Etc...

I'm overcome with delight

Ivica Supe considers himself a pretty fair football player. Well, football in the international sense: which is to say, soccer. He already has 16 goals to his credit this season and says he fully expects to score more. Not bad for someone who plays defense and whose role is to try to keep the other team from putting the ball in the net. Now, even if you're a serious follower of the sport you might not have heard of Supe, since he plays for a team that isn't exactly up there in stature with – oh – Manchester United of England, AC Milan of Italy, or Bayern Munich of Germany. Instead, he's with the Zagora Football Club, which is in the third division of Croatia's professional league. Still, Zagora's sponsor fully realizes what a star he has in Supe and makes sure to reward him accordingly. And that explains why, when the player arrived for practice the other day, he found a bonus waiting for him. Sixteen bonuses, actually – one for each of those goals. "It was a surprise," he told reporters. "I just don't know where I'll keep them." So, were they new cars? Rolex watches? Pairs of cleated shoes? None of the above. Zagora is a small market with little or no industry, so the team sponsor is a sheep farmer. And the bonus? Right, sheep. "We couldn't get anyone else," the team spokesman conceded. Thus, "We were delighted when [the farmer] offered to support us."