In a confidential State Department cable released by WikiLeaks, an American diplomat refers to Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as the “George Steinbrenner of Iran,” but for a very specific reason. The cable, according to the AP, detailed how Ahmadinejad has meddled with his country’s national soccer team and points out that Ahmadinejad once influenced the firing of two coaches in a matter of weeks. (Meddling with his team and firing managers, after all, were among Steinbrenner’s specialties.) Hank Steinbrenner called the comparison “ridiculous” and “inappropriate” when told about the cable. Inappropriate, maybe. But, in this very specific context, probably not as ridiculous as he’d like to believe. [AP via Gawker]