Most athletes are forced to undergo some form of off-season surgery, whether it is to repair damage to their knee, or to help improve the strength of their rotator cuff.  As for Manchester United star Wayne Rooney, he had a little off-season procedure of his own last week – a hair transplant.

The balding 25-year-old English footballer visited a Harley Street clinic to add a little more fur to the top of his head, and he has since shown off the results on Twitter.  The transplant is said to have cost Rooney approximately £30,000, and although his head is “still a bit bloody,” the technologically advanced procedure is believed to be far better than previous hair-transplant procedures.  That means Rooney’s fake hair will not only be less detectable, but there is also a decreased chance of complications occurring.

Here is a detailed outline of the procedure, via Daily Mail:

In this procedure, hairs are transplanted from an area of healthy growth to the bald patch in groups of one to four hairs.

The first step is FUE (Follicullar Unit Extraction). A local anaesthetic is injected into the donor area of the scalp to numb it.

Hair follicles are then plucked out from the donor area by a surgeon using a small punch (a type of needle).

As the grafts are extracted, an assistant is preparing them for their placement using a stereo microscope.

The second step is Follicular Implantation. The surgeon uses a needle to puncture the sites for implanting the grafts, creating micro-holes with a pre-determined pattern.

The density and angle of the hairs are designed to give a realistic hair pattern. The grafts are then inserted into these incisions.

The patient is awake through the procedure. Afterwards they are given a mild steroid to reduce swelling, a painkiller and an antibiotic and told to avoid touching the area for a while. Redness is supposed to fade after a couple of days.

A spokesman from The Harley Street Hair Clinic said: ‘This technique offers a minimally invasive surgical procedure that benefits from a shortened recovery time and reduced risk of complications’

The treatment only works on candidates who have healthy hair growth at the back and sides of the head to serve as donor areas.

With the help of a rejuvenated hairline, I’m guessing Rooney adds another 5-7 headers to his goal total next season.

Hat Tip – [Daily Mail]

In an interview with an English reporter (This is not the first time Mayweather has turned an interview into a hit) , Floyd is asked whether he is a big English football fan?  His answer was based on his thoughts of David Beckham, saying he is an big star over in England, but when he walks the streets in the United States, people just say “hey, how you doing.”  I’m guessing Floyd hasn’t walked along too many streets with Becks.

I am not sure which is more funny.  The fact that Mayweather is completely unfamiliar with David Beckham (evident in his inability to recall his name), or his assumption that the English star can walk the streets almost unnoticed.  Best of all, we can’t blame it on some sort of brain injury resulting from his boxing career.  Mayweather was never one to take many punches to the head.

Hat Tip – [DirtyTackle]

This seems like a stretch for such a star, but that is what the English International claims he used to live by when attending night clubs with teammates.  While it is not a bad creed to live by for some, we expect that most sports athletes on the world stage making millions of dollars do not need to settle for such standards.  Money may not be able to buy love, but it sure can buy beauty.

As for Gerrard, he must have abandoned that idea at some point.  Otherwise how would he explain his hot soccer WAG Alex Curran?  I don’t think anyone would be calling that ugly anytime soon.

Hat Tip – [SportsByBrooks] Via [TheSpoiler]

Alex Curran and Steven Gerrard

Alex Curran and Steven G

Alex Curran

The 40-year-old veteran began his career in 1985, at the early age of 16 with the Rossoneri.  Throughout his time with the club he has won the Champions League five times along with  seven Serie A titles.  He recorded a total of 646 appearances for AC Milan in his career, scoring a total of 29 goals in that time.  For the Italian international team, he holds the record for caps with 126, scoring 7 goals.  AC Milan still have one game remaining on this season’s schedule, at Fiorentina, and Maldini is expected to play.

If there is one blemish on his great career, it is the lack of a significant International title.  Maldini was unable to capture the World Cup or Euro Cup during his time with the national squad, retiring just prior to the 2006 World Cup.  It was that year that Italy would win their first since 1982.

Some may say that his career will never be complete without that accomplishment, but anyone who watched and followed the Italian icon will understand the presence he brought to his team, both inside the dressing room and on the field.  While he was not on the roster for Italy’s v2006 World Cup championship, the lessons and skills he taught many of the players who were proved to be detrimental in the success of the team.  For that his country will remain ever grateful.

Here are highlights of the game along with the salute to Maldini at the end.  AS Roma would end up winning this one 3-2 on a late free kick from Francesco Totti.

Nearly all European countries have successful, revenue generating soccer leagues; the most popular being the Premiership (England), La Liga (Spain), Seria A (Italy), and Bundesliga (Germany).  These leagues are able to attract and bid for top talent from all continents, especially South America which is known for producing some of the highest quality, most exciting soccer players in the world.

Soccer is the most popular sport in the world, and therefore it makes sense that the amount of quality talent available would far exceed that of football, basketball and hockey.  Think of it like picking grapes to make wine, where the grapes are athletes and the wine is the league.  One vine might contain enough quality grapes to make one good bottle of wine, but a vineyard will produce enough quality grapes to make many good bottles of wine.

Soccer League Rankings:

Premiership – I think many would agree that the English Premiership or EPL is currently the top league in the world.  The league offers fans a fast-paced, exciting brand of football.  The Premiership’s popularity shows no sign of slowing down.  Television ratings from around the globe are substantial and international investors are all trying to get a piece of the action.

The league was previously known for a kick and run style, or “long ball” style, with not much skill to boot. This image quickly changed in the mid 90’s with the success of teams like Manchestor United, Liverpool and NewCastle on the European stage.  The league now showcases some of the most exciting players in the world in Ronaldo from Portugal, Drogba from Ivory Coast, and Torres from Spain, just to name a few.

With England failing to qualify for Euro 2008, many experts questioned the talent of the English players, and if this was an indication of the potential downfall of the EPL.  In the 2007/08 season, three of the four semi-finalists in the champion’s league represented the EPL, with Chelsea and Manchestor United eventually doing battle in final. Although it is difficult to base a leagues success on the outcomes of these tournaments, it simply shows that the EPL bolsters the top teams in Europe.  It is difficult to understand that with all the talent and experience in the EPL, the England national team has hired Italian Fabio Capello to run the show.

• Excitement: 5/5 – fast paced, exciting soccer
• Technical: 3.5/5 – A lot of kick and run, and scrambling
• Competitiveness: 4/5 – Arsenal, Chelsea, Man U, and Liverpool make for exciting finishes
• National Talent: 3/5 – Nearly all English stars play in the EPL, but due to the poor performances on the international level, many have questioned if these players are truly world class.

Seria A – The Italian League was unquestionably regarded as the top league in the world throughout the early to mid 90’s.  The downfall of the league was due to the heavy focus on the defensive style of the game, which is a characteristic the Italian’s have been stamped with for decades.  This drastically slowed down the speed of the game, and ultimately led to low scoring games, that were simply not as exciting as the EPL.

The recent match fixing scandal also gave a black eye to Italian football prior to the 2006 World Cup.  Seria A’s champions Juventus were stripped of their titles and relegated to Seria B. AC Milan, Lazio and Fiorentina were also deducted points for the upcoming season.  This ultimately hurt the competitiveness of Seria A as Inter ran away with championship.

Italy’s dramatic 2006 World Cup win proved to the world that the talent in Italian soccer is still a top the world.  With the summer signing of Ronaldihno from Barcelona, Ricardo Quaresma from FC Porto, the return of Gianluca Zambrotta from Barcelona, along with many more additions, Seria A should be a top product for all soccer fans.

• Excitement: 3.5/5 – defensive style and tactical
• Technical: 4.5/5 – Possession style play, great build-ups, and skillful play from mid-level teams
• Competitiveness: 4/5 – Inter, Milan and Juventus have been atop for year, but teams like Roma have the ability to be part of the mix.
• National Talent: 5/5 – World cup winners, and a country that only selected players from Seria A for national duty. Nearly all Italian talent is showcased in Seria A.

La Liga – Over the past few years, La Liga was considered to be the top league in the world for many.  After the match fixing scandal in Italy, many players, including world cup winners Zambrotta and Cannavaro made the move to Spain.  The league showcased some of the most exciting talent in the world with the likes of Messi, Ronaldihno, Robinho, David Villa, Henry and Eto just to name a few.

The league was able to bring the fast paced excitement we have seen in the EPL, combined with the skill and elegance showcased in Seria A.  Barcelona and Real Madrid will always be the big two teams in the league, but over the past few years, teams like Valencia, Sevilla and Espanyol have challenged for the title. When a league can develops small teams developed through home grown talent that can compete with the huge multi-million dollar clubs, the result is competitive and entertaining futbol week after week.

With Spain’s Euro 2008 triumph, the country has revealed to the world that the amount of young and skilled players in La Liga is worth watching.  If I had to argue why I would put La Liga behind Seria A, I would just point to the amount of world class players that have transferred to other leagues this year, and the effect it may have.

• Excitement: 4.5/5 – Fast paced possession style futbol, that can be both slow and explosive
• Technical: 4/5 – Great goals and build-up. Spanish players are known for their technical abilities
• Competitiveness: 3.5/5 – Madrid and Barcelona are always favorites, and the only way this league becomes competitive is if these two teams slip up (which has happened in recent years).
• National Talent: 4/5 – Great talent, but many players have joined the competitors

Bundesliga – I have not had the opportunity to watch much of the Bundesliga games.  Not many games are broadcasted in North America, and when they are, it seems that it is always Bayern Munich games.

It has been difficult for the Bundesliga to gain national exposure, as networks prefer to broadcast EPL and La Liga games.  It seems that the problem with German futbal is that the league has giant Bayern Munich and the rest of the teams are far behind (Bayern finished 10 points ahead of second place in the 2007/08 campaign).  This leads to predictable results, and less excitement.

• Excitement: 3.5/5 – Fast paced soccer, but not very attractive at times
• Technical: 3/5 – Other than the top teams, the rest of the league play a very direct, hard tackling style the German’s are known for
• Competitiveness: 2.5/5 – Bayern is always the heavy favorite, and it seems that the real battle it for second place.
• National Talent: 4/5 – Most German stars play in the Bundesliga.

The Quarter Finals of the European Championships starts tomorrow; here is how I think it will turn out:

Thursday, June, 19th

Germany vs. Portugal

The game: Look for Germany to win a close one, even though the Portuguese have looked unstoppable at times. The Germans have hit their stride and will be tough to beat.

The pick: Germany

The Score: 3-2

Friday, June, 20th

Croatia vs. Turkey

The Game: Coming off a stunning upset against the Czechs, Turkey appears poised to make some noise. However, Croatia looks to continue their solid play against the overmatched Turks.

The Pick: Croatia

The Score: 3-0

Saturday, June, 21st

Netherlands vs. Russia

The Game: The well rested boys in orange should easily beat this Russian squad. They have been the class of the tournament so far and Russia will likely be eliminated.

The Pick: Netherlands

The Score: 2-0

Sunday, June, 22nd

Spain vs. Italy

The Game: On paper this looks like a very tight battle, as both nations boast some of soccer’s biggest stars. Even with Italy missing two of their top midfielders in Pirlo and Gattuso, the Italians should take this one.

The Pick: Italy

The Score: 2-1

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I agree totally with this Italian soccer fan, I truly feel that ref’s have made some crazy calls against the Azzurri. I was watching the game against the Dutch the other day and couldn’t believe that Toni’s goal was called back because he was offside.

Sometimes I think to myself are these referee’s paid off, or are they just reacting to the play to soon. I really don’t know? I dont’t want to sound biased here, but, I am also an Italian soccer fan. I just don’t understand how missed calls consistantly go against them. I can understand once and a while, everyone is human and everyone makes mistakes. But, every single game you can find 2-3 missed or blown calls.

One of the worst calls that I can remember was from the 2002 World Cup in Korea, when of course they were facing the Korean’s and Totti recieved a red card in the box. He was clearly taken down by the other deffender and if any call should have been made it should have been against the Korean player. But, of course the Italians can’t win this game because it’s being played in South Korea! Make sense now? Let’s just not make it so obvious.

Maybe they have to install replay’s in the game, it only makes sense I think. The MLB is now going to start. Why not everyone else?

On the eve of Italia’s final round robin game of the Euro tournament, I can’t help it sit here wondering how many calls the referee will incorrectly make against Italy tomorrow.

I am an avid soccer supporter, and I wear my heart on my sleeve when it comes to my country. I know that the Azzurri cannot win every game, and when they are outclassed on the field I am the first to clap my hands and applaud their opponents. I just can’t stand having games decided by calls that even amateur officials referring rep. soccer games can make. These referee’s are professionals, and I don’t have an ounce of sympathy for them when it comes to blowing calls in international tournaments. They are well compensated, they are well trained, and the game is fairly simple to officiate. If a player is behind the defense, he is offside, and if he is not, THEN PLAY ON!
In all sports referees have a significant impact on the game, and in most cases games can and have been decided by blown calls, but my question is, why oh why does it always happen to the Azzurri? How is a player hurt and laying behind the net, not even in the field of play, playing people onside? UEFA didn’t even know the proper ruling in that situation, oh wait a second, the referee didn’t allow him to go off the field so he is still in the play, COME ON! GIVE ME A BREAK! If anything he should be applauded for leaving the field on his own and allowing the play to continue.

Let us just hope and pray that tomorrow the better team wins, and all the Italian fans will not be left with their hearts on the ground and a taste of dirt in their mouths.

For all you Azzurri haters who say we are babies and are just finding excuses for losing, please watch the footage at link below; cause their is nothing stronger then video evidence.

Bad refereeing against Italy

I called up “Don Carbs” last night to see what was going on and if he had made his way to some crazy party I was also invited to go to. When he answered I heard no noise and it seemed to be very quiet! So I proceeded to ask where he was? It seemed to me as something happend or something was wrong, all he said was he didn’t want to talk.

I stopped took the phone off my ear and had to look at the name on the screen, “Don Carbs” it read, ok so I called the right person. I said are you upset Italy lost, he said “yes”. I proceeded to call him a donkey and a whole other bunch of names that I would rather keep off this post. All Don Carbs said “they had to win!” I knew from those words “Don Carbs” had placed a wager on Italy for some stupid reason. All I said was how much? the phone went silent! he never responded. Lets just say, I’ve known him for a while so just by that I know he lost what some people could use to put as a down payment on a car. I just don’t mean a Pontiac Sunfire, I mean a BMW 5 series!

I said to Don Carbs why would you bet Italy, when that’s your team? Haven’t you heard of the number 1 rule in sports betting? “NEVER BET YOU FAVORITE TEAM!” Again he responded like a true donkey degenerate, “But they had to win”. Sometimes it just doesn’t sink.

I really don’t know how many times I have to tell people this and how it doesn’t process in there heads, “NEVER BET YOU FAVORITE TEAM!”. How can you bet on a team you like? don’t you think they are always going to win? Remember a team never has to win, anything can happen in sports.

The morale of the story is “NEVER BET YOU FAVORITE TEAM!”. Just go watch the game and cheer for your team to win cause you like them not cause you have money on them. This will save all you degenerates out there some money! �