No Joke: Totti May Return for Italy

Francesco Totti has dropped off the soccer map, a bit, the past few years. He has had injuries, with AS Roma, and he said he was finished playing for the national team after Italy won the 2006 World Cup.

But Totti now says he is interested in coming back. In time to play for Italy at South Africa 2010.

Whether Italy wants him back, at age 33, after he did nothing to help the Azurri qualify ... we don't know.

But it could be fun to have the onetime Golden Boy of Italian soccer back ... if only for the jokes.

In the early years of his career, Totti earned a reputation as a great scorer, a fine-looking fellow and a very dim bulb. People made up "he's so dumb that" jokes about the guy, and they were easy to believe.

He was smart enough, however, to turn the gibes around. They were collected into a book (and then another), which sold very well and helped popularize him further -- as well as make money for charities.

Here is a story about the first book, as well as several of the more popular Totti jokes.

And here are a few more jokes.

If you didn't follow the links, my favorite joke probably is the one about Totti's girlfriend asking him, "Francesco, do you love me? Huh, do you love me? Huh, do you love me?" And Totti says, "Hey, one question at a time."

Ultimately, the issue won't be if he can make anyone laugh ... but if he can help Italy score.