THE WORLD CUP BLOG FROM TROL

INTRODUCTION



Those who know this magazine and its Editor are aware that he has always been deeply involved in and written a great deal about Sports. Given the absolutely desperate level of writing about football (the world game, not the NFL which he also cherishes) as evinced by Sports Illustrated (the most ignorant), USA Today, ESPN, etc., this blog may also serve as a sort of corrective. It has been written day by day for a Polish newspaper and e-mailed to a few friends. Why deny it to others?

It is available here in reverse order: that is, the most recent report is also the first.

GOSSIP BEFORE ARMAGEDDON (July 1)

Should you think there are enough dictators about football, here's
fresh news for you:

1. The Paramount Chief (Sorry, President) of Nigeria, that excellent
footballer, has banned the entire Nigerian team from all competition
for two years. For dishonoring,the Nation! I truly love that, but do
not think that England is likelly to follow suit.

2. Ashley Cole, Chelsea and England fullback was so indiscreet to his
friends as to say that he 'hated England and its fans'. At least here
is a case of a player saying what he really thinks. I do not take it
for granted that athletes, in football or elsewhere, are intelligent.
They are bodies and minds hired for a decade and then replaced. The
new Italian team coach, Prandelli, was on holiday in Zanzibar during
the early stages of the World Cup. He took reading matter with him:
Jorge Luis Borges and Jean-Paul Sartre. That qualifies him in sporting
circles as a raging intellectual. In the US, that would be enough to
disbar him from public office.

But Ashley Cole? Well, most of the talk about him is about girls. Now, then, ex, current, future. All of them exceedingly boring. A good player on the way down.

3. Now that is certainly popular with the tabloids, so maybe it is not
so nutty to suggest that David Beckham should take Capello's place as
England's manager. Besides falling apart and faking injury during a
previous WC, the appointment of another cheat to a high position in
football would go down well in certain quarters. You could say Beckham fits. With Maradona, Henry, Zidane and company

4. Does anyone know the whereabouts or destinations of North Korea's
vanquished team? The last batch 'disappeared'. Or should that ve, 'were disappeared'?

5. I read in the Colombian press an urgent question: as Brazil is the
host nation in 2014, does that mean that South America will have only
four 'other' teams in consideration? Answer: So far, yes. Given the
number of football associations on that continent, S. America already
has the hghest proportion of participants.

6. Of the nineteen referees still in action (or available), few are
notable for their performances. Larrionda (Spain) and Rossetti (Italy)
have been tossed for egregious mistakes, though Rossetti was far less
at fault. But one other sent home was Swiss, Massimo Busacca. He
doesn't know why. No one does. There are suggestions that he was sent
home for daring to put the South African team out too soon.

7. Final Expectoration: by one C. Ronaldo, at or near the TV cameras.
They are not pleased with the Glamor Boy in Portugal. His predecessor,
Luis Figo, says the lad lacks respect for the team, the game and his
nation. The special one, Jose Mourinho, rushed to his aid, as he does
with all his players. If the team loses, Mourinho explained, I am to
blame; if it wins, the credit is theirs. More polish than spit there,
Joze!

.