So you just won the World Cup...

July 24, 2010 5:52 AM

Thierry Henry is one of the biggest stars in Association Football. With AS Monaco, Arsenal, FC Barcelona and the French national squad, he's won about every trophy that there's to win: 1996-97 French Ligue 1, 1998 World Cup, Euro 2000, 2003-2004 English Premier League, and the unprecedented 2008-2009 "perfect season" for Barcelona: Spanish Copa del Rey, Liga, and Supercopa, European Champions' League, European Supercup, and Club World Cup. He's also won a large number of French, English and worldwide "Player of the Year" accolades. However...

2010 hasn't been a good year for him so far. The French national squad made an ignominious exit from the World Cup (where of course it wouldn't have been if it hadn't been for his own hand), and he's left Barcelona for retirement US Major League Soccer.

Still, I doubt that all that prepared him for his next challenge: clueless Fox "journalists".

posted by Skeptic (54 comments total)

God that was agonizing to watch. Henry is a class act and I can't imagine what he was thinking during that interview.
posted by modernnomad at 5:59 AM on July 24, 2010

"Local TV news duo not up to journalistic standards! Film at 5, 6, 11, and all weekend on The Soup!"
posted by kittyprecious at 6:05 AM on July 24, 2010 [1 favorite]

Oh my god, I could not watch to the end. It was like something out of the Onion News Network.
posted by Theloupgarou at 6:11 AM on July 24, 2010

Couldn't make it beyond "So you just won the world cup." I'll have to work on my cringe muscles.
posted by NekulturnY at 6:15 AM on July 24, 2010 [2 favorites]

"What's the biggest win you've ever had? 3-0?"
posted by dng at 6:25 AM on July 24, 2010

This just in:

Fox News has reportedly caused a wave of fatal cringing among intelligent people nationwide. Many corpses were so severely cringed, they couldn't be fit into standard coffins, and had to be cremated.
posted by Salvor Hardin at 6:29 AM on July 24, 2010 [5 favorites]

I'm not bitter that Miami lost it's MLS team. Not at all.
posted by oddman at 6:30 AM on July 24, 2010 [1 favorite]

The Irish will enjoy his pain!
posted by DanCall at 6:43 AM on July 24, 2010 [3 favorites]

That interview is karmic punishment for those Renault adverts he did.
posted by Coobeastie at 6:44 AM on July 24, 2010

I just went to Red Bull Stadium last night to see Man City vs Sporting Lisbon. The stadium itself is very impressive and I encourage anyone in the area to go.
posted by ob at 6:50 AM on July 24, 2010 [1 favorite]

The earnest ignorance of local affiliate newscasters is always amazing. It is as if they are newborns looking around themselves in wonder. I suspect they buy these wrinkle-free brand new clones still under warranty from Dockers and refrigerate them after each use to prevent spoilage.
posted by srboisvert at 6:59 AM on July 24, 2010 [5 favorites]

Wow, this set a new personal record for "had to turn it off because of the painful idiocy"-- fifteen seconds. Way to go, Fox!

Compare this to the Bill Murray interview, where the interviewer probably crammed on every thing he did for a week straight-- well, it's kind of hard to compare that.
posted by norm at 7:04 AM on July 24, 2010

I keep seeing him in interviews saying "I always wanted to play here." Somehow I doubt that.
posted by outlandishmarxist at 7:13 AM on July 24, 2010 [1 favorite]

> Couldn't make it beyond "So you just won the world cup."

I made it all the way to "We like blowouts in America! What was the biggest lopsided vic-" [*hits Back button*]. You win.
posted by languagehat at 7:22 AM on July 24, 2010

Yeah, I couldn't make it past the 'So you just won the World Cup?' part either, and as an Irish person I thought I'd be loving Henry squirming.

I'll just be happy he's not playing on my continent anymore.
posted by knapah at 7:43 AM on July 24, 2010

Dude, that's a lot of post-padding for one lame local TV news clip.
posted by briank at 7:45 AM on July 24, 2010 [2 favorites]

Was it just me or were the presenters afflicted with a near-fatal dose of Talking-To-Foreigners Syndrome as well?
posted by minifigs at 7:49 AM on July 24, 2010 [1 favorite]

Does everyone agree he's going to score goals for fun in the MLS? He's a step up in class to the recent imports like Ljungberg or Beckham.

I keep seeing him in interviews saying "I always wanted to play here." Somehow I doubt that.

He's done Paris, Monaco, London and Barcelona. NYC completes the set.
posted by fullerine at 7:51 AM on July 24, 2010

It seems just as inane as any other time I've seen morning-shows like that interview anyone. I'd like to see them interview hosts from another city's morning show.
posted by glip at 7:54 AM on July 24, 2010 [1 favorite]

He played on Thursday against Spurs. Word is that, instead of a limo, he took the PATH train to the stadium.
posted by ob at 7:55 AM on July 24, 2010 [2 favorites]

I'm really happy that he's here. He can only help MLS, really. Every goal he scores will be like a promotion for MLS and because of this I'm really pleased he scored in his first match.

My 2005 self watching him play with Arsenal is astounded that he's even here, but pleased nonetheless.

If the rumors are true and Rafael Marquez comes to Red Bulls, it'll be Marquez, Henry, and Juan Pablo Angel as their three designated players. Now that will be awesome.
posted by Put the kettle on at 7:58 AM on July 24, 2010 [1 favorite]

modernnomad: Henry is a class act...

Sacrebleu!
posted by DarlingBri at 8:02 AM on July 24, 2010

"Where are you from originally?"

Right before asking him about racism in football... it's on Wikipedia for fuck's sake.
posted by doublehappy at 8:30 AM on July 24, 2010 [2 favorites]

Right before asking him about racism in football...

Yup, that question made me cringe more than any of the others and, with the cringeworthyness of the whole thing, that's saying a lot.
posted by ob at 8:52 AM on July 24, 2010

The interview wasn't as bad as I expected it to be. It was just typical. Which I guess is even worse.
posted by Uncle Chaos at 8:52 AM on July 24, 2010

The Irish will enjoy his pain!
posted by DanCall at 6:43 AM

I thought I would, but I was really feeling for him by the end. The man has masterful control of his eyes to stop then from rolling all the way back into his head.
posted by TwoWordReview at 8:56 AM on July 24, 2010

That's a Fox local morning show in NYC. The female host, Rosanna Scotto, used to be the lead anchor for the station's 10 o'clock news for years. She was banished to the morning show a couple of years ago because she was getting too old for prime time. She was replaced by Dari Alexander, a former Fox News Channel reporter (whose dad is good friends with Roger Ailes).

It's a waste to see Thierry Henry in a 3rd tier league. But now he has Marquez joining him from Barca, so Thierry will have a friend to enjoy the nightlife with.

And could the Ireland supprters get over it already? Even after the complete meltdown in South Africa, the entire team getting suspended and the Ribery/Benzema thing, you still can't let it go? It's like you've never seen a hand ball go unpunished before.
posted by L'OM at 9:34 AM on July 24, 2010 [1 favorite]

And could the Ireland supprters get over it already? Even after the complete meltdown in South Africa, the entire team getting suspended and the Ribery/Benzema thing, you still can't let it go? It's like you've never seen a hand ball go unpunished before.

Haha!

If there's one thing we know how to do it's hold grudges.
posted by knapah at 9:37 AM on July 24, 2010 [4 favorites]

Seems like a pretty typical local TV news interview.
posted by octothorpe at 10:10 AM on July 24, 2010

He didn't just play against The Spurs. He scored.
posted by yerfatma at 10:11 AM on July 24, 2010

Spurs. Not The Spurs. The Spurs are in San Antonio.
posted by L'OM at 10:18 AM on July 24, 2010 [3 favorites]

By the way: Good Day New York doesn't have anyone in their newsroom who follows football who could have written some decent questions for those two nincompoops?

LAY-ZEE
posted by L'OM at 10:21 AM on July 24, 2010

Whilst watching ESPN recently I have heard various presenters call Spurs "The Spurs" (or "Totten-ham Hotspurs"), refer to Gareth Bale as Christian Bale, and routinely pronounce it "Terry" Henry.
posted by Put the kettle on at 10:37 AM on July 24, 2010

If there's one thing we know how to do it's hold grudges.

It's true. Just ask Trevelyan.
posted by kersplunk at 10:43 AM on July 24, 2010 [1 favorite]

You have to admire Good Day New York for being able to effortless segue from tough issues like racism to David Beckham nekkid. As you can see from this clip from "The Soup" at 1:13 they have plenty of experience in handling tough issues with grace and sensitivity.
posted by Dr. Zira at 10:45 AM on July 24, 2010

It's true. Just ask Trevelyan.

Indeed. Henry isn't quite as bad as Charles 'starve the buggers' Trevelyan.
posted by knapah at 10:48 AM on July 24, 2010

Dude, that's a lot of post-padding for one lame local TV news clip.

^What he said.
posted by deern the headlice at 10:50 AM on July 24, 2010

Sure, it was a stilted interview, with typical American ignorance shown about Soccer, but it was entertaining, too. That's what this is supposed to be, right? What would expect form a show like that - top ranked journalism? If so, recalibrate your expectations about entertainment journalism, or change the channel to BBC News. I was laughing at the whole scene, and wondering what Thiery must be thinking. The sniping here shows too many people unable to laugh at the American vernacular of media ignorance and hubris. Lighten up, for crying out loud! The absurdity of that interview is a part of the American patchwork quilt of naivete', general ignorance about the world, and infantile ignorance. Better to laugh at our worst qualities than hate ourselves for them, no?
posted by Vibrissae at 10:54 AM on July 24, 2010

"Where are you from originally?"

Right before asking him about racism in football... it's on Wikipedia for fuck's sake.

Actually, I could imagine a scenario wherein the morning news talking head thingamabobs simply meant, "Where in Europe are you from originally?" As in: You're in America now and were famous in Europe for playing soccer, which is the only thing we know about you. We understand so little about this subject and the world generally that we can't identify your accent, don't know which country you played for or when you won the World Cup, have no idea which countries over there have black people in them, don't know whether you play for the country you're born in when you play your game. We got nothin'. Honestly. So, you know, where are you from?

And if this sounds farfetched, because how could any sentient, teleprompter-reading human being understand so little about the world? Well, consider yourself blessed, my friend, that you haven't had to spend too much time around local news talking head thingamabobs. As Dylan once put it, it's a wonder that they still know how to breathe.
posted by gompa at 11:08 AM on July 24, 2010

If there's one thing we know how to do it's hold grudges.

What about Ireland-Georgia?

"72 mins: This is quite fun: the Georgians have no idea why a penalty has been awarded and nor does anyone else. Keane tried to control a long ball and failed and it was cleared and, um, the ref pointed to the spot! A startling decision. As I said in the preamble, it looks like luck is on our side in this campaign.

GOAL! Ireland 1-1 Georgia (Keane, pen, 73')"

"Ireland's Keane Sidesteps Penalty Question After Georgia Win. (...)
Republic of Ireland captain Robbie Keane admitted that his side were fortunate to record a narrow 2-1 over Georgia this evening, but insisted that he missed the key incident that inspired the turnaround.

In the 73rd minute, Ucha Lobjanidze was adjudged to have controlled a Kevin Doyle through-ball with his arm, despite the ball clearly hitting the defender on the shoulder."

Final score: Republic of Ireland 2 - Georgia 1. And Georgia was leading by a goal before the dubious penalty. If Ireland had lost this game, Bulgaria could have qualified instead.

"Ireland 'cheated' against Georgia in the same way France 'cheated' against Ireland."

Even Roy Keane says "get over it".
posted by iviken at 11:11 AM on July 24, 2010

I'm pretty excited about having Henry here too. It's like Pele joining the Cosmos all over again. Hopefully it'll catch on this time.
posted by cazoo at 11:12 AM on July 24, 2010

I'm so glad we don't send our football players to Europe to die. I can only imagine a Parisian morning news duo asking Priest Holmes if it hurts when people tackle him and if he ever wanted to try the quarterback position.
posted by geoff. at 11:18 AM on July 24, 2010

What about Ireland-Georgia?

People don't tend to hold grudges over times that they do well out of a situation. Georgians are perfectly welcome to hold a grudge about that event if they wish.

And considering Roy Keane's documented dislike of the FAI, he was never likely to be a particularly sympathetic individual.

It's not like any of us really care you know, we're just taking the piss and doing what we do best, moaning.
posted by knapah at 11:20 AM on July 24, 2010

And Robin Scherbatsky still can't get a decent morning show gig. Poor Robin.
posted by kmz at 12:21 PM on July 24, 2010 [1 favorite]

Good Day New York doesn't have anyone in their newsroom who follows football who could have written some decent questions for those two nincompoops?

Judging from the "Hand of Frog" clip running four times in the background during the interview, they do. And his name is Seamus...
posted by Skeptic at 12:56 PM on July 24, 2010 [1 favorite]

Spurs. Not The Spurs.

:) I was debating between that and "Tottenham Hotspurs" to give my throwaway comment the Ugly American every soccer post needs.
posted by yerfatma at 1:39 PM on July 24, 2010

"Where are you from originally?"

... it's on Wikipedia for fuck's sake.

You do know that sometimes interviewers ask interviewees questions that they know the answers to, right? Weird but true!

I mean, far be it from me to defend local news, but really, you can't actually believe that the only questions that should be asked in interviews are those whose answers consist of heretofore unknown information.
posted by ericost at 1:39 PM on July 24, 2010

I'm so glad we don't send our football players to Europe to die. I can only imagine a Parisian morning news duo asking Priest Holmes if it hurts when people tackle him and if he ever wanted to try the quarterback position.

They play rugby in France. They'd probably ask why American Football players can't perform more than one role, e.g. kicking and running, or kicking and placekicking, or running and throwing.

You do know that sometimes interviewers ask interviewees questions that they know the answers to, right? Weird but true!

Yes, I do. Are you suggesting that's what was happening in this clip? Are you suggesting that if he 'looked French' they'd ask him the same question? No, they'd say "French striker Thierry Henry", and they'd say "Where in France are you from?"
posted by doublehappy at 8:11 PM on July 24, 2010

"So you just won the World Cup"

squirms "Well, not"

Click.
posted by Ghidorah at 10:49 PM on July 24, 2010

I don't see the problem with the question "so you won the World Cup?". Barcelona won the World Cup. Henry played for Barcelona....

And yeah, it's the "originally" in where are you from that's the problem.
posted by Infinite Jest at 2:02 AM on July 25, 2010

> Barcelona won the World Cup

??? Really?
posted by stonepharisee at 3:49 AM on July 25, 2010

Poor joke: 6 out of the 11 who started the final play for Barca and Spain (Puyol, Pique, Iniesta, Xavi, Busquets, Pedro).
posted by Infinite Jest at 4:09 AM on July 25, 2010

Well, yeah, but they also won the Club World Cup.
posted by doublehappy at 5:24 AM on July 25, 2010

Nash Rambles On About Henry - One of Thierry Henry's best buds in the sports world — the Phoenix Suns guard Steve Nash — Saturday night popped into the press room at halftime of a thoroughly forgettable Red Bulls-D.C. United match that still had 45 minutes to go.
posted by kliuless at 6:45 AM on July 25, 2010