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Archive for the ‘sport’ Category

they make good rugby players in burkina faso

Posted in sport, tagged , , , , on June 17, 2009 | 1 Comment »

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This is not a post about the rugby culture in Burkina Faso sadly, but about Fulgence Ouedraogo, a lock forward who plays international rugby for France. Ouedraogo was born in the Burkina capital, Ouagadougou but grew up Montpellier, France. So it should really about French rugby. So what. Any excuse to link to this profile of Ouedraogo, whose star is growing, in the New Zealand Herald. (The story, which explores the implication of Ouedroago and teammate Francois Trinh-Duc‘s presence in the side, sadly refers to their family backgrounds as “exotic.”)

(The French national team is on tour in New Zealand where they’ve already won the first test).

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pardon the interruption

Posted in sport, tagged , , , , on May 8, 2009 | 1 Comment »

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Pardon the Interruption is a daily program on ESPN TV (simulcast on ESPN radio) where two TV blowhards (they literally scream all the time)–Tony Kornheiser, an American football commentator (they call that “play-by-play” here) and his colleague at the Washington Post, Mike Wilbon– “discuss” sports events in rapid-fire segments of one minute each, from a drop down menu.

I enjoy it sometimes when I am tired and need to sit down around 5.30pm somedays.

But I struggle through their discussions when they turn their attention to football, or soccer as Americans call it. You can see where this is going: sadly, it is about the ignorance of US sports announcers when it comes to football or soccer. (FOX Soccer Channel is an exception, but over there you’d think football is only played in the UK, down to the Fourth Division).

But back to Pardon the Interruption.

Yesterday, Kornheiser and Wilbin decided to discuss the controversial Chelsea-Barcelona UEFA Champions League semi-final.

Sadly I don’t have the video. (If we did, you would notice that one of their producers used Espanyol’s logo to identify Barcelona (if you can find the video of yesterday’s broadcast).

But the audio will do to for my point here. Listen (below) about three-quarters in. After conceding that neither knew anything about football, they still feel compelled to make fools of themselves.

[Audio http://query-origin.andohs.net/8000A6/content-root3.andomedia.com/origin/mp3/espnradio/pti/pti090507.mp3%5D

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Zico in Africa (in the wrong place at the wrong time)

Posted in sport, tagged , , , , , on April 28, 2009 | Leave a Comment »

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FourFourTwo, the British football magazine, runs a regular feature “One on One” where readers ask questions to mostly former players (and managers).

The latest issue, which doubles as a special about South American football, features Zico, the midfielder who starred for Brazil in the 1978 and 1982 World Cup, where Brazil was unlucky both times. (In 1978 it may have been the victim of probable match-fixing by Peru and Argentina that saw the Brazilians knocked out on goal difference in the initial phase of the competition, and in 1982, when Brazil was defeated by Italy in the second round).

But back to “One on One.”

The questions are usually soft-balls, mostly about memorable goals, fashion faux passes, best teams or players.

Except one fan, Andy Ripley from Liverpool brought this up: “Apparently your Flamengo team had a pretty unpleasant experience when you traveled to South Africa in the early 1980s. What happened there?“

(more…)

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‘… playing in Africa’

Posted in sport, tagged , , , , , on April 26, 2009 | 1 Comment »

Mark Gleeson, the South African-based football writer (he writes for Reuters, World Soccer, etc), on South African football identity:

“… The pivotal marketing position when South Africa were still bidding for the 2010 World Cup was the assertion it would be a tournament for all of the continent. ‘Africa’s bid’ was the pay-off line used throughout the successful campaign. Using famous footballing personalities from around the continent, South Africa garnered widespread support with its all-inclusive approach against their Arab rivals in the race to win the right to host the event. But for their crowing about pan-African idealism, which the South African World Cup organisers still like to proffer from time to time, there is a growing ambivalence in the country about football to the north of its border. It is as if South Africa looks more to Europe for inspiration and sporting solidarity and, if it had a choice, would bypass competition in Africa all together..”

Read the rest.

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again and again

Posted in Music, sport, tagged , , , , , , , , on April 20, 2009 | Leave a Comment »

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I could not resist hijacking Roots Manuva‘s September 2008 single to link to a New York Times story about how not only will South Africa stage football’s World Cup next year, is now hosting the IPL Cricket League and later this year will “… host … a tour by the British and Irish Lions rugby team, the game’s biggest event other than a World Cup.” Leading The Times reporter to conclude: “… South Africa has become the place to be for fans of international sports.”

Jealous.

I hope to catch a bit of this vibe first hand over the next year or so.

Take it away South London’s finest.

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the boring lives of footballers

Posted in sport, tagged , , on April 10, 2009 |

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I am signing off for the weekend, but not before leaving you with the deep thoughts and eventful days of Emmanuel Adebayor, footballer (Arsenal and Togo), who paid a cameraman and a producer (I think Adidas is paying) to follow him around and update us on his eventfull life. Not everybody is Samuel Eto’o Fils, Didier Drogba, Eric Cantona, Liliam Thuram or Diego Maradona.

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“… a South African … with a history of running away from people and places that displeased him”

Posted in sport, tagged , , , on April 10, 2009 |

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“I won’t be without my wife for 11 weeks ever again,” he announced [in the West Indies]. Never mind that what stopped Jessica Taylor [his wife] joining the other wives and girlfriends for a visit was her commitment to the BBC’s Dancing On Ice. [Kevin] Pietersen is developing a faint persecution complex … The more [the England Cricket Board] try to reinvent him, the more his core characteristics reassert themselves in a jumble of complaining, homesickness [and] self-justification …”


Paul Hayward on what bugs Kevin Pieterson.

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Why the South African government needs Springbok Rugby

Posted in sport, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 5, 2009 | 1 Comment »

“… Rugby embodies historical memories. But Afrikaner men’s participation in the sport is also orientated towards the present. In this respect, I suggest, the still largely Afrikaans-speaking Springbok team serves the new order in much the same manner as rugby teams of the past had served the old one. As warriors of the new ‘rainbow nation’, Springbok rugby players have put their bodies on the line for a democratic country ruled by black politicians. Rugby has become an important avenue for dramatising the important national contribution of Afrikaner men.”

Anthropologist Isak Niehaus speaking on “Warriors of the Rainbow Nation? South African Rugby After Apartheid” based on analyses of the autobiographies of three post-boycott, South African national team captains: Gary Teichman, Francois Pienaar and Corne Krige.

HT: Herman

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“Enzo is like a god”

Posted in sport, tagged , , , , , on February 13, 2009 | Leave a Comment »

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It’s weekend. So it must mean football.

That is Zinedine Zidane speaking about the genius of Enzo Francescoli, the player he idolized. (9 other players get to do the same in FourFourTwo Magazine).

Francescoli played for River Plate (I know, I like Boca Juniors, but he is forgiven), Olympique Marseille, Torini, Cagliari, and Racing Club, among others. And Uruguay of course (he played in 2 World Cup: Mexico 1986 and Italy 1990). Zidane named one of his sons after Enzo. The goal came at the end of his career.

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‘Their man is Habana’

Posted in sport, tagged , , , , , , , on December 2, 2008 | Leave a Comment »

Anna Kessel in The Observer interviews Bryan Habana (and his dad–”Sir, Mr Habana or Uncle Bernie”). Habana gets to talk about the meaning of the 1995 World Cup, race and sports, history (“Jeez, you know if Chester Williams hadn’t made a statement or given his all would I be sitting here today?”), and his ideal captain. The latter allows makes Kessel speculate about Habana’s own destiny in the Springbok team:

Excerpt:

‘It goes so much deeper than what happens on the rugby field. Whether it be Bakkies Botha or Tendai or Ricky Januarie, no matter the colour of their skin, who they are or where they’ve come from, it’s great to see how the different energies gel, and how [captain] John Smit manages that. He’s got guys from different provinces – it could cause tension – and he’s got to make it work. I think if John was black he would still be the captain he is now.’

That statement in itself is interesting. South Africa are yet to appoint a black captain for their rugby team, but there may just be a candidate now who proves irresistible.

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