Anyone who been watching the World Cup knows of the dramatic loss of Australia in, literally, the last second of the match on a non-penalty that even the Italian players admit wasn't a penalty and needed to justify with some sort of hand waving about the call making up for earlier errors by the official. The bottom line is that it is part of playing at the World Cup that some officiating decisions will go your way (Aussie had its share), and some will go against you ('Insert Home Team Here' had more then its share). You've just got to learn how to win knowing that, and the Italians are clearly still the masters at that black art. Like trying to speed without getting a ticket - sometimes you win and sometimes you loose.
To that end, I found this little story truly funny, and serves as a reminder not to take 'sporting failures' too seriously - its only life after all. In general, I think Italians are altogether hilarious and lovable when they let down their patriotic guard, and the story of this row of toilets shows that, and made me laugh extensively.
Perhaps Coonamble - a town in rural NSW, Australia - should follow suit in 2006...
---
Sydney Morning Herald, Wednesday June 28, 2006
"
AUSTRALIA'S loss to Italy was sown in South Korea four years ago. [ed: WC2006 Aussie Coach Guss Hiddink coached South Korea in WC2002] The last-gasp penalty was a make-up call. Anyone with any suspicion that the outcome of games is manipulated at the highest level need only to look back to 2002.
That's when Italy were robbed blind in a 2-1 extra time loss to South Korea in a second-round World Cup game that was atrociously refereed by Ecuador's Byron Moreno. He was so bad that Sicilians named a row of public toilets after him.
...
"
From here: http://src.uow.edu.au/tert/2003/Globe.pdf
(Ironically the only place I could find a reference to this story was in the web version of a magazine that’s published here in Sydney.)
“
Sicilian resort dedicates new toilets to World Cup [ed: WC2002] ref
As an Italian, this story really hits home. Its about justice more than anything, or so every Italian would have you believe. An Italian council has dedicated its public toilets to the referee blamed for Italy’s departure from the World Cup finals. The resort of Santa Teresa Riva, Sicily, will inscribe Byron Moreno’s name on a plate to be fixed on four new public toilets.
The Ecuadoran ref was highly criticised in the aftermath of the World Cup semi-final match which Italy lost 2-1 to South Korea. “We look at this as an outstanding opportunity for the locals and the tourists to remember Moreno’s performance at the World Cup”, local administrator Pasquale Scarcella said to Il Nuovo website. Mayor Nino Bartolotta confirmed that the plates will be installed on the toilet door. But I tell you ladies and gentlemen, if it were up to me I’d have that refs name on the toilet bowl itself, and maybe even on the toilet paper. Well I’m sure Moreno will be happy to know that it will be his name everyone will be cursing at when a bad batch of tomato sauce comes back to bite them.
“
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Not Televised, Blogged
Gil Scott-Heron believed that The Revolution would not be televised. Jack Kerouac did not believe in editing. Hunter S. Thompson never believed that things got fast enough for him. I'm not sure I believe in any of them, but I sure can have fun trying to figure out what they - and others - were trying to say...
Ideas are like water. I have come to believe its that simple. And just that clear.
Life as we know it isn't possible without either water nor ideas. Sometimes there's too many or too much, and that's not good. Sometimes there's even more, and its just fine.
Sometimes there's wars over both. And from time to time, both can stop wars. Sometimes both flow, and sometimes you curse when they don't. Both can turn paper into a pulp.
Both can be stored in public works. Yet both are constantly challenging the limits of those works. Eventually both will get through, or over, or under, or around any dam put in their way.
You don't really give either as gifts, but both can be the greatest gift of all. Both can turn the driest desert into the most wonderfully fertile of places. Both can spring forth trees where there was only loose dirt.
One drop of either can bring joy, or strike fear. Both will eventually end up inside somebody, if only to flow out in the end. Giving either up is only a guarentee that eventually somebody will discover them, and do with them what they please.
Both should be released for people to use, interpret and then set free again for others to experience, enjoy and build upon. And despite all the handles I've given both, neither are under our control in any way, shape or form.
---
Whitey on the Moon, Gil Scott-Heron
A rat done bit my sister Nell.
(with Whitey on the moon)
Her face and arms began to swell.
(and Whitey's on the moon)
I can't pay no doctor bill.
(but Whitey's on the moon)
Ten years from now I'll be payin' still.
(while Whitey's on the moon)
The man jus' upped my rent las' night.
('cause Whitey's on the moon)
No hot water, no toilets, no lights.
(but Whitey's on the moon)
I wonder why he's uppi' me?
('cause Whitey's on the moon?)
I wuz already givin' 'im fifty a week.
(and now Whitey's on the moon)
Taxes takin' my whole damn check, Junkies makin' me a nervous wreck, The price of food is goin' up, An' as if all that crap wuzn't enough: A rat done bit my sister Nell.
(with Whitey on the moon)
Her face an' arm began to swell.
(and Whitey's on the moon)
Was all that money I made las' year
(for Whitey on the moon?)
How come there ain't no money here?
(Hmm! Whitey's on the moon)
Y'know I jus' 'bout had my fill
(of Whitey on the moon)
I think I'll sen' these doctor bills, Airmail special
(to Whitey on the moon)
Ideas are like water. I have come to believe its that simple. And just that clear.
Life as we know it isn't possible without either water nor ideas. Sometimes there's too many or too much, and that's not good. Sometimes there's even more, and its just fine.
Sometimes there's wars over both. And from time to time, both can stop wars. Sometimes both flow, and sometimes you curse when they don't. Both can turn paper into a pulp.
Both can be stored in public works. Yet both are constantly challenging the limits of those works. Eventually both will get through, or over, or under, or around any dam put in their way.
You don't really give either as gifts, but both can be the greatest gift of all. Both can turn the driest desert into the most wonderfully fertile of places. Both can spring forth trees where there was only loose dirt.
One drop of either can bring joy, or strike fear. Both will eventually end up inside somebody, if only to flow out in the end. Giving either up is only a guarentee that eventually somebody will discover them, and do with them what they please.
Both should be released for people to use, interpret and then set free again for others to experience, enjoy and build upon. And despite all the handles I've given both, neither are under our control in any way, shape or form.
---
Whitey on the Moon, Gil Scott-Heron
A rat done bit my sister Nell.
(with Whitey on the moon)
Her face and arms began to swell.
(and Whitey's on the moon)
I can't pay no doctor bill.
(but Whitey's on the moon)
Ten years from now I'll be payin' still.
(while Whitey's on the moon)
The man jus' upped my rent las' night.
('cause Whitey's on the moon)
No hot water, no toilets, no lights.
(but Whitey's on the moon)
I wonder why he's uppi' me?
('cause Whitey's on the moon?)
I wuz already givin' 'im fifty a week.
(and now Whitey's on the moon)
Taxes takin' my whole damn check, Junkies makin' me a nervous wreck, The price of food is goin' up, An' as if all that crap wuzn't enough: A rat done bit my sister Nell.
(with Whitey on the moon)
Her face an' arm began to swell.
(and Whitey's on the moon)
Was all that money I made las' year
(for Whitey on the moon?)
How come there ain't no money here?
(Hmm! Whitey's on the moon)
Y'know I jus' 'bout had my fill
(of Whitey on the moon)
I think I'll sen' these doctor bills, Airmail special
(to Whitey on the moon)
Saturday, June 17, 2006
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