I’m Skip Bayles, and we have a very interesting show for you tonight. As we all know, this year’s draft just came to a close. As always, it was full of surprises. With Tebow returning to the Denver Broncos, Ray Lewis returning for a victory lap with the Baltimore Ravens, and the “out-of-left-field” drafting of OU’s Baker Mayfield to the Houston Texans, there is a lot to talk about.
BUT...what really has everybody buzzing is the shocking pickup of Shri Krishna by Arjuna of the Pandavas.
Recently returning from a 12-month suspension for foul play, the Pandavas were looking to bounce back with force. With this resurgence, everyone had figured that they would make a beeline for Krishna. But they weren’t the only ones who had their eye on the prize.
Duryodhana of the Kauravas pursued Krishna with the same tenacity. The rivalry between the Kauravas and the Pandavas goes back for decades and can arguably be considered the most heated rivalry in the world of sports. However, that is not the end to our story here. If you recall, it was the Kauravas who were responsible for the 12-month suspension of the Pandavas. So, folks, as you can see, there is a lot on the line here.
Now, Arjuna had always had Krishna on his radar. Since he was a young'un, Arjuna had always admired and respected Krishna above any other player in the game. In his eyes, victory was inherent with the help of Krishna. Facing the Kauravas in their first game back from suspension, Arjuna hastened to Krishna in preparation for war. Little did he know, Duryodhana had beaten him to the chase.
Surprisingly enough, this didn’t affect Krishna’s decision. The constant nagging and pompous attitude of Duryodhana rubbed Krishna the wrong way. For this reason, he gave Arjuna the first pick.
The choice was simple-Krishna or an entire roster of players. BUT, to spice things up even more, Krishna had announced to the men that he would retire from play. Now, with any rational thought one can basically rule out Krishna as useless. However, Arjuna’s lifelong devotion to Krishna held true and he chose him without a second thought. Even Krishna was surprised.
Durydohana, like the rest of us, basically took Krishna out of the picture once he learned that he would not suit up. So he was elated when he was essentially handed a full roster of fresh players eager to prove themselves.
After the deals were done and the papers were signed, Krishna and Arjuna met to talk things over. Luckily, Arjuna somehow managed to convince Krishna that he would be useful as an offensive coordinator. If he couldn’t play, he could at least help guide Arjuna through the game. Now, this folks, could turn out to be a huge game-changer. Krishna’s wisdom and presence is unmatched by any.
We spoke with Arjuna this afternoon about the whole ordeal and asked why in the world he was so optimistic about his new draft pick and he simply replied, “If you were going into the Super Bowl, would you rather have Tom Brady or the entire Fighting Tigers Pee Wee Team ?”
Skip Bayles on ESPN's First Take: Wiki Commons
Author’s Note. This story is based on the episode Krishna and His Army, found in the Public Domain Edition Mahabharata. In this episode, the Pandavas have just been freed from their twelve year exile and are preparing for the inevitable battle with the Kausavas. As it has been demonstrated through various points in the epic, Arjuna has an immense adoration for Krishna and so seeks his help for the pending battle. However, Durydohana has the same thoughts so he seeks his help too. Ultimately, Arjuna makes the shocking decision to take Krishna over an army of one hundred million soldiers. This is even more shocking because Krishna declares he will not fight in the battle himself. So, both Durydohana and Arjuna go home from the deal content with their pickings. However, as the story develops you begin to see how Arjuna made the right decision. I chose this story because I think it demonstrates that it is not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog. I thought of the idea for the ESPN adaptation after reading Heather’s story written as a TV show review. I thought it was a cool twist so I tried to imitate that a little bit.
Kurtis! This story is awesome! I like how you went with a really different direction with this story compared to many of the stories I’ve read so far this semester. It approaches the story from a very different perspective with a nice twist. The draft day idea is great! It was still easy to understand and still explains the plot from the original story as well. Great job.
ReplyDeleteHey Kurtis!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your story. I liked how you modernized the story of Shri Krishna and Arjuna and wrote it in a draft day style. It made the story more interesting and a little more relatable since it is set in the present. I did not notice any grammar or punctuation errors or anything. Good job! I look forward to reading more your posts!
This is a unique way to tell this story. It is interesting to think about this story in a modern context. I like how you referenced the Pandavas’s exile as a suspension from the game. I also really like the interview quote you inserted at the end of the story. The interview makes it feel more like a newscast, and the metaphor captures the situation.
ReplyDeleteOh, Kurtis, this was super cool! I haven't read any of your work before, but I've clearly been missing out! I really like how you set it in such a modern setting with ESPN. You also tied modern elements in, with Baker Mayfield being drafted to the Texans, and then moving on to the choice between Krishna not playing, or an entire army playing. I also think the colloquial style of the speech you used in the story was brilliant, it really made it feel like a gameday-type talk. That last line is KILLER too! I always thought it was an interesting choice how they compare Krishna's strategic planning to the prowess of just a ridiculous number of soldiers. It's also neat that Krishna got to choose which 'team' picked first. The idea that football is a lot like war is cool, and one I think that gets forgotten about a fair bit! It definitely doesn't have the death component, but it's the same type gladiator-style battle that people get really, really passionate about. I couldn't find any grammatical mistakes, so well done and well edited!
ReplyDeleteThis was brilliant. Being a huge football fan, I knew I had to read a story with ESPN involved. I think that having the Pandavas brothers recently coming back from a 12 month suspension was an excellent way of referencing the 12 year exile that is in the original story. I can tell that you really like football from the way you referenced the game so easily in your writing. I have to say that I think Baker Mayfield going to the Texans would be an interesting move. It was also interesting that Krishna already announced that he was going to retire. I was a little confused on what this was referencing until I read your author's note. Once it all made sense in tying back to the original, I only admired the story more. That final paragraph about ESPN asking Arjuna about his choice was a great way to end the story. I laughed at the way he explains it but it makes sense!
ReplyDeleteSuch a cool twist on the original story! First of all, I loved how you were referring to the exile as suspension… so clever! Second of all, the way you turned the selection of soldiers into a draft pick. Nobody would ever think to draft a useless player (perhaps an injured or retired player) and utilize him on their “coaching staff” so to speak. This decision really showcases Arjuna’s unconventional wisdom in battle. Lastly, the dialogue between the reporters and picture you used really bring this piece to life. In fact, your first line with the bit about makeup really sets the tone for the rest of your writing. Overall it was clever, light-hearted, and interesting for the entire story. Great work, Kurtis! I am pleased to see that your portfolio is coming along so nicely. Hopefully I will have a chance later in the semester to check back in on it!
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