Nelson Mandela turns 92. Great birthday present. After celebrating a very successful, 2010 FIFA World Cup, South Africa must be partying again tonight! Take the Vuvuzelas out of storage!

The winner of this month’s British Open at St. Andrews will receive 850,000 pounds ($1.3 million) after officials increased prize money for the first time in three years.

The prize fund for golf’s oldest major championship will be 4.8 million pounds, the Royal and Ancient Golf Club said in a statement. It was 4.2 million the past three championships, with the winner receiving 750,000 pounds.

“The Open Championship sits at the forefront of world golf and it is appropriate that our prize fund reflects that position in the game,” R&A Chief Executive Peter Daw said. “Over the last 18 months we have had to take account of the pound’s weakened position against the U.S. dollar and euro and we have increased our prize money accordingly.”

Since mid-2007, the pound has declined about 25 percent against the dollar and 19 percent against the euro.

]]> http://www.e-forwards.com/2010/07/the-amazing-louis-oosthuizen-of-south-africa-wins-british-open-another-excuse-to-blow-the-vuvuzelas/feed/ 0 http://www.e-forwards.com/2010/07/top-10-world-cup-soccer-football-highlights-2010-south-africa/ http://www.e-forwards.com/2010/07/top-10-world-cup-soccer-football-highlights-2010-south-africa/#comments Wed, 14 Jul 2010 12:58:13 +0000 John http://www.e-forwards.com/?p=7785

1. Just loved these songs! Great memories from the 2010 World Cup in South Africa!

Shakir – Waka Waka, This time for Africa

K’naan – Wavin’ Flag

2. Damn Vuvuzelas

3. Beautiful Sexy Fans

I couldn’t understand what FIFA had against the fans in Orange. I love that colour!

4. Diego Maradona -What a character!

5. England, France, and Italy being eliminated.

6. World Cup Jokes

You heard about the England bra?

All support, no cup.

What’s the differnce between a cup of coffee and England? Coffee stays in the cup longer.

Argentina are playing England in the world cup, and Messi says to the team, “listen you all seem tired, why don’t you have a night off, have a drink and I’ll play by myself.” So they agree and Messi goes to play England by himself.

At half time the Argentinian team check the score and they see ARG 1-0 ENG (Messi 37th min). They’re all impressed and get back to what theyre doing.

After the match finishes they check the score and see ARG 1-1 ENG (Lampard 85th min). They go to their dressing room and see Messi with his head in his hands. They tell him, “Come on, cheer up you got a draw all by yourself, that’s great.”Messi replies, “No you don’t understand, I got sent off in the 60th minute.”

John Terry reckons the players missed their friends and family… remind me again what he does with his friend’s family?

John Terry is so traumatized he won’t be able to sleep with a teammate’s wife for WEEKS.

In a class, the teacher is asking everyone what jobs their parents have…

Teacher to kid: and what does your dad do?

Jimmy: he’s a stripper in a gay bar and often lets other men touch his privates

After class, teacher takes Jimmy to one side…

Teacher: is that true about your dad?

Jimmy: no, he plays football for england but I was too embarassed to say.

I can’t believe we only managed a draw against a poor team we should easily have beaten.

I’m ashamed to call myself Algerian.

Woman in Distress at the World Cup

My wife and I had great seats for a 2010 World Cup match. I noticed a fan in distress and I got up to help her. My wife asked, “Where are you going?’

I answered, “I think she lost her cell phone and I have a good idea where it is.”

and that’s when the fight started…

7. Robert Green Jokes, Poor Guy!

Steven Gerard said that “The whole team is behind Robert Green.(the English goalkeeper who scored a goal in his own net)” His problem was that too many balls were getting behind him as well!

Robert Green is a man who makes his goals. Unfortunately for him, some are for the other team!

The English needed an experienced goalkeeper. Instead, they got one who was Green.

Robert Green was told to keep his eyes on the ball. Too bad he couldn’t keep his hands on it as well!

8. The inability of the FIFA Executive to use modern technolgy.

The whole world knew England scored, except for the only person that matters – the ref!

No argument!

9. The Passion of the fans and commentators

Spanish commentator celebrates goal by convulsing celebración de Camacho gol de Villa a Paraguay 2010

10.  Great 2010 World Cup Commercials

Very Sexy Prestige Beer’s World Cup 2010 TV Ad Brazil Argentina

Animals Playing Soccer (World Cup South Africa 2010) Futbol (football)

What will the Olympic Organizing Committee decide???

After successfully hosting Africa’s first World Cup, South Africa will attempt to land the continent’s first Olympics, too.

However, the Vuvuzela may not be welcomed at the games.

While visiting South Africa during the 2010 World Cup, London Mayor Boris Johnson made it clear that he doesn’t want the horns to catch on back home.

“I’m not convinced that we are going to need an Olympic vuvuzela,” Johnson said  “It’s a wonderful thing. It’s a beautiful instrument. It’s very easy to master, but I don’t think we’ll necessarily be issuing them to the crowds.”

“I’m very impressed with the vuvuzelas and,” but he added, “we’re thinking of not having them.

Vuvuzelas were not allowed at the 2010 Wimbledon Tennis Championships

“Out of courtesy to the players and their fellow spectators, we make a point of asking spectators not to bring items which could either cause a distraction or interfere with the enjoyment of the occasion,” All England Club chief executive Ian Ritchie said in a statement Thursday.
“Rattles, klaxons and vuvuzelas all fall into that category and they will not be allowed into the grounds. Our message is do not bring them in the first place.”
England still upset over World Cup Performance, or lack of…

He had just celebrated his 80th birthday July 4.

Steinbrenner had a heart attack.

He hosted “Saturday Night Live,” clowned with Martin in a commercial and chuckled at his impersonation on “Seinfeld.”

“Winning is the most important thing in my life, after breathing,” Steinbrenner was fond of saying. “Breathing first, winning next.”

From Wikipedia:

George Michael Steinbrenner III (July 4, 1930 – July 13, 2010^[1][2]) was a businessman and owner and former principal executive of Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees. His outspokenness and role in driving up player salaries made him one of the sport’s most controversial figures.

Steinbrenner was known as a hands-on executive, earning the nickname “The Boss.” His tendency to meddle in daily on-field decisions, and to hire and fire (and sometimes re-hire) managers led then-Yankees skipper Dallas Green to give him the derisive nickname “Manager George.”^[3]

During Steinbrenner’s ownership from 1973 to his death, the longest in club history, the Yankees earned 11 pennants and 7 World Series titles.

He died after suffering a massive heart attack in his Tampa home on the morning of July 13, 2010.^[4][5]

At the opening ceremony of the logo (July 8, 2010), the president of FIFA explained the reason why FIFA picked Brazil from South America to host the 2014 World Cup later. “Brazil is a soccer country. They’ve won the cup five times, but they last hosted in 1950. Football is like a religion in Brazil. Now it’s time again for CONMEBOL, and now it is time to return to South America,” explained Blatter.

FIFA President added, “Like here, in South Africa, to mingle with the soccer community. As President Lula also said, football is not just kicking the ball alone. It’s the culture. This is life. I am delighted that the President of Brazil was willing to be present at the launch This World Cup logo. ”

CONMEBOL

The South American Football Confederation (Spanish: Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol; Portuguese: Confederação Sul-Americana de Futebol), commonly known as CONMEBOL, is the continental governing body of association football in South America and it is one of FIFA’s six continental confederations. Its headquarters are located in Luque, Paraguay, and its current president is Nicolás Leoz. CONMEBOL is responsible for the organisation and governance of South American football’s major international tournaments. With 10 member football associations, it is the smallest confederation in FIFA.

	Winners:
	1st place		Spain
	2nd place		Netherlands
	3rd place		Germany

Awards

There are currently six awards:

• the Golden Ball (currently commercially termed “adidas Golden Ball”) for best player;
• the Golden Boot (also known as the Golden Shoe, commercially termed “adidas Golden Shoe” from 1982, although now referred to again as the Golden Boot) was first awarded in 1930 for top goal scorer;
• the Golden Glove Award for best goalkeeper (first awarded in 1994);
• the Best Young Player (currently commercially termed as “Hyundai Best Young Player”) award for best player under 21 years of age at the start of the calendar year, first awarded in 2006.
• the FIFA Fair Play Trophy for the team with the best record of fair play (first awarded in 1970);
• the Most Entertaining Team award for the team that has entertained the public the most, during the World Cup final tournament, as determined by a poll of the general public, first awarded in 1994.

An All-Star Team (currently commercially termed “Mastercard All-Star Team”) comprising the best players of the tournament, is also announced for each tournament since 1990.

Since FIFA and adidas became partners over 30 years ago, the award’s official name is “ adidas Golden Shoe”

2010 South Africa

Diego Forlán

Wesley Sneijder

David Villa

Golden Boot

The Golden Boot or Golden Shoe Award goes to the top goalscorer of the FIFA World Cup.

2010 South Africa

Thomas Müller

5(6)

David Villa

5

Wesley Sneijder

5

Best Young Player (first awarded in 2006)

2010 South Africa Thomas Müller [11] 20

Golden Glove

The Golden Glove Award is awarded to the best goalkeeper of the tournamen

World Cup	Golden Glove Award winner
2010 South Africa	Iker Casillas

FIFA Fair Play Trophy

The FIFA Fair Play Trophy is given to the team with the best record of fair play during the World Cup final tournament. Only teams that qualified for the second round are considered. The winners of this award earn the FIFA Fair Play Trophy, a diploma, a fair play medal for each player and official, and $50,000 worth of football equipment to be used for youth development.

2010 South Africa

Spain

Most Entertaining Team

The FIFA Award for the Most Entertaining Team is a fairly new accolade for the FIFA World Cup. It is a subjectively awarded prize for the team which has done the most to entertain the public with a positive approach to the game. The award is always organized through public participation in a poll.

to be announced

Colombian singer Shakira, who has been the face of Africa throughout the World Cup,  will be cheering for Spain.

Shakira will be performing at the closing ceremony at Soccer City.

“I have been enjoying the football World Cup like any other fanatic. And since I am a Hispanic, I will be rooting for Spain. They have been a great team and the kind of football they played this time has been pleasing to eyes,” Shakira said.

“I hope the octopus doesn’t get it wrong for tomorrow,” she laughed.

Shakira, who sang the World Cup anthem “Waka Waka” at the opening ceremony, admitted the World Cup has turned her into a football fanatic.

“I never imagined I would go straight to the sports section in the newspaper. I love the goals I saw from (David) Villa. And I love the way (Spain’s Gerard) Pique plays. He’s a beautiful defender,” she said.

“The FIFA concert was one of the most emotional experiences of my career. These have been one of the happiest months in my life. I never saw so many people smiling and celebrating in unison,” she said.

For MY HIGHLIGHTS of the FIFA 2010 World CUP: CLICK HERE

SPAIN

OR

HOLLAND

HOLLAND WILL WIN 3-1

WHY?

I LIKE ORANGE

“Better than Messi: Schweinsteiger completes his masterpiece,” the paper published, adding that it was his “best game of the World Cup”.

German newspaper -Welt

Joachim Low has insisted that he will continue to wear his trademark blue sweater throughout the finals, and will not be washing it.

“The thing with the sweater is that I am not driven by superstition,” he said today. “The other coaching staff said I should be wearing the sweater now because every time I wear it we score four goals.

“I am not even allowed to wash it now and I think I will wear it again.”

About Suarez — who won’t play Tuesday owing to a red-card suspension — HAND BALL!!

Dutch goalkeeperMaarten Stekelenburg is Suarez’s teammate at Amsterdam’s Ajax FC. Stekelenburg sent his buddy a text message telling him he was the “best goalkeeper in the tournament.”

Dunga and Maradona : “A couple of idiots”…

Sneijder

“It feels like I have been punched by Muhammad Ali”

When Maradona was asked about his new beard. “I grew it because my dog almost ate my mouth and left me a big scar.” It later emerges he had startled his Chinese shar pei, Bela, by trying to kiss it, and had to undergo plastic surgery. “My daughters tell me I look good with a beard, so I’m keeping it.”

Later confirms his newfound body confidence by revealing a plan to streak through Buenos Aires if it all goes well in South Africa. “If we win the World Cup, I’ll get naked and run around the Obelisk.”

Argentina secure a group-topping finish with a 2-0 win over Greece. Diego’s happy, but not with the ball.

“I would ask all Fifa directors to stop talking about me and to start working on having a proper football. This ball is useless. It’s impossible to control.”

“I am as sad as anyone, but I want to thank the whole Argentina team. I want these boys to stay strong, to keep showing who they are. I want them to continue debunking the myths that millionaire footballers don’t care.”

He defended goalless Lionel Messi (”anyone saying he didn’t have a great World Cup is an idiot”) and said he would now talk to his family before deciding whether to carry on.

“I could walk away tomorrow, but I don’t know. I’m going to be 50 on 30 October, and this is the hardest thing I have had to go through since the day I retired from football. It was like a smack in the face from Muhammad Ali. I am drained of strength, but will I leave? I really don’t know. We will see what the future holds.”

Diego Maradona

“FIFA officiating does not meet North American standard as set in NHL, MLB, NFL.”

“Bush league Refs, with no instant reply.”

“Players who take dives should be thrown out of entire competition”

(Many) unknown authors

“I prefer a calm coach on the bench like Van Marwijk, rather than an idiot like Maradona or Dunga.”
Wesley Sneijder.

“There’s no reason to fear England.”
Lukas Podolski.

“What’s apartheid?”
Joan Capdevila

“I can’t say what my granny said about the referee when he sent me off but they were some harsh words”
Kaka’s

“I’m not in favour of technology in football or a chip in the ball. The best thing about football is the controversy. But as for that England goal [against Germany] … even my granny could see that it was in. And she wears super-thick glasses.”
Luis Fabiano

“God never sleeps, he knows who deserves success.”
Cristiano Ronaldo

“I like the Jabulani it’s very pretty.”
FIFA boss Sepp Blatter

“It’s going to take us 25 years to win again if we carry on like this.”
Fabio Cannavaro (Italy)

“Maradona is a nice guy but he can be a bit pesado [a pain, boring] . And I mean pesado in the nicest possible way.”
Vicente del Bosque

“Luis Suarez’s hand was the Hand of God … and the Virgin Mary.”
Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez

“What I saw from the English in their 1-1 draw against the United States had very little to do with football. English have gone backwards into the bad old times of kick and rush.”

Franz Beckenbauer

“We beat Germany two years ago and they will not be happy to meet us again. But we also have to forget that match. If we finish without the World Cup, it will be as if we have not done anything.”

David Villa

Life is unfair.

Soccer is life. Football is life. It must be so. The T-shirts insist, whichever nomenclature and whatever size you order.

Ergo, soccer/football is unfair.

Think about it. Luis Suarez was being toasted in Montevideo on Friday night, while he was being hoisted on the shoulders of his Uruguay teammates, while he was roasted with a side order of rueful regret across Africa. The Uruguayan’s blatant cheating, and Asamoah Gyan’s overexcited, overcooked penalty following, was the pivot point of this lesson.

Unfair? Of course it was.

On the topic of handballs.

Associated Press sports columnist John Leicester’s take was short and sweet:

Uruguay forward Luis Suarez escaped with a one-match suspension from FIFA on Saturday for deliberately using his hands to slap away what would have been a certain match-winning goal for Ghana.

…

That is so wrong. FIFA should have sent him packing from the World Cup, deterred cheats by making an example of this one.

“Foot” and “ball.” It couldn’t be any simpler. The most basic rule is no handling by anyone other than the goalkeeper, and Suarez slapped it in the face.

Atta Mills seems to think so when i interviewed him. “There is no reason why we cannot win the World Cup, we can do it if we believe we can.”

FromBill Bailey on Twitter: “Mournful chumps in grey M+S suits – is that how Team England will be remembered?”

What is Holland’s secret to such a successful 2010 World Cup? (so far) Well the answer is….a bracelet!

Most Oranje starters have one. A bracelet with two round holograms. Balancing Bracelets, they’re called. And who ever wears them wins power, balance and agility. They restore the electromagnetic balance, according to the supplier.

“Wesley Sneijder introduced them to the lads,” says Rafael van der Vaart. “It’s actually a hype in Spain, where a lot of people use them. Does it work? I’m not sure, but it doesn’t hurt to wear them.”

Sneijder: “I thought it was nonsense, but in all honesty: they work. I feel much better with them, more in balance.”

Recently, Sneijder demonstrated how he can easily put his hand flat on the ground without bending his knees. “Without the bracelet I wouldn’t be able to.”

*******************************************************************

Some of the Best Soccer Quotes from the Past

Some people believe football is a matter of life and death. I’m very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that.

Bill Shankly

English soccer manager.

Football’s a difficult business and aren’t they prima donnas. But it’s a wonderful game.

Queen Elizabeth II

To Premier League Chairman David Richards, November 2006.

Every time I went away I was deceiving my mum. I’d tell her I was going to school but I’d be out on the street playing football. I always had a ball on my feet.

Ronaldo

Brazilian soccer player.

If a team wants to intimidate you physically and you let them, they’ve won.

Mia Hamm

American World Cup Soccer champion.

I’m here to score a lot of goals. It’s my speciality, that’s what I’ve been brought here to do, and I want to score plenty ; like I did with Barcelona. And here, there’s every reason to think I can do it.

Ronaldo

Brazilian soccer player.

The rules of soccer are very simple, basically it is this: if it moves, kick it. If it doesn’t move, kick it until it does.

Phil Woosnam

Welsh soccer player and manager.

To say that these men paid their shillings to watch twenty-two hirelings kick a ball is merely to say that a violin is wood and catgut, that Hamlet is so much paper and ink.

J. B. Priestley

The Good Companions.

In football everything is complicated by the presence of the opposite team.

Jean Paul Sartre

French philosopher.

Every single day I wake up and commit to myself to becoming a better player.

Mia Hamm

American female soccer player.

I fell in love with football as I would later fall in love with women: suddenly, uncritically, giving no thought to the pain it would bring.

Nick Hornby

Opening sentence from English writer’s book Fever Pitch.

The vision of a champion is someone bent over, drenched in sweat, to a point of exhaustion, when no one else is watching.

Anson Dorrance

American women’s soccer coach.

I loathed the game, and since I could see no pleasure or usefulness in it, it was very difficult for me to show courage at it. Football, it seemed to me, is not really played for the pleasure of kicking a ball about, but is a species of fighting.

George Orwell

English writer.

Every kid around the world who plays soccer wants to be Pele. I have a great responsibility to show them not just how to be like a soccer player, but how to be like a man.

Pele

Brazilian soccer player, considered possibly world’s greatest.

Fail to prepare, prepare to fail.

Roy Keane

Irish soccer player and English football club manager.

I’m sure sex wouldn’t be so rewarding as this World Cup. It’s not that sex isn’t good but the World Cup is every four years and sex is not.

Ronaldo

Brazilian soccer player, after winning 2002 World Cup.

Pele called me the greatest footballer in the world. That is the ultimate salute to my life.

George Best

Northern Ireland soccer player, from his autobiography, The Good, The Bad and the Bubbly.

The goal was scored a little bit by the hand of God, another bit by the head of Maradona.

Maradona

Argentinian soccer player, on goal against England in 1986 World Cup.

Football is all very well a good game for rough girls, but not for delicate boys.

Oscar Wilde

Irish writer.

I am a member of a team, and I rely on the team, I defer to it and sacrifice for it, because the team, not the individual, is the ultimate champion.

Mia Hamm

American female soccer player.

Rugby is a beastly game played by gentlemen; soccer is a gentlemen’s game played by beasts; football is a beastly game played by beasts.

Henry Blaha

The goalkeeper is the jewel in the crown and getting at him should be almost impossible. It’s the biggest sin in football to make him do any work.

George Graham

Scottish soccer player and manager.

Italians can’t win the game against you, but you can lose the game against the Italians.

Johan Cryuff

Dutch soccer player.

Some people tell me that we professional players are soccer slaves. Well, if this is slavery, give me a life sentence.

Bobby Charlton

English soccer player and 1966 World Cup winner.

Whoever invented football should be worshipped as a God.

Hugo Sanchez

Mexican soccer player and coach.

Five days shalt thou labour, as the Bible says. The seventh day is the Lord thy God’s. The sixth day is for football.

Anthony Burgess

English writer.

In Latin America the border between soccer and politics is vague. There is a long list of governments that have fallen or been overthrown after the defeat of the national team.

Luis Suarez

Mexican journalist, quoted in The Soccer War by Ryszard Kapuscinski (1969).

At a football club, there’s a holy trinity the players, the manager and the supporters. Directors don’t come into it. They are only there to sign the checks.

Bill Shankly

English soccer manager.

If you are first you are first. If you are second, you are nothing.

Bill Shankly

English soccer manager.

The person that said winning isn’t everything, never won anything.

Mia Hamm

American female soccer player.

Failure happens all the time. It happens every day in practice. What makes you better is how you react to it.

Mia Hamm

American female soccer player.

When I go to the press conference before the game, in my mind the game has already started.

Jose Mourinho

Portuguese soccer manager.

We lost because we didn’t win.

Ronaldo

Brazilian soccer player.

You can have the top stars to bring the attention, you can have the best stadium, you can have the best facilities, you can have the most beautiful project in terms of marketing and all this kind of thing. But if you don’t win… All the work these people are doing is forgotten.

Jose Mourinho

Portuguese soccer manager.

Well the answer is….a bracelet!

Most Oranje starters have one. A bracelet with two round holograms. Balancing Bracelets, they’re called. And who ever wears them wins power, balance and agility. They restore the electromagnetic balance, according to the supplier.

“Wesley Sneijder introduced them to the lads,” says Rafael van der Vaart. “It’s actually a hype in Spain, where a lot of people use them. Does it work? I’m not sure, but it doesn’t hurt to wear them.”

Sneijder: “I thought it was nonsense, but in all honesty: they work. I feel much better with them, more in balance.”

Recently, Sneijder demonstrated how he can easily put his hand flat on the ground without bending his knees. “Without the bracelet I wouldn’t be able to.”

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