Thursday, June 17, 2010
Friday, June 11, 2010
Referees Brush Up on Curses in 17 Languages
By JEFFREY MARCUS
JOHANNESBURG — When it comes to selecting just the right swear word to hurl at a referee, Wayne Rooney is a walking thesaurus. In exchanges with officials, he mixes and matches with such flourish, he might be confused for Roget’s bawdy cousin.
But if Rooney, a striker for England, lets fly a similar tirade on Saturday in his team’s first World Cup game, against the United States in Rustenberg, it is likely to be his farewell speech.
George Carlin had his seven dirty words, and FIFA, soccer’s international governing body, has its seven offenses. Any one of them will get a player immediately ejected from a game. Rooney might do well to read up on No. 6: “Using offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or gestures.”
On Saturday, the job of enforcing these rules for the match between England and the United States will fall to a squad of Brazilian referees who will need to keep their ears pricked for words they might not have learned in school. “We have to learn what kind of words the players say,” Altemir Hausmann, a referee’s assistant, told Globo TV Sports in Brazil. “All players swear and we know we will hear a few.”
The last time Rooney dropped a crude phrase on a referee was in a World Cup warm-up match against a South African team. It earned him a public rebuke from the amateur official after the game.
“He is a good player when you see him on the TV, but when you see him on the pitch, he just keeps on insulting the referees,” said Jeff Selogilwe, who officiated England’s game against the Platinum Stars on Saturday. “I was very disappointed in Rooney because he is my favorite player.”
“Actually, he is still my favorite player,” Selogilwe confessed to The Sun. “He apologized to me and gave me the shirt he was wearing.”
England’s captain, Steven Gerrard, said he had no problem with a ban on swear words. “You just don’t swear at the ref, simple as that,” he said Thursday. “In this day you have to show the referee respect.”
Gerrard said he hoped Rooney could keep his mouth in check. “It’s difficult enough playing” 11 versus 11, Gerrard said. “If we go a man down, it’s just going to make it even tougher for us.”
In the quarterfinal against Portugal in the 2006 World Cup, Rooney was given a red card for stamping on an opponent’s crotch, and his undermanned team was ousted from the tournament. It was the second time in three World Cups that England had a player ejected in the game in which the team was eliminated.
“He always plays on the edge, but Wayne has to control his emotions and take it out on opposition teams rather than referees,” Gerrard said.
Alex Stone, a FIFA spokesman, acknowledged that with at least 17 languages spoken by the 32 teams in the World Cup, it is impossible for referees to understand all of them.
“It’s not the words, it’s what they’re doing,” he said. “It’s what they’re saying or how they’re behaving.”
Civility and aggressive vulgarity are universally understood.
United States goalkeeper Tim Howard said that emotions would run high on both teams Saturday and that the Americans were told to keep their language rated PG.
“I’m sure we’re going to try to the best of our ability to do that,” he said. “I don’t think it will go 100 percent as planned.”
Howard said any outburst would most likely be a result of frustration, not any disrespect for opponents or the officials.
“Refereeing is an impossible job,” he said.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/11/sports/soccer/11cursing.html?src=twt&twt=nytimes
Worlds of choices for World Cup viewing
BY LESLEY ABRAVANEL
lank@aol.com
For many Miami transplants, the World Cup means more than the Super Bowl and the Olympics combined. For that reason, several local spots are taking advantage of the monthlong soccer -- er, football -- fest, by transforming into World Cup headquarters, no country or team allegiance specified (though we can guarantee that Botequim Carioca, 900 Biscayne Blvd., will be Brazil's unofficial Miami HQ).
For a less raucous experience, consider The Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove, Miami's Amadeus Bar. It's an unlikely spot to watch sports but will be transformed into the World Cup Lounge complete with plush sofas, high top tables, multiple flat screen TVs and cuisine from the various participating countries. The lounge will be open from 7 a.m.- 5 p.m. Friday through July 11 (big time difference between South Florida and South Africa) for the matches. A $15 per person cover charge includes either a continental breakfast buffet in the morning or snacks -- salad bar, pizza and local cuisine sampler -- for the afternoon games.
Opening at 7:30 a.m. beginning Friday is Mia at Biscayne, which will serve a special World Cup brunch menu until noon on weekdays. And although chef Gerdy Rodriguez's menu may have a Spanish affinity, Mia is an equal opportunity soccer-watching spot. The menu features dishes inspired by many top contenders, including Spain, Brazil, Argentina, France and the United States.
Over at 72nd Bar + Grill, you'll get half-price beers hailing from the countries playing each day from 2:30 p.m. until the game ends, from Friday through June 18. For example: When Uruguay plays France Friday, you get half off Pilsen and 1664.
Beginning at 10 a.m. Friday at JB Kitchen & Bar, a World Cup kickoff event features a mariachi band, women in body-painted team jerseys and DJ spinning tunes from Africa and Mexico. In addition: themed menus, World Cup Playstation Competitions and nightly drink specials. On days with more popular matches, JB opens as early as 7:30 a.m. At Mercadito Midtown on Friday, get all you can eat tacos for $25 per person during televised matches. For a complete list of matches, go to www.mercaditorestaurants.com .
Another tasty deal is Cocktails & Canapes, an American Institute of Wine and Food event at the Spire Bar & Lounge from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday featuring small plates by Wish executive chef Marco Ferraro and a selection of signature cocktails and wine pairings for $45 per person for AIWF members or $55 for nonmembers. For tickets and memberships, call 954-396- 3875. A portion of every ticket sold goes to scholarships for local culinary students.
Also on Thursday is Hula Hula, a monthly aural homage to surf music, rockabilly, garage and '50s and '60s tunes, a refreshing departure from the usual dance/pop schlock, at Bar, 28 NE 14th St. in downtown Miami. Women sporting a flower (visibly) will get a free shot; Aloha burgers are just $2. No cover.
Celebrating an anniversary Saturday night is long-running mod squad scenefest Poplife, which will feature performances by headliners The Pains of Being, Pure at Heart, Surfer Blood and Hooray for Earth at 11 p.m. at the new event space, Grand Central, 697 N. Miami Ave. For tickets and information, go to www.epoplife.com.
Finally, Morena Restaurant and Lounge presents a tribute to Frank Sinatra by Jose Ivannes at 8 p.m. Friday. A prix fixe dinner menu is $18.75; after the tribute DJ Charly Coca spins Latin tunes. From Sinatra to salsa. Ah, Miami, a world cup in its own right.