I was thinking this, too. The World Cup is a huge event now in the USA, but we still don't "need" the tournament or mark it with nearly the cultural significance in which other nations do. Furthermore, we sure as hell don't give two shits about FIFA. I think FIFA has been so used to bullying countries around the world as they monopolized control of the one commodity the rest of the world desired that they overestimated their reach and power. In the US, they discover a power far greater than theirs and, more importantly, one that didn't give a **** who FIFA was and what the soccer organization could do to their country.
FBI is doing a conference now. The amount of money involved in bribes is monumental. 100's of millions of dollars. Wow.
Again, it takes the US to come in and take care of things. We tend to do a lot better when we are the fixer instead of the preventer now that I think about it. Wondered what it took for us to get the Swiss to help out?
THE SWISS ARE ATTACKING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That show was so great. On topic, we're now raiding CONCACAF HQ in Miami.
It will be very interesting over the next year how many if any FIFA players come forward in their own to get out in front of this stuff and flip on the big fish in FIFA.
By the way, Sepp Blatter gets the most notice because he's the head of the organization, but I'm really happy to see that they are finally getting Jack Warner (if they can) from Trinidad & Tobago. You want to see how corruption works in the nitty gritty of FIFA, i.e. small countries with shady leadership given as much power as the large countries and siphoning huge amount of dollars to themselves, check his ass out. This is a dude who held out much needed World Cup payouts to impoverished third world players for himself. Warner is a giant, giant piece of shit who needed to go down a long, long time ago. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Warner_(football_executive)#Controversies
Spoke with a guy who claimed this "wasn't a big deal, happens all the time, and won't change much, if anything." He's an idiot on the first two, right? Is there any other comparable example of an arrest of this magnitude within FIFA by an outside entity ever? I do, however, understand the corruption is no surprise, and that, at least immediately, this will change nothing.
Your friend is a fool. This is a big deal. It won't end the corruption, which has existed since the beginning of time, but this is definitely a purging that is about to take place, it seems to me. The magnitude, scope and efforts of the DOJ on this matter suggest that this is going to be a bomb on the organization and those indicted are screwed, really screwed. Even worse for FIFA is if these guys start to talk. Also, it appears that the Swiss are even fed up with FIFA. What will really be interesting is if the Swiss, because they are pretty much the only ones who can, go after Blatter and take this scandal into the stratosphere.
That's what I thought. I asked for links to back up his claims. He sent me stuff about refs fixing games, Serie A scandals, and a few articles about some FIFA executives being connected to corruption and being forced to step down. His own article even said this: If a mere suspension makes for an "extraordinary day," then I don't think these arrests are happening regularly. Then he tried to bet me 5 grand that "nothing would change in FIFA."
The Swiss got tired of being disrespected in their own house. If the DOJ connects concacaf corruption higher up, the Swiss will likely see this to final completion. We don't need FIFA for international play. They're literally a mafia.
Also, all you have to do is listen to soccer pundits on the radio. This is an unheralded and unprecedented day in the history of the sport.
Another decent read. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-toad-FIFA-s-sucking-life-football-years.html
Say what you want, IRS Chief of Criminal Investigation Richard Weber has given the money quote - "This is the world cup of fraud. Today we are issuing FIFA a red card."
