EL BARIO, EL BRONX – “Just when I thought I was out, they pulled me back in.” I was done writing on Saturdays… but then this week happened. The other MTM bald-headed black guy that likes hockey and soccer was gonna write this, shame on you if I need to mention his name (Different Matt), but his liver had been misbehaving because of CC Sabathia and the Bluehirts, so he punished it some more last night. Anyway, by “this week” I am referring to the NY Rangers and the FIFA scandal.
NY Rangers: As per my piece last week, I followed the Broadway Blues over the first two periods by interwebz. I decided I had to watch the third period. I turned on the TV and it had just become 1-0 . I watched it become 2-0. I cursed the team and how they lost three at home. How do they score 7 in game 6 and none in game 7. Oh, and curse you, Rick Nash, curse you! Anyway, the less said the better.
FIFA Scandal: Can you believe Soccer is on the front page of US papers and it is not a World Cup year. The best way to explain this to an American is by using a sport and corrupt entity they understand:
Imagine if the NCAA was governed based on a 1-college, 1-vote system. That would give City College of New York the same political clout as Duke University on basketball decisions. Now you have a president that panders to “D3” and “D2” teams, so that as long as CCNY, Stone Hill College and Indiana University of PA support him more than Duke, UNC and the like, their size/power is meaningless.
Now imagine if a decision as to where to host the NCAA final four was based on a general vote. Cities like Boise want to hold the championship, so they get the championship by buying the votes. That means you get a president who caters to the smaller colleges; the ones desperate for attention and can be easily shaken down for under-the-table cash. That is the situation at FIFA. The President – Sep Blatter – is the filth that is now in his 5th term – using these tactics.
And the corrupt cronies continue to flaunt their power, regardless of the opinions of others. But they went a step too far naming Qatar as the World Cup 2022 site, where it’s 140 degrees in the shade. Keeping with the NCAA example, that’s like picking the University of San Juan, Puerto Rico as the host of the NCAA Basketball final.
It was this overreach that got the USA’s Department of Justice to pay attention. Then they found a FIFA big wig that hadn’t paid his taxes in years. So now they had a screw to turn and they turned it. That is how they found the trail of buyouts, kickbacks and bribery. Getting these third world nation votes cost money and those bribes in US dollars means the feds can stay involved. Hope that helps.
Stay tuned for Cheesy Bruin, tomorrow.
