L'abyssale incompétence des élites françaises à diriger un collectif *

The game is over. The postmortem continues. With thanks to Romuald in Guadaljara, below is a link to a suite of analyses on France's dramatic performance and exit from the World Cup in Le Monde, France's incomparable daily

The featured writing by a number of savvy French intellectuals is brilliant, insightful, alarming – in the best sense of the word – and ultimately challenging.

"Mondial: un fiasco français à l'image d'un monde changeant? **

* roughly translated: "The unfathomable inablility of French elites to lead a collective.']

** roughly translated: "World Cup: a French fiasco in the image of a changing world?"

"French press hammer Les Bleus," a June 23 article on ESPN's Soccernet, reports on the savaging of the team by France's Fourth Estate, but fails to report on the deep social questioning triggered by the events in South Africa.

[graphic from Google image search for 'French les Bleus' from "Taxi for Les Bleus - Sarkozy fails to halt French revulsion; French president ordered France to redeem themselves in crucial final match against South Africa. They lost, 2-1," a June 22 article the U.K.'s Guardian. Caption; 'The final humiliation: France's Yoann Gourcuff, No 8, is shown a red card by referee Oscar Ruiz. Photograph: Matthew Childs/Action Images."]

“Shakes” Kungwane

Issac “Shakes” Kungwane lumbers down 11th avenue, pausing momentarily to light a menthol Cravin A. His thick fingers form a cup around the flame, shielding it from the winds of this bitter South African winter. Horns blare from taxi vans that careen through Alexandra’s frighteningly narrow streets. “Watch these cars,” Shakes warns. “In Alexandra they don’t stop, they just drive through you.” His body, short and squat, begins to shake in a fit of raspy, sardonic laughter. In his wake, throngs of children dribble soccer balls between passing cars, shouting and teasing one another in Zulu language. “This is what we did as kids in Alex [andra],” says the 40-year-old. “Everyone played soccer. In the street, in the stadium, everywhere.”

more

Part of a series of profiles that Nick Fitzhugh and Pete Muller did as part of a documentary series on soccer in Johannesburg’s Alexandra Township. The mini documentary series chronicles the role of soccer in the lives of five Alexandra residents.

[Cross-posted to Signal Fire. Thanks to AP in DC and Guadalajara for making the connection.]

And what About that bar in Manchester...

Before the advent of the World Cup, the Shakespeare pub in Manchester had ten of its regular patrons legally change their names to soccer star "Wayne Rooney." The pub's boss, Chris Hilditch, made a now equally questionable move of changing his name to Fabio Capello. As zesty pre-World Cup bit of spirit and bravado, it was fun when the BBC reported it:

"Manchester bar staff in Rooney name change"

Now that the team has slunk home in business suits and Capello is persona au gratin in England, I wonder how these enthusiasts in Manchester are riding out their decision. Has Hyundai contacted them to participate in a future 'avid fan' commercial? Has the pub owner/boss begun shopping for a safer moniker?

My heart go out to them and the England team ...

[graphic from Google image search for 'Manchester Shakespeare pub.]'

World Cup Advance Redeems Japan's Coach

As Japan plays out its overtime with Paraguay, we look at their trajectory.  A great Wall Street Journal article summarizes their rise from the ashes of hopelessness and dismay with the coach to a national apologetic stance:

"One month ago, Mr. Okada said he was ready to tender his resignation—and plenty of Japanese fans were demanding it. But now, as Japan heads to its first appearance in the knockout stage of the World Cup on foreign soil, the Japanese team's miraculous turnaround from scoreless losers to convincing victors in a matter of two weeks has given Mr. Okada the glow of a miracle worker.

"Twitter users created a hashtag—a phrase or word attached to a message that refers to a popular topic—called "okachan_sorry." Okachan is an endearing take on Mr. Okada's name in Japanese."

Article: World Cup Advance Redeems Japan's Coach

[graphic from Google image search for 'Okada World Cup.']

The Day After

"This is not just a game - this is what we call a classic!" With these words the commentator introduced last afternoon's match. The rest is history. Above are some post-game impressions of a very happy Stuttgart, celebrating in the scorching sun. But since we are in tidy Swabia, the streets are swept clean exactly 3 hours later. And that's that.
PS: I was actually looking forward to today's headlines of UK papers, anticipating some sharp remarks concerning Germany's and the UK's historical [football] affiliations. Instead they seem to be good sports about it. The times they are a-changing.
PPS: Click here for The Wembley Moment as seen by the referee [headline reads: The Evidence: the Ball was not Behind the Line.]

England 1 - Germany 4

The Daily Telegraph

"Capello’s defence were a collection of hesitant strangers, his midfield painfully less than the sum of their celebrated parts and the attack anonymous."

"England 1 Germany 4: match report"
by Henry Winter

* * *

The Guardian

"The Frank Lampard-Steven Gerrard generation have had failure's nail banged into them and it shows. Deep in their minds a voice must cry out that success at World Cup and European Championship level is simply beyond imagining. The temptation across the English game must be to retreat to the sanctuary of the Premier League, with its Super Sunday clashes between empires of debt. These expeditions in the Three Lions livery are only a trail of tears."

"World Cup 2010: England re-enact a drama of failure"
A brutal pattern reasserted itself here as German youth flourished and English maturity tipped over into obsolescence
by Paul Hayward

[graphic from Telegraph article. Caption:  Down and out: England's players react following Thomas Muller's goal for Germany in their 4-1 defeat in Bloemfontein  Photo: REUTERS]

The Invention of Football

"Whoever invented football should be worshipped as a God."

-- Hugo Sanchez
Mexican soccer player and coach

[Graphic from "Goal 2010!" exhibition of the FIFA Fine Art Poster Portfolio at the Capital City Arts Initiative Courthouse Gallery in Carson City, Nevada. Caption: "Red Elephant." 2009 By German artist Isolde Krams.]

mr. dog and the World Cup

[While we sort out the events of a wild weekend of knock-out games: fya – "mr. dog and the World Cup."]

New York Media [Back] Covers: The World Cup

I Clowns Fellini - funerale

L'Équipe

[Via our Guadalajara-based contributor Anne Peacock, we are honored to include the text below by her colleague Romuald.]

L'Équipe - The French Collective Game

I’m French. Now you know. Nobody’s perfect. But I do love soccer.

We met again with the Italians during this World Cup… But only in front of the doors at the airport. However, the Squadra Azzurra’s luggage was not as heavy as ours: less humiliation, I guess.

Sarkozy steps in now: he wants an investigation on everything that happened before and while at the W.C. Then he promises a refoundation of the entire French soccer planet as well. Napoleon says, so be it. For once I may agree with him: the Germans did it several years ago, and the results are showing up: all their young national teams win all the international tournaments these days… Watch out Brazil for the 20th edition! (yes, for me this 19th edition is already over, remember?…)

France might be a soccer nation, but this sport has never been a religion as it is Italy, England or in Spain, not even like in Germany (a country where the games attract the most spectators in Europe this year, again a result of the general reorganization of their system; not to mention that Bayern is European Champion). I live abroad and I am amazed to read in the French papers these days the type of titles I could only find in the British tabloids before. The whole country fell into passion with soccer again! This national team has succeeded in one thing at least: now the whole country is united, hates Les Bleus, maybe even more than the entire world does–the Spanish, Brazilian, Irish -!!-, US,  … newspapers were just a wee bit nicer to the French soccer team than the French ones).

So now this has become a national issue in France. Our image. Our honor. The players failed to represent their nation, as they should have. Their behavior (attitude?) was not worthy and should not allow them to wear the French jersey anymore or ever again. But some will -of course: the next game is in august for us –a ‘friendly.’

But to be honest, I am more shocked at the official declarations I read than at the behavior of our players. I am convinced there is a link between what is going on in France and what happened in South Africa.

No, Sarkozy is not responsible if the French players were not able to adjust one correct pass in any of their 3 games. But (few lines of patience, you’ll see where I’m getting): our government develops great migration policies (adult migrants can get expelled while their kids, born in France, go to French schools- In France, whoever is born on French soil is automatically a French citizen.). Our president walks around the ‘hood’ in Paris and screams “we’ll clean up this mess under high pressure water” (meaning “we’ll make this neighborhood whiter?”). Our Secretary of State calls for a national debate on “what is French nationality?” in the middle of the greatest economic crisis the contemporary global world has ever been through (see “You want to learn how to point fingers at some ethnic groups”, Chapter 1, lesson 1, first edition). And now our secretaries, representatives, and other senators, and even some philosophers -right wing so-called- also hit on the French Team with the harshest words. But not only on the team, but worse, on players, on individuals… whom 85% have migrant origins and/or are from the ‘hood.

What comes first: the egg, or the chicken? Leaders who do not promote social cohesion and do not respect cultural diversity could not have been better represented. They did have a whole team of spokesmen!

I am also puzzled why the French media participate so actively in this disgusting witch hunt (pointing fingers again), to such a social and public trial of 22 men– when they should criticize and offer their analysis and focus on the origin of the problem, the disintegration of the whole French social cohesion.

France's 98’ World Cup victory cemented French society. French cohesion, at that time not perfect but without a shadow of a doubt better than today, participated in the victory. It was the success of social diversity in backgrounds. The Team “Black, Blanc, Beurre ” [Slang to name French ethnic groups of Arabic origin, for a while pejorative, but became neutral or positive after France’s 98’ victory.

Today’s French solidarity is slowly but surely being destroyed by the actual political reforms that are being passed at this exact moment during the World Cup Or maybe this so-called French social solidarity has never been anything else but a dream: today, my country and the French media are outraged by losing a soccer game, they get emotional and irrational like never before. Meanwhile, they are apathetic while France is really losing a social system based on solidarity. Care about the consequences, and not about the cause. It’s just incredible.

But soccer is only soccer, and the reasons for a fiasco cannot be found in governmental politics. Responsible but not guilty.

One should look a bit more into the French Soccer Federation (F.F.F.), probably (obviously?), where the big bosses seem to care more about their leather armchairs and positions than about soccer (it’s a bit of a caricature, I agree, but to make a long story short…). There, the respect for the players seems very low. First, how can you let them go to the greatest soccer competition without a real leader (meaning coach). As early as 2002 already – the date of another soccer disaster for us–and should I mention 2008?–some players of the “98’ generation” tried to suggest other ways to manage the French soccer world in the country. The ability of the Federation to resist was impressive. They seemed completely disconnected and deaf to the reality of the emergency to change the ways they were leading things. We can witness the results of this.

Then, maybe if the corporate team of the F.F.F. was a bit more “Black, Blanc, Beurre”, we could assist in a more collective, collaborative and efficient way of managing Les Bleus? Outside and on the field…

The only one positive thing I see about this story: no more impunity for the players, they will never ever be allowed to behave like divas anymore. Because, yes, they did. And we’ve been letting them do this since we were world champions. Since then, it’s been a precipitous descent. It had to stop. It’s done now. Good.

Who knows why the best or the worst comes from people who love soccer (players, spectators, etc.). I’ve read somewhere that Marguerite Duras once asked Michel Platini about “the secret of the game”, in order to know if it was “evil or divine” (in respect to its social impact, I guess). The idol of so many would have answered, “people love soccer only because it does not carry any truth.” (This could also be translated by “genuineness,” “veracity,”or “reality.” You choose!)


[Graphic from Google image search for '2010 World Cup French Squad.']

Hitler and the Vuvuzela

The "Hitler Finds Out" phenomenon not surprisingly has weighed in on the World Cup-ubiquitous vuvuzela.



"Hitler and the vuvuzela at the 2010 Fifa World Cup" although funny, fails to miss the key issues at the core of the vuvuzela controversy: that one's culture's musical instruments is another's annoying noisemaker resulting in the trumpeting of culturally-biased attitudes.

See earlier Goal 2010! post: Vuvuzela.

In all events, watch it while you can. Objections lodged by Constantin Film, owners of the "Downfall" copyright, have triggered the systematic removal of the "Hitler videos" from YouTube. [See Huffington Post article"'Downfall' Parody Clips Slowly Being Removed By YouTube."]

Fallimento sudafricano di Lippi, la pagina più nera del nostro calcio

[Below, from Francesco Molinari, reporting on the events of the World Cup and social issues worldwide from from Venice and Rijeka [Croatia]. Fallimento sudafricano di Lippi, la pagina più nera del nostro calcio translates loosely as "The Failure of Lippi in South Africa, the darkest chapter in Italian soccer." We'll try to catch up with 'Cesco' by phone for a bit of additional translation and commentary.]

25/6/2010 (7:6) - IL CASO

Fallimento sudafricano di Lippi, la pagina più nera del nostro calcio

A fine partita Cannavaro cerca di consolare Quagliarella in lacrime + Rivera: "La Corea? No, questo un disastro annunciato" + La rivoluzione di Prandelli non sarà solo Balotelli + Gattuso: "Ora ci faranno cavalieri della vergogna" + Domani all'alba il rientro degli azzurri a Roma e Milano + Il carro vuoto del ct Lippi: "E' tutta colpa mia" + In un'ora il peggio dell'Italia + Miracolo Weiss, ma la Slovacchia non scorda i nemici OPINIONI Un paese senza futuro M. GRAMELLINI VOTA Italia-Slovacchia: dai le tue pagelle ai giocatori VOTA Italia eliminata, di chi è la responsabilità maggiore? SCRIVI Delusione azzurra, dì la tua nel forum

	condividi

Senza talenti nè coraggio:
ci elimina la debuttante
Slovacchia

ROBERTO BECCANTINI

JOHANNESBURG
Fuori a pedate nel sedere, fuori perché il calcio è un’altra cosa, fuori perché noi italiani non cresceremo mai, tutto o niente, campioni o bidoni.
Slovacchia tre, Italia due è la fine di un ciclo e, vista la stoffa degli eredi, l’inizio di una fine. Era dal 1974 che non si usciva al primo turno e mai, nella storia di un Mondiale, la prima e la seconda dell’edizione precedente avevano tolto il disturbo così presto. Sarà un caso, ma Italia e Francia avevano deciso, e comunicato, la volontà di cambiare ct: da Lippi a Prandelli, da Domenech a Blanc. Chi scrive, aveva lanciato l’allarme subito dopo il debutto con il Paraguay. Non ricordo, a memoria, una Nazionale così piatta, fragile, paurosa della sua ombra. Marcello Lippi offre il petto al plotone di esecuzione. «Colpa mia, sparate». Vero, ma non basta. Essere stracciati per un tempo dalla Slovacchia, 34ª nella classifica Fifa - ripeto: essere dominati e sottomessi in quel modo, ben oltre la vergogna - significa aver sbagliato tutto, e che tutti hanno sbagliato.

1. Le scelte incomprensibili
Attaccarsi agli episodi (gol fantasma e gol annullati, risse e sceneggiate) e agli infortuni (Buffon, Pirlo) non sarebbe nobile, e difatti Lippi se ne guarda bene, anche se nei nostri salotti ci saremmo scannati per mesi. Due pareggi e una sconfitta: nella sua scheletrica magrezza, il peggior bottino di sempre. Il disastro parte da lontano, dalla pancia piena e l’aureola pienissima del Lippi «tedesco», santo dopo per acclamazione. I lettori sanno come la penso: un ct campione del Mondo andrebbe rimosso per decreto. Non è una battuta. E’ una valutazione. I santi dopo camminano sulle acque e tendono a ignorare certi segnali, determinati messaggi.

I nemici sono diventati neutrali, se non addirittura amici; e gli amici, quelli rimasti, si genuflettono. L’Inter tutta straniera fornisce l’appiglio più sicuro, più comodo, Balotelli a parte, e così si procede con i soliti slogan, le solite ricette, la solita minestra. Il gruppo, certo. E le motivazioni. E il furore che quattro anni fa affiorava persino dalle narici. Un santo dopo può molto, anche plagiare, anche clonare. Ci siamo rilassati, ci siamo distratti. Avremmo dovuto essere più vigili, più severi. Evviva il gruppo, a patto di non abusarne. Evviva il calcio «comunista», a patto di non espellere, in suo nome, i «capitalisti» del talento: a maggior ragione, se sono pochi e contati. Ha ragione, Marcello, quando dichiara di non aver lasciato a casa nessun Messi e nessun Cristiano Ronaldo. E le vie di mezzo? Perché no Miccoli (prima che si rompesse, naturalmente) e no Cassano? A Balotelli, Totti e Del Piero avrei rinunciato anch’io e, dunque, mi prendo la mia brava razione di insulti.

2. La gestione del branco
Detto che era una Nazionale «sbagliata», legata con lo spago della Juventus meno Juventus dal 1962 a oggi, vi raccomando la personalità e il livello espresso dai giocatori, non proprio gli stessi raccontati e cantati dai menestrelli delle nostre saghe. Montolivo, tanto per fare un nome. Mi era piaciuto, mi ero buttato. La storia non si ripete; e quando lo fa, si ripete in farsa o in tragedia, confini che, sportivamente parlando, hanno illustrato e seppellito l’Africa del ct.

Lippi non è mai stato Lippi, né nella caccia al branco né nella gestione del medesimo. Già con il Paraguay, l’Italia era sembrata una non-squadra, senza equilibrio e senza ardore, tenuta insieme dalle circostanze e - si pensava, si sperava - dal fatto che prima o poi qualcuno avrebbe acceso un fiammifero. Almeno uno. In attesa di Pirlo, e di un attacco che desse un segno di vita. Lippi ha cercato e arruolato i soldatini ligi e generosi. Li ha governati e indottrinati, non ha guardato all’età (gli anni di Cannavaro) e neppure alla sensibilità dei piedi. Ha espulso le modeste scorte di fantasia che avrebbero potuto agitare gli stagni della malinconia. Ha invocato umiltà e ha ricevuto mediocrità: più di quanta, immagino, ne avesse messa in conto. Poveri noi, se neppure un Mondiale riesce a moltiplicare i pani e i pesci del repertorio, per modesto o scarno che sia.

2. Il labirinto tattico
E poi il labirinto tattico, i troppi moduli, i troppi cambi in funzione di un disegno che l’allenatore aveva smarrito, per arrivare alla sensazione che uno dei più freschi e incisivi, Quagliarella, sia stato sacrificato non si sa bene sull’altare di quale principio. Lippi ha praticato sempre le scelte più estreme, o la va o la spacca: da Zambrotta terzino, un lampo, a Legrottaglie centrocampista, un abbaglio. La sua ultima Nazionale ha dato l’impressione di un gregge in fuga dal suo stesso pastore: o comunque, di non saperne più leggere i silenzi, i gesti, le urla. Le cifre sono impietose: in tre partite, abbiamo incassato cinque gol, più del doppio delle reti subìte in Germania. Le squadre di Lippi hanno un’impronta, oltre che un’anima, con il gioco e i giocatori al servizio di un’idea condivisa. Questa era un guscio vuoto, una zucca così grottesca da spingere lo stesso Gattuso a citare un termine al quale i giocatori ricorrono solo in casi di flagranza assoluta e manifesta: vergogna.

Si è fidato del suo vangelo e dei suoi sacrestani, Marcello, e a forza di farlo, ha finito per farsi scappare di mano la parrocchia. Non un ammutinamento alla francese, rozzo e plateale. Piuttosto, un’implosione interna, lenta e fatale. Credo che sia stato il primo a perdersi d’animo e credo, soprattutto, che sia stato proprio questo «mancamento», captato dallo zoccolo duro, a far saltare il banco, a rendere pavidi i pochi coraggiosi e broccacci i molti normali.

4. Il doppio ct
Abbiamo giocato con il doppio ct, e se non siamo certo fuori per questo, al posto di Abete avrei aspettato ad annunciare Prandelli. Per carità: non è un alibi, e nemmeno un artifizio per attenuare le responsabilità del fallimento, che sono forti, chiare e appartengono, in gran parte, a colui che, nel 2006, ci aveva portati in cima al mondo. E’ incredibile come le comunioni di amorosi sensi non funzionino. Pur di recuperare Lippi, il presidente federale aveva rimosso Donadoni, deluso dal k.o. rimediato nei quarti agli Europei 2008: ai rigori e, per giunta, contro quella Spagna che di lì a poco si sarebbe laureata regina. E Cassano c’era. E Del Piero c’era. Serviva un nome, uno scudo. Lippi. Metà ct e metà allenatore-ombra della Juventus: un’ambiguità imbarazzante, tollerata in memoria del titolo che fu. Resta un grande allenatore, Marcello Lippi, ma questo è un buco nero nella carriera. Più combattuto che combattivo, ha preteso troppo da sé e dagli altri, si è spinto oltre le colonne d’Ercole della fedeltà cieca a una causa e a un metodo di lavoro. E’ caduto da cavallo con un tonfo che difficilmente dimenticheremo.

Ultimi dietro a Paraguay, Slovacchia e Nuova Zelanda. Per la sesta volta fuori al primo turno. Le pernacchie dei «carristi» che, di nascosto, avevano mandato a stirare lo smoking di Berlino. Il dileggio e i colpi di tosse dell’universo mondo. Nulla più del calcio incarna la relatività del cosmo. Da Lippi a Lippi, da primi a ultimi: spesso, la realtà supera anche quella fantasia che Marcello ha ignorato.

Morning of Mourning and Madness

[Juliet Evans, a writer and journalism student based in San Francisco, filed the report below. In the fall she'll relocate to Rome for a semester.]

June 24, 2010
Morning of Mourning and Madness as Italy Loses Chance At The World Cup
People gather in North Beach to witness the final Italian game of this World Cup

San Francisco, CA- Depression hung thickly in every particle of fog outside of the Steps of Rome Café this morning as the last viewers of the Italy v. Slovakia game trickled onto the sidewalk. This same thickly swirling mist hadn’t seemed nearly as bad two hours before as I entered this trattoria in North Beach. But after almost 95 minutes of painful game play, the fog acts as yet another insult to injury to these dejected Italian fans.

I, however, am elated. For almost two hours, I sat enthralled by a sports game. This has never happened before. Maybe it was the perfectly brewed latte I was handed upon entering, or just the rush of being surrounded by so many emotional fans, but something has finally clicked for me, which is saying a lot since I didn’t even know how soccer games were scored until the first goal was made 25 minutes in.

The goal, made by the Slovakians, was the first of 3 goals that the winning team would make. As this first point was scored I was delighted to witness a great display of emotion as the men and women in front of me smacked their heads and jumped up and down screaming ferociously at the television, this was going to be a lot different then watching the Super Bowl with my father.

By half time, the same place seemed as if it is on a brink of a riot. One man, decked in a whistle and waving ref-cards, ran around the crowded shop blowing loudly and alternately screaming in Italian and waving his home-made cards. Suddenly the two attractive young women, who had been standing in a corner getting ogled by the men, climbed up on the counter and started raffling off Italian swag. In their tight white outfits and sky-high heels, the two shimmied as they gave away prizes and conducted beer-chugging contests.

I have to admit this was not what I ever expected to witness before nine in the morning, but it was highly enjoyable and helped keep the early morning game-watching lively. Jumping up, vigorous clapping and yells of “AYE” occurred almost constantly as the game continued. And the self appointed ref in the room, continued to blow his whistle liberally, as did the man behind the counter with his vuvuzela.

The women were slightly more subdued, but not by much. The woman seated next to me spent most of the first half of the game sipping her coffee and shaking her head. During the second half, she was on her feet screaming with the rest of the crowd.

At minute 73 a second goal was scored for Slovakia, making the score two-nil. The beautiful Italian couple to the side of me stood up and stalked out without a word, followed by seven other discouraged fans.

The now shattered faith in their team showed visibly on the faces of those left behind. But, for a while there was still a glimmer of hope. At 80 minutes in, Italy scored. The caffe went nuts, and there were high fives and kisses all around. With three minutes left, Italy scored again, but it was not enough to save the game or rescue the Italians’ morale.

When the game finally ended, the two hours of yelling and waving came to a halt. This typically loud country had been silenced for the moment here in San Francisco. But as we all headed outside, I realized with pleasure that my love of the game has only just begun to gain a voice.

[Graphic: still from Flip video.]

World Cup, Sports and Social Justice in Detroit

[Meanwhile, halfway across the globe:]

US Social Forum 2010

Thursday, June 23
 Presentation:
World Cup, Sports and Social Justice
Cobo Hall
Detroit, Michigan USA

* Dave Zirin – Author “A People’s History of Sports in the U.S.” The Edge of Sports
* Favianna Rodriguez – Presente.org's "Move the Game"
* LIVE from South Africa via Skype - Trevor Ngwane, Organizer for the Anti-Privatisation Forum and the Soweto Electricity Crisis Committee
* moderator: Davey D

"The World Cup will is now playing live and a billion people are watching. Join us to learn about sports as a dynamic site of resistance, popular expression and community transformation.

Massive workers’ strikes, brutal sweeps of the homeless, more than 20 assassinations of whistle blowers: one version of the World Cup is now playing live on TV and more than a billion people are watching.

While the U.S. Left has largely dismissed sports as a distraction from serious organizing and the pursuit of social justice, across the globe sports are seen as a crucial site of both struggle and transformation - as a vehicle for popular expression and resistance.

In recent weeks, activists across the U.S. have been rallying wherever the Arizona Diamondbacks play to protest the racist immigration law SB 1070, demanding that Major League Baseball "move the game" - the 2011 All Star Game slated to be played in Phoenix. In an unprecedented and highly-publicized move, the NBA's Phoenix Suns wore "Los Suns" jerseys to draw attention to the unjust legislation.

Less well-known are the community coalitions across the country that work every day to challenge public financing of corporate-owned stadiums, replace racist team mascots, and foster non-sexist practices by school districts and personnel. Sports also provide organizers with huge opportunities to build bridges “beyond the choir” and impact the dominant messages of the day.

Patrick Bond from the Center Civil Society in Durban has said: "Anytime you have [a] billion people watching, that's called leverage."

Join us for this inspiring session on the intersections of sports, social justice and community transformation."

[Cross-posted to Signal Fire. Thanks to HP for the tip!]

La fin d'un monde

The final post of L'Equipe's real-time coverage of the South Africa -France game:

"Matchtemps-Forts
90+3
"Humiliée et pathétique, la France termine dernière de son groupe et achève le Mondial sur un match une nouvelle fois catastrophique. Rapidement réduits à 10, les Bleus n'ont rien pu faire face aux Bafana Bafana, eux aussi éliminés malgré la victoire."

roughly translated: "Humiliated and pathetic, France finishes last in its group, completing the tournament with a once again catastrophic performance. Quickly reduced to ten, 'les bleus' could do nothing with Bafana Bafana, who were also eliminated despite the win."

The odyssey of the French squad has been riveting - much in the way that we find the viewing of car crashes irresistible. Soccer coverage on France 2's Tuesday, June 22 evening news [Journal Télévisé - 20H] took up 20 minutes of the ninghtly telecast, abbreviated to 24 minutes to accommodate the live broadcast of the Greece-Argentina game.

Below is an audio excerpt of the program's reporting, a remarkably dramatic bit of sports journalism.

La fin du bal

[Graphic from L'Equipe. Caption: "La défaite contre l'Afrique du Sud (1-2) a scellé le sort de l'équipe de France dès le premier tour de cette Coupe du monde, et marqué la fin d'une aventure aussi rocambolesque que ridicule. Mais elle met aussi un terme au mandat de Raymond Domenech. Peut-être la seule bonne nouvelle de l'histoire. (Photo Presse-Sports)"

roughly translated: The 2-1 loss to South Africa sealed the fate of the French Team in the first round, and marks the end of an adventure both bizarre and ridiculous. But it also ends the tenure of coach Raymond Domenech, perhaps the one good outcome of this story.]

Write the Future

[Below is the full-length video by filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu, director of Babel, Amores Perros and 21 Grams, produced for Nike for this year's World Cup. U.S. viewers have seen parts of it, chopped up into 30 second and 1 minute bits as part of the commercial fare of network television.]

Gallows Humor from England:

"I just got this email from a German colleague," announces Justin Steed. "The subject line was 'Official FIFA schedule'. Tue.: France vs. South Africa in Mangaung. Wed: England vs. Slovenia in Port Elizabeth. Thurs: England vs. France at Airport Who said the Germans weren't funny? Oh."

From the Guardian World Cup Realtime Blog:

Who Should I Cheer for?

[With thanks to Guadalajara-based social activist Anne Peacock for the tip.]

Love Football | Hate Poverty: Ranking the World Cup 2010 teams based on social justice indicators

Who Should I Cheer For?

[Cross-posted to Signal Fire. Graphic: screen grab of comparison of  Group H teams Portugal and its former colony Brazil.]

The English Press

"England do not have five years. They have 90 minutes against Slovenia."

The English fans and press respond:

The reception to the performance against Algeria has been scathing. "Cape Clowns," said the Daily Mirror. "The reign of Fabio Capello which has promised so much for so long came close to ending in ignominy and shame." The Sun, which last year said Steven Gerrard's side were the "best English group since the Beatles", was rather less upbeat. "Drab, dreary, depressing, disjointed, at times desperate and, overall, dull as ditchwater. Thanks England. No wonder you were booed off the pitch by your own fans last night."

Cyberspace was equally uncharitable: "3 hours of football played and Rob Green is still our top scorer," an irate fan posted on Twitter. The nation's patience with Capello also seems to be fading. One furious fan wrote on an internet site: "What we witnessed looked like a group of players drafted together last minute and asked to play 90 minutes which they weren't too fussed about doing, going through the motions disinterested and confused. The botheredness levels stood at around 1 out of 10. It was just woeful."


The Independent
"Fabio Capello. An apology: We may have said this man is a genius..."

The Guardian
"Fabio Capello and England are 90 minutes from oblivion"

The Sun
"I told England. That was woeful."

Men with balls in New York

apexart
291 Church Street
New York, New York

June 10 - July 11
Men With Balls: The Art of the 2010 World Cup
Curated by Simon Critchley

Including work by artists Miguel Calderon • Mark Leckey • Hellmuth Costard Maria Marshall  • Liam Gillick • Santo Tolone • Douglas Gordon and Uri Tzaig • Philippe Parreno
memorabilia from Roger Bennett • Bill Shankly
match results read by Mark E. Smith

"The FIFA World Cup is the most important and widely watched sporting event in the world. The germinal idea for this exhibition is very simple: to create the perfect football environment, a sort of mini-soccer paradise at apexart for watching games. Around the games themselves, there will be talks, events, and a series of works, objects, and activities that will expand the spectacle into a more conceptual and sensual rumination on the meaning and significance of football/soccer.

The World Cup is a spectacle in the strictly Situationist sense. It is a shiny display of nations in symbolic, atavistic national combat adorned with multiple layers of commodification, sponsorship and the seemingly infinite commercialization. It is an image of our age at its worst and most gaudy. But it is also something more, something bound up with difficult and recalcitrant questions of conflict, memory, history, place, social class, masculinity, violence, national identity, tribe, and group. The hope of the exhibition Men With Balls is to construct a unique situation where these questions can be ruminated on collectively.

Football is working-class ballet. It's an experience of enchantment. For an hour and a half, a different order of time unfolds and one submits oneself to it. A football game is a temporal rupture with the routine of the everyday: ecstatic, evanescent, and, most importantly, shared. At its best, football is about shifts in the intensity of experience. And stories will multiply from that experience, stories of heroes and villains, of triumph, and a gnawing sense of the injustice of defeat. The aim of the exhibition is to produce with this show some experience of being together with others in a group, watching a game, waiting for something marvelous, unexpected, and possibly magical to happen. And it will happen."

MORE [schedule of screenings of matches and curator's statement.]

[Cross-posted to Signal Fire. Text and graphic from apex press release.]

Germany and the World Cup I

Above is the second of a series of audio recordings of phone conversations during the World Cup. Thanks to Nina Jürgens in Stuttgart for the generosity of her time and expertise.

To accompany her account of a trip to a local bakery, Nina forwarded the picture to your left, taken with what the Germans smartly dubbed a 'Handy.' We welcome follow up comments.




Note: the conversation is presented in its entirety. For convenience, the audio is presented via YouTube without graphics. We hope people will multitask while listening in.

Mexico and the World Cup I

Having negotiated some unexpected technological challenges, we present below the first of a series of audio recordings of phone conversations during the World Cup. Thanks to Anne Peacock, an American living and working in Guadalajara, for the generosity of her time and expertise.

Notes: The conversation is presented in its entirety with the exception of a lost connection at the 6 minute mark which results in an audio hiccup. For convenience, the audio is presented via YouTube without graphics. We hope people will multitask while listening in.

The World [Cup] Factbook - Table I

Not surprisingly the United States Central Intelligence Agency provides a wealth of global demographic information on its World Factbook website.* Below in the first of a series of posts is a country by country comparison of the life expectancy at birth of participating World Cup countries. Of course a number of socio-economic and national health issues factor into the numbers.**

* Source
** South Africa's # 215 ranking [out of 224] is in no small part due to the AIDS HIV pandemic.

Germany, four years later

The World Cup 2006 gave Germany a boost - both in terms of the nation's self-understanding and in the way it was received by the rest of the world. Suddenly Germany was cool, funny, tolerant, a nice place to hang out and peacefully celebrate "König Fußball" (King Football). The mood during the tournament was exceptional: everywhere fans from all over the globe could be found watching the games in various open air locations and the sun shone night and day (it seems in retrospective). Friendships were formed (some only for the duration of 90 minutes, some lasting until today), tears were shed, victories and defeats duly celebrated or quickly forgotten. But the World Cup was exceptional in another way as well: the event had set something free in the German soul which due to the nation's history had long been buried. Suddenly the German flag became a staple element in everyday life: cars and balconies were adorned in black-red-gold; people would dress in the colours from head to toe; little pennants could be seen hanging almost everywhere. It had become acceptable to actually be proud of one's country: it was cool to be German. German self-esteem was at its best. But what about now? An empirical survey of Stuttgart's streets and squares shows: out of 50 cars only three have re-used the leftover flags from four years ago. Yes, there are some charming private guerilla-garages hosting semi-public-screenings of the games. Yes, almost every restaurant has put up a TV or a big screen in order to cater to football fans' needs. And yes, as I am writing this I am watching Nigeria playing against Greece. But is it in any way comparable to the blast that was the 2006 World Cup? Hardly. Now that the spotlight is on South Africa, what once was a major topic for Germany is now only a minor one in the context of current national and global affairs. The financial crisis, the oil disaster, serious dissonances in Germany's government - these are all topics for which the WC offers some comic relief. But the "Sommermärchen" (summer fairy tale) that once was is certainly over by now. Just as with any summer love, this might not be for the worst: sometimes the past is the better present.

June 17
Stuttgart, Germany

16 June 1976: 'This is our day'

16 June 1976: 'This is our day'
by Lucille Davie

"It is a day violently etched on the South African collective conscience. Commemorated over 30 years later as Youth Day, an official holiday, it is the day that honours the deaths of hundreds of Soweto schoolchildren, a day that changed the course of the country's history: 16 June 1976.

On that day the government and the police were caught off guard, when the simmering bubble of anger of schoolchildren finally burst, releasing an intensity of emotion that the police controlled in the only manner they knew how: with ruthless aggression. SA History Online puts the number of dead at 200, far higher than the official figure of 23."

more

[From the History and Heritage section of SouthAfrica.info. Photo by Sam Nzima.]

Hector Pieterson Museum

Hector Pieterson Memorial Museum
8287 Khumalo Street, Orlando West, Soweto
South Africa

"The Hector Pieterson Museum is a heritage site intrinsically linked to the origins of the Soweto Uprisings and its aftermath. By 10.30am on 16 June 1976, thousands of students had gathered in Orlando West around Vilakazi Street and the precinct where the Hector Pieterson Museum is presently located, to begin a protest march against the imposition of the Afrikaans language as the medium of instruction in Soweto’s schools. Police opened fire, killing Hastings Ndlovu and Hector Pieterson.

The shooting sparked off days of unrest and hundreds of deaths. The Soweto uprisings had begun. After 16 and 17 June 1976, nothing in South Africa would be the same again. An old era was past. A new one was beginning. The Hector Pieterson Museum’s Orlando West precinct includes important sites, such as the spots where both Hector Pieterson and Hastings Ndlovu were shot dead by the police. The precinct also includes: Nelson Mandela’s Orlando West house."

see linked National Youth Day post below.

[Graphic from Copa das Confederações blog. Caption from sahistory website: "Soweto June 1976. "Mbuyisa Makhubu carries the body of Hector Pieterson, shot by police during the student protest against Afrikaans as the school language medium. (Sam Nzima / South Photographs)"]

National Youth Day in South Africa

On June 16 South Africa celebrates National Youth Day to commemorate the anniversary of the Soweto Uprising.

The World Cup affords an opportunity for nations across the globe to celebrate competition, athleticism and teamwork at its  best. It also provides an opportunity to spotlight national and global social issues.

Youth Day reminds us of the history of South Africa and the struggle against apartheid.

From Wikipedia entry for Soweto uprising:
"On the morning of June 16, 1976, thousands of black students walked from their schools to Orlando Stadium for a rally to protest against having to learn through Afrikaans in school. Many students who later participated in the protest arrived at school that morning without prior knowledge of the protest, yet agreed to become involved. The protest was intended to be peaceful and had been carefully planned by the Soweto Students’ Representative Council’s (SSRC) Action Committee, with support from the wider Black Consciousness Movement. Teachers in Soweto also supported the march after the Action Committee emphasized good discipline and peaceful action."

The uprising was a key moment in the struggle by South Africans to defeat the regime and its policy of apartheid.

[Graphic from Google image search for 'Soweto uprising.' Caption: "Soweto June 1976. Mbuyisa Makhubu carries the body of Hector Pieterson, shot by police during the student protest against Afrikaans as the school language medium. (Photograph by Sam Nzima)"]

Soccer ...

"'In soccer everything is complicated 

by the presence of the opposite team.'

-- Jean Paul Sartre"

[Graphic from "Goal 2010!" exhibition of the FIFA Fine Art Portfolio at the Capital City Arts Initiative Courthouse Gallery. Caption: "The Battle." Cameron Platter. 2008. Text: recent tweet from account @jonwinet.]

Four Tricks

Bi-lingual German pal AC in Berkeley forwarded the following message:

"Here is Germany's worst paper celebrating."

Bild

[Based on visits to a couple of translation pages, I believe "Ihr habt uns vier Zaubert!" translates to English as: "You gave us four magic tricks!"]

News Flash! - New York Tabloids give Fleet Street a Run for their Money

Although tempted to award a tie to New York City's finest tabloids The Daily News and The New York Post, I'm going to award 'Best Cover' to the Post, in part because today's edition also includes the hard-hitting news story "Could Jenny McCarthy replace Oprah?

Rob Green

June 16 addition: likely coals to Newcastle for some U.K. visitors to Goal 2010!, see video below produced by the Guardian. "Everything you need to know about Saturday's USA-England World Cup match in 60 seconds, acted out by Legos."






Of all the coverage, my favorite remains David J.'s tweet, published just moments after Rob Green's misphap in goal: "@Newcastledavey. These things happen. Howay the lads!!! #chilloutrobgreen"

Ultimately these are games played by young men under the glaring spotlight of international media and the pressure of ardent fans. However brilliant and at the top of the game they might be, the fallibility of the players is one of the compelling reasons we watch the games, an essential key to the empathy we extend to the 'lads.'

iPhone ==> YouTube test

[with apologies for the digit in the upper-left hand corner ...]

"The first US-England matchup did not go well for the home team."

Tomorrow Goal 2010 will be making its first, in the parlance of Fifa marketers, 'out of home' field trip, heading to AT&T Park* for the England-US Group C match. Touted by the ESPN Sports Network as the 'most anticipated game of the tournament" – maybe just a teensy bit provincial, eh? – the attendance for this free public viewing is projected at an anemic 5,000. And I'm guessing a fair percentage of those will be English ex-pats, longing for the strong sense of community that is so characteristic of English Football supporters.

Ira and I will have various micro HD recording devices in hand, with plans to post audio and video later in the weekend.

* As noted on my Facebook page: I wonder if my iPhone will get reception there. The exclusive carrier for iPhones in the US, this communications company provides notoriously bad coverage. Like most of my colleagues sporting iPhones, it's a great applicance so long as you don't need to make a phone call.

[Graphic from the SF Weekly, "U.S.-England World Cup Opener Free at AT&T Park" By Joe Eskenazi, Wednesday, May. 26 2010.]

Vuvuzela

This informative bit of video reporting makes the bright insight that "to South Africans it's not just a noise maker, it's a musical instrument."

The Economics of the World Cup

Below and above, excepts of a somewhat flat data-visualization of World Cup economics. Although it fails to go very far with the information displayed, it is an interesting starting point for some follow-up discussion and analysis.

"On June 11, nearly 100,000 soccer fans from around the world will gather at Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg to watch the opening game of the 2010 World Cup. Millions more will tune in their television sets at home. During the four weeks to follow, the world’s eyes and ears will be directed towards South Africa, following one of the world’s premier sporting events. Soccer may not be overwhelmingly popular in the United States, but on a global scale, the World Cup is the largest sporting event in terms of viewership. Collectively, more than 26 billion viewers watched the games of the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany..."

Full Visualization

Note that a link in the article to a Fifa Facts & Figures Marketing site proves to be just as interesting.

[Thanks to CDN in Napa for the tip.]

Test Audio File

Hello World

hello world