Greed is Good

Its this sort of stuff that gets my goat. Tell you what, the sheer idiocy of it all is what will keep us as a country away from progress.

I mean, the allegation of greed. I say, what's wrong with greed?

The sports news anchor on TV (CNN-IBN) had this question to Sunil Gavaskar while talking about Ravindra Jadeja's IPL ban. He said something to the effect of greed playing a part in Jadeja's 'misdemeanours'. Jadeja scouted with other IPL teams for more money (not allowed according to IPL rules) leaving his home team miffed. They file a complaint, and he's banned for a year. Now, I am all for people following rules. But I ain't an idiot and so can spot the sheer idiocy in the TV man's question. According to him greed isn't what should drive players, its love for the game, or whatever (at least that's what I construed).

What humbug!

Greed's at the heart of everything that's an exchange, financial or otherwise. No one does it for sainthood. Lalit Modi didn't have our entertainment desires at heart when he and his cohorts came up with IPL. Of course, in effect its entertained all those who watch this boring game and in doing so earned money for the people involved. Nothing wrong with that. But if anyone's about to believe that at the heart of IPL lies an innocent desire to have us entertained without a pie being made, I'd recommend you have your head examined.

Jadeja's done what comes naturally to any marketer. Garner maximum returns for whatever is being sold. Brands that are able to do so, are ones that deliver on superior value to consumers. If Ravindra Jadeja's game deserves more money, then he must be allowed to reap those better spoils.

Now IPL's rules may not allow for the same, but the answer to that is not banning Jadeja. Instead its in changing the rules of a sports format that's been built solely on its ability to make money, in plenty.

If sports can make money, why can't men who play it?

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