Live streaming TV online

Details on installing Sopcast or TVU will also be added sooner or later to the site…. till then…

I am now making my link entries on a new tab on this website called  Live TV links.

This is a new page which will hold updated links (when possible for live transmissions on the web of the sports I like to watch.

Force India in F1 and the issue of the No. 1 driver

There has been a little bit of a debate in places on

* Vijay Mallya’s acquisition of an F1 team

* Then calling it Force India

* Then getting non-Indian drivers

Just wanted to come out in support of this flamboyant personality who does what he does with style and also ends up making money in the process. As 1% of the 3 readers who read my blog would have noticed, I’m already ecstatic at this development. More so now, when Mr. Mallya has increased the budget of the F1 team from $70M to %120M. He says his aimis to be on the grid by 2010 when F1 should be coming to India. We’ll see about all that but the fact that he has this vision and that he can capitalise (I mean literally in $$$) on such an opportunity is brilliant. There are some people who have been commenting that calling it Force India and then packing it with International drivers makes it un-Indian. Obviously these people have little Idea about F1. F1 is a very intenational sport where teams are formed across nationalities. Yes, he calls it team India, and the ownership alone or even the name alone should be enough to make us get up and support it. If NK or KC were driving a McLaren any other F1 car I’m sure all Indians would support it as much and make it OUR team. Don’t go after Mr. Mallya, if he’s taking us another levl up on the international arena, let him do so in peace, if not with all our support.

Go Force India!!!

On the issue of the No. 1 driver – I really don’t know why people except for the teams at the top like Ferrari or McLaren (well – at the top by cheating) even think about the No. 1 driver. It’s not like it makes any difference if Adrian Sutil is No. 1 or Fisi… he should know enough that he’s not really No.1 at anything if all he could do was come to Force India after these seasons at Renault where Alonso made his career a goldmine. At all of these teams, people will anyway know sooner or later who the better driver is – its usually quite clear and then all this talk only comes back and bites you. So just drive, and stop this debate over who is the No.1 driver. If one is good enough, they will anyway get the opportunity to show it.

F1: Spyker to be called Force India in 2008

Originally uploaded by abyjain

And one more “Happy to be an Indian” moment has just come in for me, thanks to Vijay Mallya, who incidentally was also my host for the 2006-2007 New Years eve bash at his palacial residence in Goa.

As per the latest news, emanating from Brazil, Vijay Mallya wants to rename the Spyker team Force India in 2008. That is so amazing. I also wonder, that alongside his party/glamour side which seems to have taken Vijay Mallya into F1, it might even turn out to be a phenomenal money spinner for the beer man. The obvious thing is, there is so much ad-money available in India looking for suitable avenues to spend it on. Now with the whole India concept coming in to F1, with the track in Delhi coming on as well at the end of the decade, this will be a huge opportunity for advertisers.

On top of all this, if the team/Mallya can secure enough money and talent to make it one of the leading teams in F1 (I’d agree that the chances are remote), then I am willing to contend that F1 will only be second to cricket in terms of commercial success in India. The more I think, the more I am inclined to equate this whole operation with genius. It’s creating an opportunity of a lifetime out of nothing to start with. Well done Mr. Mallya – can I have some super VIP passes for your team-truck?

The original article where I got to read this news is available here.