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I was thinking that a way to maybe eliminate a lot of the general bidding corruption and the bullshit that goes along with hosting the damned thing would be to chance the tournament overall. Perhaps something more like a champion's cup format that takes place over two or three years. And the 'finals' are the last eight or sixteen teams.
It kind of already is a CC format? The qualifying rounds in the confederations are like the league seasons, and then 32 teams show up in (Host Country) to do another group stage. The biggest difference is that the knockout rounds aren't home-and-home legs like the CL.
The early qual rounds for Asia have already started for WC18, for example.
Yeah the schedule is pretty tight. There are a lot of countries in the world.
First...are we sure that's not another Onion headline?
Second, I know the current format is like a cc tournament. But I'm thinking more about having teams across different regions playing for qualifications instead of just beating up on the small teams in their own back yards.
I don't know. I'm pretty sure I'm not describing it very well.
Impossible as it seemed mere minutes ago, I'm a bit afraid that getting rid of Blatter is actually the easy part.
It's going to take a lot of institutional changes on top of personnel changes to actually make headway against corruption. Otherwise, the next president is just going to exploit the same disconnect between the sources of all the money (Sponsors and the powerhouse teams that people tune in to watch in the WC) and the source of power in FIFA itself (all the small countries).
For a start, FIFA has better at least look at some kind of term limits. Maybe something bicameral with the addition of a World Cup Council made up of countries that have been in the last two or three WC tourneys to serve as a check on the FIFA congress?
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
It would not surprise me to find out that he got a call from the FBI and decided to take the deal.
There is a 99.99% chance this is the case. why would you so strongly state your wish to continue only four day ago, win with a majority only to then stand down so humbly?
Impossible as it seemed mere minutes ago, I'm a bit afraid that getting rid of Blatter is actually the easy part.
It's going to take a lot of institutional changes on top of personnel changes to actually make headway against corruption. Otherwise, the next president is just going to exploit the same disconnect between the sources of all the money (Sponsors and the powerhouse teams that people tune in to watch in the WC) and the source of power in FIFA itself (all the small countries).
For a start, FIFA has better at least look at some kind of term limits. Maybe something bicameral with the addition of a World Cup Council made up of countries that have been in the last two or three WC tourneys to serve as a check on the FIFA congress?
I saw a news blast saying the "next" president will have term limits. They also already have the Executive Committee, but that process is just as broken as any other.
In announcing his exit, the 79-year-old Swiss has called an extraordinary Fifa congress "as soon as possible" to elect a new president.
[...]
He added: "The next ordinary Fifa congress will take place on 13 May, 2016 in Mexico City.
"This would create unnecessary delay and I will urge the executive committee to organise an extraordinary congress for the election of my successor at the earliest opportunity.
"This will need to be done in line with Fifa's statutes and we must allow enough time for the best candidates to present themselves and to campaign."
The extraordinary congress is expected to take place between December 2015 and March 2016.
I also want to say that, while I wouldn't be surprised if there was funny money involved in Russia '18, outside of some sort of massively corrupt process that handed it to them instead of a more suitable host I'm fine with allowing them to keep their WC.
I think we're all on the same page that Qatar was so comically fishy that it clearly needs to be reviewed and if there was dirty dealing involved, should be heavily re-evaluated. Though, I can imagine them allowing it to continue simply because Qatar has already spent so much in blood and treasure. The sunk-cost fallacy will rule.
I was thinking that a way to maybe eliminate a lot of the general bidding corruption and the bullshit that goes along with hosting the damned thing would be to chance the tournament overall. Perhaps something more like a champion's cup format that takes place over two or three years. And the 'finals' are the last eight or sixteen teams.
Our very own @Gosling has pointed out that we're already there (there's less than a year now between ending one WC and prelims starting for the next.
Yeah. Here's the writeup if you want it again. Timor Leste/Mongolia kicked us off. We've already eliminated 15 teams: two from being kicked out by FIFA (Zimbabwe, Indonesia) and the others from losing (Nepal, Pakistan, Mongolia, Macau, Brunei, Sri Lanka, Bahamas, British Virgin Islands, US Virgin Islands, Turks and Caicos, Anguilla, Cayman Islands, Montserrat).
Gosling on
I have a new soccer blog The Minnow Tank. Reading it psychically kicks Sepp Blatter in the bean bag.
The BBC's Nick Bryant in New York says that several US officials told the New York Times that they are hoping to gain the co-operation of some of the Fifa figures now under indictment on charges of racketeering and money laundering to try to build a case against Mr Blatter.
The BBC's Nick Bryant in New York says that several US officials told the New York Times that they are hoping to gain the co-operation of some of the Fifa figures now under indictment on charges of racketeering and money laundering to try to build a case against Mr Blatter.
I give 8-1 odds he's arrested before they vote for the new president, 5-1 odds for after, 2-1 that he "retires" in a country with no extradition treaty, and 3-1 that he spends the rest of his life in either an embassy or a free trade zone.
So people seem to be assuming that Blatter resigned so quickly after his reelection because of new information, either he made a deal with the US and/or Swiss authorities or it became clear that someone would turn on him.
I'm wondering if he knew that he had to go sooner rather than later but wanted to give himself and his cronies time to engineer the election of his chosen successor and that would not have been possible in the short time between the arrests and the election.
Also, what would happen if Blatter is arrested before the special election? I guess as a casual fan of soccer, I don't really have an idea what FIFA does on a day that it's not putting on a WC or voting on the location for a future WC.
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
So people seem to be assuming that Blatter resigned so quickly after his reelection because of new information, either he made a deal with the US and/or Swiss authorities or it became clear that someone would turn on him.
I'm wondering if he knew that he had to go sooner rather than later but wanted to give himself and his cronies time to engineer the election of his chosen successor and that would not have been possible in the short time between the arrests and the election.
Also, what would happen if Blatter is arrested before the special election? I guess as a casual fan of soccer, I don't really have an idea what FIFA does on a day that it's not putting on a WC or voting on the location for a future WC.
I doubt there was a deal so soon, much less under the table. My guess is that after talking to his lawyers, his hubris gave way to reality and he's realized there is a very good chance of him getting well and truly fucked by the US Justice Department.
Posts
Yeah the schedule is pretty tight. There are a lot of countries in the world.
Second, I know the current format is like a cc tournament. But I'm thinking more about having teams across different regions playing for qualifications instead of just beating up on the small teams in their own back yards.
I don't know. I'm pretty sure I'm not describing it very well.
Do not engage the Watermelons.
Do not engage the Watermelons.
It's going to take a lot of institutional changes on top of personnel changes to actually make headway against corruption. Otherwise, the next president is just going to exploit the same disconnect between the sources of all the money (Sponsors and the powerhouse teams that people tune in to watch in the WC) and the source of power in FIFA itself (all the small countries).
For a start, FIFA has better at least look at some kind of term limits. Maybe something bicameral with the addition of a World Cup Council made up of countries that have been in the last two or three WC tourneys to serve as a check on the FIFA congress?
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
There is a 99.99% chance this is the case. why would you so strongly state your wish to continue only four day ago, win with a majority only to then stand down so humbly?
I saw a news blast saying the "next" president will have term limits. They also already have the Executive Committee, but that process is just as broken as any other.
pleasepaypreacher.net
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
Do not engage the Watermelons.
pleasepaypreacher.net
Do not engage the Watermelons.
Oh, and the Garcia Report published in full please.
It's like Christmas.
Switch - SW-7373-3669-3011
Fuck Joe Manchin
Bud light lime-a-Rita is The worst drink ever.
I think we're all on the same page that Qatar was so comically fishy that it clearly needs to be reviewed and if there was dirty dealing involved, should be heavily re-evaluated. Though, I can imagine them allowing it to continue simply because Qatar has already spent so much in blood and treasure. The sunk-cost fallacy will rule.
Do not engage the Watermelons.
Qatar winning WC22 was (and is) just insane, though. I'll note that even Blatter voted for the US to host '22.
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
Yeah. Here's the writeup if you want it again. Timor Leste/Mongolia kicked us off. We've already eliminated 15 teams: two from being kicked out by FIFA (Zimbabwe, Indonesia) and the others from losing (Nepal, Pakistan, Mongolia, Macau, Brunei, Sri Lanka, Bahamas, British Virgin Islands, US Virgin Islands, Turks and Caicos, Anguilla, Cayman Islands, Montserrat).
pleasepaypreacher.net
Well, I sure missed out the period when I read that last line
I mean, whatever gets the guy to take the job, but still
I think I might be dreaming.
That said, we've yet to see his replacement.
Hopefully it won't be Platini.
pleasepaypreacher.net
Not sure I'd want a handy from a dude named Dick Pound, though.
Yikes. Just read that as requiring a free hand job. Probably time for bed
Do not engage the Watermelons.
I give 8-1 odds he's arrested before they vote for the new president, 5-1 odds for after, 2-1 that he "retires" in a country with no extradition treaty, and 3-1 that he spends the rest of his life in either an embassy or a free trade zone.
I'm wondering if he knew that he had to go sooner rather than later but wanted to give himself and his cronies time to engineer the election of his chosen successor and that would not have been possible in the short time between the arrests and the election.
Also, what would happen if Blatter is arrested before the special election? I guess as a casual fan of soccer, I don't really have an idea what FIFA does on a day that it's not putting on a WC or voting on the location for a future WC.
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
I doubt there was a deal so soon, much less under the table. My guess is that after talking to his lawyers, his hubris gave way to reality and he's realized there is a very good chance of him getting well and truly fucked by the US Justice Department.