Entitled "World Cup anti-stars shine for semifinalists" it's an interesting review of just how the 'big stars' of football have failed at this World Cup. And just how well relative 'non-stars' are doing, particularly for the four remaining sides - Uruguay, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands.
Boy, have the 'big boys' been a let down. Being a supporter of Portugal has meant having to wince and put up with the antics of Christiano Ronaldo. To say he under-performed for Portugal is a bit like saying Tony Hayward has underperformed as CEO of BP. This 'star' is the most well-paid footballer on the planet. Yeah, we really saw that during his four matches for Portugal. As Portuguese comedian Herman Jose jested, "Ronaldo is amazingly consistent when he plays for Portugal...he plays badly every time." How true!
The English team were another brilliant case in point - comprised mainly of a bunch of overpaid, overrated prima donas, they did poorly too. Head prima donna was that pudgy fatso, Wayne Rooney. It amazes me how the English media fawn all over that boorish yob every time there's an international competition.
As for the French team - what a disgrace. Again - prima donnas.
Even Argentina's Lionel Messi, whom I genuinely like as a player (and unassuming, unpretentious) person, had a lackluster time, failing to even score a goal for his country. Kaka for Brazil hardly shone either.
Yet the top players for Germany and Uruguay are hardly in the same league of 'super stardom'. Yes, Klose and a few other of the German players are very well known to football lovers, but hardly the household names of a Ronaldo or Rooney. Ditto the same for most of the Dutch team. And whilst some of the Spanish players are indeed superstars, they're somehow not in that super-league either. And, to be honest, Spain have hardly wowed me with their performances to date.
Why I love all of this is because I am so AGAINST what these superstar football players earn in the first place. This World Cup has been the comeuppance of the CELEBRITY FOOTBALL STAR - hurrah! The game has become so ridiculously inflated and rich, so brand-conscious uber alles, that some of these 'top' players, good as they might be, become so overpaid, so over-feted ,that, in the end, they start to believe all that crap. And, in the process, they become overrated.
Why the hell should you care about playing well for your country when you are a young multi(multi)-millionaire with millions more in the pipeline in sponsorship deals, other endorsements and a celebrity lifestyle to match? Who the hell cares when that anthem sounds, right? Why the hell indeed.
So we are now left with four teams in the World Cup comprised mainly of just excellent football stars who have proven that they are, above all else, not only talented but proud to play for their nations and their fans. As, until recently, it always was. As it always should be.
If anything, this trend will be one of the long-lasting legacies of the 2010 World Cup.
How the 'mighty' do fall. Sometimes, that is indeed a good thing.
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