Spanish empire conquering world of sports - USA Today

[DAOTEC]

And now, how about a rousing verse of the cheer that can sum up 2010 in sports?

"Ole! Ole Ole! Ole!"

It's the Summer of Spain, from the World Cup to Wimbledon. Pau Gasol…Rafael Nadal…Alberto Contador… the soccer guys. Nobody has been better, on two legs or two tires. Compared to Spain, the rest of the world has been one big bowl of paella. Even the bulls of Pamplona looked faster.

Matter of fact, with another title over the weekend going to the Spanish Armada— Contador in the Tour de France— it seemed the right moment to compare what has been happening here in the new world this summer to what has been going on with King Juan Carlos' juggernaut.

More: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/lopresti/2010-07-26-spain-sports-success_N.htm

AC got the ? already from Sarcozy on the Tourmalet in person >>>

What is the secret of Spain ?

 

[velosopher54]

I'm glad all has gone well for Spain this year. Seems to me something like this happened some years ago with another nation but can't recall which. Anybody?

 

[nesocip]

The secret is in ground, dried and powdered bull testicles they sniff before every event.

I mean its obvious when Xavi plays that he is on something, he is producing some serious wattage. He is the fastest, strongest and most enduring footballer on the pitch. Its the testicles man.

Or that Gasol dude. Obviously the PEDs are making him the only center/pf in the world that can play equally well back to basket and facing the basket and drill it from mid range. Again, the testicles.

Nadal is so good because he fell into a sack of powdered bull testicles his uncle held in the basement, and since then he doesnt even have to sniff em. Obelix anyone?

And Contador.... he is the worst of them all being a cyclist and all. He is actually injecting himself with the secret powder intravenously, diluted in saline solution. EPO is for amateurs, powdered testicles for pros.

I mean seriously.... nation wide doping programme in 2010 in a country with very high levels of media freedom that is actually sport crazed?

ITS THE TESTICLES MAN. 100% natural.

 

[nia O'Malley]

Spain being this year on the financially disastrous level of about Ireland and Greece, it's great for them to have something to forget the sheer misery of it all and the all-times high unemployment levels.

Congrats

 

[OneRaceWonder]

LOL...everyone linked to doping at some moment...It is obvious that this is the continuation of the '92 olympics programs..it is so institutionalized in spain...

 

[hrotha]

Spain being this year on the financially disastrous level of about Ireland and Greece, it's great for them to have something to forget the sheer misery of it all and the all-times high unemployment levels.

Congrats

Hey, that's unfair.

We already had excellent watermelons.

 

[hrotha]

LOL...everyone linked to doping at some moment...It is obvious that this is the continuation of the '92 olympics programs..it is so institutionalized in spain...

I'll give you Contador and Nadal, but the rest? Especially the football team?

 

[OneRaceWonder]

I'll give you Contador and Nadal, but the rest? Especially the football team?

The history of RM and Barca? Come on!!

 

[top_tenz_finish]

The football team's success is not down to doping, even if they are doped up it doesn't produce skill like that.... Believe me I would love for there to be some major scandal and Barca and Real Madrid get kicked out of the Champions League but the national team's success cannot be explained by doping.

So 2010, pretty much like 2008 then??

 

[nia O'Malley]

Hey, that's unfair.

We already had excellent watermelons.

Which, with constant sunshine (except Pays basque ) makes it two things we could really use over here. Unemployement is one thing, unemployment in the constant rain is something else entirely.

 

[nia O'Malley]

The football team's success is not down to doping, even if they are doped up it doesn't produce skill like that.... Believe me I would love for there to be some major scandal and Barca and Real Madrid get kicked out of the Champions League but the national team's success cannot be explained by doping.

So 2010, pretty much like 2008 then??

I wonder if laser eye surgery would count as eye doping? I mean it does give an unfair advantage over other near-sighted players as to ball-seeing and net-aiming

Don't forget that in soccer it is also easier to bribe referees (all of them bought-out, it is known) rather than dope

 

[DAOTEC]

Just a rumour >

And this guy did beat CONI after 8 years, where Valverde failed till 'now' and got a massive pay-off:

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola has been cleared in a long-running doping saga, the Italian Olympic Committee said.
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/30092009/58/la-liga-guardiola-cleared-doping-case.html?order=date
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/european/6243838/Barcelona-coach-Pep-Guardiola-cleared-of-doping.html

 

[scribe]

I'm glad all has gone well for Spain this year. Seems to me something like this happened some years ago with another nation but can't recall which. Anybody?

Soviet Union and East Germany?

 

[DAOTEC]

In the L.A. Times today >>>

The last time Spain ruled the world it did so from the gun deck of a galleon. Then the Spanish Armada was sent to the bottom of the English Channel and the country has spent the last 4 1/2 centuries playing catch-up.

All of which makes this summer's Spanish sporting renaissance that much more remarkable.

Quite an achievement for a country with less land than Texas and just slightly more people than California and Virginia combined.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-0806-spain-powerhouse-20100806,0,1625786.story

Yeah the war of sports is in full swing now.

.

 

[L'arriviste]

The last time Spain ruled the world it did so from the gun deck of a galleon. Then the Spanish Armada was sent to the bottom of the English Channel ...

The fleet was in fact scattered rather than totally sunk. But it sounds better for journos to write that.

 

[hrotha]

The fleet was in fact scattered rather than totally sunk. But it sounds better for journos to write that.

Yeah, and it still dominated the sea later in that same war. England/Britain only overtook Spain decades later.

 

[la.margna]

With a jobless rate among young people of more than 40%, what else can you do all day long than training to become a sports star? The only way out of the mess. (not entirely serious remark, but as sad as it is, might be some truth in it)

Secondly, a culture that was never ever fighting doping seriously.

Time + Medicine + Talent (+ Bull Testicles as already mentioned)

 

[bommels]

Shortly after the olympics I read in a paper (so it must be true) that Mrs Fuentes made a remark that without her husband, the medal table would have looked quite differently, and not necessarily better for Spain.

 

[Señor_Contador]

Funny that no one noticed, or wrote about, Spain winning didley squat while the Generalísimo was in power.

This generation of athletes is mere coincidence.

Well, that and Da Sauce I guess.

 

[Señor_Contador]

With a jobless rate among young people of more than 40%, what else can you do all day long than training to become a sports star? The only way out of the mess. (not entirely serious remark, but as sad as it is, might be some truth in it)

Secondly, a culture that was never ever fighting doping seriously.

Time + Medicine + Talent (+ Bull Testicles as already mentioned)

Oh, if you tally up the # of positive tests by country you'll be sweetly surprised: We're not even close to France, or Italy or Australia or the US. I mean... if you look at the # of positive tests in the US... W O W! And we compete all over the word, so we're getting tested by national and international entities.

Now, let's be realistic here: Fighting doping seriously is a farce. Anywhere. Anyhow. People seem to have this warped idea that just because country x criminalizes the use of PEDs it prevents their (ab)use. But we all know what really happens.

Introducing a law isn't concomitant to enforcing a law. There's a difference.

Capisci?

 

[DAOTEC]

NEW YORK — It will surprise no casual or keen observer that the Spanish Armada of male tennis players has threatened to overrun the U.S. Open.

Spain counts 13 players in the ATP Tour's top 100 ...

But with nine players in the third round, Spain has set an Open-era record at a Grand Slam event.

Seven will take the courts Sunday, among them Nadal, No. 8 seed Fernando Verdasco, No. 10 seed Ferrer and No. 14 seed Nicolas Almagro.

another record is in jeopardy. Spain has never placed more than four players in the last 16 here

Spaniards: "It's the type of situation where success almost breeds more success," he says.

Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/tennis/2010-09-04-us-open-spanish-success_N.htm

 

[icefire]

I'm surprised not to see any mention to motor racing as well. Does anyone know if Dr. Fuentes also had a fuel reprocessing facility at home?

 

[cromagnon]

What is the secret of Spain ?

One thing I've notied, Spanish athletes are never arrogant big shots.

Villa, Torres, Nadal, Indurain, Gasol, Xavi, Iniesta, Casillas, Freire - all humble regular guys. This makes it easier to get your head down and work hard. That comes from cultural background.

 

[nevada]

Our kids played in a kids (8 to 15) football, tennis and swimming tournament arranged by the families on the resort. The quality of the footall and tennis was by far better then the english and played with passion even at that early age.

 

[The Hitch]

One thing I've notied, Spanish athletes are never arrogant big shots.

Villa, Torres, Nadal, Indurain, Gasol, Xavi, Iniesta, Casillas, Freire - all humble regular guys. This makes it easier to get your head down and work hard. That comes from cultural background.

Oh come on. The land in which you are born determines arrogance levels?. You will find most people who are hero worshiped and payed millions will act humble, because it is such a good situation to be in.

And how do you work out that they possess less narcisism than others? Very few athletes go around talking smack. Most athletes keep to themselves. Spaniards are neither any better nor any worse at this.

Also I donjt know where you get the idea to put Villa Torres and Cassilias on the list.

Just of the top of my head.

This is a video of what happens when the humble nice guy David Villa doesnt like a decision against him (even when he is winning),
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWBZnXR1DCc

Torres after deservidly getting a penalty against him, waited for the ref to turn around and then disgracefuly kicked the grass of the penalty spot, so Man Utd wouldnt have an even surface for the penalty, which they missed. In what might be described as an act of god, Torres would miss an open goal in the 2nd half, because the ball hit the exact spot he had damaged, and bounced up.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo...further-penalty-for-kicking-penalty-spot.html

And Casillias. As the Cosa Nostra would say " a man of honour".


http://in.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-49108520100607

Led by don Iker the players negotiate themselves a world record bonus of 700 000 while their country is on the verge of economic acopalypse. They then refuse the relatively easy gesture (considering their salaries) of donating some of this to their poor countrymen. Casillias, then takes it even further, saying about the economic depression

"And I include myself in that because I have family and friends and cousins and they are also hurting because of the crisis. Everyone sees it one way, as they want, but you shouldn't mix one thing up with the other."

He gets £20 million a year, or to put it another way, about as much money per day as the less fortunate in Spain can expect in a year. And he has the gall to try to include himself in the list of people effected by economic crisis. He defends the bonus by saying he has family and friends who are in economic depression. Well that is a disgrace. Hes either lying, or even worse telling the truth, and admitting that from a salary of hundreds of thousands a week, he cant offer even a bit of relief to family and friends, and then uses them to defend even more money for himself.

Nadal while i used to dislike him, i have to aknowledge he does have some honour. Given that this is the clinic, lets be honest he is highly likely getting clinic help, but nonetheless carries himself better than any other top 10 player, often giving opponents points if he thinks the ref has called it wrong. And how is Contador not on that list.