Sepp Blatter resigns, FIFA ExCo members face extradition

[soxfan121]

Don't forget that Sepp thinks whistleblowers are criminals who should be punished.

Because Sepp is a fucking asshole.

 

[SocrManiac]

From the quick skim I gave, Sepp isn't raked over the calls anywhere near as badly as some of the other folks named.

 

[Harry Hooper]

FIFA mollified Fox and Telemundo for shift to fall games for Qatar WC to avoid lawsuit:

On page 293 of the document, former FIFA Ethics Committee chairman Michael J. Garcia notes that the likelihood of having to reschedule the 2022 World Cup (the average summer temperature in Qatar is a scalding 106ºF) proved to be a bone of contention for Fox and Telemundo.

"The TV partners in the USA … did have some issues, as there would be a clash with the American football season," Garcia wrote. "For which reason, it had been agreed to extend the contract with Fox in exchange for an undertaking not to act against FIFA should the 2022 World Cup be moved to winter."

In other words, Fox agreed to not drag FIFA into court in exchange for the extension, which was signed over at a fraction of the original $425 million contract.
...
FIFA acknowledged that having to juggle the Qatar schedule will cost it dearly. As Valcke says in the report, by rescheduling the World Cup "we are losing money and we are making less money because we are not running an open [bidding] process in the U.S. market … and we just extend with Fox for the same amount of money."

Football vs football
That FIFA never really thought through the whole summer-in-Qatar angle would be mildly amusing if it didn't imply that the oil-rich nation had to have bribed its way into the winning bid. On page 294, Garcia notes that "it appears there was a failure to consider the issue of the temperature in Qatar properly prior to the vote to award hosting rights," which is the desert-soccer version of Capt. Louis Renault exclaiming that he is shocked -- shocked! -- to find that gambling is going on at Rick's Café.

Ad Age

 

[InstaFace]

I find it hard to believe that that conflict would be all that substantial. NFL happens one day a week; world cup games happen every day.

 

[Jed Zeppelin]

I find it hard to believe that that conflict would be all that substantial. NFL happens one day a week; world cup games happen every day.

And given the time difference only the 1pm NFL games would be impacted.

 

[Bosoxen]

Americans generally hate soccer as it is. Can you imagine the vitriol if the whole slate of 1 pm games across the country is bumped due to a Qatar vs Costa Rica soccer game? I can see why Fox might be a little skittish to bump even a single game, let alone three Sundays' worth.

I will never be convinced that even a single aspect of the 2022 World Cup has a shred of legitimacy.

 

[coremiller]

It's not just a matter of bumping Fox's own programming, going head-to-head with NFL games on other networks is also a big issue. There are NFL games three nights per week, plus on Saturday either college football or another NFL game after the college season ends. One reason the summer World Cup rights are so valuable is that there's almost no competition for live sports ratings in June/July after the NBA/NHL seasons end besides regular season baseball (which is never a big national TV draw).

 

[InstaFace]

I will never be convinced that even a single aspect of the 2022 World Cup has a shred of legitimacy.

Well, maybe not the business of it. But the athletes will be busting their asses on the field for the glory of their countries, so as a matter of competition it'll be pretty legitimate. Especially if they move it to the fall so that people aren't dropping like flies from the heat.

What I'm wondering is, moving this "to the fall" will interfere REALLY BIGLY with the league seasons of the various clubs that these players play on. Would their seasons begin a few weeks early to cover for it? Like, how the hell will this even possibly work? I realize FIFA couldn't care less about the clubs, but the impact on "legitimacy" will be seen, I'd say, far more in how all these clubs do playing 4-6 games without their top players.

 

[Bosoxen]

Well, maybe not the business of it. But the athletes will be busting their asses on the field for the glory of their countries, so as a matter of competition it'll be pretty legitimate. Especially if they move it to the fall so that people aren't dropping like flies from the heat.

The business end of it is what I meant. Obviously it hasn't happened yet so the on the field aspect of it still theoretical but I still think even that is going to be suspect. The "man-made clouds" and moving it to fall bullshit is just that. It's all just an excuse to justify the heaps of cash that exchanged hands for this farce. Nothing they can reasonably do is going to mitigate the effect on the tournament.

What I'm wondering is, moving this "to the fall" will interfere REALLY BIGLY with the league seasons of the various clubs that these players play on. Would their seasons begin a few weeks early to cover for it? Like, how the hell will this even possibly work? I realize FIFA couldn't care less about the clubs, but the impact on "legitimacy" will be seen, I'd say, far more in how all these clubs do playing 4-6 games without their top players.

It won't. And anyone who says otherwise is full of shit. Leagues already make concessions for FIFA dates so now they're expected to either stop play for six weeks or ask their fans to attend games absent their top players? In the words of the immortal Phillip J Fry, "That dog won't hunt, monsignor".

 

[InstaFace]

Bonus points for the Texas-ism. Would you further say that Infantino is "all hat, no cattle"?

 

[swiftaw]

Most leagues in Europe (premier league excluded) have a winter break for a few weeks, so I assume that break will occur during the World Cup to help mitigate the effects. Then perhaps start a week early and finish a week or two late to make up the rest of the time.

The premier league is a bigger issue. They don't really have much flexibility in their schedule without basically starting a month early and finishing a month late.

 

[Bosoxen]

Bonus points for the Texas-ism. Would you further say that Infantino is "all hat, no cattle"?

I know what that means, but I have no idea what it means. I'd go with "empty shirt".

 

[SoxFanInCali]

Let's also remember that one of the big factors in this bid was Qatar claiming to be able to air-condition outdoor stadiums, so the tournament could be held at its normal time. Only after they were named as host did it suddenly become necessary to discuss moving it to winter.

 

[swiftaw]

Let's also remember that one of the big factors in this bid was Qatar claiming to be able to air-condition outdoor stadiums, so the tournament could be held at its normal time. Only after they were named as host did it suddenly become necessary to discuss moving it to winter.

And that was the point that FIFA should've said "we awarded you a summer world cup, if you can't deliver, we'll void the contract and move somewhere else". But, you know, FIFA.

 

[67YAZ]

Let's also remember that one of the big factors in this bid was Qatar claiming to be able to air-condition outdoor stadiums, so the tournament could be held at its normal time. Only after they were named as host did it suddenly become necessary to discuss moving it to winter.

But don't forget that anyone who wasn't on the make saw through this moronic bullshit cover story. It wasn't a factor, it was a disinegous cover story to try to rationalize what was an obviously bad decision.

 

[SoxFanInCali]

But don't forget that anyone who wasn't on the make saw through this moronic bullshit cover story. It wasn't a factor, it was a disinegous cover story to try to rationalize what was an obviously bad decision.

Obviously, but I remember in the lead-up to the vote when someone would question FIFA about how a World Cup could be held there in summer and asking if they would consider moving it should Qatar win, they would cut off the line of questioning and insisted that the tournament would take place during the normal schedule. So they flat-out lied in order to get the votes, then expected everyone to forget about those statements when moving it to winter later.

 

[Van Everyman]

Chuck Blazer has gone to the great Trump Tower apartment built for cats in the sky:

http://deadspin.com/fifa-executive-chuck-blazer-has-died-1796867031

 

[InstaFace]

You know, I'm actually going to have a positive word for the guy. He was a hustler who came up with lots of new ideas to develop the game, particularly in our neck of the woods. He used the proceeds in comically-villainous fashion, but consider:

- He won MLS its first meaningful TV contract
- His hustle got us the 1994 World Cup
- He formed the USWNT
- He came up with the Gold Cup, the Confederations Cup, and the Club World Cup. They may be sideshows compared to the World Cup and the Euros, but they're a lot better than the nothing that preceded them, and they gave the US something to play in and something to televise.
- When push came to shove, he wore a wire and blew FIFA's shit sky-high

Many people who helped develop soccer in the U.S. have praised Blazer’s commitment, hard work, and, especially, vision for the sport. “Chuck is one of the most important people in the history of soccer in this country,” MLS Commissioner Don Garber has said. “Not every American knows that the man behind the scenes pushing this sport is Chuck.”

(said before he went down in a Blazer of glory, true, but he also meant it)

Ken Bensinger's article is one of the best about him. The guy who is a joke now, and was always more con artist than businessman, may also be the reason that nearly all of us give a damn about football. Chuck Blazer could sell, and he sold America on soccer.

 

[ifmanis5]

Sepp, even lower...
Bryan Armen Graham‏Verified account @BryanAGraham7m7 minutes ago
Breaking: USA goalkeeper Hope Solo has accused former FIFA president Sepp Blatter of sexually assaulting her in 2013.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/nov/10/hope-solo-sepp-blatter-fifa-sexual-assault-accusation

In an interview with the Portuguese newspaper Expresso, being published on Saturday, Solo, 36, claimed she “had Sepp Blatter grab my ass” at the glittering presentation of Fifa’s annual football awards for achievement during 2012

 

[Titans Bastard]

That totally sounds like something Sepp Blatter would do.

That guy earned special "guilty until proven innocent" status about two decades ago.

 

[SoxFanInCali]

Yeah, it's not too tough to picture the old guy who said women should wear more revealing uniforms to improve the game doing that.

 

[SocrManiac]

I don’t know what shocks me more, that Sepp had the balls to do it or that Solo didn’t absolutely end him by reflex.

 

[Section30]

Secret payments detailed, used car names to hide recipients identities.
http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2017/11/20/secret-payments-to-soccer-officials-cloaked-by-car-names.html

 

[Ale Xander]

Napout and Marin convicted of racketeering conspiracy