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Are his Nanna's still dying? How many Grans has he got?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/footbal ... 737455.stm

Can't say I agree with this. Why host a tournament in Africa if you're going to engineer the atmosphere?

I agree with it 100%. I don't want to watch matches not involving England due to the f***ing stupid vuvuzelas! I can do without sitting through two hours of TV with the constant sound of an angry swarm of bees stuck inside my telly! Completely subdued / ruined any normal England match atmosphere last night, and in the bits of other matches I've seen the same can be said there.

'You can stuck your vuvuzela up your a*se, stick your vuvuzela up your a*se, stick your vuvuzela, stick your vuvuzela, stick your vuvuzela up your a*se - sideways!'


StevePSB

France captain Patrice Evra has already blamed the noise generated by the vuvuzelas, which has been likened to the drone of thousands of bees, for his side's poor showing in their opening group game against Uruguay, which finished goalless.

They are nowhere near as irritating as banging drums or that t*** at Anfield that has that rattle.

Group D is pretty decent. England (assuming they get through ) will have their work cut out in the last sixteen. Really looking forward to tonight's game.

btw, if anybody wants to be exposed to hellish degrees of banality press your red button during a game on ITV.

StevePSB wrote:I agree with it 100%. I don't want to watch matches not involving England due to the f***ing stupid vuvuzelas! I can do without sitting through two hours of TV with the constant sound of an angry swarm of bees stuck inside my telly! Completely subdued / ruined any normal England match atmosphere last night, and in the bits of other matches I've seen the same can be said there.

'You can stuck your vuvuzela up your a*se, stick your vuvuzela up your a*se, stick your vuvuzela, stick your vuvuzela, stick your vuvuzela up your a*se - sideways!'

That's bullshit. Part of the joy of the World Cup is its hetrogeneity. Right back to the first World Cup I can remember in 1982 each tournament has had its narrative determined by its location. That's why France-West Germany was such a memorably balmy classic, and the Brazilian shirts and team blazed refulgently before they fell Icarus-like into the Mediterranean Sea. The day FIFA starts engineering identikit World Cups they may as well give up.

They have already engineered identikit World Cups - which is why the vuvuzela is essential. I remember the days when you could identify the stadium of the match you were watching simply by looking at the goal nets. Now, the same branded livery is everywhere, the goal posts and nets are identical, and you don't know whether the game is in Yokohama or Oklahoma.

The vuvuzelas are fantastic. They evoke a unique atmosphere, much like the klaxons did in West Germany in 1974, the ticker tape of Argentina, and the Mexican wave in 1986. If you go to a party, you can't expect to choose the music.

And they drown out chants of "You're going home in a fu*king ambulance", so it's all good.

Drico.

Undertaker wrote:Maradona looks like a serial killer.

If the Argies play like they have done in the first 10 minutes, they will win the World Cup. Messi is unplayable. You just have to hope he plays crap.

Yeah, Argentina are by far the most impressive team so far although defensively they are vulnerable and will continue to be so if they persist with three out-and-out strikers (as great as they are). Even though they were comprehensively outplayed, Nigeria still had a few decent chances and actually should have taken the lead. I think a better side could take advantage of Argentina's frailties, particularly if they continue with Gutierrez at right-back.

Still very good to watch, though, and I guess we'll all get a better idea of how the World Cup will pan out when we see the likes of Holland, Brazil and Spain in action.

My major gripe so far, however, is the ball - it's quite clearly too light and having a detrimental effect on the quality of football. Passes and crosses have been consistently over-hit and its bounce is too strong - almost like how it would react on astroturf. What's wrong with a normal ball that doesn't fly all over the place like a £1.99 beachball? Football is embraced by every nation in the world so it hardly needs selling with another FIFA gimmick.

On a more positive note, the officials have been outstanding so far. Referees and linesmen get so much stick and it's only right that we should praise them when they deserve it.

It's not Photoshop, believe ot or not!

http://www.nypost.com/archives/covers/; ... 82DDFA2590

http://www.nypost.com/archives/covers/; ... 82DDFA2590

Patrick Bateman wrote:That's bullshit.

LOL!


StevePSB

Patrick Bateman wrote:No. The Ashes (at least) should be on terrestial television. Excellent as Sky's coverage is it means that only a small proportion of the population has access to it. That's not right; cricket is our national summer sport, and should be free-to-air. The BBC could bid for it if it didn't waste so much money on sending so many liggers to events like the World Cup and Glastonbury.

http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/news/84 ... barmy.html

Totally agree. I'd really like to see Channel 4 get it back actually, as I thought its coverage was top-notch, even if Simon Hughes' analysis did occasionally stray into have-you-ever-seen-a-woman-naked territory (his book A Lot Of Hard Yakka, is a great read, mind you). Not having Sky has totally killed my cricket knowledge, which is a massive shame. When C4 had the Test cricket coverage I was massively into it, particularly as part of my job back then was updating the scorecard on the channel's ancillary teletext service and writing mini-reports after every session. I had to work weekends but it was a great way to get bumper overtime wages.

I've got a feeling that the Aussies are going to beat Germany tonight.

*edit* Well, perhaps if they'd played a striker.

Always worth revisiting.....

Kris wrote:Totally agree. I'd really like to see Channel 4 get it back actually, as I thought its coverage was top-notch, even if Simon Hughes' analysis did occasionally stray into have-you-ever-seen-a-woman-naked territory (his book A Lot Of Hard Yakka, is a great read, mind you). Not having Sky has totally killed my cricket knowledge, which is a massive shame. When C4 had the Test cricket coverage I was massively into it, particularly as part of my job back then was updating the scorecard on the channel's ancillary teletext service and writing mini-reports after every session. I had to work weekends but it was a great way to get bumper overtime wages.

That's the best way to earn a living; watch sport and get paid for it. I am most jealous of that dude who writes and broadcasts on South American football, Tim Vickery. He gets paid to live in South America and watch football!!!!! But to be fair to him he knows his stuff.