Slumping Team Tries New Motivational Tactic: Guns

When a reader sends you a tip with the subject line "More dysfunctional team than the Mets," you have to open it. So of course the story involves a soccer team's executives threatening the players with guns after a loss.

Portuguesa is a second-division Brazilian club who suffered a tough loss yesterday, leaving them six points under the relegation cutoff. So a couple of team officials decided they needed a pep talk. An

Two members of the executive board, accompanied by two bodyguards, gave the players a dressing down. Judging from the team's (Google translated) press release, the guns weren't as big a problem as the dishonorable way he spoke to them. This is Brazil, after all.

Surprising everyone, because the adviser has always been a thoughtful person, Mr. José Antonio Vaz Pinto insults delivered to the group of players and members of the technical committee, showing total lack of control.

Such an attitude was unacceptable and totally disapproved by the board, which shall take all appropriate administrative remedies against the adviser, reporting the events that occurred to the President of the Distinguished Advisory Board of this institution, which will certainly take all measures against the above-reported attitudes.

Today Portuguesa's coach stepped down, but if they win their next match on Friday, I wouldn't be surprised to see more teams turn to this motivational technique. And if that doesn't work, at least the guns can be used to put the injured Mets down. Armed Brazilian Club Officials Threaten Players [Reuters]