More World Cup questions



By now we've learned what Germans call the World Cup (Die Weltmeisterschaft).

And we've learned the purpose of the semi-circle around the goal box (it marks an "exclusion zone" for penalty kicks).

Let's move on to a few more questions:
  • Why does Italy, reputed to be the world's capital of fashion, let its players wear uniforms with pre-painted armpit stains? Is this the future of fashion? Will designers soon start mass-producing this style into dress shirts and sports coats?

  • Why do World Cup coaches — many of whom are the most famous people in their home countries — wear badges around their necks while on the sidelines during games? Once they are admited into the stadium, can't they take that thing off? It would be like forcing Mick Jagger to wear a back-stage pass while already back stage. Or while performing.

  • Since it is traditional for players to trade jerseys with their opponents at the end of games, do teams arrive at the World Cup with tons of jerseys in case they keep advancing through the tournament? And what do players do with the jerseys they aquire each game? Over the course of a career, do veteran players have dressers filled with hundreds of jerseys from enemy players?

Comments

Anonymous said…
I think the Italians have done the world a service by having uniforms designed with a darker color of blue accenting the jersey area under their arms. Sweating through these games is inevitable, so the fashion-minded Italians showed us a way to incorporate a trendy look to mask it.
July 07, 2006
WFY said…
Maybe the Italians are following MLB's lead with the pit stains.
July 08, 2006
Anonymous said…
What I want to know is, why are players allowed to pat the referee on the back and shake his hand whenever he calls a foul or cards an opposing player. It's really annoying.
July 08, 2006
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