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South Africans revel in success as World Cup host
South Africans revel in success as World Cup host
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On the field of play, South Africa fared worse than any host nation in World Cup history. Off the field, it was a resounding winner, overcoming past strife and present troubles to charm the world with pluck, hard work and warmth.
The pre-tournament skeptics abroad - who forecast crime and chaos - had to swallow their words. At home, black and white South Africans joined together as never before, sharing pride in their formerly fractured country and marveling at the world's embrace.
"We have bedazzled ourselves, and the world, with our warmth, efficiency, beauty and our promise," said retired Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who won a Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for his fight against apartheid. "Never before have we experienced this overwhelming joy of unity in purpose."
It was the first World Cup held in Africa - and the biggest global gathering ever in a country that for decades was isolated by a sports boycott over its racist laws and white-minority government.
FIFA head Sepp Blatter, an early champion of bringing the tournament to Africa, gave the South African organizers a grade of 9 out 10 - "summa cum laude" - and said their nation had "responded brilliantly" to its role as host.
Blatter closed FIFA's wrap-up news conference Monday with a tribute to Nelson Mandela, the former political prisoner and South Africa's first post-apartheid president, who made a brief stadium appearance before Sunday night's championship match won by Spain over the Netherlands.
"He brought this World Cup to Africa," Blatter said. "He wanted to be there yesterday to see his dream come true."
The success of the tournament seemed to amaze even the die-hard optimists, prompting them to wonder how the nation can sustain the momentum for other purposes.
"We have been able to show the world that we have what it takes to compete at the highest level, united in our diversity." said President Jacob Zuma.
Visitors who came apprehensively "discovered that we are a winning nation of very humble, hospitable people," he said.
Well, not always humble. White and black, Asian, mixed-race - they tooted their plastic vuvuzelas, flew the gaudy South African flag from their cars and homes, and donned hats, scarves and jerseys in the electric yellow of their national team, Bafana Bafana. And even when the team was ousted after the opening round in a first for a World Cup host, the enthusiasm and solidarity remained.
Many of the advance news stories highlighted South Africa's high rate of violent crime, implying that visitors should be on constant guard. It turned out that crime related to the tournament was minuscule, and the national police commissioner, Gen. Bheki Cele, lauded his security forces.
"The bad thing that you have done is that you have created a standard that you need to maintain," he said. "Make sure that when the visitors are gone, South Africans are safe."
Also unrealized were fears of rampant hooliganism and crowd-control problems. The worst security breaches were an intruder in the English team's dressing room in Cape Town, and two men who ran onto the field, one at Germany-Spain semifinal in Durban, and the other just before the final at Johannesburg's Soccer City.
The 10 stadiums, some new and others renovated, won praise, although there were traffic backups that caused some fans to be late reaching their seats.
Perhaps the worst logistical fiasco - with harsh but limited consequences - occurred at the Durban airport on the day of the Germany-Spain game, when private jets caused congestion that prevented some larger commercial planes from landing. About 700 fans missed some or all of the match.
Across the ideological spectrum, South African politicians, civic leaders and news media hailed the tournament as a defining moment for their country - on the scale of Mandela's election as president in 1994.
"It was a coming of age for South Africa, 16 years old and now the darling of the planet," said The Star, a Johannesburg daily. "It was Africa shouting out for a chance to show just what Africans could do. ... They delivered and then some."
The tournament attracted about 400,000 foreign visitors, although final figures remain to be compiled. FIFA said 3.18 million fans attended the 64 matches - the third- highest overall for a World Cup.
The success of the tournament won't chase away South Africa's many daunting problems: a jobless rate above 25 percent; a stubborn HIV/AIDS epidemic; a glaring gap because the wealthy and the legions of poor; schools in black townships so bad that many students make long commutes in crowded vans to schools in traditionally white neighborhoods.
Thus the euphoria already is accompanied by questions about the future - namely, how can South Africa harness the World Cup enthusiasm and solidarity to tackle its long-term problems.
"Our collective challenge is clear," said Danny Jordaan, chief of the local organizing committee. "To keep the spirit of 2010 alive, to nurture the flame of unity and self-confidence, to ensure this precious light illuminates our country for year to come."
One possible bonus was confirmed Monday by top sports officials: The well-run World Cup could embolden South Africa to make a serious bid for the Summer Olympics in 2020 or 2024.
Blatter has already given his endorsement.
"If a country can host the World Cup, they can host the Summer Olympics," he said last week.
One interested observer as this tournament unfolded was Brazil, host of the 2014 World Cup. It confronts several of the same challenges South Africa faced: high crime rates, a huge disparity between rich and poor, even longer distances between cities with sports venues, and a need for extensive new infrastructure.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva visited South Africa toward the end of the tournament.
"We now have tremendous responsibility on our shoulders," he said. "But we are confident that we will present a World Cup as beautiful as this one."
For the continent of Africa, which brimmed with pride at finally getting to host a World Cup, the tournament was a letdown in competitive terms. Five of the six African teams failed to reach the second round. But South Africans - and fans across the continent - rallied behind Ghana, which reached the quarterfinals before an agonizing shootout loss to Uruguay.
Jomo Sono, a coach and formerly one of South Africa's greatest players, said he hoped the excitement kindled across racial lines by the World Cup might encourage more South African whites to get engaged in domestic soccer rather than cheer from afar for European teams.
"We must keep this momentum going," he said. "To me the biggest bonus of the World Cup is seeing a united South Africa."
CBS website mistake has Holland winning World Cup
Bloggers have seized on a mistake by CBS News, whose news website accidentally reported that the Netherlands had won the World Cup.
In fact, Spain defeated Holland 1-0 in extra time thanks to a goal by Andres Iniesta.
But CBS's website story carried the line "The Netherlands Wins First World Cup and Ends 22-Year Streak Without a Title of Any Kind".
The mistake was later rectified, but not before drawing attention.
The error was the subject of dozens of posts on Twitter, many of them from the Netherlands.
News organisations routinely prepare dummy stories for events where there are two possible outcomes to allow them to report the conclusion more quickly.
FIFA gives South Africa top marks for World Cup
FIFA President Sepp Blatter on Monday gave South Africa his highest possible mark for a World Cup that defied sceptics who had predicted disaster.
Blatter said he would give a mark of nine out of 10 which was the maximum possible. "Perfection does not exist in our life," he told a news conference.
Last year, when FIFA still had concerns over South African organisation of the vast logistical operation, Blatter had given a mark of 7.5, saying it was below what was required.
"Africa has proven that really they can organise this World Cup...they can be proud," Blatter said, adding that the tournament had changed perceptions of the continent.
Years of negative reporting had predicted chaos and major criminal incidents in a country notorious for violence.
South Africa's 40-billion-rand ($5.29-billion) spending on the World Cup, which ended with Spain's victory over Netherlands on Sunday, would bring increased tourism, trade and investment, President Jacob Zuma said on Monday.
He said it would create the revenue to address myriad social problems include widespread poverty and an HIV pandemic, which critics said should have taken priority over the World Cup.
Blatter, like other senior international soccer officials at the news conference, paid tribute to the way South Africans had continued to attend matches despite being the first host nation to be knocked out at the group stage.
More than 3.1 million people attended the 64 games, the third highest figure behind the United States in 1994 and Germany in 2006.
RECORD AUDIENCES
Some six million people watched the games in public viewing areas around the world.
FIFA said the average television audience in Spain for the final was a record 15.6 million, or nearly 80 percent of market share, while in the Netherlands it was more than 90 percent.
Spain won the trophy for the first time after beating the Dutch by a late goal.
Irvin Khoza, chairman of the local organising committee, said the World Cup had brought together an often troubled nation. "Never in our history have we seen South Africans so united," he said.
Danny Jordaan, the chief local architect of the World Cup, compared it to the release of Nelson Mandela from prison in 1990 and the first democratic elections in 1994.
He said the tournament "was an incredible moment, a dream has come true...we are very, very happy and very proud to be Africans and South Africans."
Mandela, in frail health at the age of 91, capped national pride in a successful tournament by touring the pitch in a golf buggy just before Sunday's final.
Mandela's charisma is widely credited with helping South Africa to win the World Cup bid at its second try in 2006.
Jordaan said Mandela was the biggest personality of the tournament.
He added, tongue-in-cheek, that the two others were the vuvuzela trumpet hated by millions of television viewers for its raucous drone but now popular with fans around the world, and Paul the oracle octopus in Germany which correctly picked the winners in eight out of eight matches.
3 injured in Spain bull running
Revelers are chased by a Victoriano del Rio ranch fighting bull during the sixth run of the bulls at the San Fermin fiesta in Pamplona northern Spain.
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PAMPLONA, Spain—A fast-paced running of the bulls at Spain's San Fermin festival left three thrill-seeking runners injured Monday, though none by goring, officials said.
The most dramatic moment came when one bull knocked into a runner. The beast's right horn smacked against the man just below its tip and knocked him backwards onto the cobblestone streets.
Three people were taken to two hospitals -- one with a right arm injury, one hurt in the left leg and another injured in the left arm, Navarra Hospital Dr. Fernando Boneta said.
None of those injured was in serious condition and the regional government of Navarra, which encompasses Pamplona, later said in a statement that all three, a 23-year-old Canadian national and Spaniards aged 30 and 40 years old, had all been treated and released from hospital.
The run took just two minutes, 17 seconds and was led by a quick, muscular black bull of the Victoriano del Rio breeding ranch. The runs usually take around three minutes.
Monday's run was the sixth of eight during the centuries-old festival which commemorates Pamplona's patron saint, San Fermin.
Tiger Woods Returns To Golf and Finishes 4th at Masters
By Paul Newberry
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AUGUSTA, Ga. — By most standards, Tiger Woods' comeback would be deemed a success. He contended for a fifth Masters title when some wondered if he'd even make the cut. He took a step toward winning back fans who were appalled by the serial cheating on his wife.
Woods didn't look at it that way.
He came back to the Masters to win, not just contend. To him, there was no joy and no relief in tying for fourth in his first tournament in five months, only disappointment and frustration.
"That's not what I wanted," Woods said Sunday after finishing five strokes behind Phil Mickelson. "I wanted to win this tournament. As the week wore on, I kept hitting the ball worse."
He had vowed to tone down his emotions, try to smile a little more, acknowledge the fans every now and then. But that even temperament quickly faded as the poor shots piled up. He yelled at himself several times, loud enough for the gallery to hear and the television microphones to pick up. He flipped clubs away in anger.
Afterward, Woods got a bit testy when asked if the new Tiger was still a work in progress.
"I think people are making way too much of a big deal about this thing," he said. "I'm not going to be walking there with a lot of pep in my step because I hadn't hit a good shot yet."
Woods did hit some good shots, of course. The best Sunday was an 8-iron that he holed out from the fairway at No. 7 for an eagle. He followed with back-to-back birdies and made the turn just three strokes out of the lead, looking as though he was ready to make a charge.
But Woods has never come from behind on the final day to win a major, and this one wasn't any different.
Another errant tee shot at the 11th led to a bogey. Then, an inexplicable three-putt from 6 feet ended his hopes at the 14th.
He did bounce back to make an eagle on the par-5 15th, but Mickelson was pulling away at that point. A short birdie putt at the final hole only assured that Woods tied K.J. Choi for fourth place.
"I had another terrible warmup," Woods said. "I didn't have it. And it was pretty evident."
Yes it was, right from the start. He yanked his opening drive into the adjacent ninth fairway and wound up with a bogey. Two more bogeys followed in the next five holes, and he was on the verge of falling off the leaderboard.
Even though he turned things around before heading to the back side, Woods never felt he was a serious contender.
"I still was pretty far out of it," he said. "The guys were making birdies on the easier holes and for most of the day I was four, five, six back. It's a long way to climb and I was still making mistakes out there. I made too many mistakes."
He seemed a little hard on himself.
But when Woods decided to return to golf at one of the biggest tournaments on the schedule, a place where he had captured four of his 14 career major titles, it was all in for the world's top-ranked player.
He was here for a fifth green jacket. Nothing else was acceptable.
"I entered this event and I only enter events to win," said Woods, whose wife Elin did not attend the tournament. "I didn't get it done. I didn't hit the ball good and I made too many mistakes around the greens. Consequently, I'm not there."
This was Woods' first tournament since November. A Thanksgiving night car crash had ripped his personal life apart, revealing a golfer with an impeccable reputation who was actually leading a sordid double life.
For a while mistresses were coming forward on an almost daily basis. Woods went into hiding and tried to figure out how to save his marriage. He even checked into rehab for 45 days, hoping to learn how it all went wrong, a process of self-examination that he admits revealed plenty of flaws.
Despite his disappointment Sunday, Woods clearly made the right personal decision to make his return at Augusta; it exhibits more control over ticketing and media credentials than any other tournament. Everyone expected the fans would be polite, and they seemed to warm to Woods as the week went on. The muted applause got louder and louder when it became apparent he would be a contender.
It might be different at future tournaments, where the crowds are rowdier and the tabloid media may have more success gaining access.
Evander Holyfield and Francois Botha of South Africa Meets in Uganda
Francois Botha Will Defend His Heavy Weight Title
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American Evander Holyfield will challenge South African Francois Botha for the World Boxing Federation world heavyweight title in Uganda on Jan. 16, the South African Press Association reported on Thursday. Organizers for the fight at Kampala's Nambole Stadium said that both boxers had signed contracts and a crowd of 80,000 are expected to watch the bout.
"I am very much looking forward to going to Uganda and I expect a tough fight against Francois Botha," said Holyfield (47-10 with 2 draws), who has not fought since losing a points decision to Nikolai Valuev in a World Boxing Association title fight in December 2008. "I am going to win and I will cherish the WBF world title," said the 47-year-old American, a former world cruiserweight and heavyweight champion. "I have always been my own harshest critic. My performance against Carrion, without making any excuses, was arguably the worst of my career," said Botha, who retained his WBF title by drawing with Pedro Carrion of Cuba in Germany in October.
"Expect the fittest, toughest and best ever - and extremely serious -- Francois Botha in Uganda in January. I owe my fans and members of Team Botha the performance of my life. I intend to make good on that," he added.
AT&T Discontinues Tiger Wood Sponsorship
Third Big Company To Drop The Scandalous Tiger
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Telecom giant AT&T Inc. announced that it is cancelling its sponsorship deal with Tiger Woods, becoming the third major corporate sponsor to cut ties with the embattled golfer. With more than $1 billion in career earnings, Woods is the highest-paid athlete in history. The bulk of his earnings have come from sponsorship deals, which are so lucrative because Woods has been able to pair dominance in his sport with a pristine public image.
The gulfer who has been linked to nearly a dozen different women, and has admitted unfaithfulness to his wife, Elin Nordegren. Mr Woods has announced he is taking an indefinite leave from professional golf.
Woods' endorsement include sports-focused companies, such as Nike, trading-card company Upper Deck and video-game-maker Electronic Arts; and broader businesses, such as AT&T, Accenture and Gillette. Bill Sutton, a professor in the University of Central Florida's DeVos Sports Business Management graduate program, said the Woods scandal has made him an unattractive pitchman for companies such as AT&T and Accenture that aren't selling products directly related to sports and have instead been using him to promote "a product related to his lifestyle."
Chris Henry Reported To Have Threaten Sucide Before His Death
Bengals Wide Receiver Died After a Fatal Fall From Truck
Chris Henry the Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver reported to have begged his fiancee to stop so they could talk or he would kill himself, a witness said.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg police verified that a domestic dispute started the turn of events that led to fatal fall of Henry from the moving pickup truck on Wednesday. Henry, who had a troubled past, was on medical leave visiting with his fiancée Loleini Tonga's, when the fight began Wednesday afternoon.
The two were scheduled to be married in March 2010.
Terrell Owens Buffalo Bills Wide Receiver Wants To Be A Fashion Model
American Football To Fashion Model
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Terrell Owens want to be a Fashion Model, though he is not always the model teammate, he wants to be a model in behavior.
The verbose pass-catching enthusiast signed a contract with the Wilhelmina Agency this week. Owens said he was approached by the firm, which was founded by former supermodel Wilhelmina Cooper and has offices in the model-friendly cities of Los Angeles, New York and Miami.
Seeking to capitalize on Owens' popularity, the agency will represent him in future endorsements and sponsorship deals in the fashion and personal care industries. "Well, I'm always putting my hands in and feeding into something," Owens said. "When you've got some good looks like myself, you've got to take full advantage of it." Owens got another bit of good off-the-field news recently when VH1 decided to pick up his reality show for a second season.
World Cup Soccer Draws Good For USA
The US Team Should Make Second Round
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The United States received a favorable draw for the 2010 World Cup on Friday and will be expected to advance to the second round of the soccer world championship, which will begin June 11 in South Africa. Anything short will be considered a major disappointment. The Americans drew a top seed in England, the 1966 World Cup champion, but avoided a second European power and a top African team, instead being placed in a group that includes Slovenia and Algeria.
“We feel this is a group that gives us a real fair chance to move on,” Bob Bradley, the United States coach, said in an interview with ESPN at the draw in Cape Town. Brazil, a five-time World Cup champion, was drawn into the so-called Group of Death with the Ivory Coast, which is led by perhaps the world’s top striker, Didier Drogba, and Portugal, which finished fourth at the 2006 World Cup and features Cristiano Ronaldo. Only two teams will advance from each of the eight four-team groups, meaning that one team from among Brazil, Ivory Coast and Portugal will go home early. Italy, the reigning World Cup champion, was placed with Paraguay, New Zealand and Slovakia. Spain, the world’s top-ranked team, was grouped with Switzerland, Honduras and Chile. Argentina heads a group that includes Nigeria, South Korea and Greece. South Africa may become the first home nation not to advance beyond the first round, having been placed in a forbidding group with France, Mexico and Uruguay. The final group, headed by the Netherlands, also includes Denmark, Japan and Cameroon.
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