The Football Thread

[titoli]

yeah:

http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/07/05/164537.php

[CISCO]

in american sports , in general , american football , boxing, basketball, there is a bogusness of circus
atmosphere that sadly consumming except baseball.

so, as mentioned england's hour will come and,
americans are really getting the bug, if for no other
reason, a breath of fresh air from all that hype were  used to getting.

 Enthusiasm is everything. It must be taut and vibrating like a guitar string.
- Pelé

[Banjo]

Titoli has there been any news on the 4 clubs on trial for corruption?During the BBC coverage of the final it was mentioned that an anouncement was due last Monday Will the  involved clubs and their players get off lightly because of the World Cup glory?
I'm pleased that football is really starting to catch on in the USA because with great tournaments like the World Cup it really should involve every nation and its people.You can't beat the "beautiful game" and i'd rather London had given Paris the 2012 Olympics for an England place in the 2006 World Cup even if we had lost on penalties like France.
The Olympics just doesn't do it for me and in general seems more of an individual quest for honours rather than something a whole nation can unite behind like a football match.I couldn't give a monkeys about the UK hosting the Olympics or how many gold mdeals we win.To me its marginally better than Wimbledon which i totally loathe.

[titoli]

As you say, there is much hype about Olympics but can you imagine a nation rallying unto itselfl for a curling match? I mean, there is enthusiasm but you don't actually play the match like we do for football which is the beautiful game because is the simplest. It would take you half an hour of watching to understand how it works: how many lifetimes would it take to anybody to understand by himself how baseball or cricket work? In fact Rome mayor has announced that Rome won't candidate for organization of Olympics in 2012. Everybody is feeling better for it: a nuisance for the citizens who live here. Let Milan have it.
Last Sunday I was with about 30 people watching TV they actually stood up and sang the national anthem with the players (I didn't as I don't like it: I would have rather sung La Marseillaise, which is my favourite national anthem: but of course it would have been folly).  They won't do that for any other event, sport or else: be assured. Especially in Italy, nationalism does exist only for the national football team (and there were millions actually rooting up against it because of various reasons, as I wrote in other messages). 

About the trial, a decision was expected for Tuesday, but it has been delayed until tomorrow or Friday. Some people say that we should be more lenient because of the victory, because of the money involved but this is baloney. The problem is: if they are lenient who's gonna subscribe for the pay tv or the season at the stadiums? And then what is going to hinder somebody else from adopting the same tactics if they go unpunished?




 

[cigar joe]

Hey titoli, whats the scoop in Italy over what Materazzi said to Zidane, the sports newspapers are having a field day here here is a sample blog :

Now that we’ve learned not to trust lip-readers after getting two different readings from three different sources . . . let’s look at a fourth! The BBC offers this lip-reading, in which Marco Materazzi wishes “an ugly death” to Zidane and his family — on the same day, as it happens, that Zidane learned his mother was in the hospital.

So then, to recap, our expert lip-readers have come up with “your sister is a prostitute,” “son of a terrorist whore,” another “son of a terrorist whore” and now “an ugly death for you and your family.”

In any case, we hope at least one labial specialist has seen this video of the incident taken from a new angle, mainly because we want to wrap this blog up already.

If he actually did say somthing it was a pretty good psychout  .

[titoli]

Everybody in Italy is wondering what he told too. It seems that, actually, he was referring to Zidane's sister. Just to prove how little nationalists we are, Zidane is finding in Italy more defenders than Materazzi, who is the real victim (hope you agree on this).  When Totti spat on the danish player two years ago at the Euro championship everybody (first of all in Italy ) was offended by this and nobody wondered what the danish player might have said to provoke the reaction. How come this time everybody is worried about the words and not by the act?

[cigar joe]

Thats true,

I'm not worried.

This could be a great game lets post what he night have said:

Materazzi: "Zidane if you wore a burlap sack with two soccer balls in it around your neck we could all call you Dick!"

your turn, 

[titoli]

This game is actually played in many italian football forums. But your assumption is overlong. Must have been something more short and direct.
"Your sister is not even good for (bip) the whole algerian army." 

[The Firecracker]

Random fact:

Italy was the first team to win the world cup series on foreign soil (France).

[titoli]

Zizou has confirmed that Materazzi offended both his mother and sister. There was nothing racist in the offence. He also said that he was justified in his reaction.
Materazzi said he didn't offend the mother as he lost his own as a young man.
So it's the sister.

[Banjo]

Zidane is a great player but it doesn't matter how serious Materazzis comments were because Zidane should have been old & wise enough to know better.Like English people were with Rooney,and also Beckham in 1998 if i were French i'd feel really angry and let down by Zidanes actions last Sunday.

[titoli]

One good joke I heard this morning is whether Zidane started to play football at Oxford...

[Banjo]

Theres talk about a mass exedus of players from those 4 Italian clubs if they are relegated.Titoli do you think they should be blocked from doing so?
I don't think FIFA or UEFA will take kindly to any leniency which will only serve to undermine the credibilty of the trials.

[titoli]

Theres talk about a mass exedus of players from those 4 Italian clubs if they are relegated.Titoli do you think they should be blocked from doing so?

The fact is that if the clubs are relegated (sentence first degree has just been officially announced for tomorrow, I presume after the closing of the stock exchange) they would be able to honour they contracts as they couldn't count on the money from the pay-tv. Also, many players have already announced that they won't accept a league below premiership.

I don't think FIFA or UEFA will take kindly to any leniency which will only serve to undermine the credibilty of the trials.

Yesterday the special commissioner Rossi has announced just that.



 

[Banjo]

Yesterday the special commissioner Rossi has announced just that.

Surely not Paolo Rossi?