Two interesting stories about soccer

[lucas80]

Two nights in a row NPR's All Things Considered has had stories about soccer. The first one is about an upcoming meeting in which FIFA may ban Israel from international competition for it's oppression of the Palestinian people. The average American would not suffer the indignities that the average Palestinian has to.

http://www.npr.org/sections/paralle...israel-soccer-becomes-a-geopolitical-football

 

[lucas80]

And, the second is about the Chinese governments push to become relevant in international soccer.
I posted them separately for clarity. And, I didn't want to start two soccer threads to give the haters something to complain about.
http://www.npr.org/sections/paralle...ks-off-great-leap-forward-on-the-soccer-field

 

[JRHawk2003]

I have heard about the Chinese thing.

Generally I think FIFA is corrupt and lame. The MIddle East World Cup is a total joke.

 

[ANYCHawk]

 

[Rhino3382]

That Simpsons scene always cracks me up. Pretty spot on also

 

[73chief]

The hypocrisy of FIFA never ceases to amaze me. FIFA officials took numerous personal bribes to award the 2022 World Cup to Qutar. They apparently have zero problems with Qutar's use of slave labor from Napal, Bangladesh, and other poor central Asian countries to build the required stadiums. They also don't have any problems with Russia hosting in 2018 even with their aggression towards Ukraine and the enactment of recent anti-gay laws. Yet, they want to ban Israel from international competition for exercising their sovereign right to protect their borders. That's what you get when you let a bunch of low-ball politicians from 2nd and 3rd world countries run your organization. It's like a mini soccer only version of the UN.

Comical.

 

[LuteHawk]

It has been said often:

"If God wanted us to play soccer, then he would not
have given us arms."

 

[hawkeye54545]

Speaking of awful soccer stuff in the old days Menace Sockeyes wouldn't tolerate a good old fashion soccer bashing.

 

[Pepperman]

It has been said often:

"If God wanted us to play soccer, then he would not
have given us arms."

God only cares about Americans?

 

[lou loomis]

Isn't that an oxymoron? "Interesting" and "soccer" in the same sentence?

Soccer will always be a sport for people who can't play other sports. Sorry, hipsters.

 

[73chief]

Isn't that an oxymoron? "Interesting" and "soccer" in the same sentence?

Soccer will always be a sport for people who can't play other sports. Sorry, hipsters.

Which often leads in general, to poor caddying.

 

[lucas80]

As Chief mentioned, there are issues in Qatar. Here is an NPR link from a story on Friday's Morning Edition show. Seems like they don't want journalists nosing around over there.
Not linking, but, I heard about 30 minutes of a Jeremy Schaap piece this morning on Sepp Blatter, where the bribery scandal was discussed at length. Everyone assumes bribery was involved in awarding Qatar the 2022 games, but, Russia being awarded the 2018 games smells like old fish, too.
http://www.npr.org/2015/05/22/40868...-world-cup-workers-gets-bbc-reporter-arrested

 

[73chief]

As Chief mentioned, there are issues in Qatar. Here is an NPR link from a story on Friday's Morning Edition show. Seems like they don't want journalists nosing around over there.
Not linking, but, I heard about 30 minutes of a Jeremy Schaap piece this morning on Sepp Blatter, where the bribery scandal was discussed at length. Everyone assumes bribery was involved in awarding Qatar the 2022 games, but, Russia being awarded the 2018 games smells like old fish, too.
http://www.npr.org/2015/05/22/40868...-world-cup-workers-gets-bbc-reporter-arrested

HBO Real Sports did a report on the working conditions in Qutar late last year. They convince these workers to come over from Nepal. Once they arrive in country, they confiscate their passports and they work in conditions that would have been considered substandard on a South Carolina cotton plantation in 1850. The live 10 men in one 10x10 dorm room and the bathroom consists of a hole in the ground, one sink, a wall faucet and three buckets that they can fill up to use for bathing. Oh by the way, this one bathroom is for 140 men. Real Sports was able to sneak a reporter in to film this. Afterwards, they interviewed the Labor Minister and told him that they had been into one of the camps. The Minister immediately ended the interview.

 

[Lone Clone]

Two nights in a row NPR's All Things Considered has had stories about soccer. The first one is about an upcoming meeting in which FIFA may ban Israel from international competition for it's oppression of the Palestinian people. The average American would not suffer the indignities that the average Palestinian has to.

http://www.npr.org/sections/paralle...israel-soccer-becomes-a-geopolitical-football

There aren't two interesting stories about soccer.

 

[jaxhawk06]

Isn't that an oxymoron? "Interesting" and "soccer" in the same sentence?

Soccer will always be a sport for people who can't play other sports. Sorry, hipsters.

LOL