On Saturday, former FIFA presidential candidate and head of The Asian Football Federation Mohamed Bin Hammam was banned for life by the governing body’s ethics committee following a two-day hearing.
The 62-year old Qatari was accused of attempting to buy votes prior to June’s presidential elections, which Bin Hammam withdrew from leaving only the incumbent Sepp Blatter to seek a 5th term.
Even for FIFA, a lifetime ban is of legitimate consequence amongst the gaggles of symbolic wrist slaps. It’s really nothing more than to say ‘Mr. Bin Hammam, of all the corrupt and conniving sons of bitches within the FIFA ranks, you are one of them.’ That one gets me every time - not that specific usage, but to say to somebody that they are simply one of many - essentially you’re just spinning the first sentence and the anticipation that follows it on its head to elicit at best a modest chuckle.
Not more than a few days ago, I heard Keith Law say something along similar lines when recently highlighting the offensive inefficiencies of a player, quoting a former coach who said; “Buddy, of all the second baseman I’ve coached, you’re one of them.” Come on, that’s a little funny no? Simple conversational humour can be just as funny as an intricate joke that builds through a set-up that leads to a punchline. A punchline that brings down the house of tent cards advertising buckets of Bud Light Lime bottles, brought to your table by a girl breaching her third trimester with a Matinee tucked behind her left ear and a visible tattoo that may in fact with no certainty either be a Seal’s face or that of a Boston terrier.
FIFA harbours the deceitful and ignorant like it’s a race towards evil against an imaginary clock. Mohamed Bin Hamman is a crooked piece of shit. I’ve mentioned him on more than one occasion in the last few months, in hopes that this would be the last mention in the hallowed internet corridors, before remembering that Qatar will be hosting a World Cup, leaving Bin Hammam with a legacy much like that of his former employer; corrupt.
Showing posts with label FIFA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label FIFA. Show all posts
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
FIFA Corruption: Jack Warner Steps Down.
Yesterday, FIFA vice president and CONCACAF chief Jack Warner stepped down amidst a several months long corruption scandal into a $1 million bribery for Caribbean World Cup votes and potentially fixing the June 1st Presidential Elections.
In hopes of retaining his position as Minister of Transport and Works in his native Trinidad and Tobago, reports state that Warner followed Mohamed Bin Hammam of Qatar by voluntarily stepping down to quell speculations of corruption. Reports suggest that Warner's post in Trinidad is of great value and unethical business practices with FIFA could negatively affect his tenure. Just last week, Warner was influential in his decisions to replace a sewer lid and have a boulder removed from a section of busy gravel-topped road by a group of schoolchildren for a modest fee of a thousand dollars and the first-born children of anyone involved.
If you prescribe to the logic that FIFA is the most corrupt sporting entity in the world, Warner's voluntary removal also helps FIFA President Sepp Blatter's case, as two of the most senior and controversy riddled henchmen have stepped down before further investigations could take place to identify said examples of unethical practices.
Before I go, may I remind everyone that you are free to share your opinions below in the comment section. A Google ID is not required if you choose to comment anonymously. Any comments are appreciated; even if they are comprised of poo and pee humour and a brazen disregard of functional grammar and spelling.
In hopes of retaining his position as Minister of Transport and Works in his native Trinidad and Tobago, reports state that Warner followed Mohamed Bin Hammam of Qatar by voluntarily stepping down to quell speculations of corruption. Reports suggest that Warner's post in Trinidad is of great value and unethical business practices with FIFA could negatively affect his tenure. Just last week, Warner was influential in his decisions to replace a sewer lid and have a boulder removed from a section of busy gravel-topped road by a group of schoolchildren for a modest fee of a thousand dollars and the first-born children of anyone involved.
If you prescribe to the logic that FIFA is the most corrupt sporting entity in the world, Warner's voluntary removal also helps FIFA President Sepp Blatter's case, as two of the most senior and controversy riddled henchmen have stepped down before further investigations could take place to identify said examples of unethical practices.
Before I go, may I remind everyone that you are free to share your opinions below in the comment section. A Google ID is not required if you choose to comment anonymously. Any comments are appreciated; even if they are comprised of poo and pee humour and a brazen disregard of functional grammar and spelling.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Blatter Wins FIFA Presidency - Appoints Kissinger - People Worldwide Scream 'What The Fuck' In Unison.
As covered below, Joseph S. Blatter beat an army of hungry and ethical aspiring FIFA heads in today's election. By that, of course I mean he beat himself to capture his 4th term as the head of football's governing body.
Amidst much speculation and finger-pointing concerning allegations of unethical and corrupt practices, Blatter announced today that he has asked former Secretary of State and controversial proponent of Realpolitik Henry Kissinger to be on a "committee of wise persons."
You can read more about the appointment of Mr Kissinger here [ESPN] - but my interest is not in taking an objective approach like our friends at the World Wide Leader.
Before I delve into my opinion of Henry Kissinger, I'd like to preface the entire discussion by pointing out that Kissinger is German-born, an avid supporter of the beautiful game and in 1978, was appointed the Chairman of the North American Soccer League [NASL] Board of Directors and had a part in the U.S. bid for the 2022 World Cup. Motivations are clear - he has his experiences with soccer and is fit for a bi-annual conference call with a hefty stipend; while a corrupt body like FIFA is surely seeking to improve it's tattered image by hiring a renowned political mind and mediator like Kissinger.
What does irk me about the whole situation is the bizarre impression people have of Kissinger. His opinion seems to be of the utmost importance to people far more intelligent and powerful than Blatter and he is paid exorbitant amounts of money to speak at colleges and before groups. The problem I have with all of this is that he has had his hand in genocides, ethnic cleansings, government over turnings and coups that have been wisely veiled and celebrated by many American policy makers and Presidents. Sure, it is not as easy to find direct evidence of all of his human rights violations and practices of sacrificing innocents for the greater good of the implementation of democratic governments, and we owe much of that to aforementioned politicians who chose to seek acclaim than responsibility, but he is a controversial figure nonetheless.
Much of my opinion of Kissinger stems from two experiences.
Firstly, during a 4th year International Diplomacy class, we were asked to compose a lengthy thesis-like argument for or against a significant diplomat or politician by comparing the chosen subject to others. I compared Henry Kissinger with Chilean dictator General Augusto Pinochet and Serb tyrant Slobodan Milosevic. The more I researched the more I began to realize that the only thing that separated these three individuals was their relation to the U.S. Government.
The three men all had their rotund hands in the same cookie jar, yet Kissinger is regarded in a far more positive light than the others in the annals of time because he was protected by the American heads of state that employed and consulted Kissinger.
Winning the Nobel Peace Prize in hindsight may have been better awarded elsewhere.
The second reason I have a strong opinion of Henry Kissinger is because I was heavily influenced by the prose of no-nonsense writer Christopher Hitchens in his scathing tour-de-force The Trial Of Henry Kissinger. In his text, Hitchens is able to eloquently describe the prevalent double-standard that I am currently struggling to emulate; Kissinger is an evil man who is praised because his radical decisions brought about change. For the most part, this change was influential and reared the U.S. and other nations in a direction of political and diplomatic responsibility and sobriety. However, there are the other instances where Kissinger's consultations proved costly for other parties involved. In Hitchens' book, he plays the role of the prosecution with Kissinger on trial for his human rights violations in Indochina, Bangladesh, Cyprus, Chile and East Timor.
Kissinger was the Secretary of State between the years 1973 - 77 under presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford.
In lieu of time constraints, rather than list his positive contributions with thorough explanations, I'll attempt to truncate this entire mess by pointing-out that detente policies strengthened Soviet- U.S. relations and led to increased channels of discussion with Mao's China. Strategic relations and meetings concerning disarmament proved fruitful and there's really no way of knowing long-term just how beneficial such relations were. Before this, the path to China was an uncertain one, and without a doubt, Kissinger's involvement did pave the way for discussions between the U.S. and its Cold War opponents.
Beyond this, Kissinger's influence on the state of world politics cannot be denied; unfortunately, many of his consultations have led to human rights violations and the deaths of countless innocent people.
During the Vietnam war, Kissinger worked under Richard Nixon and assisted the president in fulfilling the primary postulate of his platform by pulling American troops out of Vietnam and entrusting power and in increased enabling in the hands of the South Vietnamese Army. In order to do this, Kissinger advised Nixon to debilitate the opposing forces of the North Vietnamese army (Vietnam People's Army of PAVN) and the National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam, a Communist guerrilla organization. To do so, Kissinger ordered a secret bombing campaign in Cambodia to disrupt PAVN and Viet Cong forces striking South Vietnam from its southern border shared with Cambodia. The attacks killed an estimated 40,000 Cambodian combatants and innocent civilians and despite fracturing the Communist encirclement of Phnom Penh, which gave rise to an increased participation from Cambodia militant Khmer Rouge. As Hitchens argues, the long-term effects of the decision are still visible today with regards to the state of Cambodia and militant factions in southeast Asia.
In 1970, Chile elected Socialist Party nominee Salvador Allende president, causing serious concern in Washington concerning his socialist platform. Beyond the threat a Socialist government caused to the West, the U.S. had a stake in Chile with American owned and regulated copper mines and the feared nationalization of such resources. A 40-chair committee led by Kissinger elected to surreptitiously promote a coup in Chile to oppose Allende's tenure. Soon enough, the Chilean Supreme Court accused Allende of numerous infractions including the support of armed groups, torture, illegal arrests, muzzling the press, confiscating private property and not allowing nationals to leave the state. The accusations were deemed unconstitutional and were dropped for lack of evidence, but despite this, the seeds of overthrow had been planted, and during a military coup in 1973, Allende committed suicide. With Allende out of the picture, the man who led the group, General Augusto Pinochet took control of the country. What was initially a planned intervention to suppress the potential threats of socialism, turned into a 20+ year reign of terror at the hands of Pinochet and his oligarchic rule. Thousands of human rights violations in Chile have been reported, not the least of which were unconstitutional executions without proper evidence and a slew of other violations that crippled the Chilean state. Even with all the documentation that depicts Pinochet's support from Kissinger and his committee and the numerous human rights violations, Pinochet died without even a slap on the wrist and Kissinger lives to influence FIFA and drive people like myself absolutely ape shit.
As Hitchens suggests, there were countless other incidents in Bangladesh, Cyprus and East Timor that have forever tarnished Henry Kissinger's legacy; I unfortunately do not have the time to account for all of these, nor am I seeing one red cent for this extended diatribe.
The point I hope to have adequately conveyed is that while many place Kissinger on a pedestal reserved for the masters of diplomacy and influence of modern history, the man is as guilty of as many human rights violations and inexcusable sacrifices as many of the world leaders we have crucified for their acts - and now the prick is working for the most corrupt non-governmental organization this side of the Russian Mob.
Amidst much speculation and finger-pointing concerning allegations of unethical and corrupt practices, Blatter announced today that he has asked former Secretary of State and controversial proponent of Realpolitik Henry Kissinger to be on a "committee of wise persons."
You can read more about the appointment of Mr Kissinger here [ESPN] - but my interest is not in taking an objective approach like our friends at the World Wide Leader.
Before I delve into my opinion of Henry Kissinger, I'd like to preface the entire discussion by pointing out that Kissinger is German-born, an avid supporter of the beautiful game and in 1978, was appointed the Chairman of the North American Soccer League [NASL] Board of Directors and had a part in the U.S. bid for the 2022 World Cup. Motivations are clear - he has his experiences with soccer and is fit for a bi-annual conference call with a hefty stipend; while a corrupt body like FIFA is surely seeking to improve it's tattered image by hiring a renowned political mind and mediator like Kissinger.
What does irk me about the whole situation is the bizarre impression people have of Kissinger. His opinion seems to be of the utmost importance to people far more intelligent and powerful than Blatter and he is paid exorbitant amounts of money to speak at colleges and before groups. The problem I have with all of this is that he has had his hand in genocides, ethnic cleansings, government over turnings and coups that have been wisely veiled and celebrated by many American policy makers and Presidents. Sure, it is not as easy to find direct evidence of all of his human rights violations and practices of sacrificing innocents for the greater good of the implementation of democratic governments, and we owe much of that to aforementioned politicians who chose to seek acclaim than responsibility, but he is a controversial figure nonetheless.
Much of my opinion of Kissinger stems from two experiences.
Firstly, during a 4th year International Diplomacy class, we were asked to compose a lengthy thesis-like argument for or against a significant diplomat or politician by comparing the chosen subject to others. I compared Henry Kissinger with Chilean dictator General Augusto Pinochet and Serb tyrant Slobodan Milosevic. The more I researched the more I began to realize that the only thing that separated these three individuals was their relation to the U.S. Government.
The three men all had their rotund hands in the same cookie jar, yet Kissinger is regarded in a far more positive light than the others in the annals of time because he was protected by the American heads of state that employed and consulted Kissinger.
Winning the Nobel Peace Prize in hindsight may have been better awarded elsewhere.
The second reason I have a strong opinion of Henry Kissinger is because I was heavily influenced by the prose of no-nonsense writer Christopher Hitchens in his scathing tour-de-force The Trial Of Henry Kissinger. In his text, Hitchens is able to eloquently describe the prevalent double-standard that I am currently struggling to emulate; Kissinger is an evil man who is praised because his radical decisions brought about change. For the most part, this change was influential and reared the U.S. and other nations in a direction of political and diplomatic responsibility and sobriety. However, there are the other instances where Kissinger's consultations proved costly for other parties involved. In Hitchens' book, he plays the role of the prosecution with Kissinger on trial for his human rights violations in Indochina, Bangladesh, Cyprus, Chile and East Timor.
Kissinger was the Secretary of State between the years 1973 - 77 under presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford.
In lieu of time constraints, rather than list his positive contributions with thorough explanations, I'll attempt to truncate this entire mess by pointing-out that detente policies strengthened Soviet- U.S. relations and led to increased channels of discussion with Mao's China. Strategic relations and meetings concerning disarmament proved fruitful and there's really no way of knowing long-term just how beneficial such relations were. Before this, the path to China was an uncertain one, and without a doubt, Kissinger's involvement did pave the way for discussions between the U.S. and its Cold War opponents.
Beyond this, Kissinger's influence on the state of world politics cannot be denied; unfortunately, many of his consultations have led to human rights violations and the deaths of countless innocent people.
During the Vietnam war, Kissinger worked under Richard Nixon and assisted the president in fulfilling the primary postulate of his platform by pulling American troops out of Vietnam and entrusting power and in increased enabling in the hands of the South Vietnamese Army. In order to do this, Kissinger advised Nixon to debilitate the opposing forces of the North Vietnamese army (Vietnam People's Army of PAVN) and the National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam, a Communist guerrilla organization. To do so, Kissinger ordered a secret bombing campaign in Cambodia to disrupt PAVN and Viet Cong forces striking South Vietnam from its southern border shared with Cambodia. The attacks killed an estimated 40,000 Cambodian combatants and innocent civilians and despite fracturing the Communist encirclement of Phnom Penh, which gave rise to an increased participation from Cambodia militant Khmer Rouge. As Hitchens argues, the long-term effects of the decision are still visible today with regards to the state of Cambodia and militant factions in southeast Asia.
In 1970, Chile elected Socialist Party nominee Salvador Allende president, causing serious concern in Washington concerning his socialist platform. Beyond the threat a Socialist government caused to the West, the U.S. had a stake in Chile with American owned and regulated copper mines and the feared nationalization of such resources. A 40-chair committee led by Kissinger elected to surreptitiously promote a coup in Chile to oppose Allende's tenure. Soon enough, the Chilean Supreme Court accused Allende of numerous infractions including the support of armed groups, torture, illegal arrests, muzzling the press, confiscating private property and not allowing nationals to leave the state. The accusations were deemed unconstitutional and were dropped for lack of evidence, but despite this, the seeds of overthrow had been planted, and during a military coup in 1973, Allende committed suicide. With Allende out of the picture, the man who led the group, General Augusto Pinochet took control of the country. What was initially a planned intervention to suppress the potential threats of socialism, turned into a 20+ year reign of terror at the hands of Pinochet and his oligarchic rule. Thousands of human rights violations in Chile have been reported, not the least of which were unconstitutional executions without proper evidence and a slew of other violations that crippled the Chilean state. Even with all the documentation that depicts Pinochet's support from Kissinger and his committee and the numerous human rights violations, Pinochet died without even a slap on the wrist and Kissinger lives to influence FIFA and drive people like myself absolutely ape shit.
As Hitchens suggests, there were countless other incidents in Bangladesh, Cyprus and East Timor that have forever tarnished Henry Kissinger's legacy; I unfortunately do not have the time to account for all of these, nor am I seeing one red cent for this extended diatribe.
The point I hope to have adequately conveyed is that while many place Kissinger on a pedestal reserved for the masters of diplomacy and influence of modern history, the man is as guilty of as many human rights violations and inexcusable sacrifices as many of the world leaders we have crucified for their acts - and now the prick is working for the most corrupt non-governmental organization this side of the Russian Mob.
FIFA Presidential Elections: Something Fishy
Following a week of allegations and corruption scandals, football's governing body FIFA held elections today for their most powerful position.
The incumbent, Sepp Blatter, was poised to run against Qatari football chief Mohamed Bin Hammam, until the FIFA Ethics Committee's slap on the wrist forced Bin Hammam to remove himself from the running (see his humble quote posted below.)
Without competition, it appears as if nothing stands in the way of Blatter's pursuit to continue his 13-year run at the helm, and in doing so, reduce the world's softwood lumber reserves and the colour cartridges in FIFA's Epson 1000.
Best wishes to FIFA in their long-term plan to become the world's most corrupt entity.
UPDATE:
Blatter has upset his main rival, himself, in winning a 4th term as President of FIFA.
Rumour has it the 2026 World Cup will either be hosted by Qatar, again, or Mars, who have sent delegates to Blatter's home in Zurich to convince him of the viability of having a World Cup take place in a tropical, zero gravity environment.
The incumbent, Sepp Blatter, was poised to run against Qatari football chief Mohamed Bin Hammam, until the FIFA Ethics Committee's slap on the wrist forced Bin Hammam to remove himself from the running (see his humble quote posted below.)
Without competition, it appears as if nothing stands in the way of Blatter's pursuit to continue his 13-year run at the helm, and in doing so, reduce the world's softwood lumber reserves and the colour cartridges in FIFA's Epson 1000.
Best wishes to FIFA in their long-term plan to become the world's most corrupt entity.
UPDATE:
Blatter has upset his main rival, himself, in winning a 4th term as President of FIFA.
Rumour has it the 2026 World Cup will either be hosted by Qatar, again, or Mars, who have sent delegates to Blatter's home in Zurich to convince him of the viability of having a World Cup take place in a tropical, zero gravity environment.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
FIFA Corruption: Bin Hammam Steps Down
As a follow-up of sorts concerning yesterday's analysis of the corruption allegations surrounding FIFA, the many vying for both the title of the World's Most Fraudulent Award and the FIFA Presidential Nomination, (two things that ARE mutually inclusive) Mohamed Bin Hammam of Qatar has removed himself from the running for FIFA's top gig.
One day, the Ethics Committee, assuming they are not themselves corrupt, will release findings that should suggest that Qatar receiving the World Cup was a work of Black Magic, but in the meantime, let's reflect on this thoughtful quote from Bin Hammam.
"I cannot allow the name that I loved to be dragged more and more in the mud because of competition between two individuals. The game itself and the people who love it around the world must come first. It is for this reason that I announce my withdrawal from the presidential election."
UPDATE:
FIFA Ethics Committee Suspends Two - ESPN
One day, the Ethics Committee, assuming they are not themselves corrupt, will release findings that should suggest that Qatar receiving the World Cup was a work of Black Magic, but in the meantime, let's reflect on this thoughtful quote from Bin Hammam.
"I cannot allow the name that I loved to be dragged more and more in the mud because of competition between two individuals. The game itself and the people who love it around the world must come first. It is for this reason that I announce my withdrawal from the presidential election."
UPDATE:
FIFA Ethics Committee Suspends Two - ESPN
Saturday, May 28, 2011
FIFA Ethics Committee Seeks New Members
[Geneva] A report out of Switzerland suggests that FIFA is planning to surrepticiously appoint a new member to its Ethics Committee in time for the investigations surrounding allegations of bribery for President Sepp Blatter and his main rival, Mohamed Bin Hammam.
Blatter, Bin Hammam and president of the CONCACAF conferation, Jack Warner, have been targeted in an investigation following a report by Chuck Blazer, a fellow member of the committee.
In hopes to quash the allegations and rumours of misconduct and corruption, FIFA has presented a shortlist of possible appointees to the Ethics Committee. The Committee, formed in 2006, hopes to determine the truth behind possible violations of several stipulations of FIFA's Ethics Code.
The Committee is comprised of 13 members who act independantly of the organization to provide a system of checks and balances.
The list features the names of several prominent leaders who have been fingered for their principles and ethical values. Of the 8 nominees, 7 are well-known, with the final being an unknown darkhorse of sorts.
The list of possible appointees as presented by FIFA;
Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (AKA Caligula)(Roman)
General Augusto Pinochet (Chile)
Dick Ebersol (Ex-NBC Sports Boss)
Pontius Pilate (The Anti-Jesus)
Ferdinand Marcos (Phillipines)
Bernie Madoff (Federal Correctional Facility)
Robert Mugabe (Zimbabwe)
Mohamed "MoneyBags" Blatter (Swiss/Qatar)
FIFA has informed the media that the results of the internal vote will be presented next Monday following a bake sale on behalf of Sepp Blatter's legal fees for sexual assault allegations.
Blatter, Bin Hammam and president of the CONCACAF conferation, Jack Warner, have been targeted in an investigation following a report by Chuck Blazer, a fellow member of the committee.
In hopes to quash the allegations and rumours of misconduct and corruption, FIFA has presented a shortlist of possible appointees to the Ethics Committee. The Committee, formed in 2006, hopes to determine the truth behind possible violations of several stipulations of FIFA's Ethics Code.
The Committee is comprised of 13 members who act independantly of the organization to provide a system of checks and balances.
The list features the names of several prominent leaders who have been fingered for their principles and ethical values. Of the 8 nominees, 7 are well-known, with the final being an unknown darkhorse of sorts.
The list of possible appointees as presented by FIFA;
Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (AKA Caligula)(Roman)
General Augusto Pinochet (Chile)
Dick Ebersol (Ex-NBC Sports Boss)
Pontius Pilate (The Anti-Jesus)
Ferdinand Marcos (Phillipines)
Bernie Madoff (Federal Correctional Facility)
Robert Mugabe (Zimbabwe)
Mohamed "MoneyBags" Blatter (Swiss/Qatar)
FIFA has informed the media that the results of the internal vote will be presented next Monday following a bake sale on behalf of Sepp Blatter's legal fees for sexual assault allegations.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
FIFA: Crooked-Ass Bastards Part Deux
Today, amidst considerable dissent from media worldwide, FIFA President and Swiss National Sword Swallowing Champion 1968-2010 announced the 4 nations vying for the 2026 World Cup.
The envelope please.
And the nominees are:
1) Djibouti/Ethiopia/Eritrea joint venture (matches will be played using the skulls of Sudanes Rebels as adidas official game ball and the posts will be antique AK's from the Afghan War with modified bayonettes used as a means of anchoring into the arrid East African sand.)
2) Yugoslavia (when informed of changes in the Balkan region over the last 20 years, Blatter insisted they fight for the right to house the 12 necessary venues. Chaos enused in Zagreb, Belgrade and all towns inbetween, as sales of firearms and Asamoah Gyan jerseys rose steadily.)
3) Alderan/Tatooine joint venture (currently searching for a third host, preferably from the Coruscant, Tatooine or Kor-uj sectors.)
4) Qatar (Oh wait - fuck me. Thought it was all a dream.)
Friday, December 3, 2010
FIFA: Crooked-Ass Bastards
"I'd say it's about this big give-or-take an inch" replied Blatter when questioned about the one of the many dildos included in Russia's lavish gift basket sent to the Swiss FIFA boss.South Africa, Brazil, Russia and Qatar.
Four countries that have more in common than you may think. They are all third-world nations with notable major issues. They are also the hosts of the last World Cup, and the three that will follow until 2022.
Legacies matter to pompous men who wear expensive suits and have far too much power. Where NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman's legacy was growing the game in the sun-belt, and his former boss NBA Commish David Stern's was financial stability and a worldwide profile, FIFA President Sepp Blatter's will be remembered as the man who spurned Europe for other more irrational choices.
Russia is the world's largest country, and beyond the lack of a solid infrastructure, the sheer size of the country provides some serious obstacles for travel between venues. They are also in need of some new stadiums and it would be nice if their government weren't corrupt and tied to the mob, as seemingly every Russian appears to be. President Vladimir Putin is the world's Alpha Dog and likely sent Blatter a gift basket of birds named Svetlana and Oksana that went to town on Ol' Sepp.
Qatar makes a little more sense than Russia, only because the Middle East has been a bit of an untapped resource for FIFA and has pockets that are economically viable. However, beyond these pockets exists a third-world country that is stuck in the 19th century, with a government-imposed ban on homosexuality and stringent laws against alcohol consumption. Besides this, the temperature during the day can reach 110 degrees and the country is roughly the size of Connecticut.
Are you fucking serious? England's bid for 2018 received only 2 votes to finish 4th out of 4 teams. The U.S.'s bid for 2022 was similarly received by Blatter, a man who has far too much power considering the pantheon of ignorant statements and decisions he's made in the past. England is the birthplace of the game and since the World Cup 1994 hosted by the Yanks, the game has grown even more so and many clubs around the world have experienced an increase in revenues based on American consumerism.
While pundits believe the on-field fracas between Birmingham and cross-town rivals Aston Villa supporters the other night may have doomed the English bid, it's clear that Blatter was against the idea from the get-go. During the selection ceremony Thursday he even pointed-out that China, not England, is the birthplace of soccer. Bollocks Seppi, kicking-about the decapitated head of a Hun doesn't qualify as the creation of the world's game.
FIFA is corrupt and it has never been as apparent as yesterday. My plans to attend a future World Cup with my yet to be born offspring have now been dashed by one man, who like other power-drunk bureaucrats worldwide, needs to step-down before he is forced to resign.
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