Top Stories

Mario Balotelli speaks

Comments

  1. Mike Tyson is one of Balotelli’s sports heroes. I’m not at all surprised. Balotelli is sort of the Dennis Rodman of the EPL. Always entertaining, and always polarizing.

    Reply
  2. It is really a shame that Mario gets such a bad wrap with the media. Obviously he’s brought some of it on himself at times in the past, but he was so talented at such a young age; of course he wasn’t ready to behave like a model professional during those times, because at 17/18/19 years old he wasn’t a mature adult capable of seeing the inevitable outcomes of certain behaviors without having to go thru those experiences himself. If you’ve watched any of the “Inside City” Youtube series, which is fantastic by the way (sort of a better version of Being Liverpool, without all the Hollywood gloss), it doesn’t take more than 2 minutes of exposure to Mario to realize he’s a genuinely fun-loving young guy who also happens to possess prodigious talent. He is an easy target for media headlines, sure, because he is recognizable and unique in so many ways, but those are largely driven by writers who are out to sell the most papers by whatever means possible, and obviously Mario sells. He hasn’t “completely” matured in the sense that he hasn’t become a drone of politically-correct, canned responses like 95% of players seem to be, but that is what makes him so compelling. He wants to be Mario, leave his own mark on the game he’s so blessed at, and is very unapologetic about it. He is just FUN! The game needs more guys like him, not fewer, IMO.

    P.S. “Why Always Me?” had to be one of the most entertaining bits I’ve seen in any sport in the last few years. Just brilliant in every way.

    Reply
  3. sometimes we forget how young players are. we treat em as equals, but a lot of them are kids – balotelli is only 22. but he has very mature outlook on life as a soccer superstar. my barber is a paparazzi here in L.A. but he is totally respectful and cool. he told me that you dont want to bombard people or annoy them cuz you can’t get a good shot to sell. you want them smiling and happy. he said there are a bunch of young kids who don’t abide by that rule and they end up pissing off famous people and getting bad photos that they can’t sell. so mario saying that someone coming into the house is uncool – yeah he’s got a point.

    good interview. mike tyson is his idol! right on

    Reply
  4. I need to know what Balotelli thinks about anything about as much as I needed to know what Ja Rule’s thoughts were after 9/11. Footballers are like hot chicks. To be seen not heard.

    Reply
      • It’s an opinion, an observation. It doesn’t have to be validated or proven to anyone’s satisfaction, least of all to someone who asks for that person’s profession as if that has one d*mn thing to do with it. GrowTFU.

    • Time is an American magazine, & the article about Mario is mostly about his impact on race in Italy/soccer as a black guy, so the question about Obama isn’t that odd. Considering the cover sub-header is “What the phenomenon of Mario Balotelli says about football, race, and European identity”, it seems a reasonable inquiry. I do think the whole ‘look into the camera’ thing was very awkward though.

      Reply

Leave a Comment