Alhaji Righteous De Ambitious: 02/01/2011

Friday, February 25, 2011

World Cup 2010 Blog: Polkraine 2012: Standing Atop Special Stands

Polkraine 2012: Standing Atop Special Stands

Posted: 24 Feb 2011 12:15 PM PST

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Of all the many things accounted for in the bid for Polkraine 2012, they probably didn’t include having to consider, or being asked for, a stand exclusively for gay and lesbian football fans.

That’s changing. A movement of sorts has erupted in Poland to allow a gay fan club their own special stand at Polkraine 2012.

But other gay rights activists criticized the proposal Wednesday, saying it would single gay fans out and put them at greater risk.

Teczowa Trybuna 2012, or Rainbow Stand 2012, calls itself the first gay fan club for Poland's national team. It says on its website that its members fear aggression from other fans and want to feel safe during the championship in Poland and neighboring Ukraine.

"During trips to matches of our beloved clubs … we unfortunately are often faced with unpleasantness, harassment and violence from the 'real' fans," it said. "We dream of being able to relax in the stands—we can't imagine not being at the Euro 2012 matches, which will be held in our country!"

Hardly the biggest story to come out of building up to Polkraine 2012 – that belongs to those unfounded rumbling which precede every major tournament: will it happen? – but it’s certainly one of the more intriguing ones. There are points to each side, but the chances that it happens are ultimately slim – the precedent would be too great and possibly too easily manipulated in the future. First sexual orientation, then religion, then milk preference (1%, skim, whole, etc). Where would it all end?

Very unfortunate they think it necessary, though.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

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Thursday, February 17, 2011

World Cup 2010 Blog: Ronaldo Given Fish In A Barrel For His Selecao Sendoff

Ronaldo Given Fish In A Barrel For His Selecao Sendoff

Posted: 16 Feb 2011 10:00 AM PST

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Ask and you shall receive.

Well, so long as you’re one of the greatest players to have ever graced a football pitch with your otherworldly abilities.

Ronaldo asked the Brazilian federation for a sendoff friendly with the Selecao, and they have obliged with one of the most lopsided games in football history: the 2002 World Cup-winning Brazilian side versus a gaggle of local Chechnyans, including the President.

Brazil's 2002 World Cup-winning team will play a friendly next month in the formerly wartorn Russian province of Chechnya, a local official said Wednesday.

Chechnya's government website cited sports minister Haidar Alkhanov as saying Kaka, Ronaldinho and the recently retired Ronaldo are likely to feature in the March 10 match. Chechnya president Ramzan Kadyrov will captain a team comprising local players.

There was no word of confirmation from Brazilian officials, but if the match goes ahead it will be the third major football coup in a month for Russia's poverty-stricken Caucasus region, which is better known for separatist violence than sport.

(It should be noted those ‘local’ players may actually be Russian Premier League side Terek Grozny; not quite as lopsided, but still wouldn’t keep anything on the table.)

No word if he’ll be bringing back that fly hair for the occasion, but it should be absolute mandatory. That and an over/under in triple figures.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

World Cup 2010 Blog: Domenech Talks: It’s His Fault That It Was Everyone Else’s Fault

Domenech Talks: It’s His Fault That It Was Everyone Else’s Fault

Posted: 15 Feb 2011 09:55 AM PST

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The last we saw of Raymond Domenech, he was immersed in a witness protection program masquerading as some sort of poker crash course. Now that the money’s dried up from that little venture, he’s back for more cash with his very first exclusive post-World Cup meltdown interview to be released amidst pomp and several forms of circumstance tomorrow. Excerpts are available, and they’ve hooked the public with juicy nuggets in typical Raymond fashion – mostly name-calling and the pointing of unemployed fingers.

Raymond:

“Everyone is talking instead of me,” he said in extracts that appeared on the newspaper’s website. “I want to restore the truth. I’m not the moron that people are describing me as.

“Let’s be clear: I got it wrong, I mustn’t have chosen the right players nor found the words that were needed. I do not accept the criticism of politicians, nor that of former players who have turned to journalism, but that does not prevent me from drawing my own evaluation.”

Describing the day [of the training strike], and his attempts to talk his players around, Domenech said: “It was more than an hour that we had been there. It was really necessary that someone take responsibility and stop that charade. All the cameras were focused on the bus, hundreds of kids were waiting on the sidelines. We were the laughing stock of the world.”

Following the tournament, Evra, Franck Ribéry, Jeremy Toulalan and Eric Abidal took the bulk of the blame – and suspensions – for their role in the incident, but Domenech said all the players acted together.

“If there were any [leaders], I did not see them. Every time I went up [into the bus], there was no one,” he said. “At this point, I told myself that they went crazy and they don’t realise. Now I know I was wrong: they knew very well what they were doing. They even closed the curtains of the bus to hide themselves from cameras. With hindsight, I see them mainly as a bunch of foolhardy brats.

“Above all, I do not want controversy. I have had offers for the theatre, for the cinema … Nothing on TV, no. Honestly, how can we imagine me in a reality television show?” he said.

Is he intimating France’s World Cup 2010 show wasn’t reality TV?

And calling them ‘foolhardy brats’ shouldn’t create any controversy or vitriolic rebuttals flying through press channels. Not at all.