Samuel Eto’o: The Worlds Highest Paid Athlete VS Racism?
Samuel Eto’o: The Worlds Highest Paid Athlete VS Racism?
A lot of interest this week after soccer stud Samuel Eto’o left Inter Milan and signed a three-year deal with some random Russian club, Anzhi Makhachkala, for an estimated $29M PER SEASON which could essentially make him the highest paid athlete in professional sports.
“This evening, Inter Milan striker Samuel Eto’o signed a personal three-year contract with Anzhi Makhachkala,” the club said in a statement issued after Eto’o completed a medical on Wednesday evening.
For more on the beautiful inner-drama of soccer transfers and fighting Russian billionaires, the Wall Street Journal breaks it down nicely for ya.
But we here at Athlebrities are wondering what he’s gonna do with all that cash? About four years ago, he established a foundation with the mission of delivering the less privileged from abject poverty and he recently visited a Sports study center in Gabon. It also seems a natural fit for Eto’o to possibly do something big to combat racism in soccer?
Over the years, Eto’o has been the subject of racist taunts by an opposing teams’ supporters, who’ve made monkey-like chants whenever he had possession of the ball. Referee’s have let it slide, claiming the behavior of the crowd is ‘normal’. At one point, Eto’o walked off the field and video captured him saying “No mas” (“No more”). Last year, as the racists again began chatting, they were drowned out by the rest of the stadium who chanted loudly enough to drown them out. A small step but progress none-the-less?
Due to ongoing racism, Eto’o stopped bringing family members to matches. “It is something that has affected me personally. I think players, leaders, and the media have to join forces so that no one feels looked down upon because of the color of their skin. At this moment in time I prefer my children don’t go to football matches. In the stands they have to listen to things that are difficult to explain to a child. It is better they aren’t exposed to it.”
And with that, Athlebrities would like to see Samuel Eto’o use some of the big money to establish a ‘No Mas’ campaign in efforts to stomp out racism in sports.
As always, thanks for reading~
delinda@athlebrities.com
Cristiano Ronaldo to Model Armani Underwear
Cristiano Ronaldo to Model Armani Underwear
The most expensive soccer player in history is about to give us the greatest gift since Beckham bared it and the Italian squad posed for D&G…Italian fashion designer Armani confirms that soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo will model underwear and jeans for the new spring 2010 campaign.
The Real Madrid hottie-formerly of Manchester United-also plays for Portugal’s national team…is, without question, the greatest soccer player ever.
I expect we’re going to see a whole lotta of what Ronaldo is um…packing, but what’s a good package without something beautiful inside…Ronaldo has a great history of charitable giving…he’s been an ambassador for the online Score for the Red Cross fundraising campaign which is a humanitarian project launched by UEFA and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)…stud also flew an 11-year-old tsunami survivor and his father to a World Cup qualifier before rallying other players to pitch in and buy them a new home…he’s auctioned off his personal sports gear to the tune of over 1 billion rupiah for tsunami relief efforts…and in March of this year, he donated £100,000 to the hospital that helped saved his mother’s life after she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007…this is just a partial list of his love, and in my book, its good enough to qualify him for a semi-nude Armani campaign. Bring it on Cristiano!
As always, thanks for reading. Delinda@athlebrities.com
Right To Play Soccer
Soccer Babes With A Splash of Tonic Please
Luca-Toni-Peppe-Roni: Honestly, I’m not entirely sure what this is all about, but it’s Luca Toni and it’s Friday and I get to have fun on my blog…Bayern Munich’s sexy Italian striker Luca Toni (L) played ‘table football’ on the world’s largest table against comedian Matze Knop® at the “f.re.e” travel and leisure trade fair in Munich. Seems that Toni is representing Italy at the stand…that’s about all I can figure out about the ‘event’ but it did lead me to this ridiculous video where Knop performs his latest single ‘Numero Uno,’ a bizarre and embarrassing tribute to ‘Luca Toni, pepperoni’…
The Beautiful Game for All
While we have fun with our soccer babes, it’s important to remember the children around the world who don’t get the chance to play the beautiful game. Recently, there was a soccer tournament in Juba (Sudan), which was used to reach out to an entire generation of children who have been traumatized by the civil war. Although the war ended four-years ago, more than half the kids didn’t finish their primary education…as we know, they’ve all got a Right to Play, so let’s not forget to help.
The Right to Play World Cup is planned to take place at Stamford Bride May 22. If you’re like me, then the following info should warm your bones like a topless David Beckham or a knee-sliding post-goal Drogba…
- The Right To Play World Cup is a unique opportunity to live that dream and play on the hallowed turf of one of the world’s biggest football clubs whilst supporting a global sport for development charity working in 23 countries across the globe. We believe that when children play, the world wins! It’ll be a chance for you and 9 of your colleagues to live out your playground fantasies while supporting the valuable work we do with young people around the world. When: Friday 22nd May. Where: Stamford Bridge, Chelsea FA full 5 a-side footy tournament on the pitch with full pitch finals. Form a team of 10 colleagues and compete for the title of Right To Play World Champs. Why: Enjoy a once-in-life time experience of playing at this famous stadium and support the Right To Play aims of providing sport and play programs to vulnerable children. Chelsea Quiz Evening – The World Cup will be followed by an evening’s entertainment at the stadium, with a sports quiz and exclusive sporting prizes.
Basically, you get to play at Stamford Bridge and party like a rock-star with the players while supporting a damn good cause. While I’m not really into running on the field, I’d make an amazing cheerleader or towel girl, so pa-lease, take me with you. RIGHT TO PLAY.
STOP IT
David Beckham can play anywhere he wants…AC Milan or the Galaxy-I don’t care…but good gawd Beck’s…for the love of soccer, stop taking your shirt off and causing me to revert to ‘huh’ instead of ‘charity’.
As always, thanks for reading. Delinda@athlebrities.com
Football Charities Ain’t Got Nothing on Futbol Charities
Football Charities Ain’t Got Nothing on Futbol (Soccer) Charities
Go ahead…enjoy the SuperBowl. Yes, there are tons of charity related NFL par-tays going on…but to me, most seem a bit insincere and more geared towards great ‘photo-ops.’ Of course there are exceptions, however, my (football) SuperBowl isn’t about helmets and hot-spots, it’s about voodoo, balls that unify, kids, and some mighty-mighty-fine men.
One of the greatest things about soccer is the global culture that surrounds it. While most of us dislike hooligans, their absence would leave a gaping hole in the stadiums and a lot of ‘police’ outta jobs. Make shift hooligan jails are a staple at World Cup qualifiers and games, so I was really, really bummed to hear RadioShack has bowed out of sponsoring a Mexican newspapers promotion which would have undoubtedly filled a few hooligan-tanks to capacity when they figured out it didn’t work…Mexico is set to play their World Cup Qualifier against the U.S. on February 11…Mexico has not beaten the U.S. on American soil in 10 years (and they wont do it anytime soon), so…an advertisement in the sports daily ‘Record’ invited fans to clip coupons and redeem them at their local Radio Shack store for a voodoo-doll likeness of a U.S. player. The hope was that a little black magic might help Mexico break a decade of futility on the road versus its northern neighbor. (AP photo) An illustration showed a pair of scissors slicing off the leg of a doll in a U.S. jersey; the doll grimaced in pain with its arms covered in bruises, as stuffing leaked from its No. 10 jersey, stuck with pushpins. The newspaper was hoping that soccer fans would watch the match and “apply punishments to our rivals,” giving Mexico an edge to end a decade of winless play versus the Americans on U.S. soil. “Help end the losing streak so Mexico advances,” the ad read.
If voodoo did work the way I’d like it too, I would win the lottery. No, I wouldn’t buy myself a house, or a new car…wouldn’t dare purchase a Prada, pair Jimmy Choo’s or any other pricey luxury good to make myself feel worthy…the first thing I would do? Join the Great Football Give Away…last November, a group of volunteers traveled to some of the most rural parts of Uganda and hand delivered over 3,000 soccer balls and netballs to the kids. And who says money can’t buy love? The organization is teaming up with Alive and Kicking to buy their Zambian made balls which have aids and malaria awareness messages printed on them…they’re using them to spread awareness about malaria-which is the number one killer in the country…And here’s where my lotto winnings would come into play…the Great Football Giveaway is looking for volunteers to organize and run future projects. If you can take a 4-6 month career break, they’ll help you with all the details-including fundraising, project management, putting a team together and hand-delivering the balls yourself to kids in some of the poorest countries of the world…I want to do this BAD so if anyone out there wants my beach front house for four-to-six months while paying for me to travel to Africa and pass out soccer balls to the kids, let me know. (And yes, I’m dead serious.)
Another one of my favorite charity organizations, Right To Play, earned a massive donation from Zdano Chara (Boston Bruins) after winning the NHL’s Hardest Shot Competition at the All Star Weekend in Montreal on January 24th…the mighty fine beast won the competition with an All-Star Record of 105.4MPH and then promptly donated his winnings- $24,000- to Right To Play…too bad the IOC can’t think out side the box…(Wow, Delinda is having a flashback to all the hate-emails I got after ripping the IOC a new one last year…hope ya’all paying attention now.)
“Excluding the athlete-founded, athlete-driven Right To Play from the Athlete’s Village is a firm step backward for the Olympic movement. Right to Play is a humanitarian organization that uses sport to teach children about teamwork, fair play, conflict resolution, self-esteem, communication, commitment, respect and integrity. We firmly believe that this organization improves the lives of children by strengthening their vulnerable communities with the best practices of sport and play. And it creates opportunities to promote development, health and peace. I believe this act of exclusion violates the fundamental values of the Olympic movement.” Adam Kreek, Olympic Rowing Gold Medalist 2008, London, Ont.
What makes me really, really sad-is that this incredibly moving and poignant video has been posted on YouTube for over a year and has only been viewed 3,225 times. What a sad commentary on society…in any case, we may be able to help change that by coming up with a catchy moniker to grab some media attention for them. RTP is running a competition to highlight the studly attempt of a student by the name of Duncan Drew, who will try to run 30 MARATHONS IN THIRTY DAYS this August to benefit Right To Play. This is a world record attempt and will be receiving a lot of media attention…so help ‘em out by coming up with a catchy phrase to garner as much attention as possible for this event. The more support Duncan gets, the happier the disadvantaged children in Africa, Asia and the Middle East will be. What should they call it?
As always, thanks for reading. Delinda@athlebrities.com
All Stars for Hope Soccer Event
ALL STARS FOR HOPE
On June 14 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford New Jersey, some of the hottest men in Euro soccer are taking the field for the ALL STARS FOR HOPE charity game to benefit Mikael Silvestri’s Schools for Hope. Silvestri is a French defender who kicks it for Arsenal-but he’s all right in my book…he’s on a quest to build schools around the world-so far completing several in Guinea and Niger…
“When my children first started to go to school I realized that education is the basis for a better life for poor children everywhere in the world,” Silvestre said. “I said to myself that I want to act, I want to be involved, with my own money. The focus is not on football at these schools, it is getting a good education, basic skills and professional skills, so the students are able to go out and get a good job.”
All Stars for Hope could have easily been named ‘Hotties for Hope’ as it includes (in addition to Silvestre); Thierry Henry (France/Barcelona), Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast/Chelsea), Wayne Rooney (England/Manchester United), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/Man-United), Nicolas Anelka (France/Chelsea), Emmanuel Adebayor (Togo/Arsenal), Manuel Almunia (Spain/Arsenal), Frank Lampard (England/Chelsea), Ryan Giggs (Wales/Manchester United) and others.
As always, thanks for reading. Delinda@athlebrities.com
Cristiano Ronaldo is THE Player of the Year
Cristiano Ronaldo is THE Player of the Year
No, its not a new boy band….it’s the nominees for the FIFA World player 2008…from left to right: Spain’s Xavi, Spain’s Fernando Torres, Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Brazils’ Kaka. The winner? No surprise here, we all knew Ronaldo was gonna top last years’ winner, Kaka, at the Zurich Opera House today…and so it was-the world football’s governing body honored Man-U’s Cristiano Ronaldo with the Player of the Year Award-making him the first English Premier League player to win in its 18-year history.
“It is a dream for me to get this prize because I want to bring the team and my country forward,” Ronaldo said. “I would like to dedicate it to my family. This is the most important thing to me.” Ronaldo garnered 935 votes in a worldwide poll of team captains and coaches. He was followed by Barcelona and Argentina midfielder Lionel Messi (678 votes) and Liverpool striker Fernando Torres (203), with the results announced by Brazilian great Pele. “It is an overwhelming moment, a very special moment in my life,” Ronaldo said in his acceptance speech. “I would like to say to my mother and sister that the fireworks can be fired off now.”
I got some love for Chelsea running through my veins, so it does pain me to give praise to anything Man-U related …but in this case, Cristiano’s 42 goals in a season and the fact that he led the team to the Premier League and Champions League titles in May is enough to make me (one-day) cheer for Man-U. In addition to being named FIFA’s Player of the Year…Ronaldo also won the Ballon D’Or as European player of the year and World Soccer magazine’s player of the year…guess we can call him the player of the year-but not the driver of the year?
In case you were under a rock last week, hot stuff totaled his Ferrari after he collided with a roadside barrier in a tunnel near Manchester airport as he was driving to training on Thursday morning. Of course, superman was unhurt.
As always, thanks for reading. Delinda@athlebrities.com
Soccer Recap: Match Against Poverty, Beckhams Childhood Home, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and that silly Diego Maradona
MATCH AGAINST POVERTY
“We are thrilled that the ‘Match Against Poverty’ is attracting more and more spectators. This is a game we all need to win.” Ronaldo
Close to 30,000 soccer fans attended Monday’s fifth edition of the Match Against Poverty…the event, organized by football legends Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo, is just a small part of their role as Goodwill Ambassadors for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The objective of the match is to raise public awareness of the fight against poverty and to convince governments of the value of working towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which seek to cut world poverty in half by 2015.
The game was played between ‘Friends of Zidane’ and the ‘Friends of Ronaldo’ and ended in a 2-2 draw. “The aim of such a match is to make people aware of the problem of poverty in the world,” said AC Milan star Ronaldo, who is still battling an injury and was substituted in the first half by seven-time Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher. “We don’t forget where we have come from and we are uniting in a good cause,” former France international Zidane, who grew up in a poor neighborhood of Marseille. The match was played in the central Moroccan city of Fez. Proceeds will as in previous years benefit anti-poverty projects in Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America. Need more? There’s pa-lenty of video footage available on Youtube!
GREAT GOLDEN BALLS OF FIRE
Inter Milan’s sexy Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been awarded ‘The Ball of Gold’ after the Swedish Soccer Award 2008 Gala dinner at the Globen Arena in Stockholm…the beast won gold for ‘best Swedish soccer player of 2008’…another one of our Golden Balls, David Beckham, has proven he’s got much more than the Midas Touch…an offer has been made on a home in London where Golden Balls lived for the first two years of his life. The Victorian terraced house-sans the Beckham connection-is valued around $365,000…but the Beck’s connection was sniffed out by an ‘unnamed’ Australian businessman who collects Beckham memorabilia and dude offered up $1.4M for the pad…
MARADONA MADNESS
I haven’t quite gotten used to our furry beast, Diego Maradona, being named Argentina’s coach, but I am certainly ready for the shenanigans…oh, and they’ve already started. Coach Diego lost his pendant during a training session…one of the ball boys later found it and was oh-so graciously mauled by the beast.
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As always, thanks for reading.
Delinda Lombardo