World Cup 2010 Blog: “The Miracle Of Bern Wasn’t Quite So Miraculous” plus 1 more

---

The Miracle Of Bern Wasn’t Quite So Miraculous Posted: 26 Oct 2010 09:00 AM PDT It seemed a little late in the game when France’s World Cup winning side of 1998 was accused of doping just a couple months back. What then are we to say about calling the 1954 World Cup winning side a bunch of cheater, cheater, pumpkin eaters? Can they still hear well enough to understand the accusations? A German university was commissioned by the German Olympic Committee to do a study on doping in, yes, Germany. The verdict? (West) Germans cheated. After reading the headline I fully expected this to be conducted by a Hungarian university via a secret group called the Committee For Reclaiming Hungarian Football Glory By Accusing Germans Whilst Crying Tears In The Bathtub. Twasn’t. Germans throwing those miraculous West Germans under the bus for their Das Wunder von Bern. Despite highly-fancied Hungary taking a 2-0 lead after just eight minutes, underdogs Germany fought back at Berne’s Wankdorf Stadium with winger Helmut Rahn scoring twice, including hitting the 84th-minute winner. The study, published on Monday, says the team, dubbed ‘the heroes of Bern’, believed they received vitamin C injections before the final, but were actually given methamphetamine, a substance given to German troops in World War II. The study by Leipzig University, called ‘Doping in Germany’ and funded by the German Olympic Committee, is due to be published in 2012 and reveals doping was first used in high-level sport in West Germany as early as 1949. The 1954 World Cup final was not simply just a World Cup final, if there could be such a thing. The Mighty Magyars of Hungary are still today considered to be the greatest team to have never won the World Cup; some might even cross the rest off after ‘team’. They were magnificent, and West Germany pulled the upset of most holy upsets. And it would appear now that there’s a fairly decent reason why. Well, so we think. Surely there’s are good reasons, perhaps even good evidence, as to why a study would publish such an allegation, but it’s unlikely to cause enough of an uproar to do anything but shrug a few shoulders – accusations of cheating in the World Cup final are as much a part of the game as the ball itself. Even if true and the invisible asterisk added next to their names in the record books, would they now, 56 years later, still say it was worth it? Probably.

Paul The Octopus Passes Away (2008-2010) Posted: 26 Oct 2010 07:01 AM PDT One day you will be asked: Where were you when you heard Paul the Octopus had died? The clear superstar of this past summer’s World Cup has passed away in his sleep of natural causes, which is a bit vague for an octopus, since “natural causes” for most sea creatures includes “something bigger than it”. Perhaps tragic timing given the lucrative career onto which he was about to embark, but then again maybe not: he’s flamed out just when his star was brightest, like James Dean, leaving the world to wonder what would’ve been and his legacy to grow even further. His Wiki is more extensive than most players in the sport and he’s famous the world over, but that’s not enough. No, Paul the ‘Pus will get his very own statue in homage to his fancy abilities to eat delicious bivalves. “His success made him almost a bigger story than the World Cup itself,” Porwoll said. “We may decide to give Paul his own small burial plot within our grounds and erect a modest permanent shrine.” He added: “While this may seem a curious thing to do for a sea creature, Paul achieved such popularity during his short life that it may be deemed the most appropriate course of action.” A fitting tribute to the Golden Ball winner in the hearts of the fans. But let’s ask the important question: Will he be served fried or grilled?

You are subscribed to email updates from World Cup Soccer - South Africa 2010 To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Relive all the thrilling moments of the Super Bowl Champions Saints

Sporting News THE AUTHORITY FOR AVID FANS www.sportingnews.com

Football: Fantasy Source | War Room | NFL Sporting News Today + Magazine: Subscribe to both and save 75%

*Employees and families of Sporting News are not eligible to win. No purchase necessary. Read official rules. Entry deadline is 10/31/10.

© 2010 SportingNews.com Void where prohibited. Copyright © 2010 American City Business Journals, Inc.d/b/a SportingNews.com. All Rights Reserved. Read our Privacy Guidelines and User Agreement. This email was sent by: Sporting News 120 W. Morehead St. Charlotte, NC, 28202, USA You received this email because you asked to receive updates, if you no longer wish to receive these newsletters please update your profile.

World Cup 2010 Blog: FIFA World Rankings – October 2010

---

FIFA World Rankings – October 2010 Posted: 20 Oct 2010 04:50 PM PDT Welcome to our monthly edition of Let’s Talk About Montenegro. After hovering somewhere between 64 and 75 for six months (110th in June of ‘09), they’ve just continued to rocket up the FIFA table: 73rd in August, 40th in September, with a landing spot of 26th this month. That’s right, this tiny Balkan country of 672,000, the 164th most populous country in the world, is the 26th best football team according to FIFA. Whether or not they got style points for Mirko Vucinic’s pantless celebration…well, let’s just assume they did. Anyone looking for Cinderella’s glass slipper should head to southeastern Europe. The other big winner from Europe is Russia, making it a splendid month for Eastern Europe – fifteen spots reclaimed for Dick “How Much Did You Say?” Advocaat and his World Cup 2018 hopeful friends. Guinea, meanwhile, earn the award for highest climb up the table. Thirty four places, which means they probably dropped a 34-0 loss from their rankings tabulation.

You are subscribed to email updates from World Cup Soccer - South Africa 2010 To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

World Cup 2010 Blog: World Cup In The Operating Room

---

World Cup In The Operating Room Posted: 20 Oct 2010 04:00 AM PDT The game between France & Mexico in South Africa was notable for a number of reasons. France put in arguably the most abject performance of the tournament, including Nicolas Anelka politely telling Raymond Domenech to fluff himself, with the cherry the player strike shortly thereafter. Turns out not paying the utmost consideration to one’s duties was something of a trend that day – a Swiss doctor is in hot water for watching the game while performing abdominal surgery. Patrice Evra gives us his reaction upon hearing the news. The name is Vincent Bettschart, and he sounds like a surgeon from a straight-to-DVD horror flick, but since the patient is fine, Vincent may be a hero to multitaskers everywhere. The problem for Vince is that it appears this wasn’t an isolated incident. Turns out it wasn’t even his worst faux pas. Watching a World Cup match was but a minor misdemeanor compared to the time he took a half hour break during an operation for an adult beverage. Poor decision making all around from this man, since France v Mexico wasn’t much good anyway. Actually, pretty poor decision making from the Swiss medical field in general: But his employers are standing by him and his only punishment has been a stern talking-to. Even Anelka was booted from the team and he was just playing messenger.

You are subscribed to email updates from World Cup Soccer - South Africa 2010 To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

World Cup 2010 Blog: FIFA’s Week From Hell Carries On: Stadium Opponent Murdered.

---

FIFA’s Week From Hell Carries On: Stadium Opponent Murdered. Posted: 18 Oct 2010 02:04 PM PDT The walls are crashing down around FIFA it would appear: Fresh on the back of news that World Cup votes were put up for sale (quelle freakin’ surprise), today it emerged that one of the men who alleged corruption in the building of South Africa’s Mbombela Staidum was murdered…by poison. [Segue to music indicating a supremely dramatic turn in events.] This brings the death tally surrounding the stadium, which is quite lovely (in a crazy “I might kill you” sort of way), to nine. James Nkambule collapsed and died at his home in Mpumalanga province last week. A confidential autopsy report said the 37-year-old was poisoned, according to South Africa’s Sunday Times . Nkambule was reportedly the ninth local official in the past two years to be murdered or die in suspicious circumstances, allegedly for standing in the way of the tender process for the R1.3bn (£118m) Mbombela stadium in Nelspruit. He claimed that corrupt politicians were behind a “hit list” in Mpumalanga and gave a copy to journalists and police. He said a Mozambican hit man known as “Josh” had confessed his involvement in the killings. Nkambule was attempting to get Josh into a witness protection programme, the Sunday Times said. The story seems far more than simply a do-gooder murdered by evil baddies, so the rest of the story and background – along with the link from the bottom – is certainly worth a read. More than simply an incident within South Africa involving the infrastructure from a past tournament, this is another damaging blow to FIFA given its timing. The organization’s integrity, always questioned in the dark corners, is now on public trial, so this won’t help. And as always, somehow Sepp is to blame for this too.

You are subscribed to email updates from World Cup Soccer - South Africa 2010 To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610