<![CDATA[Talking Soccer - Funnies]]>Sun, 19 May 2013 00:58:49 +0000Weebly<![CDATA[New for 2012-13]]>Wed, 22 Aug 2012 11:43:49 GMThttp://www.talkingsoccer.org/2/post/2012/08/new-for-2012-13.htmlAll new articles are now appearing in the new blog entitled 2012-13 and there will be no further updates here although all the older content from previous posts is still right here and has not been deleted.]]><![CDATA[The Sanchez Boys meet Gennaro Gattuso]]>Sat, 16 Jun 2012 11:17:39 GMThttp://www.talkingsoccer.org/2/post/2012/06/the-sanchez-boys-meet-gennaro-gattuso.htmlI will admit to have never of heard of the Sanchez Boys until recently - maybe I was living in a bubble or maybe I had outgrown MTV.  But apparently what I missed was a stunt/prank show involving three Welshmen and one Englishmen attempting so-called "dangerous stunts". The series was called "Dirty Sanchez" or "Team Sanchez" in the US. It lasted for four years between 2003-07 and was followed by several spin-offs including even a movie.

Below we see one of the spin-off episodes which is taken from a Nike promotion of a series of ads produced in 2008 called "Put it Where you want it" in 2008 in which the boys traveled around Europe meeting various football stars including Wayne Rooney and Florent Malouda. In this one they get to meet one of my all-time favourite Italian players in Gennaro Gattuso with some stunning results. I get the impression that Gattuso really enjoyed this and playing up to his image - there was only ever going to be one winner!
]]><![CDATA[Smithy and the England Squad]]>Wed, 30 May 2012 12:14:16 GMThttp://www.talkingsoccer.org/2/post/2012/05/smithy-and-the-england-squad.htmlWith the Euros now just over a week away we go back to video made just a few years ago featuring James Corden as Smithy and an "inspirational" speech to the England squad. Interesting to note how quickly the faces have changed with so many faces not being involved this summer. Corden may not be everybody's cup of tea and take the humour out of this video and what you are left with is a passionate speech that if Roy Hodgson delivered could raise the game of the players.
]]><![CDATA[23rd Century Goal Celebrations]]>Wed, 30 May 2012 11:50:21 GMThttp://www.talkingsoccer.org/2/post/2012/05/23rd-century-goal-celebrations.htmlThe following video gives us a glimpse into a possible future. We have already seen in the past thirty of forty years that the goal scoring celebration has grown from a simple handshake or pat on the back into a rehearsed and organised routine sometimes including somersaults, little dances or even a whole team activity.
Whoever put this video together has done a remarkable job as to where (possibly) some of these celebrations might end up with future technology. However, there will always be the fans and players of the opposing teams that will want to strike back - hence we also see forms of retaliation! It might just make even the most boring of matches a bit more worth while watching!


]]><![CDATA["Its Good to Dream"]]>Tue, 22 May 2012 23:50:53 GMThttp://www.talkingsoccer.org/2/post/2012/05/its-good-to-dream.htmlITV are using the term "Its Good to Dream". In the case of the following video I think they have simply gone into cloud cuckoo land! Yes, with the Euro's fast approaching we are beginning to see the first spate of specially made ads for the tournament. I just wonder at what stage they will stop showing this one! Alternatively I guess they could add a bit on to the end of it to give it an update. What will be this time? We have had the lost penalty shoot-outs (too many to mention or that's what it feels like). We have had the ball over the line by about three furlongs two years ago. We have had a hand of God moment etc so what will it be this summer? I just hope that we do not go out with a whimper. The last two tournaments has seen that happen so maybe - just maybe we will defy all the odds this time around - and reach the semi-finals! Or is that just too much to ask?
]]><![CDATA[Balotelli visits the Barber Shop]]>Mon, 21 May 2012 23:29:05 GMThttp://www.talkingsoccer.org/2/post/2012/05/balotelli-visits-the-barber-shop.html
Mario Balotelli - for some strange reason he still keeps managing to surprise! Despite his wrongs, we have seen plenty to suggest a humorous side as picked up here for a Nike ad no doubt being produced for the upcoming Euro 2012.
]]><![CDATA[Harsh Red Card]]>Thu, 10 May 2012 11:45:02 GMThttp://www.talkingsoccer.org/2/post/2012/05/harsh-red-card.htmlThe laws of the great game have changed a lot in recent years. From what was a "man's game" up until perhaps the eighties is now being basically played as a form of tag football whereby just touching an opponent constitutes a foul. We have also seen the pansy like rolls and dives and feigning serious injury when a player has been breathed upon so I have to ask where are we going next and how far can we take this?


Here are some possibilities that could be considered for the future as definite red card offences:-
The referee sent the player off for looking towards him and deemed his eyes had serious malicious intent,
The defender was red carded for appealing for an offside flag to be shown in raising his arm.
The player was sent off for having bad breath (actually that one is not a bad idea)
The player celebrated the goal by smiling so he was red carded.
The captain was red carded at the start of the game for shaking the referee's hand - a breach of the rules as no physical contact is allowed between any players and match officials.
The attacker was sent off for failing to entertain the fans with a brilliantly executed fall followed by at least three rolls whilst holding his face in agony after the defender had closed to within five yards of him.
The Italian was sent off for wearing a shirt with a number lower than 7 meaning that he was probably a defender.
The whole of the Dutch team were sent off for wearing a kit too dazzling for the referee's eyes.
A random player is sent off every time there is a corner as there is bound to be some sort of infringement following in the penalty area.
The defender was sent off for having arms and having nowhere to put them when the ball was blasted straight at one of them from less than five feet away.

I could go on and on with this and I am sure that I will probably be able to think of some more great ones which I may add as comments if I do under this article. But back to reality (really?) and a video giving us an example of how close we are coming to seeing the day when some of these decisions could actually be seen! I am not a great lover of seeing over the top goal celebrations especially the ones with the ridiculously rehearsed dances. Watching Nigerians doing a series of quadruple somersaults is great as they are sometimes more spectacular than the goals! But here we see recent action from the Russian league in a game between Spartak Moscow and Zenit St. Petersburg. Emmanuel Emenike is about to score a goal for Spartak and will then celebrate his goal with what we surely must consider to be if anything quite a low key celebration - but enough to be shown a straight red card! Perhaps we are missing the point, perhaps his celebration means something that we are not aware of. Perhaps it is the fact that Zenit do not have a black player in their team and allegedly have a growing reputation regarding this through both the club itself and the fans. It is all speculation and maybe very soon the truth will come out but for now all we really know is that this incident is for real and this video proves it!


]]><![CDATA[Liverpool's new kit?]]>Fri, 27 Apr 2012 16:44:28 GMThttp://www.talkingsoccer.org/2/post/2012/04/liverpools-new-kit.html
It's going around the internet - Liverpool's shall we say interesting third choice kit for next season.

Surely it is a hoax but just imagine for one moment that this is for real - looking for a new business opportunity - I have three for you.

The first one is set up a sunglasses hut at all Premier League grounds next season when Liverpool are the visitors.

Set up a new recycle plant on Merseyside specialising in whatever material this is originally made from.

Lastly - Produce and sell in the banners and placards that will be bought by Liverpool fans to protest against it. I don't know what is worse - the purple body or the amazing sleeves!
]]><![CDATA[Gary Neville - woooooaaaaah]]>Thu, 26 Apr 2012 16:17:50 GMThttp://www.talkingsoccer.org/2/post/2012/04/gary-neville-woooooaaaaah.html
In honour of Gary Neville's "commentary" in Barcelona, somebody has put this video together adding Neville's sound effects to the original.
]]><![CDATA[In honour of Martin Atkinson]]>Mon, 16 Apr 2012 22:19:05 GMThttp://www.talkingsoccer.org/2/post/2012/04/in-honour-of-martin-atkinson.htmlIn light of all of the horrendous refereeing decisions of late and all that have happened before it is time to truly laugh at a referee. This video is beautifully put together and admittedly completely mocks this referee in a homophobic way but you cannot ignore that this is for real. 
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