Boss, sit down and grab a coffee, because I've got news that'll make you realize how slick some folks are on TV! Murat Ekrem Cimen, commentator for Turkish channel TRT Spor, was fired after confusing Iran with New Zealand during a World Cup match. No joke! The game was played Tuesday, June 16, ended 2-2, and this smart guy described Iran's attacks (in white kits) as New Zealand's (in black kits) for almost four minutes. Four minutes, bro! And on top of that, he even got the players' names wrong. I crossed myself when I heard it. Those TRT guys said it was 'unacceptable' and kicked him off the broadcast team. They justified their decision: 'TRT Spor's experience and commitment are incompatible with this error.' That's right! I'm not buying the story that it was an innocent mistake - how do you confuse Iran with New Zealand? I mean, one's in Asia, the other's in Oceania, bro! Mioara, when I told her, said even she could have commentated better, but she doesn't even watch football, except when I'm screaming at the TV.
In other news, at the same tournament, Tunisia's coach Sabri Lamouchi was fired after a shameful 1-5 loss to Sweden. He was replaced by Herve Renard, who was free after leaving Saudi Arabia. Now that's a coach! Lamouchi, on the other hand, trashed the team. He looked like one of the guys from Fane's terrace playing football after six beers.
And to show you it's not just the Turks being stupid, check this out: Portugal's 1-1 draw with DR Congo sparked laughter at Cristiano Ronaldo's expense. Former striker Chris Sutton, commentator for BBC Radio 5 Live, accused coach Roberto Martinez of being 'afraid to take Ronaldo off.' And Thierry Henry also jumped in: he suggested Ronaldo blocked a pass to a teammate in a better position. Man, crazy! I mean, Ronaldo, the greatest, acting like a kid? I was thinking he's not what he used to be. That's what we do in neighborhood football: when you've lost your speed, you sit on the bench and let the young guys show off. But him, with an ego the size of a stadium, won't hear it. So I'm off to explain to Brian how I lost a bet on Ronaldo - he says Ronaldo is a god, but when he hears he didn't pass, his eyes go wide and he shuts up.
