Opinion: Do we need live debates between PM probables?

DO WE NEED LIVE DEBATES BETWEEN PM PROBABLES?

BJP’s prime ministerial candidate L K Advani has challenged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who is also the UPA’s choice for PM, to a live TV encounter similar to presidential debates in the US. We ask people on streets for their take on this

 

ASIF PARKAR, 26, MUMBAI

“The question you should be asking is - Is it possible to have a 'LIVE' debate between the two PM probables? Looking at the aging candidates - Manmohan Singh & L.K. Advani, I think we are more likely to end up with a DEAD debate."

SANTOSH RAO, 24, HYDERABAD

“Sure! It isn't enough that we have these dreadfully boring politicians repeating their old, hackneyed statements and arguing pointlessly and endlessly on television channels. We need more of such tiresome debates, preferably featuring almost-dead octogenarians on all channels simultaneously to make us feel grateful that at least we have a choice, even if the choice is between an old haggard and a grumpy grouchbag."

ANURADHA BHATKAR SASANE, 26, PUNE

“Yes. But the talking should be minimal to prevent the show from becoming dull and unwatchable.  The two probables should also be made to sing and dance. I would love to see Manmohan Singh do a bhangra dance on the song 'Singh is King' and of course, Advani being the one who challenged our PM for a live debate can sing 'Aa Dekhe Zara'. Perhaps we can also add competitions to find out who is a better cook, a better husband or a better father to make the debate more entertaining and lively.

V RAGHAVAN, 55, CHENNAI

“Yes. Yes. It will be so exciting to see the PM reminding the viewers for the umpteenth time that his adversary was responsible for bringing down the Babri mosque and Lal Krishna Advani hitting back at the PM by reminding him that he is just a puppet while the real power-center is 10th Janpath. Then we will have Manmohan Singh mumble incoherently for over half an hour about the achievements of his five-year old government and Advaniji responding by providing statistics of uncontrollable inflation, increasing unemployment, falling sensex and GDP growth rate and blaming the PM for everything that went wrong during his tenure. I cannot imagine a better way of spending my evening than watching the two oldies bore me to death.

VIJAY KUMAR, 29, GURGAON

“Of course, we should have a live debate. Anything that is good for US is also good for us. We shouldn't ignore the role of live TV debates in helping the people of USA make informed choices when voting for presidential elections. Had it not been for these lively debates, people of US might have ended up choosing stupid dullards like Al Gore or John Kerry instead of the highly accomplished and extremely intelligent George W Bush during the two presidentials elections prior to the last.

Scientists find secret of perfect penalty save to counter perfect penalty corner

A few days after scientists discovered the perfect formula for a penalty kick, another group of scientists have claimed they have discovered the perfect formula to save the perfectly kicked penalty kick.

Last week researchers at Liverpool John Moores University said that by analyzing hours of football footage, they have determined the formula for ensuring a goal. According to them, the player has should approach the ball at an angle of 20 to 30 degrees and hit it at a speed of at least 105kmph and aim for one of the top corners. Ideally the ball should pass exactly half a metre inside the crossbar and either one of the goalposts.

But now to the relief of goal-keepers, researchers at Sports Technology Research Group at Loughborough University have discovered an antidote to the perfect penalty kick - a perfect penalty save.

Professor Tom Wireless, director of Improved Sports Sciences at Loughborough University said that the perfect penalty kick can be easily countered and nullified by goalkeepers. "The goalkeeper should first observe closely the feet of the player and detect the angle at which he is approaching the ball while taking the penalty kick. If he approaches the ball at an angle of 20 to 30 degree, the goalkeeper should assume that the player is trying the perfect penalty kick."

"Since the perfect penalty kick is hundred percent likely to be hit in either of the two top corners and exactly half a meter inside the crossbar, the goalkeeper should leap exactly at 75 degree angle either side to ensure perfect interception of the ball. In order to ensure that he will jump towards the correct side, the goal keeper should observe intensely the eyes of the player. If the player's eyeballs are focused more on the right side than he is more likely to hit the ball towards his right corner and vice versa."

"Of course, the player taking the penalty kick would try to confuse the goalkeeper by alternately looking towards both sides of the goalpost. But after analyzing the eyes of hundreds of players taking penalty kick at the moment they were taking the kicks, from high-defination cameras installed at the back of goal nets, we found that most players tend to look 3 to 5 seconds longer towards the corner they intend to hit."

"So, the goalkeeper should try and count the number of seconds the player is looking towards each corner of the goalpost and leap accordingly." said Tom Wireless.

Researchers at Liverpool John Moores University reacted to this new research by scientists at Sports Technology Research Group by saying that they will soon come up with the perfect formula though which players can camouflage their eye and the foot moment while taking the penalty kick.