiful game. Back in 2002, when Ronaldo (the bald one) was the best striker in the world, Real Madrid was truly Los Galacticos and Arsenal still used to win trophies, I started following football. It all started with the 2002 World Cup. It was magical to watch the likes of Beckham, Zidane, Ronaldo, Batistuta and Totti play in the same tournament. To say that I have come a long way since then would be an understatement. As extreme as it may sound, football has become a reason to live. It has become a religion. I have always wanted to share all my experiences regarding football and Offthebar is the perfect platform to do it on. This post is an introductory one and should set the pace for further posts. My name is Sayan Das and I am currently pursuing my Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering.



Ronaldo and Rivaldo with the 2002 World Cup trophy.

As stated earlier, the addiction started with the 2002 World Cup. All the living legends I had heard of earlier were playing in front of my eyes. It was the most fascinating thing to watch. I was taken aback by the brilliance of players such as Ronaldinho, Ballack and Michael Owen (who was my favorite player then). After the world cup had ended I was introduced to something called FIFA 2001 by my cousins, which was a huge step forward. Hence I was kept busy throughout the summer. But then, there was the small matter of the Barclaycard English Premier League. I managed to get the right TV channels and the football fever started again. Only this time it was every week.

I have this strange tendency to support a club that has not been glorified. Due to my love for Owen and Liverpool’s decent league position at the time, I went with them. What was I thinking? By the time it was mid season I lost interest in Liverpool and supported no one till the end of the season. When the new season came I was introduced to the transfer market and new Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich. The influx of players such as Crespo, Makelele, Duff, Geremi, Joe Cole and Veron was an exciting prospect. Promising players, decent team and new owner, the perfect club to support, I thought to myself. The thought has persisted till date and the trophy cabinet has been filled too. Having lived through nine tumultuous years of supporting them, I am proud to be a Chelsea fan.



Chelsea lifting the 09/10 Premier League trophy.
 
Now, when we look back, it seems as if the years have flown by. Arsenal are invincible no more, Man City are the new champions of England, Chelsea are European champions, United and Milan are struggling with debt, transfer fees have skyrocketed and all of the Los Galacticos are retired (David Beckham playing in the MLS doesn’t count). This was our tale and we hope to post many more in the future.