Anthony Davis will undoubtedly raise a few eyebrows this summer at the 2012 Olympics . The long-limbed star is the youngest player on the team USA roster and will have a vital role in reducing rim rockers on the hardwood...
Viral Video of the Day: Pele Plays Pizza Delivery Man
Jul 11, 2012
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkSw_CLKsA0
Pele and pizza. It's such a magical combination that it makes one wonder: Why hasn't anyone thought of this before?
Pele—yes, that Pele, the consensus pick for Best Player in the History of the Universe—was spotted delivering pizzas Tuesday night in Brazil. According to 101 Great Goals, the whole idea of using Pele as a pizza delivery man was part of a marketing campaign by Santos, his former club.
The video of Pele's exploits as a pizza delivery man appears above as B/R's Viral Video of the Day.
During the footage, Pele flashes that million-dollar smile that helped make him an international superstar, jokes around with reporters and surprises unsuspecting pizza lovers with a delivery they'll never forget.
Everyone knows him, of course, even if they're understandably dumbfounded at first. After all, he is only the Best Player in the History of the Universe.
Pele, in fact, would probably be recognized if he did this on the streets of New York City.
OK, maybe not.
In any case, the pizza looks good, Pele looks surprisingly spry for a septuagenarian and Santos comes off looking like a fun-loving, hip club. Everybody wins.
Now the obvious question is, what could other legendary footballers do to top this? Maradona just lost his managing gig in the Middle East (ESPN Soccernet), so it's high time he did something randomly zany again.
If not, there are always other legends around.
Watching Franz Beckenbauer delivier Wiener schnitzel in Bavaria might not be pack quite the same punch, but what if Johan Cruyff were to guide random tourists through the…ahem…fun parts of Amsterdam?
Viral Video of the Day: Neymar Dives, Fakes Injury, Gets Opponent Booked
Jul 9, 2012
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fgi-INdEEMI
We've already seen the highlights, the moves, the goals and the control (well, if not, here you go).
Today, we see something else.
Today's B/R Viral Video of the Day features Neymar, everybody's favorite mohawked Brazilian wunderkind, taking a blatant dive, faking an injury and getting an opponent booked unfairly.
If that sounds harsh, it's not. Take a look at the video and see for yourself.
Upon first viewing, you might be fooled. Don't worry, the ref was too. Once you see it again, though, you won't have any doubt.
That was a dive, and it was an egregious one at that. It came in a recent match against Gremio, and after the dive, Santos scored from the free kick.
Santos went on to win the match 4-2, if you're interested.
So, then, how egregious is this dive?
I'm reminded of Jurgen Klinsmann against Argentina in the 1990 World Cup final. The difference, of course, is that this clip comes from a game that wasn't quite as big.
But the rest is there: the dive after little or no contact, the rolling, the writhing, the feigned agony and, of course, the booking.
This brings up an interesting question. How are we to treat Neymar when he does stuff like this? He's already a world-famous superstar, and in the minds of many, he can do little wrong.
But if we're going to praise Neymar for all his best qualities (and by all means, I think we should), then we should also tell it like it is when he's not so admirable.
What do you think, readers? Full condemnation for Neymar? Or do we let it slide this one time?
2012 Summer Transfers: Ronaldinho Set to Sign with Atletico Mineiro
Jun 4, 2012
According to a report from FOX Sports, the famed former Barcelona man, Ronaldinho, is set to sign with Brazilian side Atletico Mineiro. This comes a week after having his contract terminated by his former club, Flamengo, for his suing the club for unpaid wages.
Atletico Mineiro will likely use Ronaldinho to attract a few more players to the middle of the table side, as they have yet to win a trophy since 1997, which came in the Conmebol Cup, a competition they won five years previously in 1992.
The question has to come up though: If you were in charge of a club, would you sign Ronaldinho?
Sure, he is a two-time former FIFA World Player of the Year, winning it in back-to-back years in 2004 and 2005, but does assume some risk. With this new lawsuit against his former clubs and his various off-the-field problems, a second assessment of his worth is worth it.
It will be interesting to see if this side will be able to pay his wage demands though, because as Fox Sports reported:
"The club admitted it was having difficulties paying for Ronaldinho's salary after ending its partnership with sports marketing group Traffic, which had paid most of his reported $700,000 monthly wages."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3b64FpVbsc
The 32-year-old obviously has very high wage demands, even more so now that he is playing outside of the big-spending European market.
Hopefully the fans of the Galo will be a bit less critical of the now-streaky Brazilian star, as he struggles with fitness and whatever mayhem happens off the field for Ronaldinho.
Only time will tell for those associated with the Brazilian side.
As notorious as he is around the world, if you had the choice, where would you like to see Ronaldinho play before he retires from the game of football?
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Viral Video of the Day: Botafogo Ball Girl Provides Assist, Shoots to Fame
May 2, 2012
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_mPXBQohK8
Behold the hot new career path in Brazil:
Ball girl.
The ball girl in question is one Fernanda Maia and thanks to her heads-up ball girl-ing skills, Maia is quickly becoming a national celebrity in Brazil.
Let's rewind.
Over the weekend, Maia was doing her thing along the sidelines of a match between Brazilian clubs Botafogo and Vasco da Gama. Botafogo held a 2-0 lead early in the second half when Maia lent a helping hand to the team's third goal.
Watch the video above. As Botafogo attack quickly, a Vasco defender plays the ball out of bounds to buy some time.
But Maia is on full alert, and her quick toss to Sebastian Abreu contributes directly to Maicosuel's goal seconds later.
Maia soon became a hit with the press for her "assist." And, well, she's also not bad-looking at all.
Fernanda Maia has been credited with the “assist” for Maicosuel’s goal and has been featured by a number of publications since the match on Sunday.
Of course, it helps that Maia is easy on the eye but she has downplayed her part in the third Botafogo goal.
Maia: “I didn’t score the goal. Maicosuel did. He is quick and smart. I did what I always did.”
Since not just Botafogo play at Rio’s Olympic Stadium, the press in Brazil have been desperate to find out who Maia supports but she has refused to divulge.
And this could be just the beginning of Maia’s fame as she also announced “I want to be the ball boy at the World Cup final. Perhaps it can happen!”
These days, a quick Google search of Fernanda Maia reveals how popular she has become, especially in the realm of scantily clad photography.
And, hey, good for her. She's right, you know. Anything can happen when you chase your dream of becoming an internationally famous ball girl.
Viral Video of the Day: Vasco Da Gama's Nilton Jump-Kicks Opponent's Head
Apr 4, 2012
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeIVTYLsnu0
Paging Mr. Miyagi—there's a new Karate Kid.
His name is Nilton, and he's a 24-year-old Brazilian midfielder who currently plays for Vasco da Gama. After Tuesday evening, though, he won't be playing for a while.
On Tuesday, Brazil's Vasco da Gama defeated Peru's Alianza Lima 2-1 in a Copa Libertadores match. In the closing moments, Nilton earned a straight red card for a flying kick to the head of Alianza Lima defender Giancarlo Carmona.
Nilton had entered the match just a few minutes earlier as a substitute, but as you can see from the video, he definitely got his money's worth.
The requisite shoving match ensued, and Fellipe Bastos' two-goal performance for Vasco da Gama was summarily overshadowed.
This video got me thinking: Mr. Miyagi would be really proud of Nilton for showing such good form on a Crane Kick.
Santos FC: Neymar Makes the Top 10 Expensive Footballers List
Mar 25, 2012
The online magazine Futebol Finance (in a h/t to RT) published their list of the most expensive footballers. Neymar of Santos FC is the first person in the list with a buyout clause of $79 million for any interested team.
Neymar is followed by Mario Gotze of Borussia Dortmund, Mario Balotelli of Manchester City, Eden Hazard of Lille and Jack Wilshire of Arsenal in the top-five bracket.
The bottom-five packet is Thiago Alacantara of FC Barcelona, Yann M'Vila of Rennes, Phil Jones of Manchester United, David de Gea of Manchester United and Alan Dzagoev of CSKA Moscow.
When reading about the high costs of footballers, it is great to take a look at the UEFA Financial Fair Play Act. The UEFA Financial Fair Play Act is supposed to rein in the high costs of footballers and clubs.
The clubs must have a balanced budget before signing new players. The clubs are supposed to present their budgets before UEFA in order to receive approval for signing new players.
It is often asked if the UEFA Financial Fair Play Act protects clubs against exorbitant prices like the one Santos FC asks for Neymar. It is hoped that one day the concept of the UEFA Financial Fair Play Act would extend to other associations such as the CONCACAF and CONMEBOL.
Corinthians: Revolutionary Chen Zhizhao Signing Can Improve World Football
Mar 1, 2012
Chen Zhizhao could help improve world football as a whole, becoming the first Chinese player to sign for a South American side with his transfer to Corinthians, Brazil's most popular club.
The player, now known as "Zizao" by Brazilian fans and media, has signed on a two-season loan deal which runs out in December 2013.
Apparently, the idea to sign the player came from the club's marketing department, who are looking to boost the club's global brand.
It's a signing which may very well strengthen the sport worldwide, being something of a revolutionary transfer.
In today's global economic downturn and times of universal austerity measures—which is affecting football—clubs are looking for new ways to recruit players and raise revenue.
As they do that, they're turning to new markets, and exploring undiscovered avenues.
In Brazil's Serie A, there are only 38 foreign players among the 20 teams in the top-flight, the vast majority of whom are South American.
So with Corinthians signing a Chinese player, not only does that make them a more unique team across Brazil and South America, but it also makes them something of a global phenomenon, and suddenly a point of interest in the world's fastest growing economy.
In essence, their boldness in seeking a new market for transfers has put more attention on the club and made them more known internationally.
Therefore, they've become a more attractive outfit for sponsors and investors, with potential profits to be had in a very lucrative new market.
It's a signing that could well be more than worth its weight in gold.
And having sourced out new revenue streams, it could make Corinthians a lot more secure financially.
If the player does well and is a success in Brazil, the club would also have a greater chance to secure the pick of the talent from that area due to their past foray into that market.
So it's clearly an attractive option for a club to make—and others will surely catch onto that.
If Chen Zhizhao is successful for Corinthians—fairly likely given his ability to stretch the play, a problem for the Serie A side last season, and his versatility—more Chinese and Asian players will also be encouraged to seek South America as an alternative to trying to secure a move to Europe.
Even if he isn't, they could still be encouraged to make the switch, given he'll be earning a very good salary.
That'll mean more players will no doubt leave the region for foreign clubs in places like South America, and will have a greater chance to develop their game.
The more players who move from poor footballing nations to strong ones, the better for football, as the universal standard in the professional game will increase.
And, of course, the more clubs who sign players from new countries, the higher their global brand equity will be, which means they'll be stronger financially—allowing for more possibility to invest in the grassroots of the game.
It's all speculation at the moment, but Zizao's transfer to Corinthians is a revolutionary step in world football, with international dealings from clubs in two of the most unlikeliest countries opening up new football markets, and creating the potential for more such transactions to take place.
Whether or not Chen Zhizhao is a success in Brazil, one crucial thing—which will make clubs across world football take note—is clear: The possibilities from this transfer are endless.
World Football Report: Neymar Beats Vargas, Ganso to King of the Americas
The Brazilian superstar beat of competition from Universidad de Chile's phenomenon Eduardo Vargas and fellow Santos teammate Paulo Henrique Ganso.
The voting consisted of 247 journalists from 19 different countries selecting their top three players in all the Americas.
Neymar succeeds Andrés D'Alessandro who won the award last year to keep the award in Brazil after D'Alessandro impressed so much with Internacional do Porto Alegre.
Neymar: Why Santos Starlet's Memorable 2011 Was Important
Dec 19, 2011
A man locked away on the dark side of the moon for the past nine months would have had a hard time figuring what to make of Sunday’s FIFA Club World Cup final. It was a strange match, mind you.
Lionel Messi scored twice and worked some magic. Barcelona ping-ponged the ball around the midfield and dominated the opposition. The Spanish giants won the match 4-0 and took another piece of silverware back home to Catalonia with them.
That wasn’t the strange part. The strange part was that the game wasn’t about Lionel Messi or Barcelona at all.
It’s no big task to understand why. We’ve already witnessed Barcelona’s greatness. We already know Lionel Messi is a living legend. Barcelona won Spain’s La Liga and UEFA’s Champions League last season, the two biggest, most prestigious trophies they were after. Lionel Messi collected another Ballon d’Or, the blinged-out hunk of hardware FIFA hands out to the best player on the planet each year.
Yawn. Excuse us all while turn our attention back to Jersey Shore.
But this Neymar kid—yeah, he's interesting. With that mohawk he looks like Rufio, and with those moves he plays like a young Pele (though some would say he’s more like a young Robinho, which we’re all hoping isn’t the case at all). He can do wild and crazy things with a ball, things only Messi—and in some cases maybe not even Messi—can do.
There’s really nothing not to like.
Nine months ago, though, Neymar was just another skillful Brazilian. Talented, for sure, but still only known outside Brazil mostly by enthusiasts and connoisseurs.
The inevitable media frenzy followed, highlighted by a report in November that Real Madrid had signed Neymar to a ridiculously lavish pre-contract. Less than a week later, he actually signed a contract extension that keeps him at Santos through the 2014 World Cup, which will be held in Brazil.
The wider significance of the deal is not lost on Ramalho, who is known as "Professor" by his players. "Santos showed the world and all the other teams in Brazil that it's possible to keep hold of your best players. This was very important for Brazilian football. It means we can become better, our championship can become stronger. Foreign clubs always come to take our best players, but this time Santos showed it can be different."
While Europe has been tightening its belt, Brazil's economy grew by 7.5 percent last year, a record since 1986, with only China and India ahead in GDP expansion. Forbes reported this month that 19 new millionaires have been created per day in Brazil since 2007. Government figures showed in October that, for the first time in 20 years, the number of foreigners coming to live in Brazil surpassed the number of Brazilians leaving to work abroad.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtsSnLRS2-U
Neymar played the role with gusto, too, filming a commercial that lampooned European stereotypes and reinforced his reasons for staying in Brazil. To understand those reasons, you don't need to speak Portuguese. This wasn’t the first time beautiful weather and more beautiful women have influenced an important man. But it was the first time—or at least the first time in recent memory—that a Brazilian superstar-in-the-making had left the money on the table from a proposed move to one of Europe’s biggest, most elite clubs.
And it had a welcomed side effect. For the first time, it gave the FIFA Club World Cup a decent storyline. In one corner stood Lionel Messi and Barcelona, world football’s answer to the BCS, the elite-run, universally-hated, end-all, be-all decider of American college football championships.
Barcelona had what everybody already agreed was the best team in the world. They also had the best player in the world. And they had the pedigree, too: They played on the right continent and won the right league to be considered part of the world’s elite.
In the other corner stood Santos.
Now, this isn’t your classic underdog story. Santos is not Boise State, and Neymar is not Kellen Moore. Santos has long been one of Brazil’s most famous and successful clubs. Pele played there, for heaven’s sake. But they’re not a European club, and they don’t have all the fancy European-based (see: transplanted South American mixed with Europe's best) stars. But they did have Neymar, who stuck with his club and in turn did enough to get a continent truly pumped.
Messi and Barcelona weren’t down for the underdog nonsense, either. Messi conjured a cheeky chip for Barca's first goal after a defensive lapse by Santos in the 17th minute. Xavi and Cesc Fabregas made it 3-0 at halftime before Messi added his second goal, this time on a classic one-on-one around the keeper, to complete the four-goal thumping.
Santos could take some solace in the thought that Barca had, as recently as the week before, gone on the road to beat Real Madrid, its fiercest rival, 3-1. But afterwards, the consensus was complete: No one, not even Neymar, can beat Barcelona.
With that, Neymar, for the first time in God knows how long, experienced something going wrong. And the reviews weren’t exactly kind.
But to dismiss Neymar so quickly would be a mistake. If you’ve seen his highlights, you know why his coach—and even Pele himself—really, actually think he could lead Brazil back to glory in 2014.
Even with Lionel Messi around for the party, the dream doesn’t sound so outlandish.
