When Bayern Munich scored yesterday to tie Werder Bremen in a pivotal German Bundesliga clash, fans waved posters of The Simpsons‘ Mr. Burns and Futurama‘s slovenly robot Bender.

Those who think corporations run the world will note that the game was on Fox Sports World in the U.S., and both shows were on Fox (Futurama is no more; its reruns live on the non-Murdoch Cartoon Network). But that’s far-fetched.If anyone can explain why Bayern Munich fans identify with a ruthless yet senile power plant boss and a shiftless robot, please let me know.