All Articles Tagged "world cup"
Black Soccer Players Are Too Good For The French
By J. Smith
Colonization may not have been such a good idea after all, right French people? I know it seemed cool to terrorize a group of people and force them to adopt your nationality back in the 1600s, but when it backfires in 2011, you just have to deal with it. That would include accepting the fact that black Frenchmen from the African countries you colonized are the best soccer players your FIFA team has ever seen, and being mad at them for bumping the white Frenchmen off the roster is like the Tea Party being mad at President Obama. You made us part of your world and then got mad when we started winning your elections and beating your best athletes? Don’t be bitter.
According to The New York Times, some French people are very bitter over the lack of white players in the French Soccer Federation. The star players these days come from places like the French territories of Martinique and Guadeloupe (in the Caribbean) or African nations that were once colonized by the French like Senegal. “An investigative Web site, Mediapart, claimed last Thursday that senior staff members at the French Football Federation had drawn up a system of quotas attempting to limit the numbers of black and Arab players in the country’s youth academies,” the Times reports. The investigative Web site reported: “For the top brass in French football, the issue is settled: There are too many blacks, too many Arabs and not enough white players in French football.”
So now, according to the Times, top officials in the French football world are looking into racial quotas for their sports teams. Seriously. We just can’t win, folks. They want to see us either doing poorly or not doing anything at all, no matter which country you happen to be black in. All I know is, if white people can’t handle an influx of people of color on their sport teams, imagine what they’ll do once they’re outnumbered altogether in countries like the United States. Actually, you don’t even have to imagine it. Just look around: Birthers, legal racial profiling (immigration laws) and Tea Parties. This is the future.
Read more: French Soccer Federation Again Deals With Issue of Race
South Africa May Have Lost Money On The World Cup, But Claimed Long-Term Gains
by R. Asmerom
With all the hundreds of thousands of soccer fans who came to South Africa this summer to attend the World Cup, you’d think the financial returns would prove a win-win for the popular tourist destination; however, The Telegraph is reporting that South Africa only recouped 10-11 percent of the money it spent on hosting the tournament.
The figure is a result of lower than expected attendance: estimates predicted 450,000 visitors although just 309,000 foreign fans showed. In addition, the developing country had a massive amount of work to do to prepare for the festivities by building stadiums and other infrastructure. All in all, it is estimated that South Africa spent nearly $5 billion leading up to the World Cup.
Despite the fact that the numbers don’t show a great return on investment at this point in time, a long term view would look favorably on this economic investment for South Africa. In the end, the country has new and much-needed infrastructure as well as a much higher world profile. And that, you can’t put a price on.
World Cup 2010: By The Numbers
(The Week) — World Cup fans inject $5 billion into South Africa’s economy and were sending 4,000 Tweets per second at the height of the action. That’s just the beginning…The World Cup is over: Spain are champions, South Africa won the respect of nearly everyone with its hosting prowess, and Paul the “psychic” octopus became a global sensation. But that’s not the whole story. Here, a look at the tournament through a numerical lens:
South Africa Has Big Goals After Cup Success
(Wall Street Journal) — South Africa defended itself against criticism about violent crime, disruptive labor strikes and lackluster organization ahead of the 2010 World Cup. Now the country is winning widespread praise after a successful tournament, boosting its ambitions to host other major sporting events. “It’s not the safest country and this was our problem,” said Franz Beckenbauer, a member of FIFA’s executive committee who was one of the people who acknowledged the challenges South Africa was facing in hosting the World Cup, which ended Sunday with Spain’s 1-0 defeat of the Netherlands. “But this organizing committee, with help from FIFA, has done a very good job,” said Mr. Beckenbauer, who won Cups as both a player and coach.
Shakira to Honor African Women at World Cup Closing Ceremony
World renowned musician Shakira says her performance in the World Cup closing ceremony will be a tribute to African women.
Global Workplace Productivity Takes a Dive During World Cup
(AP) — Nearly 15 million Americans tuned in to ABC for the team’s 2-1 loss to Ghana, with 4.5 million more watching on the Spanish-language Univision — making it the most-watched men’s World Cup game ever in the country.
The World Cup is the fourth-biggest “top productivity sapper” in the U.S., based on a nonscientific ranking of sporting events by workplace consultancy Challenger, Gray & Christmas. The NCAA men’s basketball tournament ranked No. 1.
Noire Notes
Jennifer Hudson talks about her triumph over the loss of her family members. [ENTREZ]
Ghana’s soccer stars gain world-wide attention. [ENTREZ]
Everyone is talking about Naomi Campbell’s lack of edges. [ENTREZ]
Megan Fox marries 90210 star. [ENTREZ]
Vibe slide show of sisters with blond locks. [ENTREZ]
Noire Notes
Algerian Player Slaps Reporter & She Punches Him Back!
Talk about being sore loser and a punk. Algeria striker Rafik Saifi has been involved in an altercation with a journalist after his team was eliminated from the World Cup.
Branding At The World Cup
(Inc) — Selena Cuffe is the CEO of a company that distributes wine – not usually the traditional drink of soccer fans – yet she’s been looking forward to the World Cup since 2005. That’s when, as a newly minted Harvard MBA on a business trip to South Africa for her then-employer, she attended the first annual Soweto Wine Festival. She found the wines – and the stories behind them – compelling.
