Sepp Blatter is going to be the president of FIFA for at least four more years.
Technically, he’s running for office this year, but as is customary, he’s running unopposed. There are a wide variety of reasons why this is a bad thing, and the problems with Sepp have been outlined in a variety of places by a variety of people. Personally, I’ve always viewed the quite obvious and rampant corruption that pervades everything FIFA touches with detached amusement. This is the way it’s always been and always will be. Yes, it tarnishes some things, but the game is still the game and it’s beautiful. Hatred for Blatter and company was natural, but less important than the next game, or dos a cero, or Ben Olsen’s injuries, or whatever actually happened on the field. That’s different now. I used to be indifferent and rather sad; now, I’m angry.
After the last week and a half, the veil has been torn off the awful things done by rich fat men in suits who probably don’t like soccer all that much anyway. I have to imagine that at this point Sepp finds the matches he’s obligated to attend more of a burden than anything else, getting in the way of all the money that needs to be spent. Others have tackled the attitude towards match fixing better than I can. Again, I chalked this up to FIFA being out of touch, and generally stupid, more than outright malicious. Now I’m not so certain.
The farcical and heavy-handed takedown of Mohammed Bin Hammam’s challenge to Blatter’s presidency is most upsetting because of how unsurprising it is. This is an incredibly blatant attempt to sling dirt at an opponent, timed perfectly to disrupt the FIFA election. Of course, by allowing the election to continue, Blatter makes another 4 years all but assured. Everyone in CONCACAF knows that Jack Warner is extraordinarily corrupt (just ask the T&T team from 2006), and his suspension would be encouraging, if it weren’t certain that he’ll soon be cleared and forgiven. Chuck Blazer is a despicable human being, so it’s certain that he did this merely because he believed he would personally benefit from it. The severe and rather confusing attempt to destroy Warner seems to indicate that Blazer’s plan failed to work. The thing about this crisis (which it most certainly is not if you ask Sepp, even if he doesn’t care what the definition of a cris is) is that there are absolutely no good guys. Not a single person involved with FIFA deserves, or can be trusted with, any sort of power over our game. There’s no single person who I’m hoping comes out of this mess in a leadership role because everyone who is associated with FIFA in any way is tainted.
I’m fed up. There’s real anger here, and my sincere hope is that I’m not alone. I’m not remotely surprised by any of these allegations, but the response is mind boggling. Blatter pointed out at his press conference that nothing is wrong with FIFA, and that all of this can be easily solved, in house, with no major changes. It’s quite clear to anyone who cares about soccer that this isn’t the case.
Ultimately, the game belongs to us. The parasites in Zurich who suck money from the game are coming dangerously close to destroying it. We cannot allow this to happen, but there’s no clear way to stop them. Do we complain to Sunil Gulati? Call FIFA headquarters and voice our concerns? Or more likely, threaten boycotts of Coke and Adidas? It’s difficult to say, but it’s time something was done. I want the game I love back in the hands of trustworthy caretakers. When I think of soccer, I don’t want this to loom over every thought. I want to remember things that happen on the field and the joy that it can bring. Not the corruption.
Editor’s Note: And there we have it, another 4 years for the fat man in a suit. If you think about it, it’s almost impressive. But surprising? Nope.
An Ode to Sepp
- Nicholas Calta
Sepp Blatter is going to be the president of FIFA for at least four more years.
Technically, he’s running for office this year, but as is customary, he’s running unopposed. There are a wide variety of reasons why this is a bad thing, and the problems with Sepp have been outlined in a variety of places by a variety of people. Personally, I’ve always viewed the quite obvious and rampant corruption that pervades everything FIFA touches with detached amusement. This is the way it’s always been and always will be. Yes, it tarnishes some things, but the game is still the game and it’s beautiful. Hatred for Blatter and company was natural, but less important than the next game, or dos a cero, or Ben Olsen’s injuries, or whatever actually happened on the field. That’s different now. I used to be indifferent and rather sad; now, I’m angry.
After the last week and a half, the veil has been torn off the awful things done by rich fat men in suits who probably don’t like soccer all that much anyway. I have to imagine that at this point Sepp finds the matches he’s obligated to attend more of a burden than anything else, getting in the way of all the money that needs to be spent. Others have tackled the attitude towards match fixing better than I can. Again, I chalked this up to FIFA being out of touch, and generally stupid, more than outright malicious. Now I’m not so certain.
The farcical and heavy-handed takedown of Mohammed Bin Hammam’s challenge to Blatter’s presidency is most upsetting because of how unsurprising it is. This is an incredibly blatant attempt to sling dirt at an opponent, timed perfectly to disrupt the FIFA election. Of course, by allowing the election to continue, Blatter makes another 4 years all but assured. Everyone in CONCACAF knows that Jack Warner is extraordinarily corrupt (just ask the T&T team from 2006), and his suspension would be encouraging, if it weren’t certain that he’ll soon be cleared and forgiven. Chuck Blazer is a despicable human being, so it’s certain that he did this merely because he believed he would personally benefit from it. The severe and rather confusing attempt to destroy Warner seems to indicate that Blazer’s plan failed to work. The thing about this crisis (which it most certainly is not if you ask Sepp, even if he doesn’t care what the definition of a cris is) is that there are absolutely no good guys. Not a single person involved with FIFA deserves, or can be trusted with, any sort of power over our game. There’s no single person who I’m hoping comes out of this mess in a leadership role because everyone who is associated with FIFA in any way is tainted.
I’m fed up. There’s real anger here, and my sincere hope is that I’m not alone. I’m not remotely surprised by any of these allegations, but the response is mind boggling. Blatter pointed out at his press conference that nothing is wrong with FIFA, and that all of this can be easily solved, in house, with no major changes. It’s quite clear to anyone who cares about soccer that this isn’t the case.
Ultimately, the game belongs to us. The parasites in Zurich who suck money from the game are coming dangerously close to destroying it. We cannot allow this to happen, but there’s no clear way to stop them. Do we complain to Sunil Gulati? Call FIFA headquarters and voice our concerns? Or more likely, threaten boycotts of Coke and Adidas? It’s difficult to say, but it’s time something was done. I want the game I love back in the hands of trustworthy caretakers. When I think of soccer, I don’t want this to loom over every thought. I want to remember things that happen on the field and the joy that it can bring. Not the corruption.
Editor’s Note: And there we have it, another 4 years for the fat man in a suit. If you think about it, it’s almost impressive. But surprising? Nope.