Waynespotting, You Know?

A couple of weeks back, an excerpt from an interview with Wayne Rooney was included on BBC Radio Five Live's Daily Mayo podcast. During the brief 3 min 36 sec clip, he said "you know" and "em" an impressive 36 and 37 times, repectively. Combining the tallies for both crutches, he uttered an average of 20 crutches per minute, or one every three seconds.

I've seen Rooney interviewed numerous times, so I knew he used these crutches a lot when speaking. Truly, pro athletes have a long pedigree of using these time-honored little verbal helpers. I remember watching Dennis Johnson, the erstwhile Boston Celtics guard, make mincemeat out of the language by appending "or so" to the ends of sentences that didn't need its assistance (e.g., "We played our game tonight, and that's why we won, or so.") However, with his torrent of superfluous words, Rooney speaks so choppily that I really think he should have a media consultant. Maybe his stacatto approach to the language will smooth itself out as he matures, but maybe it won't. It doesn't seem right that the most gifted English player should present himself so poorly.

If someone close to Wayne is reading this (ha ha), please get the people in his life togther for some sort of "intervention," like those done with substance abusers. Maybe Coleen could set up a pre-season night out on the town as a ruse. I'll let her sort out the details. I've done my part.

someone with a little too much free time...

...has made the Zidane headbutting video game.

Go knock yourself (and Materazzi) out.

Germany 2006: Superlatives

My contribution to the parade of post-tournament World Cup lists...

Best game

Argentina 2-1 Mexico (Round of 16)

This one had non-stop action in the second, as both teams desparately tried to score. It looked like Mexico could pull of the upset until Maxi Rodriguez brilliant volley (and goal of the tournament) toward the end of the first extra period.

Honorable Mention: Australia 3-1 Japan

Worst game

France 0-0 Switzerland

Zzzzzzzzzzzz.

Honorable Mention: England 1-0 Paraguay. After the own goal in the 3rd minute, it was time to have a nap.

Best player

Fabio Cannavaro (Italy)

Italy's best defender was nearly perfect throughout the month.

Honorable Mention: Gianluigi Buffon (Italy)

Take a look where he winds up after the Serie A scandal leaves Juventus in shambles.

Best goal

Maxi Rodriguez's game-winning volley against Mexico

An incredible once in a career moment, and in crunch time, to boot.

Honorable Mention: Joe Cole's volley from chest against Sweden. A very close second.

Saddest moment

Zinedine Zidane's head butt and red card against Italy

This really was a tragic end to the career of one of the all-time great footballers. Rather than going out with dignity, something drove Zizou to a shocking assault on Marco Materazzi. Whether or not we learn what was being said between the two right before the foul, it was a shame to end such a brilliant career in such ignominy. I have a feeling that this single mindless act will be the moment of the tournament that is remembered most in the coming years. He will regret this for the rest of life.

Honorable Mention: Michael Owen crawling off the pitch on all fours in the first minute of the Sweden game.

Biggest disappointment

Frank Lampard
He was a mere shadow of his own club form for Chelsea.

Honorable Mention: (tie) Thierry Henry's dive against Spain leading to a Zidane penalty kick; Luis Figo's head-butt on the Netherland's Mark van Bommel. I love these two players, but it was hard to accept these unfortunate acts.

Most underrated team

France

Never given a chance to go as far as they did. If you predicted they would win before the games started, you're either lying or on crack. Allez les vieux.

Most overrated team

Brazil

They're arrogance has been reoportedly a major factor, especially when it comes to their paleolithic training schedule. They were definitely not the fittest side and Ronaldinho did nothing, despite being hyped endlessly around the world before June 9.

Honorable Mention: USA. Also failed to meet expectation, suggestion that 2002 was a fluke: that's two out of three tournaments of failing to get out the group stage.

Best World Cup website

BBC Sport

Like everything the BBC does, their football coverage is second to none. The World Cup website's columnists, live match coverage, cool virtual replays, and complete team info made it the best of a crowded group.

Honorable Mention: Official Site of the FIFA World Cup

Best World Cup podcast

Baddidel and Skinner's World Cup Podcast

Hilarious and fun. Frank Skinner's wacky references and banjo tunes combined with the dry wit of David Baddiel made this a real highlight of the past 30 days.

Best US broadcasting team

JP Dellacamera and John Harkes

Knowledgeable and understated, Dellacamera is as good as American football commentary gets. And John Harkes was an excellent color man, who never spoke just to hear his own voice.

Worst US broadcating team

Dave O'Brien and Marcelo Balboa

I actually feel sorry for O'Brien, because he worked so hard to prepare himself for the assignment. But as he showed, doing a crash course is not the way to prepare to broadcast the world's top sporting event. It's been said that to really be a master of something, you need to learn everything, then forget it. (Not literally, but that way you show a true knowledge.) O'Brien's problem was constantly not allowing himself to forget what he'd learned in his five month cram session. I will admit that the trivia lessened over time, but there was still the fish out of water vibe of an Olympic luge announcer. And his baseball announcer's cadence really was unsuited for the game.

Balboa was everything John Harkes was not, filling every free moment with a not terribly insightful insight.

Best US World Cup program

Ticket to Germany, Fox Soccer Channel

Max Bretos and company did a fine job giving match reviews and previews. Three guys who love the game.

Best British World Cup progam available on Comcast cable

Sky Sports News (on Fox Soccer Channel)

Despite being a Rupert Murdoch channel, Sky Sports does an excellent job covering football with good presenters, lots of player and manager interviews, and expert analysis. It gave a level of coverage unseen on US television. I can't imagine life without it!

Most flagrant foul

Zidane's headbutt

See above.

Honorable Mention: Luis Figo's headbutt; Daniele De Rossi's elbow to Brian McBride

Worst refereeing decision

Graham Poll's yellow card trifecta

Can there be any serious competition?

Most uninspired TV ad based on a good premise

The ubiquitous Adidas José + 10 campaign

The idea was solid, but the ads themselves were pretty shallow. Too much MTV-style fast editing. Not enough time with the individual players. Including Beckenbauer and Platini part was cool, but it really seemed like much ado about nothing in the way they merely walked in and weren't really seen again. Guess I'm spoiled by the amazing Nike "Secret Tournament" ads in 2002.

Honorable Mention: Nike's Joga Bonito spots. The individual ads themselves were unique and quirky, but we only got to see about 2-3 different ones in the US (the Brazil and US teams).

Worst hair

Loco (Angola)

Ridiculous.

Best kit

(tie) England home; Germany home

Both are simple and tasteful, light shirts with dark shorts. Classic.

Honorable Mention: Portugal home. Cool maroon color.

Worst kit

(tie) Croatia home; Ecuador home

Croatia for its ever-hideous red and white checks; Ecuador for its if-one-loud-color-makes-a statement-then-three-of-them-must-make-an-even-better-statement fiasco.

England Flag Controversies

With the USA up to its armpits in the Stars and Stripes this time of year, it makes sense to do a quick post on the issues surrounding the sudden explosion of St. George's Crosses (the flag, not this blog, dumb ass!) blanketing Blighty.

Traditionally, England supporters have waved the Union Jack to show where their loyalities rest. And as I understand it, St. George's Cross (SGC) has a history as something of an symbol of the extreme right, especially the British National Party. However, during the 1990s, the SGC flag has come to be associated with the England national football team. The flag has been flown throughout England during this World Cup, yet its history as a banner for ultra-conservatives brings controversy.

Here are just a few stories that the BBC has reported on recently:

No 10 Downing Street is to fly the England flag on World Cup match days. (This offended other British nations, especially the Scottish.)

An 11-year-old football fan has been allowed to fly an England flag from his bedroom in south Wales after initially being told to take it down. (Apparently it violated the rules of his estate.)

A fire service has banned crews from flying England flags during the World Cup because it is afraid they could offend other nationalities. (Sounds like the Confederate battle flag, doesn't it?)

A school has lifted a ban on pupils carrying England flags during this summer's World Cup after the policy "upset" the children.

A schoolboy is returning to his school in Kent after being banned for refusing to remove a stencilled red and white St George's flag from his hair.

Interesting how a piece of cloth can have such power. I hope the flag continues to be used for football (I fly one myself!) and not for nationalism and bigotry. I dont want to have to change the name of this blog!

Controversy and the St. George's Cross

With the USA up to its armpits in the Stars and Stripes this time of year, it makes sense to do a quick post on the issues surrounding the sudden explosion of St. George's Crosses (the flag, not this blog, dumb ass!) blanketing Blighty.

Traditionally, England supporters have waved the Union Jack to show where their loyalities rest. And as I understand it, St. George's Cross (SGC) has a history as something of an symbol of the extreme right, especially the British National Party. However, during the 1990s, the SGC flag has come to be associated with the England national football team. The flag has been flown throughout England during this World Cup, yet its history as a banner for ultra-conservatives brings controversy.

Here are just a few stories that the BBC has reported on recently:

No 10 Downing Street is to fly the England flag on World Cup match days. (This offended other British nations, especially the Scottish.)

An 11-year-old football fan has been allowed to fly an England flag from his bedroom in south Wales after initially being told to take it down. (Apparently it violated the rules of his estate.)

A fire service has banned crews from flying England flags during the World Cup because it is afraid they could offend other nationalities. (Sounds like the Confederate battle flag, doesn't it?)

A school has lifted a ban on pupils carrying England flags during this summer's World Cup after the policy "upset" the children.

Interesting how a piece of cloth can have such power. I hope the flag continues to be used for football (I fly one myself!) and not for nationalism and bigotry. I dont want to have to change the name of this blog!

France in the World Cup Final? Incroyable!

France has made it to the 2006 World Cup final.

In the wake of France's unimpressive first group match three-and-a-half weeks ago, anyone making the above statement would have seemed delusional at best. Well, the crazies were right: this Sunday, les Bleus meet the Azzurri in Berlin.

After the France's draw against South Korea, I wrote on this blog that I was happy to have seen what was very possibly Zinedine Zidane's final game. I never thought we'd be watching arguably (is it even arguable?) the greatest player of his generation going for his second trophy in three tournaments. And that's precisely why the World Cup is the greatest of all sports tournaments: It's long enough to allow teams to develop, improve, and establish momentum that — for the great sides — can be nearly unstoppable. We've all seen that with France, Italy, and Germany in this tournament. And with some Zizou magic, France's momentum will be unstoppable on Sunday.

Allez les Bleus!

Cristiano Swan-aldo Getting His

I'm not sure who's doing it, but every time Ronaldo touches the ball in the France-Portugal semi-final, he is booed lustily. I suspect it's England fans, but maybe it's the French. He can't possibly return to Man Utd now, despite his and Sir Alex's statements to the contrary.

Mundial Musings, Vol. 2

Some more thoughts about the 2006 World Cup, in the hours before the France-Portugal semi-final.

Much was made about the joy with which the Brazilians play the game. About their "samba" futebol. One question: How did that work out for them? Is it possible that all the little tricks they do in the non-stop "Joga Bonito" ads are just the result of having too much spare time?

At the outset of the tournament, how many pundits actually gave Italy (too distracted by scandal), Germany (too young), or France (too old), a real shot at making the semis? Is this an indictment on the state of punditry in football? Note to self: Never write-off the major footballing nations in big tournaments.

The Baddiel and Skinner World Cup Podcasts have been a real highlight of the WC for me. They've been hilariously entertaining, and I wish they could continue them indefinitely. Example: In their July 4 podcast, they suggested that Steve McClaren use Peter Crouch in the last 20 minutes of games for his "shock" value, including having him emerge from behind a curtain on the touchline.

My goals of the tournament: 1) Maxi Rodriguez's volley against Mexico, 2) Joe Cole's chested volley against Sweden, 3)Torsten Frings long-range missile against Costa Rica, and 4) Esteban Cambiasso's tap-in from a Hernan Crespo backheel against Serbia & Montenegro.

It's a wonder England can ever play well given the barrage of negativity they face from the print and electronic media.

As well as they had played earlier in the tournament, it was a delight to see Spain and their racist manager and fans go out sooner than expected.

Would a team of 11 fit Jan Möllers be unstoppable? Just wondering. What about 11 Peter Crouches?

With a fully fit Michael Owen playing with a fit Wayne Rooney, England would have at least made the semi-finals

Speaking of Rooney, I don't think he purposely "stomped" on Ricardo Carvalho nether regions. Firstly, he didn't "stomp" his foot. And secondly, repeated viewings of the replay pretty clearly indicate accidental meeting of metatarsal and manhood.

With David Beckham stepping down as England captain, thoughts have turned to his rightful successor. John Terry seems the frontrunner, with Steven Gerrard in second. But why not Gary Neville? He's got longevity and is a class player. In his post-Portugal press conference, he was candid, proud, and strong, all traits you'd want in a leader. One thing that most impressed me was when he said he would never retire from international football, as he doesn't think it's his right to make that choice. He said that he would never turn down his country if they needed him. He also said that giving a 100% effort in a match is not particularly impressive, as 100% should be expected of everyone by default. What better example to set for the young players? Gary Neville for captain.

Taking in the Action at The Field

Having found the Bad Abbots crowd to be shockingly dead this World Cup, my wife and I decided to take in the quarter-finals at The Phoenix Landing on Mass Ave in Central Square. I knew it would be crowded, so we made sure to get there early — 10:00 for an 11:00 kick-off.

As we approached, we saw loads of England fans in their England gear standing outside, so I figured they were waiting for the place to open. Then I saw the sign on the door: "We are at capacity. Please go to The Field." We couldn't believe it! How the hell early did we have to get there?!

Dutifully, we headed to The Field, which is right down around the corner on Prospect Street. The crowd was extremely small when we got there at about 10:10, so I was pretty bummed. But as the kick-off approached, the England people started pouring in, and it was a great crowd. There were people singing songs for England and the crowd's reactions to the play on the pitch were pretty exciting. I'd highly recommend The Field to football fans looking to check out England games in the future.

Here are some snaps from the pub; click any photo to enlarge it:


People sitting along the window sill.


Aerial view of the crowd.


The crowd reacts to a missed penalty by Portugal.

England 1-3 Portugal: Same Old Song and Dance

Massive disappointment is the special of the day. When it became clear that this was going into penalties, did we ever have any doubt about the result? It would have been brilliant had they done the unthinkable, but penalty shootouts ain't for the English.

Sadly, they played probably their finest football of the World Cup. Owen Hargreaves made quite a statement to his naysayers (taking Man of the Match honors). The defense played extremely well throughout. Aaron Lennon showed some exciting moves in his brief time on the pitch. But 'twas for nought, wasn't it?

I can't comment on the red card as I haven't seen the replay enough times, but I don't think His Petulance can be blamed for this loss. Though the avuncular Sven-Goran Eriksson seems like a very nice man, he probably is partly to blame for not getting his players to really believe in themselves. He wasn't taking the penalties himself, but except for Hargreaves, none of them looked like banging one in when it counted. That's got to be partly down to the manager.

Will Steve McClaren do any better? A couple of weeks ago, a Middlesbrough supporter called in to 606 and was extremely negative about Sven's assistant. He basically said that England is doomed with Steve at the helm. I am willing to give him a chance before writing him off.