The Weekend JunkPile: Platini’s New Job, Mexico Does Voodoo and More

By: Laurie | January 31st, 2009

Here’s your weekly (or whatever) pile of things that caught my interest or made me smile this week, but didn’t warrant a whole post.

Newest Member of the Village People

Here we have Michel Platini, head of UEFA, dealing with the financial crisis by preparing for his new career: Construction Worker. Doesn’t he look comfortable with a shovel?

(Because every construction worker I know wears a cashmere scarf.)

Okay, in reality, he’s at the “laying of the foundation stone ceremony for UEFA’s new building at the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.”

Admit it. You were wondering what UEFA were going to do with all their cash.

Does the Red Hair Make It Alexi Lalas? I’ll Take Two

And Chris linked to this in the Dose earlier (and USA WCB covered it too), but I thought it deserved a little more attention.

Fact: Mexico has a pretty good National Team.
Fact: They’ve been going through a slump recently. (Which, btw, predates current coach Sven.)
Fact: They haven’t beaten the US on US soil in…oh…ages and ages. (Ten years is what sticks in my mind.)
Fact: There’s a World Cup qualifier coming up next month on…you guessed it…US soil.

So how do they deal with this? With voodoo dolls, of course. And not only that, they were assisted by a US company: Radio Shack, whom I already hated for selling crappy products that broke immediately, and then refusing to take them back. (I knew I would someday get the opportunity to express my displeasure to thousands! Ha!)

After a public outcry, Radio Shack has ended the promotion. And I’m guessing that some marketing guy is packing his bags while weeping, “But who knew there were soccer fans in the US?”

Yes, We CAN (beat Faroe Islands)

The French, on the other hand, are trying out slightly more positive forms of National Team encouragement. (I can’t embed this video, but here’s a screen shot from it. I thought the whole thing was adorable.)

Here we have the French people — former footy stars and regular folks alike — trying to encourage their underperforming national team in their efforts to qualify for World Cup 2010. With a little inspiration from Barack.

Check out the (bilingual) video here: Yes, We Can!

Samson is a Bible Story, not a Role Model

And next, good news for aesthetes everywhere! If you have ever looked at USMNT/Chivas USA player Sacha Kljestan and wanted to scream, “Oh, for the love of jeebus, CUT! YOUR! HAIR!!!”

He has finally listened.

BEFORE