The world is really going to hate us now

GL2 said:
Soccer is the one with the round ball and the big field where folks kick it around for a couple of hours and then one scores, right?

Yep. Unless you're Liverpool.

dave said:
Sepp Blatter is a great Bond villain name.

Putin has come out in his defense by criticizing U.S. overreach. However, since everybody seems to be filing on now, his arguments are weak.

ridski said:

GL2 said:
Soccer is the one with the round ball and the big field where folks kick it around for a couple of hours and then one scores, right?

Yep. Unless you're Liverpool, in which case you end up bounced from the Champions League after being trounced 6-1 by Stoke City. Ooh... That hadda hurt.

One of the few good things about soccer is how teams get relegate. U. S. sports teams tank to get high draft picks. If instead they risked being relegated it would be very different.

tjohn said:

dave said:
Sepp Blatter is a great Bond villain name.

Putin has come out in his defense by criticizing U.S. overreach. However, since everybody seems to be filing on now, his arguments are weak.

Of course he did since the awarding of the World Cup to Russia is a central issue in the case.

ramzzoinksus said:

ridski said:

GL2 said:
Soccer is the one with the round ball and the big field where folks kick it around for a couple of hours and then one scores, right?

Yep. Unless you're Liverpool, in which case you end up bounced from the Champions League after being trounced 6-1 by Stoke City. Ooh... That hadda hurt.

One of the few good things about soccer is how teams get relegate. U. S. sports teams tank to get high draft picks. If instead they risked being relegated it would be very different.

It's the one essential ingredient missing from professional American sports.

"Soccer was invented by European ladies to keep them busy while their husbands did the cooking.” - Hank Hill

The only people that would be against this are those in charge of the associations for small countries, as the way FIFA is set up each country gets a vote. Thus it's easy to influence decisions with money by funneling money to these smaller countries.

Any 'proper footballing nation' (which now includes the US) doesn't really like FIFA, but they have such a stranglehold on everything there isn't really any way to avoid it and succeed.

One thing a lot of articles haven't really addressed to well is that most of those implicated are closely related to Concacaf (which includes US, Mexico and the Carribean) and Conmebol (South America). So it's likely the connection to US soil isn't quite as tentative as it can seem when you first hear about it. It's also likely why Sepp Blatter hasn't been included. There's also no reason to believe that any of the other federations aren't corrupt, they're just further away from the US and much less likely to be able to be included. For example, Concacaf's offices are in Miami. Conmebol also decided to host the Centennial Copa America (South American continental championship) in the USA and there was $110 million in bribes relating to the hosting of that tournament here. We can assume a lot of that was going through Traffic Sports in the US.

I wouldn't be surprised if some of those arrested give up Sepp Blatter, but I'd suspect it might be harder for him to be prosecuted in the US. It does seem that Switzerland has some irons in the fire though, so perhaps he'll be dealt with in a Swiss court.

To any one that follows soccer, this is all absolutely fascinating, and it's basically like watching a mob movie play out before your eyes. It's also a huge relief, as everyone has known that FIFA was corrupt, but no one could imagine how it could be dealt with.

If they had just given us the 2022 World Cup and not pissed off Bill Clinton then they probably could have kept their game running for a long long time.

skadave said:
"Soccer was invented by European ladies to keep them busy while their husbands did the cooking.” - Hank Hill

Priceless...as is Hank Hill.

Gioamorim said:
I can tell you all Brazilians are very happy with this!

Remember the protests in Brazil before the last WC? In the Mecca of soccer, the stadia built for the WC are being used for this:

http://www.edgeofsports.com/2015-05-19-1033/index.html

tjohn said:

dave said:
Sepp Blatter is a great Bond villain name.

Putin has come out in his defense by criticizing U.S. overreach. However, since everybody seems to be filing on now, his arguments are weak.

If Putin had a gripe with FIFA, instead of arresting those involved, he would have just annexed Switzerland with some puppet freedom fighters.

Ran across this from the BBC about opinions around the world about the US's moves against FIFA. Some quotes:

"US does football a service as Fifa's house of cards begins to collapse". (Ireland)

"God Bless America," he writes "It's perhaps the ultimate irony that one of the last countries on earth to fully embrace football is the one that has had the gumption to take a stand, and try and rid the game of what the US Department of Justice calls 'systemic' corruption." (Australia)

"He says this is one of those days, however, "when the United States is the greatest country in the world, because it makes stuff like this happen."

Most Americans don't really understand the scope of popularity of soccer around the world, but this could be moon landing sort of stuff when it comes to the potential to make the world look at us in a positive light.

Article here:

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-32909908

What's scarier than a huge fervent crowd of soccer fans?

A huge fervent crowd of soccer fans in the 120-degree heat of Qatar in midsummer.

Bring the kids.

This is one of these cases where the U.S. might have continued to look the other way were it not for geopolitical considerations. I really don't know.

What I do know is the FIFA is guilty of real crimes and that is the important thing. Even Putin doesn't have the cojones to deny that little detail.

Just a quick note that the OP is wrong. Most of the soccer-loving world is quite happy with this turn of events.

dave23 said:
Just a quick note that the OP is wrong.

As usual...

Blatter reelected. Oh well...

max_weisenfeld said:
Blatter reelected. Oh well...

Uch. Cock.

I can't find it now, but there was a great imgur pic posted to reddit. It was a FIFA ballot with Blatter's name on it listed 5 times. With a 500 euro note attached.

How long can he last until a colleague rolls over on him?

Blatter being reelected is just the season ending cliffhanger of season one of The Wire: FIFA Edition.

Gonna start watching Season 2 tomorrow.

This may make him even more of a target. One can hope.

ridski says: "Seriously, if President Bush decided to go after Blatter instead of Saddam Hussein, we wouldn't be in half the mess we're in right now."

and once again, ridski ftw, absolutely makes my day.

qrysdonnell said:
The only people that would be against this are those in charge of the associations for small countries, as the way FIFA is set up each country gets a vote. Thus it's easy to influence decisions with money by funneling money to these smaller countries.

Just like the U.S. Senate. Where some dip***** state with a population of 600,000 has the same vote as NY or NJ. Where the senators from the "little" states can tie up the whole congress.

Gotta love Sepp Bleater's chutzpah. Claiming the charges are politically motivated.

I don't doubt that there is a geopolitical angle, but the charges are serious. And now Bleater has most of the most effective police organizations in the world (ours and those of Western Europe) out for his head.

tjohn said:
Gotta love Sepp Bleater's chutzpah. Claiming the charges are politically motivated.


http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-32941740



I don't doubt that there is a geopolitical angle, but the charges are serious. And now Bleater has most of the most effective police organizations in the world (ours and those of Western Europe) out for his head.

He's right, they are political.

We are politically opposed to rampant corruption, especially when it works against our interests.

BG9 said:

qrysdonnell said:
The only people that would be against this are those in charge of the associations for small countries, as the way FIFA is set up each country gets a vote. Thus it's easy to influence decisions with money by funneling money to these smaller countries.

Just like the U.S. Senate. Where some dip***** state with a population of 600,000 has the same vote as NY or NJ. Where the senators from the "little" states can tie up the whole congress.

I'm reasonably sure the people of Wyoming would not welcome your characterization of their State.

But, be that as it may; how would reorganize the Congress?

If we had two chambers, the members of which were elected based upon population; what would be the point of having two chambers?

TomR

All states that have bicameral legislatures are set up that way.

Steve said:
All states that have bicameral legislatures are set up that way.

Not really. The UK, for example, appoints most members of the upper house. France uses an electoral college for their Senate.

Oh, wait, did you mean US states? Sorry, I shouldn't post before coffee.

(This is the sincere icon, the opposite of the sarcasm icon.)

Yes, I meant US states

http://www.sportingnews.com/soccer/story/2015-06-01/john-oliver-fifa-scandal-sepp-blatter-world-cup

John Oliver is awesome