Texture On Sphere ETC

I am making a metal sphere. I have a really nice metal texture I would like to add to it, how could I get this image to look like one texture on a shape that has so many faces? When I use the UV Textures, Blender applies my image to each individual face of the object. Can I get the UV image to ‘span’ over all the faces, then I could scale / repeat the metal so that the sphere looks like a realistic metal ball?

I have similar problems with a cylinder I have made into a tunnel shape. I am trying to make that object look like wood.

Thanks!!

press F, U for unwrap ,and choose Sphere

wow! sweet! that is EXACTLY what I was looking for.

Thank you!