Babe of the Month - Queen of the Long Jump

Darya Igorevna Klishina was born 15th January 1991, in Tver, Russia. Having spent most of her childhood in Tver, a small town in Russia, Darya moved to Moscow to pursue athletics.

The 21 year old is known for her technical finesse in sprinting and jumping, which is remarkable given her tender years. She has become a popular figure for her ability to balance her carrier with the media attention she attracts owing to her good looks.

Darya achieved star status when, in June 2010, she leapt an incredible 7.03 meters in a long jump event in Zhukovskiy, Russia, setting a new Russian junior record. She has won gold in the European Junior Championship for long jump twice. The first was at the Novi Sad European Junior Championship in Serbia in July 2009, and the second was in Paris at the European Indoor Championships in March 2011.

Her long jump personal best stands at 7.05 metres, which she set in July 2011 in Ostrava, Czech Republic.

With the Olympics only months away, her focus is now firmly on London 2012. A fit Darya Klishina is within range to wrest the coveted gold medal from her rivals.

You can follow Darya on twitter and facebook

Prison Break Wallpapers

The Best Top Desktop TV Series Prison Break Wallpapers in all kind of resolutions and sizes. For your computer or laptop with XP, Vista, Windows 7 and Mac OS. High resolution Prison Break backgrounds, widescreen, 4:3, 16:9 and HD wallpapers.

Desktop hd wallpaper with the main characters of the American tv series Prison Break

Computer background with some main characters from Prison Break

Wentworth Miller is Michael Scofield in Prison Break

Mor wallpapers of this category...

The World's Highest Paid Footballers

At the beginning of April I posted an article on 'The World's Highest Paid Football Managers.'
Today I am going to focus on 'The World's Highest Paid Football Players.'

The last couple of years have been massive in the world of football sponsorships, with high profile players understandably benefiting the most, as brands from both inside and outside the world of football bankroll the top stars in the run up to the European Championships and the London Olympics this summer.

Mega-bucks clubs like Manchester City and Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala are doing multi-million pound deals in the pursuit of glory. Some ten years or so ago the average footballers pay in the UK was about five times that of the average weekly wage of the man in the street. Today however the football world is giving millions of pounds to the elite players, and their wages are literally going off the richter scale!

While some saw the abolition of football's maximum wage, which had capped players' pay at £20 a week, as a defining moment in the game's history, others view the 18th January 1961, as the day football - and, more importantly, footballers - began to lose touch with reality. The wages spiral did not immediately follow the abolition of the maximum wage. It was only when stars such as Denis Law and Jimmy Greaves left to play in Italy for bigger salaries in the summer of 1961 that the clubs realised they were going to have to pay out for top talent.

By the end of the decade, George Best was earning £1,000 a week at United The real explosion in players' pay came about in 1992 when the Premier League was founded and Sky TV coverage was launched. Liverpool's John Barnes was then the highest-paid player in the country at the time - on £10,000 a week. A decade later, wages escalated dramatically, partly as a result of the introduction of the Bosman ruling, which allowed players to move for free at the end of their contracts. It was at this time that we saw the first £100,000 a week footballer.

Some say it has gone way too far now, with players in 90 per cent of football clubs being paid far more than their clubs can afford.

In 1980 the average weekly wage in the UK was: £124.
In 1980 the average weekly pay for a player in the top flight was: £550.

In 1990 the average weekly wage in the UK was: £295.
In 1990 the average weekly pay for a player in the top flight was: £1500.

In 2000 the average weekly wage in the UK was: £473.
In 2000 the average weekly pay for a player in the top flight was: £11,184.

In 2010 the average weekly wage in the UK was: £656.
In 2010 the average weekly pay for a player in the top flight was: £33,868.

While Bill Shankly built a Liverpool team in 1960 on a total wage bill of £517 a week, Manchester City have committed £500million to salaries in their bid for Premier League glory.

There is a staggering gap between what top players earn and what the average person gets and the relationship between players and the public really isn't that great any more.

The fans aren't stupid and they see too many 'average millionaires.' They will forgive players and the money if they feel that they really earn it, both on and off the pitch, but too many of them don't. Some players can't even be bothered to take their headphones off or give the fans an autograph when they're getting off the team coach.

Here is an up-to-date list of: 'The Top 10 Highest-Paid Footballers in the World.'

10/ Philip Lahm - FC Bayern Munich and Germany, £11.9m per annum.

Born: 11th November 1983 (age 28)
Previous clubs: Bayern Munich II, VfB Stuttgart (loan)
Honours won:
Bayern Munich:
Bundesliga: 2002–03, 2005–06, 2007–08, 2009–10, DFB-Pokal: 2002–03, 2005–06, 2007–08, 2009–10,
Germany:
FIFA World Cup Third Place: 2006, 2010,  UEFA European Football Championship Runner-up: 2008, UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship Runner-up: 2002.
Individual:
UEFA Team of the Year: 2006, 2008, FIFA Team of the Year: 2008

Captain of the German national side, Lahm’s renewed deal with his Bavarian club has had a year to mature, putting him amongst the world’s highest earners for the first time. He has also inked a lucrative deal to wear adidas football boots.

9/ Kaká - Real Madrid and Brazil, £12.9m per annum.

Born: 22nd April 1982 (age 30)
Previous clubs: São Paulo, AC Milan
Honours won:
AC Milan:
Serie A: 2003–04, UEFA Champions League: 2006–07, UEFA Super Cup: 2003, 2007, FIFA Club World Cup: 2007.
Real Madrid:
Copa del Rey: 2010–11
Brazil:
FIFA World Cup: 2002, FIFA Confederations Cup: 2005, 2009
Individual:
FIFA World Player of the Year: 2007, World Soccer Player of the Year: 2007, Serie A Footballer of the Year: 2004, 2007, UEFA Champions League Top Scorer: 2006–07,

As well as a 'healthy' contract with Spanish giants Real Madrid, Kaka’s clean cut image have helped him keep his finances among the highest in world football, as deals with adidas and EA Sports supplement his Los Blancos paycheque. It's interesting to note that the 30 year-old's 'on-field performances' have been a little inconsistent of late, which has meant that the Brazilian midfielder is actually earning around £2m less than this time last year.

8/ Fernando Torres - Chelsea and Spain, £13.9m per annum.

Born: 20th March 1984 (age 28)
Previous clubs: Atlético Madrid, Liverpool
Honours won:
Atlético Madrid:
Segunda División: 2001-02
Spain:
FIFA World Cup Winner: 2010, UEFA European Championship: 2008, UEFA European Under-16 Football Championship (1): 2001, UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship: 2002

Despite his well-documented troubles since his move to Stamford Bridge, Spanish striker Torres’ deal that took him from Merseyside to London with Chelsea has propelled him into the Top 10 highest-paid footballers for the first time in his career.
Addition spending money comes from the likes of Pepsi and Nike, who will hope that their investment can force his way back into the Spain squad in time for Euro 2012.

7/ Yaya Touré - Manchester City and Ivory Coast, £14.7m per annum.

Born: 13th May 1983 (age 28)
Previous clubs: Beveren, Metalurh Donetsk, Olympiacos, Monaco, Barcelona
Honours won:
Olympiacos:
Super League Greece: 2005–06, Greek Cup: 2005–06
Barcelona:
La Liga: 2008–09, 2009–10, Copa del Rey: 2008–09, Supercopa de España: 2009, UEFA Champions League: 2008–09, UEFA Super Cup: 2009, FIFA Club World Cup: 2009
Manchester City:
FA Cup: 2010–11
Individual:
African Footballer of the Year: 2011

Another player to benefit from a new deal at a new club is Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure. The 2011 African footballer of the year has become a key member of the City squad since his move from Barcelona, and it’s worth noting he donates his sponsorship money from his Puma boot deal to charity.

6/ Sergio Agüero - Manchester City and Argentina, £15.7m per annum.

Born: 2nd June 1988 (age 23)
Previous clubs: Club Atlético Independiente, Atlético Madrid
Honours won:
Atlético Madrid:
UEFA Europa League: 2009–10, UEFA Super Cup: 2010
Argentina:
FIFA U-20 World Cup winner: 2005, 2007, Summer Olympics: 2008
Individual:
FIFA Young Player of the Year: 2007, FIFA U-20 World Cup Top Scorer (1): 2007, FIFA U-20 World Cup Player of the Tournament: 2007, La Liga Ibero-American Player of the Year: 2008, Don Balón Award: 2007–08

It’s a similar story for Toure’s team-mate and fellow Puma sponsor-ee Sergio Aguero. The Argentine striker has quickly proven his worth at the Etihad Stadium – with 29 goals to date in all competitions this season, for the blue half of Manchester. He has switched his boot supplier to Puma following a protracted move from Nike.

5/ Wayne Rooney - Manchester United and England, £17.2m per annum.

Born: 24th October 1985 (age 26)
Previous clubs: Everton
Honours won:
Manchester United:
Premier League: 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11, Football League Cup: 2005–06, 2009–10, UEFA Champions League: 2007–08, FIFA Club World Cup: 2008
Individual:
PFA Players' Player of the Year: 2009–10, PFA Young Player of the Year: 2004–05, 2005–06, FWA Footballer of the Year: 2009–10, Goal of the Season: 2004–05, 2006–07, 2010–11, Barclays Player of the Year: 2009–10, England Player of the Year: 2008, 2009

Despite often being at the centre of controversy, Manchester United hitman Wayne Rooney has boosted his earnings by nearly £5m over the past 12 months to enter the top 5 highest-paid footballers for the first time in his career. Rooney's ban for the opening two group games of Euro 2012 will have no doubt  upset his sponsors somewhat, but the likes of Nike and EA Sports will be thrilled with his performances on the field for the Red Devils this season. He has netted 36 goals to date in all competitions.

4/ Samuel Eto’o - FC Anzhi Makhachkala and Cameroon, £19.4m per annum.

Born: 10th March 1981 (age 31)
Previous clubs: Real Madrid, Leganés (loan), Espanyol (loan), RCD Mallorca, Barcelona, Internazionale Milano
Honours won:
RCD Mallorca:
Copa del Rey: 2003
Barcelona:
La Liga: 2004–05, 2005–06, 2008–09, Copa del Rey: 2009, UEFA Champions League: 2005–06, 2008–09
Internazionale: Serie A: 2009–10, Coppa Italia: 2010, 2011, Supercoppa Italiana: 2010, UEFA Champions League: 2009–10, FIFA Club World Cup: 2010
Cameroon:
African Cup of Nations: 2000, 2002, Olympic Gold Medal: 2000
Individual:
Young African Player of the Year: 2000, African Player of the Year: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2010, African Cup of Nations Top Scorer: 2006, 2008, African Cup of Nations All-Time Top Scorer, La Liga Top Scorer: 2006, 2005 FIFA World Player of the Year- Third, UEFA Champions League Final Man of the Match 2006

The most decorated African player of all time,Samuel Eto’o has won the African player of the year four times. With a move last year to Russian club FC Anzhi Makhachkala, Eto’o became the highest paid footballer of all time. Adding to that the Cameroon international can boast Ford and Puma to his sponsorship list in the last 12 months.

3/ Cristiano Ronaldo - Real Madrid and Portugal, £24.3m per annum.

Born: 5th February 1985 (age 27)
Previous clubs: Sporting Lisbon, Manchester United
Honours won:
Manchester United:
Premier League: 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, FA Cup: 2003–04, League Cup: 2005–06, 2008–09, UEFA Champions League: 2007–08, FIFA Club World Cup: 2008
Real Madrid:
Copa del Rey: 2010–11
Individual:
Portuguese Footballer of the Year: 2006–07, PFA Young Player of the Year: 2006–07, PFA Players' Player of the Year: 2006–07, 2007–08, FWA Footballer of the Year: 2006–07, 2007–08, Barclays Player of the Year: 2006–07, 2007–08, Premier League Golden Boot: 2007–08, UEFA Champions League Top scorer: 2007–08, UEFA Club Footballer of the Year: 2007–08, FIFA Club World Cup Silver Ball: 2008, Ballon d'Or (1): 2008 FIFA World Player of the Year: 2008, World Soccer Player of the Year: 2008 FIFA Puskás Award: 2009, Copa del Rey top goalscorer: 2010–11, La Liga top scorer: 2010–11

The Portuguese playmaker and national squad captain Cristiano Ronaldo has bolstered his annual earnings by over £1.5m since this time last year. As well as being officially the most expensive player in the world, the superstar’s deal to keep him in Nike Mercurial football boots is reportedly one of the biggest in sport. Throw in his status as the most socially-networked athlete in the world, and due to this popularity Ronaldo has also secured sponsorship deals from brands like Armani, Coca-Cola and Castrol. He is a priceless face for any company!

2/ David Beckham - Los Angeles Galaxy and England, £26.2m per annum.

Born: 2nd May 1975 (age 36)
Previous clubs: Manchester United, Preston North End (loan), Real Madrid, AC Milan (loan)
Honours won:
Manchester United:
Premier League: 1995–96, 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2002–03, FA Cup: 1995–96, 1998–99, UEFA Champions League: 1998–99
Real Madrid:
La Liga: 2006–07, Supercopa de España: 2003
Los Angeles Galaxy:
MLS Supporters' Shield: 2010, 2011, MLS Cup: 2011
Individual:
PFA Young Player of the Year: 1996–97, UEFA Club Footballer of the Year: 1998–99, Premier League Goal of the Decade, England Player of the Year: 2003, Real Madrid Player of the Year: 2005-2006, English Football Hall of Fame: 2008, Officer in the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II: 2003

After much pontification over the MLS off-season, Beckham turned down a potentially massive move to top French side Paris Saint-Germain, in favour of staying with the LA Galaxy for at least one more season. The former England captain’s new deal with the Galaxy and his hugely-marketed underwear deal with highstreet fashion label H&M, saw him earn over £2m more per annum than in the previous financial year.
Also his deal with adidas is the biggest deal in the footballing world, and part of that deal sees him earn 'bonus' money for every signed boot that the company sells. Adding to that his sponsorship deals with Samsung, who made him their company brand ambassador, and Pepsi make Becks the 2nd highest paid footballer on the list.

1/ Lionel Messi - Barcelona and Argentina, £27.5m per annum.

Born: 24th June 1987 (age 24)
Previous clubs: Club Atlético Newell's Old Boys
Honours won:
Barcelona:
La Liga: 2004–05, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, Copa del Rey: 2008–09, Supercopa de España: 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, UEFA Champions League: 2005–06, 2008–09, 2010–11, UEFA Super Cup: 2009, 2011, FIFA Club World Cup: 2009, 2011
Argentina:
FIFA U-20 World Cup: 2005, Olympic Gold Medal: 2008
Individual:
FIFA Ballon d'Or: 2010, 2011, World's Top Goal Scorer of the Year 2011, Ballon d'Or: 2009, FIFA World Player of the Year: 2009, World Soccer Player of the Year: 2009, 2011, World Soccer Young Player of the Year: 2006, 2007, 2008, La Liga top goalscorer: 2010, Copa del Rey top goalscorer: 2011, La Liga Player of the Year: 2009, 2010, 2011, La Liga Foreign Player of the Year: 2007, 2009, 2010, UEFA Champions League top goalscorer: 2009, 2010, 2011, European Golden Shoe 2010, UEFA Best Player in Europe Award: 2011, UEFA Club Footballer of the Year: 2009, FIFA U-20 World Cup Player of the Tournament: 2005, FIFA U-20 World Cup top goalscorer: 2005, Copa América Young Player of the Tournament: 2007

After a record-breaking last 12 months, the mercurial Messi’s earnings are now as superfluous as the words used to describe him. A signature clothing range with adidas and a deal to see him become the cover star for EA Sports games from this season onward has seen the Barca ace add nearly £8m to his earnings over the past 12 months. He also boasts sponsorship deals with adidas, Konami, PepsiCo, Lay’s, Air Europa and Chery. Should his history-making form continue, it’s likely that we’ll see that figure continue to rise – over the next 12 months.

20 Comics That Would make AWESOME TV Shows

1) Gotham Central - Imagine a nitty-gritty crime procedural set in Gotham City, and focusing on the Gotham PD's Major Crimes Unit. Imagine being a police officer in a city with Batman. I want this TV show to be made SO BADLY.

2) Transmetropolitan: Spider Jerusalem rocks. He's an almost insane journalist in a futuristic City who sticks his middle finger at establishment and government by.... writing a column. A thoroughly kickass character whose vocabulary has more swear words than actual words. Carrie Bradshaw isn't even worthy enough to lick the bottom left notch in the sole of his boots.

3) Runaways - A group of kids who find out their parents are part of a gang of supervillains, and runaway from home. There was supposed to be a Runaways movie, but it's still stuck in pre-development hell. A light-hearted, Buffy-like ensemble TV show would probably suit it better though, plus the kids don't wear stupid spandex costumes, so it would be easier to produce. I think.

4) Sandman: Seriously, they've been wrestling with making a Sandman movie since the beginning of Destiny, and they're still nowhere near greenlighting it. And for good reason. The story is so sprawling, has so much depth and characters, that putting it all in ONE movie would NEVER be able to do it justice. So why not make it a TV show instead. With the right producers, it could be an epic, dark serialised show that doesn't just focus on Dream, but even Death, and the rest of the Endless as well. Think of the possibilities!

5) DMZ: New York City. War zone. This is the story of one journalist in the middle of the DMZ, struggling to make sense of the senseless fighting in his own country... Would make a great, intense, story-driven serialised show.

6) Y: The Last Man: Hey, The Walking Dead is set in a world full of zombies. How different is that from a world full of women and only ONE man (and his monkey)? Get a REALLY good looking guy to play Yorrick, and LOTS of hot chicks. WIN!

7) Top Ten: One of my favourite Alan Moore stories, about a police force on a world full of superheroes. Should be awesome.

8) Hellblazer: Yes, I know he already had a feature film, but though it was entertaining, Keanu Reeves just ain't Constantine. Besides, the rich texture and awesome supernatural stories that Constantine gets into make for an awesome TV show. The BBC really should consider making this one, just so they can make it as British as possible.

9) Fables: Once upon a time, this would have been on top of my list. But now, thanks to shows like Grimm and Once Upon a Time, I think the market for fable-related TV shows is already kinda crowded. Would still be great to see Fables turned into a proper show though. It WAS optioned for a show in 2010, but that project is dead now.

10) Ultimate Spider-man: Sure, he's got lots of movies already, but the storyline in Ultimate Spider-man neatly balances his superhero exploits with his his personal life, relationship and growing pains; as well as how he copes with being a teenager with superpowers. Smallville, eat your heart out.

11) 100 Bullets: 100 Episodes of gritty, ultra-violent hardcore crime drama. Perfect.

12) Animal Man - One of the more offbeat superheroes in the DC universe. Animal Man can absorb and use the abilities of any animal in the vicinity; but the main appeal of this comic is not the superhero part, but how Buddy Barker manages to juggle being a family man AND being a superhero. Would make a damn good family drama, I bet.

13) BPRD: Hellboy's got his own movies, so why can't the BPRD have their own show? It could be a Fringe or X-Files-like show where the team investigates a Monster of The Week, and the central plot could be one of the long running stories in the comic books like Plague of Frogs or something.

14) Books Of Magic: Before there was Harry Potter, there was Tim Hunter, who was introduced to magic by the Trenchcoat Brigade, which includes John Constantine, the Phantom Stranger, Doctor Occult and Mister E. Against THIS lot, Hagrid would have been banished to Never-neverland even before he lifted his silly umbrella. There could even be a potential crossover to the Constantine TV show!

15) Ex-Machina - A political drama with superheroes. Ok, ONE superhero. Who is also the Mayor of New York. Who as a superhero saved one of the World Trade Center towers during 9/11. from You can't tell me this isn't the perfect premise for a TV show about politics and superheroes.

16) Batman: Gotham Knights - This won't be just a show about Batman, but about all his allies as well. Heck, they could make Robin the main protagonist of the show, and show how the Bat-team (which includes Oracle, Robin, Huntress, Azrael and so on) work together to fight crime in Gotham. It'll be like Gotham Central, but with a lighter focus and on the superheroes instead. I'm sure there'd be A LOT of drama to mine just from the interactions between each superhero. There could even be a crossover with the Gotham Central series! 

17) Preacher: This was actually optioned for a TV show way back in 2006, but it's currently in limbo. It should ideally be a more Western type show, but it won't be easy to adapt a show about a preacher who wants to hunt down the REAL God and get Him to answer for His sins. And seriously... ARSEFACE? Good luck trying to get HIM on the show.
 
18) Resurrection Man: Admittedly, I've only read RM's New DC 52 comics, so I'm not very well-versed in the character as a whole. But hey, he's a guy who dies, and is resurrected each time with different super powers. Would make a GREAT Quantum Leap styled series. I was considering putting Deadman here instead, but Resurrection Man somehow seems a lot more interesting to me...

19) League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen - Chances of THIS ever being made is virtually nil, considering that Alan Moore absolutely ABHORES working with Hollywood after they mangled up the LXG movie (a movie so bad that Sean Connery quit acting after that haha). But it would be GREAT to have a movie about the LXG, set in different ages. Just have the two main characters Alan Quatermain and Mina Harker (three if you want to count Orlando) and have different literary figures join them on each episode. Would probably be hell getting the permission to write many of the characters into the show though, but wouldn't it be GREAT if they pulled it off?

20) Tank Girl - Would probably be more suited as a cartoon, to be honest, but it would be a hoot if there was a Tank Girl TV show. It should ideally be a sitcom though, since I'm not sure Tank girl's antics could be stretched to a one hour drama.

Kajal Agarwal Wallpapers

The Best Top Desktop Sexy Kajal Agarwal Wallpapers in all kind of resolutions and sizes. For your computer or laptop with XP, Vista, Windows 7 and Mac OS. High resolution Kajal Agarwal backgrounds, widescreen, 4:3, 16:9 and HD wallpapers. Kajal Agarwal is a famous Indian film actress.

Desktop hd wallpaper with Kajal Agarwal in a white skirt and pink top

Background for computer with Indian film actress Kajal Agarwal wearing a pink dress

Nice picture with  Kajal Agarwal  in a wide strapless purple red dress, with green trees on the background 

Mor wallpapers of this category...

AVENGERS! ASSEMBLED AND AWESOME!

The Avengers.
Not a Review.
FINALLY ASSEMBLED!
AND AWESOME!
Joss Whedon is God.
But first, let's here it from the Avengers themselves.

This is Captain America.
I will lead you into this review.
I'm still a bit old fashion,
Maybe a little goody goody
And my costume still looks silly,
But boy do I kick ass.

Hi, billionaire playboy philanthropist here.
I'm still awesome.
And do a whole lot more than the rest hehe,
But I kid, I kid,
No, really, I'm still fucking awesome.
And there's no other way to say that.
AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME.

It is I, Thor!
Thou will do well to listen to me!
For I am the mighty THOR!
Marvel at my Point Break hair!
Be dazzled as call upon lightning,
And argue with my brother!
For verily, I am still emo and angsty,
But Hulk loves me!
Does thou not love me, Hulk?
Hulk?

HULK SMASH!
HULK IS AWESOME!
HULK LIKE NEW BANNER!
HULK DO MORE THAN SMASH!
HULK FUNNY TOO!
LAUGH OR HULK SMASH YOU!
SMASH! GRRWWARR!!!

Agent Romanoff here.
Sorry sir, I'm not here to play nice.
I ain't no token female hero.
I ain't no whiny love interest either.
Think of me that way, and I'll kick your ass.
And still look fabulous at the same time.
(Oh, and you better give me a 10/10 Cleavage Rating)
Or I'll manipulate your ASS off you.

Hawkeye reporting in.
Don't ya make fun of my arrows.
Or I'll put one in your eye.
My arrows may not look like much,
But I sure know how to use them.
Now bring on Bourne.

Fury here.
GET THOSE MOTHERFUCKING ALIENS OFF MY MOTHERFUCKING PLANET!
And get that skinnyass Loki in here.
I'm gonna kick his skinny ass back to Asgard.
Oh wait, I have a team to do that for me now.
Go kick some motherfucking alien and god ass, team.

THAT is how you make a superhero teamup movie.
Whedon gave EVERYONE their turn to shine,
Great action, lots of superhero bustups,
And none of the characters were there to make up the numbers.
(ok, except maybe Robi... er.. Maria Hill.)
But why hor, do all the blockbusters' Earth-shattering devices,
All come in a shape of a CUBE?

Oh well, who cares,
In case you're still wondering,
THIS IS AWESOME.
It's gonna be hard for Batman to top THIS.
(Though I doubt Nolan cares about topping this)

Go watch this in IMAX if you can,
Oh, and stay for a little while after the movie.
There's a little something midway through the credits.
Something Marvel fans will be salivating over,
(and which the general population will be scratching their heads over hehe.
JOSS WHEDON IS GOD.

Football players and their bizarre fashion trends!

As we all know football players are well known for their unusual and often bizarre antics on and off the field! Many players and managers often have peculiar habits, rituals and superstitions they go through before, during and after a game. This seemingly irrational behaviour may not affect the outcome of a match, but it does give the players themselves piece of mind. Football players are often looked upon as role models, so when it comes to setting fashion trends they are on occasions credited with being the architects as well as the the victims of their own creations!

Here is a list of some of the worst fashion trends in world football!

1/ Personalised Boots:

Who came up with the idea for stitching individual names onto boots. What started off as a canny PR stunt has become a plague. Now every run of the mill tom, dick and harry in the game has their name, their initials, squad number or the names of their children on their footwear.

The trend reached its nadir last November when, following the completely pointless and fabricated row over England's players not being allowed to wear poppies on their shirts when they played Spain in a friendly, several players had a small image of the flower stitched on to their boots. There is, of course, nothing wrong with Remembrance Day and paying tribute to all those men and women who were killed during the two World Wars and other conflicts, in whatever way you see fit, but it did smack of an opportunistic gimmick from the kit manufacturers.

2/ Trusox:

These days, your boots aren’t the only thing that can aid your performance. Your socks can also play a major role, which is why players are reportedly cutting up their socks. To get more of a grip in their hi-tech boots players are cutting up their socks and, instead, they use short tennis ones, with supposedly better traction. That explains why so many Premier League players are now using tape to cover up their secret.

England players often train in short tennis socks as they prefer them to thicker ­football socks. It is a new fashion way beyond hold-ups, that most fans assume is the reason for the tape.
However you guessed it, there is now a product on the market that players can use to give them added traction, instead of cutting up their socks.

This is where 'Trusox' comes into the equation. Trusox have seen a large player uptake in the Premier League this season, with names such as Emanuel Adebayor, Aaron Lennon (right), Demba Ba, Marouane Fellaini and Stephen Ward amongst some of the names who have been seen wearing Trusox this season.

The official line regarding this product is as follows: "The Trusox is a bit like a golf glove for your feet, and they boost your speed and agility. Whenever you need to change direction, you need to maximise power transfer. To do this, you need to ensure your foot stays secure within your boot, which is where the Trusox come into the game. Trusox stop the repetitive motions between the foot, sock and shoe to ensure you have the maximum power when you change direction. This is achieved by the non-slip applications on the outside and inside of the socks. This stops the sock from sliding on your foot and the sock from sliding within the shoe."

Heaven forbid! Whatever next!

3/ Black Face Paint:

'Eye Black' is a grease applied under the eyes to reduce glare. It is often used by athletes, particularly in North America, where sunlight or stadium lights can impair vision of an airborne ball. Eye black has been used for centuries to help reduce the glare of the sun. Traditional grease consists of beeswax, paraffin, and carbon. Anti-glare face stripes that emulate the grease are also commonly used.

A 2003 study by Brian DeBroff and Patricia Pahk tested whether black eye grease actually had anti-glare properties. The subjects' vision was tested using an eye chart while being exposed to natural sunlight. The study concluded that eye black reduced glare of the sun and improved contrast sensitivity, whereas commercial anti-glare stickers and petroleum jelly were found to be ineffective. A further study which set to improve DeBroff's methodology also found eye black to reduce glare from the sun, but less so in blue-eyed individuals and males.

Rüştü Reçber (right) is a Turkish international goalkeeper who currently plays for Beşiktaş J.K. in the Turkish Süper Lig, having previously played for Antalyaspor, Fenerbahçe and Barcelona. Yet his tribal looking war-paint wasn’t a good look. All it really did was earn peculiar glares from fans across the world. 

4/ Man Bags:

This is another recent phenomenon which has been embraced enthusiastically by today's metrosexual footballers. Understandably players need a bag of sorts to carry with them containing their shower gel, shampoo, hair products e.t.c to use after training and on match day, but does it have to be one of those rather effeminate, strapless clutch bags?

Louis Vuitton seem to have cornered the market in these, probably because they are the most expensive and have the most logos per square inch.

But seriously, when you see a burly, six-foot-plus centre-forward emerge after training with one of those under their arm, in my eyes it just doesn't sit right!

5/ Football Shirts Gimmicks:

Over the years we have all been subjected to some rather eye catching shirt designs for all the wrong reasons, but the latest shirt gimmick phenomenon to be launched is rather questionable. It is unsurprisingly more about player exposure and additional finance through modern technology than about shirt design and colour.

For example, Mexican first division side Jaguares de Chiapas announced at the start of the season that, instead of their players' names being printed on the back of their shirts, they would be using their Twitter handles instead.

Then there is Spanish La Liga side Sevilla, who are giving their fans the chance to have their own face printed on the club's shirts (right), for just €25 a pop.

Value for money? Well each face on a shirt is only 2mm X 2mm in size, so you do the maths!

6/ Nasal Strips:

Nasal strips are like a Band-Aid with a flexible backbone that holds the nostrils open when the strip is stuck across the bridge of the nose. Despite medical science concluding that nasal strips have little or no effect on breathing or performance the effectiveness of that nasal strips in aiding air intake during a football match, it didn't stop players, such as Robbie Fowler, from using them to decorate their nose on the field of play.

7/ Hair Styles:

From girly accessories to mohawks, footballers have been known to sport bizarre hair styles. But when the players of my home town club Bromley FC were visited by a barber last November, before their FA Cup first round match against Leyton Orient, to have barcodes shaved into their heads - they surely took hair styling to a new level.

Wayne Rooney's hair stylist was drafted in to give the underdogs the unique look for their big match. Celebrity stylist Daniel Johnson (right) was asked to shave Quick Response (QR) codes on the back of Bromley's starting line-up's heads, which, when scanned with a smartphone reader will link to betting company Betfair's mobile site.

Bromley boss Mark Goldberg added: "This is a great tie up for the club, a little unconventional, but great nonetheless. The lads were shocked when I asked them to take part but they know what this could mean for the club and they're looking forward to showing them off in our biggest game of the season."

Johnson said: "I'm used to styling footballers' hair - and trust me I've had some weird requests from them before - but this was in a different league. The QR cuts certainly put my skills to the test."

8/ Kinesio Tape:

Since when does insulation tape make you perform to a greater level? Gareth Bale (below), among others, are often seen sporting the £40 Kinseo product, which was said to allow players to get through the pain barrier and perform for longer. I have my doubts!

The official line regarding this product is as follows: "Kinesio Taping gives support and stability to your joints and muscles without affecting circulation and range of motion. Initially, orthopaedists, chiropractors, acupuncturists and other medical practitioners were the main users of Kinesio Taping. Soon thereafter, Kinesio Taping was used by the Japanese Olympic volleyball players and word quickly spread to other athletes. Today, Kinesio Taping is used by medical practitioners and athletes around the world. The Kinesio Taping Method is applied over muscles to reduce pain and inflammation, relax overused tired muscles, and to support muscles in movement on a 24hr/day basis. It is non-restrictive type of taping which allows for full range of motion.

Kinesio Tape is used for anything from headaches to foot problems and everything in between including: lower back strain/pain, knee conditions, hamstring and groin injuries, patella tracking, ankle sprains and as a support method."

9/ Vapo-Rub:

The greasy patch below the neck was the hallmark of the early 2000’s, with many Premier League football stars believing the effects of such products would open their airways during a game. There may be some truth in this, but it is also known to make your eyes water, as well as inevitably staining the shirt. Instead of aiding their performance more often than not it often looked as if said player had simply blown his nose on his shirt or dropped his pre-match meal down himself.

10/ The Snood:

I can understand wearing a snood in Siberia, where temperatures there reach way below zero, but in the Premier League snoods have no place. The likes of Samir Nasri and Carlos Tevez (right), often sported the scarf/rag around their neck during play, looking rather silly in the process.
Luckily the International FA Board banned the wearing of snoods on the 1st July 2011, although it's bad enough that we still have to watch grown men running around wearing tights and gloves, often bizarrely accompanied by a short-sleeve shirt!