Geeky time again!

I'm geeky about a few things. I don't think I'm generally geeky, though I guess these things are relative.

But I am geeky about draws for big international competions; a winning combination of football, geography, and, well combinations. And people taking something very seriously that could easily be organised in a back room somewhere. When I was younger I was fascinated by the disperate approach of the FA cup draw - three elderly adminsterators with a velvet bag in a commitee room - to the World Cup Finals, all pomp and ceremony with rules so complex that no one in the room really understands them. The team names sign would fall off, nearly decappitating the small boys who always seemed to get a starring role - which of course I wanted. And half way through someone would realise that Scotland had been given too easy a draw and they would all have to start again.

These days the cup draws are more televisual, using rejects from the National Lottery Machine design competition, and a compere who always has to make a quip about each team, also in a rather National Lottery way (So Hartlepool will play Rochdale, their third appearance in the second round draw since 1958).

The world cup draw format is much the same as always, but the technology has improved and this year at least the rules were not TOO complicated. At least I could understand them, so could the organisers. Not sure Charlize Theron did, but she did flirt quite charmingly with everyone.

The end result is a four by eight combination of thrirty two country names, and that I have usually memorised within the hour.

Did anyone mention geek?