Rio Ferdinand: good thing or bad thing?

http://www.cartoonstock.com/lowres/sha0293l.jpg

Pro:
* Pretty sensible views on racism in football
* Best British defender of the past 20 years
* Slightly less annoying version of Phil Neville
* May end up as the first "great" black British manager

Anti
* Not too keen on the gays
* Was going to judge a "rap idol" TV show once
* YOU GOT MERK'D BRUV
* Turns his phone off when shopping for linen

YOU GOT MERK'D BRUV

Needs to be in the Pro column.

Are there any footballers except Beckham and the gay ones who are actually all that keen on the gays? I tend to assume they're all homophobic.

what the hell is that cartoon about?

2nd post was stolen from my fingers.

Crouch: "I'm here to buy a house shaped like a penis"

I tend to assume they're all homophobic.

Why?

because they're always hugging each other and taking baths and showers together

He spent the first half of his career being over-rated, then a couple of season under-rated, and is now over-rated again (Lampard looks to be following a similar trajectory).

He's a decent player, but he's no Sol Campbell.

Other cons
Kicks female stewards
Kicks balls in fans faces
Almost certainly involved in some sort of roasting scandal in his U21 days if I was the sort of person who remembered that type of thing
Runs off pitch shouting obscenities at the ref rather than hang around for a second yellow
Should have been sent off in Champions League final for two cynical fouls (not that I'm bitter or anything)

He'd probably be a great player if he just risked getting booked a little more in his career. It's all very well being a fair-minded player, but a defenders job is to get stuck-in when it matters for the sake of the team. I

Has demonstrated some quality haircuts over the years. I'm not sure if this is pro or con.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42286000/jpg/_42286302_rio416pa.jpg

http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40718000/jpg/_40718733_riovote416.jpg

http://rio-ferdinand-news.newslib.com/img/logo/3416.jpg

He'd probably be a great player if he just risked getting booked a little more in his career. It's all very well being a fair-minded player, but a defenders job is to get stuck-in when it matters for the sake of the team.

Job done.

Yellow for the foul, second yellow for failing to "tune up the band" in the traditional manner

Record label

In 2005, Ferdinand, along with an old school friend, created record label White Chalk Music.[20] To date, there are two artists signed to the label; Melody Johnston and Nia Jai, the latter being due to release an album on 6 October which features Ferdinand rapping.

IS THIS TRUE???

Does "drug test cheat" score pro or con here?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Black-Ice-Nia-Jai/dp/B00114XRAE

^^^looks like he just does the intro. Looks Lex-friendly, ask him.

^^^looks like he just does the intro. Looks Lex-friendly, ask him.

who's rio ferdinand?

best english footballer, let alone defender, since i first started watching 'em

for england, he's very good at passing the ball to john terry, and receiving the ball from john terry.

john terry has similar wonderful qualities.

I saw a recent photo of him in which he looked green and toothy, clearly the Prince of the Lizard Race come calling, and on that basis I recommend caution.

This.

http://img.thesun.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00465/Rio_Ferdinand_465648a.jpg

golly he's aged a bit

best english footballer, let alone defender, since i first started watching 'em

You can't be serious? How long is this? Poll please.

Jagger must have started watching football around... 94?

So the answer is probably Shearer

rooney is up there, but ferdinand is the only world-XI player

wrong, i started in about 1998-9 and shearer wasn't rly doing it for england then

in before "scholes" btw

actually scholes more or less = ferdinand, altho he was also occasionally a big fouling liability

If you're going from 1998-99 and on England form alone the answer is probably Owen.

goalscorers are never my favourite types of footballer, ever

unless they are called inzaghi

or mendonca

good players are never your favourite types of footballer either

Okay, that makes more sense.

Been a pretty dismal decade I guess.

Sheringham was still knocking around then. And I'd take Campbell over Ferdinand any day.I don't think Ferdinand is world XI. Carvalho and Vidic both better, for starters.

a footballer must always innovate and push the boundaries

love that nobody is considering Beckham here

I actually think Ledley King could have been the best English centre-half of his generation if he wasn't made of crystal.

non-homophobic footballers are never our favourite footballers

vidic is not better than ferdinand

Yes he is.

vidic is a liability as fookin' murdering people can often get you red carded.

ferdinand is at least as good a defender, and he also has about 50x the ball skills and passing of the metallic serbian rapist

Ferdinand's ball skills are the most over-rated part of his game. His passing is average - certainly no better that Terry's - and he rarely looks comfortable carrying the ball any distance. Tends to play it long for England a hell of a lot.

wait who did vidic rape?

Ferdinand.

Oh come on, even Rio would accept that Vidic is the better player. Rio's game has improved massively since they've been playing together.

anyway i dunno why we're arguing this thing about best england players when MATTY TAYLOR exists.

But yeah, it's still crushing when I remember quite how good Ledley King was becoming around 2004 and then it all went so wrong.

Well, if he'd been made of sterner stuff, how would you get him, Terry and Ferdinand in the same side? (Hint: "dropping Ferdinand" is not the correct answer)

http://www.blogpastor.net/wp-content/uploads/2007/rooney_and_tevez.jpg

I know a few girls who have a crush on Crouch.

rio f looks fine, calm the body fascism he has probably had a string of attractive sexual partners and that makes me like him even more I don't mind him

Was it Crouch who was asked in an interview "what would you be if you weren't a footballer?" and he replied "a virgin"?

I'd think crushes on Crouch wd have a large helping of "desire to serve him hot soup and swaddle him in a blanket so he doesn't accidentally break anything" but hey, everybody needs somebody to take care of.

xp: See?

Football's first geek?

Was it Crouch who was asked in an interview "what would you be if you weren't a footballer?" and he replied "a virgin"?

Comes across as modest disarming honesty but what he's actually saying is "I'm getting well laid {does robot dance}"

Don't get me wrong, I don't think Crouch is ugly, but to say he's the most attractive "by miles" is just...odd. I'm reliably informed he's a very nice guy, which is more the sort of thing I'm interested in to be honest.

Comes across as modest disarming honesty but what he's actually saying is "I'm getting well laid {does robot dance}"

Gene Simmonds has done this in probably like 500 interviews

Rio broke the unbearable deadlock on Saturday so for that I am grateful. His goal against Russia last year was good too.

I *THINK* Crouch is the most attractive when stood next to the rest of the current England squad (I do not think Beckham is aging very well and thought he was better-looking when he was younger and more fresh-faced). Is that better? Lampard probably third, unless Gareth Barry's Tesco Value Ben Affleck thing does it for you (it doesn't for me)

Barry is better than most in the squad. But yes, having been reminded of him above, I'm gonna go for ... Stevie G!!

He was actually voted most attractive player by Gay Times or Pink News or Queenie Express or Daily Queerograph or Weekly Attitude or whoever it was a few years ago. I think they said they liked his rear.

hang on, it's DOWNING who = affleck, surely

Okay yes I would, I value my sheets too highly. Still.
- Vampire romances depend on me (Laurel), Wednesday, 15 October 2008 15:54 (32 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

i wouldn't trust any of the england goalkeepers to keep a clean sheet.

(someone's got to)

bdoom tish

surely Stefan Postma is the goalie you'd most want in the sack

No he's the goalie _you'd_ want most in the sack

BLAM and yes it's another vintage day for the elbeezedsee

Interchangeable low-grade Affleck-a-likes, the pair of them. Do nothing for me anyway xpost

http://img.skysports.com/07/11/218x298/Stewart_Downing1_603162.jpg http://www.4thegame.com/media/00/04/06/gareth_barry.jpg

Is this the area where Scotland are finally better than England at something?

Now THERE'S a challop for you.

this isn't the detailed discussion of the finer points of Rio Ferdinand's footballing prowess that i was hoping for when i opened this thread.

also, anyone who thinks either of those guys looks like Affleck is mental, or is that kid from the Paul Rudd/Seann William Scott movie.

http://img.skysports.com/07/08/218x298/KrisBoyd_549802.jpg

^ had to quit because he was too ugly to share a bench with Paul Hartley

http://d.yimg.com/eur.yimg.com/ng/sp/empics/20080426/08/386485341-soccer-uefa-cup-semi-final-first-leg-rangers-v-fiorentina.jpg

hawt

There's a reason Celtic fans sing "have you seen a handsome Hun, no, no" at them, you know.

you wouldn't want to marry them either for they're cheatin' hun bastards.

You're completely mad, Kris Boyd (if that is indeed who that is) is Teh Handsome. He's got that sort of farm lad "I only look like there are rocks between these ears" appeal. SOLD, to the American in the red shoes.

Tomy Burns knew what to do

http://images.mirror.co.uk/upl/dailyrecord3/may2008/9/2/EBC4175A-B04B-92A7-5E43A22D1053D899.jpg

lol.

Laurel, you are mad.

Laurel, plz post more to the British footy threads

(I don't mean that as a zing, it's genuine, more perspectives would be welcome)

I'm at a disadvantage, because I don't know anything about football. Well, hardly anything. Definitely not enough to understand posts that don't use anyone real names but make up joke ones that refer to events 10 years ago.

But as long as I'm not annoying everyone I'll stay.

Generally, everyone is annoying everyone else on those threads, but nobody really minds. It's great! :D

I have a soft spot for him from when he and Woodgate were at Leeds. I can't say much about them as people, but they made for a good defensive pairing.

He's got that sort of farm lad "I only look like there are rocks between these ears" appeal.

Rocks, you say?
http://img.skysports.com/08/05/218x298/Boyd-Kris1_895003.jpg

Hello ladies!

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/44052000/jpg/_44052941_kris_boyd_gall.jpg

Am still marvelling that LJ managed to find a picture of Kirk Broadfoot where he doesn't look like some sort of mutant.

http://imgur.com/VK8Vo.jpg

good thing

Don't try to merk the merker

rioferdy5 Rio Ferdinand
Anytime I get asked to turn over the football my sharp response is "I'm doing research so don't touch the remote control".... works a treat!
21 hours ago

Chubby chaser.

― Matt DC, Wednesday, 15 October 2008 16:41 (2 years ago)

lolol havent heard this phrase in years

http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41727000/jpg/_41727590_carson.jpg

http://blokebuddy.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/terry-thomas1.jpg

Haha I had to go back and put that in context and I did allow myself a guilt-free lol at my own joke.

May end up as the first "great" black British manager

Can anyone check if he still believes this?

Dude should probably just quit football right now and start work on the scathing book that takes everyone down.

I thought I'd got beyond being surprised at Ferguson, but him turning this into a personal slight is something new.

ooh, here's a post:

Well, if he'd been made of sterner stuff, how would you get (Ledley), Terry and Ferdinand in the same side? (Hint: "dropping Ferdinand" is not the correct answer)

― 100 tons of hardrofl beyond zings (Just got offed), Wednesday, October 15, 2008 3:02 PM (4 years ago)

In short, black citizens' views on racism take precedence over that of a "white pensioner"? This kind of melanine-based hierarchy (with a little bit of social contempt towards the elderly) is the definition of racism. Glad to see football365 joining the sanctimonious masses that do not wish to go beyond discrimination but want to see the tables turned.

won't somebody PLEASE think of the white people??

think of all the ppl imo, but i mean yeah maybe go through a quick ranking in yr head first