The military junta controls Myanmar with an iron hand which includes media and internet censorship which is why David Beckham remains that country’s top sporting preoccupation. He may deliver freedom to them at their doorstep.
Simon Kuper writes about Googles powerful public opinion tool, Insights for Search and uncovers some fascinating gems.
Last year Cristiano Ronaldo became the most searched for athlete.
- The most searched-for athletes in the world since 2004 (when Google’s public records begin) seem to be: Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham, Ronaldinho, Tiger Woods and Lance Armstrong.
80,000 fans welcome Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid became a top selling story. Real Madrid is searched even more by Salvadorians than Spaniards. Mali runs a close third.
There is a strong divide between the “true America” red states and those “commie loving European boot licking ” blue states.
- There was a striking political divide between “football states” and “soccer states”: eight of the 10 states that devoted the highest proportion of their searches to football voted for John McCain in last year’s election, while nine of the top 10 soccer-searching states voted Obama.
American sports clubs are dwarfed by the global appeal of soccer.
- Worldwide, US sports clubs are relatively puny brands. The New York Yankees, Boston Celtics and New England Patriots – biggest in their sports in recent years – have each inspired only about a fifth as many global searches as Manchester United since 2004. Real Madrid’s lead is even bigger: it has prompted almost seven times as many searches as the Yankees, the most searched-for American team.
Arsenal is most followed by Eritreans.
- And in a bit of sleuthing on my own, I discovered that Arsenal has a strong East African bias followed most strongly in Eritrea, Somalia, Ethiopia, and Uganda whereas Michael Essien pulls Chelsea towards West Africa with Ghana leading the way. In general, the English Premier League is followed most strongly in Africa. Michael Owen’s Man Utd transfer was the EPL’s biggest story followed most avidly in England with tremendous interest also shown in Singapore, Ireland, and Malaysia.
Hello, Becks checking in. Where the F is Myanmar? The world was so much easier to understand when Her Majesty’s Navy ruled the waves and lots of the globe was coloured pink.
Anyhoo. Just got my new Aston Martin today, luvvly leavur. We English do some things really well: car interiors are one of them. Whipping in balls to the back post is another….hahahahahahaha. Anyways, Landycakes thinks he’s patched things up with old Goldenballs here after he took me to his favourite spa this AM.
http://www.thegendarmerie.com/
Wow, what a friendly bunch of guys! Some were even dressed up as French policemen. Landy went for the colonic irrigation while I had the full body sea-weed wrap. Thanks Raul, very soft hands. Anyhoo, Landon says he likes to flush all the pollutants out of his body before a big game…and they don’t come much bigger than Barca vs FC Gluttony this Saturday night. Well actually they don’t come much bigger for Landy, who really loves “exhibition” games against big clubs he’ll never get to play against competitively. Hahahahahahaha.
During his anal-bleaching touch up, Landy confessed of being a bit nervous about the upcoming Mexico/USA World Cup clash at the Azteca. The Mexicans don’t like him because he took a wee on their field or something a few years back. Anyhoo, they are mean to him, these Mexicans and try to kick him early, so he’ll whuss out of the game. Basically following the Czech plan at 2006 World Cup. C’mon Mexico, I want him up in the air in the first 30 seconds! Leaving nothing to chance, Piedad my house-maid, is relaying messages to Mexico gaffer, Javier Aguirre, on how best to wind-up Landycakes. He’s become obsessed with male pattern baldness, something The Becks has never had to worry about: my hair is still as thick as an Arabian merkin and God knows I’ve given it some abuse over the years. Hahahahahaha. Anyways I think Blanco will be giving him Hair Club for Men brochure when they swap pennants at kick-off. Oh and Maxwell, my PA, is a whiz with Photoshop – so the Mexican squad now have pics of Biana Kajlich pleasuring a burro that just happens to be wearing an El Tri uniform. Go Mexico!
I know a lot of you have been asking about my run-in with that fan the other week. What a laugh. I think the phrase, “I would have punked his bitch ass” is best used to describe what would have happened if Pie-Boy had made it over the fence. Hahahaha. “Riot Squad”, that’s what these hard-core Gluttony fans call themselves: I’ve seen more threatening crews in the check-out line at Toy ‘R Us. Look lads, when you’ve stepped on Diego Simone’s package and lived to tell the tale, a bunch of Venice-beach graphic designers who bought a job-lot of scarves and can chant “Who Are Ya?”, does not make The Becks quake.
Wait a mo. Maxwell’s just texted me. Looks like if I don’t get home soon “Dinner will be in the dog”. Doesn’t this dufus know that Posh hardly eats a thing! Hahahahhahahha. Ciao for now, as we like to say in Milano.