world cup

Corruption isn't anything new to the professional soccer world's governing body. The FIFA World Cup is the biggest sporting event on earth. The Super Bowl generally draws about 100 million viewers world wide each year. The FIFA World Cup in 2018 welcomed 3.57 BILLION viewers, maybe more in 2022. Break it down any way that you would like, the two events aren't even close. Those kind of viewership ratings convert to big advertising dollars. On Tuesday, two-high ranking media officials went on trial to face federal wire-fraud and money-laundering charges in Brooklyn Federal Court. The charges are in connection with the 2015 FIFA corruption scandal.

There are plenty of reasons to question the Fédération Internationale de Football Association or FIFA, the governing body of professional soccer. The organization has been riddled controversy for decades. In 2015, more than two dozen FIFA officials were implicated in a 24-year corruption scandal that reached the highest levels of FIFA management. Bribery connected to the awarding of hosting rights for the 2018 World Cup to Russia and this year's 2022 World Cup to Qatar were big factors in the corruption. Now, two days prior to the start, fans are told they can not buy beer with alcohol in the stadium. What?

I completely understand and support the belief that sports and entertainment should stay out of politics. However, when it comes to right and wrong, like killing innocent people in your neighboring country because you feel like it, then I think it's time to make a statement. I like college soccer but I'm not an international professional soccer fan. From the outside, the governing body, FIFA, has always seemed willing to sacrifice integrity for whatever currency is being offered. We have Major League Baseball, why would I take on another dysfunctional greed driven sport to follow?

This song took a very interesting turn this morning.  It started out with a World Cup quote and then it went swiftly off of the rails (in a good way!)