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Diego Maradona: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

Diego Maradona Has Unwelcome Medical Advice For Pele

What he said:

"It seems Pele took the wrong medication."

Diego Maradona takes issue with Pele’s remarks that Brazilian teenager, Neymar, is as good as Maradona or Lionel Messi.

In an interview with ‘Programa do Jô‘ on Globo, Pele said (via SambaFoot):

They talk about Maradona and Messi, but we have Neymar – he is a great talent to have.

Santos is a factory of stars, creating several players without spending anything. It is a lucky team.

Pele advised the Santos forward to become smarter and stronger on the pitch.

It’s not about fighting back, it is about learning to defend himself.

He is very skilled, he is the best player on the team, so of course will be marked. He has to learn to defend himself.

Maradona, reacting to Pele’s comments, said (via Times Of India):

Instead of taking his night pill, he took the morning pill. He got confused and didn’t know what he was talking about … I suggest next time he take the right pills before making any suggestions and that he should change his doctor.

What he really meant:

“If I’m not the greatest footballer ever, it must be Messi. Anything else is heresy.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“I know exactly what to do about ‘foot-in-the-mouth’ syndrome. It’s my bete noire. ”

Manolo Santana: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

Manolo Santana Roller Blades Over Argentinean Davis Cup Hopes

What he said (via Tennis.com):

“We are superior on clay, grass, hard courts and, if necessary, even on roller skates.”

Spanish tennis great, Manolo Santana, holds out no hope for Argentina when they face Spain in the year-ending Davis Cup final beginning December 2, 2011.

Rafael Nadal leads the home surge to the team title.

Santana said:

From 0 to 10, I would give Argentina a 2 to win Davis Cup and that’s being nice. Spain is clearly superior to Argentina. We are playing at home with a large audience. We are superior on clay, grass, hard courts and, if necessary, even on roller skates. I am optimistic. I think they will win 4-1 or 3-2, unless something unforeseen happens.

The Argentineans will rely on magic from Juan Martin Del Potro and David Nalbandian to pull off an upset.

Speaking to Yahoo! Euro Sports, Sanatana wrote off Del Potro’s chances, saying, “I think Rafa today is far superior to Del Potro. Del Potro went a long time without playing. In Valencia, where I saw him play, he wasn’t very accurate. I don’t believe he’s going to arrive in perfect form.”

What he really meant:

“Mano O Mano, we’re better and we’ll roll them over—come what may.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“It’s Davis Cup. Anything can happen, anytime.”

Chris Cairns: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

Chris Cairns Is Elephantine In His Pronouncements

What he said (via Sydney Morning Herald):

“And there’s an elephant in the room at the moment in Ricky Ponting that nobody is really addressing.”

Chris Cairns begins the mind games prior to Australia’s tour of New Zealand.

The Kiwi all-rounder believes that Ricky Ponting’s shelf life has neared its expiry date and called for his retirement.

Cairns said:

I don’t think you can have two years averaging 27 as a No.3. I think it’s his time. And when you look at the likes of Mark Taylor, [Ian] Healy, Mark Waugh – they were told it was their time. And there’s an elephant in the room at the moment in Ricky Ponting that nobody is really addressing.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve got the utmost respect for Ricky Ponting but there’s a time and a place. And for me, his time and place is Hobart in the second Test against New Zealand. That’s to say, ‘Thanks very much’.

Australian selectors have been kind to Ricky Ponting in comparison to his predecessors, none of whom were retained.

Cairns said:

And whilst [the Ponting saga] continues on, the media circus will go with it and the guys will just be surrounded by that talk instead of just getting on and playing cricket.

Absolutely [Cricket Australia are avoiding the tough decisions]. They’ve allowed Ricky to keep going because of his stature in the game and who he is. But why should he have to make the call? At the end of the day, for me, Australia has always been about the team and what’s best. He is behind Bradman, Australia’s greatest batsman, so they’re managing it. But I just think it’s an elephant in the room. I really do. Australia has got rebuilding to do.

What he really meant:

“Australia have one captain too many in the dressing room—a non-performing one to boot. They all know what needs to be done. The question is ‘who’s going to bell the cat?’”

What he definitely didn’t:

“Ricky Ponting has to be nursed along much like Sachin Tendulkar. Treat him with kid gloves.”

Virender Sehwag: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

Virender Sehwag Advises Against Advising Tailenders

What he said (via Times Of India):

“Whatever you tell No. 10 or No. 11, they always do what they want to do.”

Virender Sehwag is one relieved skipper.

Batting minnows, Varun Aaron and Umesh Yadav, knocked off the required 11 runs to secure victory in the first ODI against West Indies at  Barabati Stadium, Cuttack.

Prior to the ODI series, the third Test match between the two sides ended in a thrilling draw with the scores tied. Then too, it was left to the tailenders to complete the job.

Sehwag said:

I was sitting in the same place and not moving! It’s good to win another nail-biter. Whatever you tell No. 10 or No. 11, they always do what they want to do. I just told them to play till the end and whatever happens is fine. Rohit and Jadeja batted really well in that partnership and we should have won it easily from there, but still good to end up winning. We hope to learn from our batting mistakes in the coming games.

Darren Sammy was the disappointed captain—again.

Sammy said:

Everytime you lose it is quite disappointing. We just didn’t have the last spark to take us past the finish line. The opening bowlers did well to give us a start and we fought all the way to the end, but it wasn’t enough. We could have done things differently, we even bowled 23 extras, but I would like to commend the boys. They fought with never-say-die spirit and it is going to stick.

What he really meant:

“When tailenders bat, they do what they want to and don’t want to, too.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“Isn’t cricket a game of glorious uncertainties? So what if I’m missing fingernails?”

Rory McIlroy: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

Rory McIlroy Will Not Be Switching To Tennis Anytime Soon

What he said:

"She has more potential at golf than I do at tennis.”

Irish golfer, Rory McIlroy, believes that girlfriend Caroline Wozniacki would be better at golf than him at tennis.

Speaking to the Irish Examiner, McIlroy said (via Tennis.com):

Being a tennis player her upper body is pretty strong. She has more potential at golf than I do at tennis. The thing is that when I play tennis the competitive side in me comes to the fore and I want to play well every time but it just doesn’t happen. I would get more frustrated because I want to be able to grasp tennis straight away.

The golfer disclosed that Wozniacki is something of a mental coach to him.

McIlroy said:

"When Caroline and I might discuss our own sport, I am very interested in how she prepares herself for the mental side of big tennis tournaments like how she goes about setting goals or whatever.That sort of discussion gives me a good insight into how she deals with similar issues I might face."

What he really meant:

“She could probably drive like Tiger.I couldn’t  serve like Roddick, though.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“Soon, I’ll be caddying up for Caroline.”

Abhinav Bindra: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

Abhinav Bindra Is Really Serious About Getting Real

What he said:

“It’s time we got real. The concept of honorary posts is rubbish.”

Abhinav Bindra is no proponent of the status quo when it comes to Indian sports and its administrative bodies.

India’s only individual Olympic gold medallist continues his tirade against the satraps plaguing the system in an article in the Hindustan Times applauding Ajay Maken’s National Sports Federation (NSF) bill seeking accountability and transparency in the running of sports bodies.

[Bindra devoted a whole chapter in his autobiography,A Shot At History: My Obsessive Journey to Olympic Gold, to his experiences with Indian bureaucracy.

A sampling (via Deccan Chronicle):

The tone is patronising, the manner feudal, the atmosphere unwelcoming. I am their job, but I feel like their burden. These are bookkeepers, who look like they feel a physical pain in parting with money that is not really theirs, who have little understanding of sports yet will interrogate you suspiciously… It is humiliating, it is tiring.

]

Bindra writes:

Running sports is not a joke and instilling professionalism and passion is what we should be striving for. After all, the ultimate aim is to win medals at the highest level. Keeping aside personal glory, my Olympic gold is embarrassing when I look at the country’s history of participation in the Olympics!

Bindra is all for the provision seeking to limit tenure in administrative posts.

Bindra said:

“At age 70, priorities change. It is a stage in life when one likes to play with grandchildren rather than worry about athletes’ tickets and visa problems. Fair enough, but stop meddling in everything.”

What he really meant:

“There is no free lunch. It’s administrators who enjoy perks of office while they would have sports persons and the public believe that they are doing them and the country a favour by providing their services gratis. It’s just lunch money—from taxpayers.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“Gold medals for our officials too when we win. How about that? Do I hear an aye?”

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga Is Pleased With The Man In The Mirror

What he said:

"Tonight I can see myself in the mirror and say, Yeah, you fight enough."

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is satisfied with his level of play despite losing his third successive Sunday match to Roger Federer in 15 days. (via Tennis-X.com)

The Frenchman succumbed to the Swiss master at the World Tour Finals in London.

What he really meant:

“Starting with the man in the mirror, I’m not asking him to change his ways. Just lose a little less.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“Man, Roger fights more.”

Kimberley Nixon: What she said, really meant and definitely did not

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Kimberley Nixon Is Befuddled By Serb Names

What she said:

“Djokovic is amazing but I have a soft spot for Tipsaravic. For 20mins thought the umpire was saying chip sandwich?!?”

Welsh actress, Kimberley Nixon, was at the London ATP World Tour Finals (ATF) catching the action.

Nixon was well aware of Novak Djokovic’s exploits this year. But his fellow Serb, Janko Tipsarevic, came under her radar for the first time.

What she really meant:

“For better or verse, Serb names could be worse!”

What she definitely didn’t:

“I don’t really follow tennis. I merely play it by ear.”

Yannick Noah: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

Yannick Noah Does Not Care For Rafael Nadal’s Pleasantries

What he said:

“But what do I care if he says hello to me or not?"

Yannick Noah is not regretful—one bit—for stirring up a hornet’s nest with his comments in French daily, Le Monde, accusing Spanish players of systemic doping.

Noah said that all players, not just Spanish, should have access to this “magic potion” that has Spaniards out-performing their French counterparts.

Noah defended his last week’s comments saying:

"If I chose this turn of phrase, it was to address the authorities … in order to start a debate.”

Noah added:

"I am a bit frustrated that there are two weights and two measures in terms of doping, whether it’s Spain or another country.Of course all Spanish athletes aren’t doped … (But) are (the French) worse than the others? I don’t think so."

Noah’s remarks have been met with derision and wide-spread condemnation.

Rafael Nadal called for a media gag on Noah.

Noah responded:

"I went through the same thing 30 years ago, when I was 20. I spoke about doping and drugs and everyone had a go at me.I couldn’t respond to everyone. To Toni Nadal, Rafael’s uncle, who’s told his nephew never to say hello to me again. But what do I care if he says hello to me or not?"

Noah pointed out existing cases of Spanish doping including high-profile names such as cyclist Alberto Contador and steeplechase champion Marta Dominguez.

"The cyclist who ate some meat that helped him pedal faster and who was cleared by his federation, the case of (Dominguez) stopped by the police and then cleared.My question is the following: Is this not all orchestrated? In the Puerto case, I have the feeling that the affair has been smothered, that names have been hidden."

The Frenchman reiterated his opposition to all forms of drug abuse:

I am against all forms of doping, but I’m hypersensitive when it comes to injustice. There are too many cheats winning these days. In Spain and elsewhere.At which point is an athlete considered to have doped? When he takes a product that makes him run faster, makes him stronger, helps him recover more quickly? Or when he tests positive? The answer to the question is not the same, depending on the country.

There are side effects which you never read about on the front pages of the newspapers.We know there have been problems in the past with Italian footballers who are now seriously ill.

What Yannick Noah really meant:

“We won’t have much to discuss anyway. I want to talk ‘dope’. He doesn’t.”

What Yannick Noah definitely didn’t:

“It’s only words
And words are all I have
To take your pride and titles away.”

Read Yannick Noah’s full interview to Le Monde here.

Gautam Gambhir: What he said, really meant and definitely did not

Gautam Gambhir Off Breaks Ravichandran Ashwin

What he said:

"There’s nothing to be heartbroken about.A bowler needs to bowl on every kind of wicket. A batsman never says he is heartbroken if it is a green top. They simply play on any wicket."

Gautam Gambhir is unsympathetic to Ravichandran Ashwin’s cause. The Tamil Nadu spinner lamented that the Wankhede pitch for the third Test against the Windies was unhelpful to spinners.

Gambhir added:

There will be many occasions where he will have to bowl on wickets that are more flat than this one. So there is no need to feel cheated.
It is a great challenge and everyone should try to accept it and get the best out of it.
That’s what Test cricket is all about. You don’t get a five-wicket haul or a hundred easily. You have to work hard for it.

The Delhi batsman believes that Ashwin is one for the long haul.

"He has taken two five-wicket hauls in this series and has a great future ahead.” said Gambhir.

What he really meant:

“Good for me ,nine times out of 10, wickets in India are batsmen friendly. I’d be groaning too if every pitch was Mohali.”

What he definitely didn’t:

“Ashwin, I’d like to roll my arm over if you’re tired.”