Thursday, March 29, 2007
El peor River de la historia.
Se fue el brasilero triste
Su ojo clínico le dio a River cientos de millones de dolares. Ojo clínico que le llevo a aceptar a Solari con 19 años cuando no habia hecho inferiores, o a ficharlo a Ortega en la primera jugada que le vió, una chilena en zapatillas. También fue el que contra la opinión de formadores mas ortodoxos como Gabriel Rodríguez, le dio lugar a jugadores que le terminaron dando mucho al fútbol argentino como Hernán Crespo. Se lo recuerdo también por insistir con Saviola, Maxi Lopez, o la Gata Fernandez. Ojo clínico que suscito la envidia de incapaces como Aguilar que desconfiaban del saber del brasileño, creyendo que lo suyo era propio de un culto esoterico. La ignorancia sumada a la soberbia lo alejaron de River, y luego del fútbol, a sabiendas de que River era su lugar en el mundo.
Como jugador se lo recuerda por el desafortunado penal a Roma. Pero Delem era un jugador fino, goleador desgarbado que llegó a ser suplente de Pelé en la selección brasilera antes de llegar a River en 1961. En 1960 jugó para la canarinha 8 partidos e hizo 5 goles (4 a Argentina – 3 en el Monumental). En Brasil se inició en las inferiores de Gremio y participo del partido inaugural del Estadio Olimpico(1954), el mas grande estadio privado de Brasil. Ganó los campeonatos estaduales de 1956 y 1957 antes de marcharse a Vasco da Gama donde formó un recordado equipo que ganó el torneo carioca en 1958 (hay que recordar que hasta 1960 en Brasil no se disputaban campeonatos nacionales). En River jugó 98 partidos e hizo 35 goles. En 1968 se marcha a Chile y luego termina su carrera en el America de Rio de Janeiro para volver a River donde empezó a trabajar con Didí. Vladem Lazaro Ruiz Quevedo murió ayer a la tarde a los 71 años, justo el dia en el que en un programa de televisión se discutian los negociados que pululan en inferiores y perjudican tanto al fútbol.
Hace unos años escribi un cuento con motivo de los 40 años del penal a Roma. Si lo encuentro lo posteo.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Monday, March 26, 2007
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Robert Andrew Woolmer 1948 - 2007
I ask you, will International competitive sport ever be able to fully recover from this tragedy.
The truth about why he was murdered is still unclear, however there are numerous rumours flying around, as one might suspect under the circumstances.
We are all aware of the corruption/match fixing allegations coinciding with the imminent release of his book, as put forward by many a journalist this past week.
But if it does turn out that corruption has played a part in his death, then how can we the public ever trust the outcome of any sporting event in the future to have been truly genuine.
Most of us like a flutter, as it adds to the interest of the event in question, and as in all sports there are always going to be shock results and outcomes.
Cricket is in the spotlight this next week, but next week it could be football, horse racing, golf, tennis.....whatever.
In professional sport 'greed' is the root of all evil.
People, human beings like you & I will always be susceptible to the lure of making money, even if you already have plenty. It may seem improbable that you will be suspected let alone caught. Who will know if you are not giving your best, not trying your hardest, not bothered if you win, lose or draw - if you can cash in big time.
Nobody.....until one day it all goes wrong, as inevitably it will, and you and/or your family are caught up in something bigger & more dangerous than you can handle!
You may not even have been involved directly. You may have been an unsuspecting pawn in a real life crime.
Mr.Woolmer may not have been involved, but he may have been aware of certain instances where match fixing was apparent in the sub-continent.
Knowing too much about something may turn out to have been instrumental behind his 'murder.'
Information & knowledge are powerful tools and may have proved in this instance to have been as dangerous as taking part in the practice itself!
Sincere and heartfelt condolences go to his wife, Gill and sons Dale and Russell.
He will surely live in the hearts of his cricket fans in England, South Africa, Pakistan and all over the world.
Bob Woolmer
Career History:
1968: Debut for Kent.
1972: One-day international debut for England.
1976: Selected as one of Wisden's five cricketers of the year.
1977: The Centenary Test in Melbourne and England went on to take the Ashes 3-0.
Bob signed for Kerry Packer, and the establishment is not amused.
1984: He retired from first class cricket.
1991: Appointed Director of Coaching at Warwickshire County Club in England.
1994: Warwickshire won 3 out of 4 trophies and were runners up in the NatWest series.
He was appointed coach of South Africa
1994-1999: South Africa won 71% of its one-day internationals, and 10 out of 15 Test series under Woolmer.
2004: Appointed Pakistan's coach.
2007: The Pakistan team crashed out of the World Cup after being shocked by debutants Ireland. Found unconscious in his hotel room in the West Indies and later died in a hospital in Jamaica.
**Please do not make failures and successes on cricket fields a matter of life and death.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Monday, March 19, 2007
Sabias palabras
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Kidney Failure.
As the the TV crews and tabloid happy snappers swarm around the arrivals area of the airport as our prodigal sons return in identical fashion to our footy boys after every major tournament - they may have been defeated (probably in the quarter-finals but not on penalties) but they remain defiant and positive, and every expletive, cliche and excuse under the sun is used to exonerate the players, captain, vice-captain, coach, kit man, dietitian, fitness guru, masseur, therapists, bodyguards, coach driver and so on due to..... the pitches, below par training facilities, exhausting itinerary, extreme heat, dodgy umpiring decisions, injuries, over exuberant fans, insect bites, uncomfortable accommodation, poor sleep c/o late night steel bands across the hallway, poorly educated 'ladies of the night' who were unable to read each member of the touring party a bedtime story and of course sheer bad luck.......yawn!
There's always next time.
Now spare a thought for the World's Biggest Cricket Fan.
His tournament kicks off in under 48 hours time, when on Saturday March 17th India face Bangladesh in Trinidad in their opening Group B game. Mr. Tarun Sharma, 23 a die-hard Indian cricket fan has according to sources threatened to commit suicide by setting fire to himself. The reason for his rather extreme behaviour is that he is not allowed to sell a kidney to raise the stake money for the trip to the World Cup.
Selling body organs in India is illegal unless you are donating them to your relatives and you have the approval of the authorities.....which authorities is debatable. I can't see the Indian Cricket board objecting, but let's for now assume anyway it's some sort of Medical or Government Body.
Sharma said and I quote " I will kill myself if I'm denied a chance to watch the Indians play in the West Indies." He goes on to say, " Anybody can survive with one kidney but you will never get the opportunity to watch India win the Cup in the West Indies"
At odds of generally 7/1 the bookies obviously do not share Mr. Sharma's optimism of
India bring crowned Cricket World Champions.
However how can one begin to compare the value of a body organ with the odds of winning a sporting event.
Now then footy fans. There are plenty of you who regularly spout off about how you would die for your team or club's cause. May I suggest however that it is in fact Mr. Sharma who has actually used this term correctly, in describing what he is prepared to do in his attempt to watch his beloved cricketing nation, or is it simply that he is completely and utterly out of his mind.
Food for thought!
Sunday, March 11, 2007
El gordo de abajo es terrible mufa
Thursday, March 8, 2007
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
Diario de un televidente
Yo se que muchos me joden porque posteo poco y cuando lo hago mis posts reflejan mi poco entusiasmo. Pero convengamos que de hace un tiempo a esta parte el fútbol cambió tanto que ya es difícil encontrar un estimulo.
1) La nefasta incursión de Direct tv (¿Cuántos televidentes arlequineros pueden llegar a ganar?) hace que por ejemplo alguien como yo que desde el 2002 a esta parte veia los 70 partidos completos que jugaban por temporada el Milan, el Madrid, el Barca, la Juve, el Inter (no es joda) tenga hoy que mendigar con resúmenes de Sportcenter vistos a las tres de la mañana con un gol y un par de jugadas. Son unos hijos de puta. Es como el cine a 15 pesos. Antes iba tres veces por semana ahora no voy ninguna. El fútbol inglés es la peor mierda del mundo. Todo pelotazo en canchas de 2x2 con jugadores sin técnica y llueve cada 2 por tres. Futbol de primera es una garcha atomica (siempre lo fue) y Paso a Paso arranca por poco a las 8 de la mañana.
2) Antes si D’alessandro se iba a jugar al Wolfsburgo o Caniggia al Dundee fc te televisaban hasta los entrenamientos. Todavía no tengo noticias de Cavenaghi en el Bourdeax o Gallardo en el PSG (le vi hacer un gol de tiro libre en Sportcenter (?)).
3) Si queres ir a la cancha se zarpan con los adicionales. Si sos socio: adicional, si tenes abono: Adicional para la copa, el plato y los cubiertos. Las plateas se fueron hasta los 50 mangos (estan locos!!!) y si no sos socio sos un hincha categoria Z.
4) Antes si no ibas a la cancha estaba ese programa del Pato Galván que te pasaba la reserva de River: con Cavenaghi, D’alessandro, Mascherano, la Gata Fernandez, el Gaby Pereyra y Damián Alvarez. Un lujo. Ahora no te pasan ni los Por el mundo con el Goyco.
5) Este año lo vi jugar mas minutos en cancha a Quique Feldman y al Gato Garofalo que al Pipita Higuaín.
6) La Champions league y la Copa Libertadores son una garcha con eso del gol de visitante. Equipos picapiedras y defensivos pasan de ronda. Tenés que hacer de local en un metegol como la bombonera, el solá o anfield road para pasar. La profusión de DTs horribles (Benitez, Sanchez Floro, Mourinho, Capello, Merlo) que dirigen esos equipos picapiedras y defensivos que beneficiados por el formato de Playoff y el gol de visitante terminan jugando todas las finales. Equipos que en su puta vida podrian ganar 7 partidos seguidos (Liverpool, Valencia…) juegan finales de Europa y terminan a 30 puntos del puntero en sus ligas.
7) La plastibol con que se juega la Copa Libertadores.
8) Tener que sufrir al pelado Closs y la chancha Niembro en todos los partidos internacionales de River.
9) Ver a Ronaldinho hacer comerciales con los goles de Gudjohnsen (ya no respetan a nadie)
10) Que el único fútbol que te pasen sea los 50 partidos que juegan por temporada el Reading, el Catania, el Messina, el Recre o el Getafe y garchas de copa como la Carling cup y el Mundial de clubes.
11) El metrosexualismo del Madrid y el laportismo corrupto del Barca.
12) Los sorteos de la Conmebol. La Libertadores con sus Uruguay 4, Paraguay 8, o Colombia 5 (“me tocó Perú 3 en la altura”) y el grupo de Venezuela en la copa America con las bolillas recién saliditas del microondas.
13) Verón, Gago y Riquelme candidatos a jugar la Copa America. Prefiero que juegue el Burrito con 8 damajuanas encima.
14) Que River tenga que poner un patova de boliche de 6 para que no le hagan goles.
15) La selecciones argentinas a cargo de impresentables como el ferretero, Basile, Tocalli, y el Panadero ñoqui.
16) Por favor que Pagani no sea tan hijo de puta, se sincere y conduzca Estudio Fútbol con la camiseta de Boca puesta.
Váyanse todos a la puta que los parió.
Monday, March 5, 2007
London BAR King - 'Black Gardenia'
As a result I am going to try to rectify this by emBARking on bringing you a short but regular guide to where's hot and where's not in the drinking capital of the world.
To kick things off I would like to bring to your attention a newly opened bar in Soho called the 'Black Gardenia,' formally the Push Bar.
It's situated on 93 Dean Street, London W1 and is now very much a cool yet distinctive, almost moody, cavern style milieu. It offers a diverse miscellany of forties, fifties and sixties tunes, and is open until 1am.
No jeans are allowed, the garb is bordering on vintage, almost Retro and the more vintage your attire the more you will fit in.
A cracking bar. Well worth a visit whatever your vogue.