SPORTS
10-20

The highest-paid athletes in the world, according to Forbes' annual survey:

Athlete ... Millions of dollars earned in 2003 ... Sport ... Country of birth ... Country of residence ... Age

  1. Tiger Woods ... 80.3 ... golf ...US ... US ... 28

  1. Michael Schumacher ... 80 ... auto racing ... Germany ... Switzerland ... 35

  1. Peyton Manning ... 42 ... football ... US ... US ... 28

  1. Michael Jordan ... 35 ... basketball ...US ... US ... 41

  1. Shaquille O'Neal ... 31.9 ... basketball ... US ... US ... 32

  1. Kevin Garnett ... 29.7 ... basketball ... US ... US ... 28

  1. Andre Agassi ... 28.2 ... tennis ... US ... US ... 34

  1. David Beckham ... 28 ... soccer ... Great Britain ... Spain ... 29

  1. Alex Rodriguez ... 26.2 ... baseball ... US ... US ... 28

  1. Kobe Bryant ... 26.1 ... basketball ... US ... US ... 25

Best-paid soccer players in the world in 2003, according to France Football:

Player ... Millions of dollars earned ... Team

  1. David Beckham ... 26.8 ... Real Madrid

  1. Ronaldo ... 19.8 ... Real Madrid

  1. Zidane ... 16.8 ... Real Madrid

  1. Vieri ... 13.3 ... Internazionale

  1. Del Piero ... 12.1 ... Juventus

  1. Ronaldinho ... 12 ... Barcelona

  1. Raul ... 11.1 ... Real Madrid

  1. Owen ... 10.9 ... Liverpool

10-18 Ron

We giveth and we taketh. That's the message the Perrela brothers have sent to Cruzeiro fans this year. As football managers they were symbols of good planning and determination in 2003 but an example of incompetence, to say the least, this season, forming a group that is among the worst, and just a few months after becoming the best football team in Brazil. Most cruzeirenses don't know the reasons behind such poor management. We just hope that the Perrelas come to their senses and work seriously in 2005 to bring back the glory days.

On the brink of being shown the door to soccer's second division, Atletico's fanatics have been suffering in the hands of unscrupulous and incompetent managers for quite a while. If the media begins to do what it is supposed to -- present a frank picture of what happens inside the club -- luck may turn around for the black and white.

08-23 Ron

In the first half of the Olympic Games the swimmers provide us the most exciting events and in the second week the track and field competitors are the ones to watch. In between, gymnastics. All the other athletes are part of a hard-working supporting cast.

Despite the customary surprises, most of the world's expectations are being fulfilled: the U.S.A. being the top medal winner with China not far behind, the US swimmer Michael Phelps winning many gold medals, the African runners dominating the middle-distance competitions, Brazil doing poorly, etc.

Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world, considering area and population, and the tenth Gross Domestic Product. However, it hovers around the 20th position in terms of the Olympics' medal-count. The government is the greatest culprit as there's no official policy promoting the practice of sports in schools, including the universities. In addition, most of the businessmen and the media don't see many advantages in a society that would try to emulate, for example, the Americans' sporting achievements.

I do not know why. Being a powerhouse in a variety of sports, not only soccer and volleyball, would certainly improve the Brazilians' living standards and generate millions of jobs.

On the other hand, the media in Brazil many times exalts athletes that don't deserve such praise, in order to arouse people's interest and sell commercial space or time. Daiane dos Santos is a typical case: a gymnast lauded by the press as the best in the world but who truthfully isn't that good.

04-10 Ron

F1? Boring, as usual. Michael Schumacher, arguably the greatest driver ever, drives a Ferrari that no other carmaker is able to match. A challenge to the German's superiority is improbable until the end of the season, even by his teammate Rubens Barrichello.

On the other hand, the NBA finals which begin in one week will be very exciting, especially because there's no clear favorite in the western conference. When Gary Payton and Karl Malone were hired by the Los Angeles Lakers many, including myself, pointed the team from LA as the one to beat, but they had an irregular season. The Sacramento Kings, Minnesota Timberwolves, LA Lakers, and San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference and the Indiana Pacers in the East are my bets, in this order, to win the title.

At the soccer front, the finals of the three most important state tournaments in Brazil begin tomorrow. In Sao Paulo I believe Sao Caetano will prevail, although Paulista won't go down without a fight. In Rio the title is up for grabs. Flamengo and Vasco don't have teams worthy of their traditions and it is hard to predict the winner. In Minas Gerais, Atletico Mineiro has the fans but Cruzeiro the better club structure and players. The white and blue should win the derby.

The quarterfinal results of UEFA's Champions League was shocking but it only demonstrates how incompetence permeates not only Brazilian soccer but also the "top" leagues in the world. How could Real Madrid, Milan, and Arsenal lose respectively to Monaco, La Coruna, and Chelsea, being undoubtedly better squads? I don't agree that soccer is an unpredictable sport. Lack of a fighting spirit by the footballers, cockiness, poor coaching strategies, wrong substitutions before or during the games, and wrong player and coach signings for the season explain why the "Davids" beat the "Goliaths" in the most important yearly soccer competition on the planet.

"The big difference is that Brazil loves the ball more." David Pleat, a British manager, referring to Brazil's World Cup prowess.



02-18-2004 Ron

So far it has been a very disappointing year.

Brazil's soccer team was ousted from the Olympic Games by Paraguay.

Brazil's soccer team continues to have trouble scoring against lesser opponents, as attested during the friendly against Ireland.

Brazil's best soccer club, Cruzeiro, is struggling on the field to beat weak teams, a big surprise considering that it probably has the best group of players in Latin America.

Brazil's best volleyball club, Minas Tenis Clube, cannot get its players -- three of them part of the national team -- to perform well and it is only fifth in the championship run.

Brazil's best tennis player, Guga, is unable to play as a top ten again, even after training intensely for more than a month.

Brazil's first national soccer champion, Atletico Mineiro, has formed a team that is shameful.

11-25 Ron

One of the pleasures in life is watching sports on TV, don't you agree? For events commentated in English (if your TV has the Second Audio Program device) ESPN International is your channel in Brazil. Check your local listings for the exact time of the following shows:

Soccer - UEFA Champions League on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, once or twice a month; the Spanish League on Saturdays and Sundays; and the Italian League on Saturdays and Sundays.

Basketball - America's National Basketball Association games on Tuesdays and Fridays.

American football - Every Sunday and Monday.



"It ain't over till it's over." Attributed to baseball catcher Yogi Berra.


10-30 Ron

America's baseball season is over, capped by the Florida Marlins' victory over the popular New York Yankees last weekend. The franchise was crowned the best for the second time since they became part of the league 10 years ago.

On the other hand, the Chicago Cubs, whom the Marlins defeated in the semifinal playoffs this year after being down 3 games to 1, has not won a Major League Baseball Championship since 1908, almost 100 years ago. Can you believe it? Similarly, the other Chicago baseball team last raised a trophy in the 1920s. How can it be? How can managers be so incompetent? It's certainly not a money matter because the league shares its profits, especially among the franchises located in big markets. And how can fans remain motivated if a team doesn't win? Aren't victories and championships the ultimate reasons to cheer for players and clubs?

Which leads me to the question of the month of November: why are Atletico Mineiro's enthusiasts so motivated, fanatic at times, if their team has not won a major soccer tournament in more than 30 years? We at Lynn and Ron's English are anxious to hear from you. Your answers will be posted on the week of November 24 on the From Out There page.

10-01 Ron

Before the Indianapolis Grand Prix I would have bet, against all odds, that Juan Pablo Montoya, and not Michael Schumacher, would be the Formula 1 champion in 2003. I believed that the Colombian had the better car and experience enough to beat the German. But Schumacher demonstrated that he is still unbeatable and the world's number one driver. I certainly don't think that he will miss the opportunity in Japan to engrave his name in the annals of driving competition as the best ever, by winning six championships.

Will Cruzeiro also be able to place itself in history by being the first club to win the Brazilian Cup and Brazil's soccer league the same year? I believe so. The team is good (not great) and doesn't have opponents at the same level. GO CRUZEIRO !!!

09-12 Ron

A few words about Brazil's national soccer team: despite Felipao being a better coach than Parreira and the players being lethargic during its second World Cup qualifying match against Ecuador, it is still the best team in the world. What other country could afford to have Alex, Kaka, Diego, and Renato on the bench?

09-09-2003 Ron

Americans adore all kinds of sports but the big bucks are not everywhere. Basketball, baseball, American football, hockey, and Nascar racing, not necessarily in this order, are the sports that attract the greatest number of viewers and, consequently, most sponsors. I follow basketball (I'm a Chicago Bulls fan), baseball (my team is the Chicago White Sox), and American football ( I couldn't root for a team other than the Chicago Bears).

This year's football season debuted last Thursday. I was hoping that my team would do better compared to last year, especially because of the revamped Soldier Field, its home stadium. However, they were cloberred on opening day by the San Francisco 49ers, losing by six touchdowns (49 to 7). To catch football fever tune in ESPN International, on cable TV, on Sunday and Monday nights.

06-20-2002 Ron

Brazil or England? Brazil. Germany or USA? Germany. Spain or South Korea? Spain. Senegal or Turkey? Senegal. Brazil or Germany? Brazil. Spain or Senegal? Spain. Brazil or Spain? Brazil.

These are my picks in the World Cup's quarterfinals, semis, and final game. I'm surprised how poorly the teams have been playing, including Brazil. I expected to see solid teams and great players but this has been a Cup "tainted" by professional incompetence -- players, coaches, and referees -- and marked by delightful upsets.

06-05 Ron

The main sports topic of any conversation around the world, except in the U.S. where the NBA and NHL have reached the finals, is soccer's World Cup. I've watched some of the games and my pick to win it all is Brazil. The team is not in tune but we have at least four great players that are able to decide a match -- Ronaldo, Ronaldinho Gaúcho, Denilson and Rivaldo -- and Felipão is a much better coach than Zagalo and Parreira. In my opinion, the only two other nations that have a chance of becoming the world champion are Argentina and France because of their good players and harmonious groups.

05-21 Ron

Many things have happened since I last wrote. We have received opinions about the national soccer team, the Brazilian players for the World Cup have been chosen by Felipão, Cruzeiro is the "Sul-Minas" Cup winner, Corinthians has become the Brazilian Cup champion with the help of the referee Carlos Simon, Rubens Barichello has renewed his contract with Ferrari accepting a clause saying that he could not win a Formula 1 Grand Prix if Michael Schumacher had a chance to do so, Guga has poorly played three tournaments after a hip surgery, and MRV Minas and Telemig Minas are the country's 2001-2002 volleyball champions.

Regarding Brazil's football team for the World Cup here are a few comments by our site readers and students: "Romário and Marques are excellent bench options for the last 20 minutes."; "The Brazilian team is not good enough to win its fifth cup."; "Luis Felipe should have called Romário."; "Ricardinho from Corinthians and Ricardinho from Cruzeiro deserved a chance to play a few times for the national team before the 23 players were announced. Why did Rivaldo have so many opportunities even not playing well?"; "Gilberto Silva is not an excellent midfielder but a much better defender than Roque Junior."

My opinion has changed since April 1st. I agree with Felipao that Marques and Franca did not deserve a chance to play in Korea and Japan. But Kaka and Rivaldo have not been playing well the last month and should not be part of the group, either. If I were the coach Dida, Belletti, Lucio, Anderson Polga, Roberto Carlos, Emerson, Gilberto Silva, Zé Roberto, Ronaldinho Gaúcho, Ronaldinho, and Denilson would start the game against Turkey.

Cruzeiro is not the same great team from the beginning of the semester but deservedly won the Minas Gerais-Paraná-Santa Catarina-Rio Grande do Sul tournament. The title match at Mineirão was an incredible experience: watching 70,000 fans jumping, shouting, chanting, and singing, especially in the second half, gave me goose bumps.
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