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World Soccer XIX- Full of Pomp-ey and Circumstance

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Re: World Soccer XIX- Full of Pomp-ey and Circumstance

Puck Swami said:
I don't think you are understanding my point.. Nobody is holding up Qatar as a beacon. It's not a country I would ever visit voluntarily. I don't like their values and I don't care for 110 agree heat, either. But all they did today was kick our *** by setting up a venue to enable FIFA's humanitarian intentions for growing soccer in the Arab World. I am only ripping the US for a bad strategy in the bid process. FIFA does a lot to advance soccer in poor countries, just as the IOC does with other sports. All I am saying is that if you want to win a global sporting event and you are the USA, making your bid all about the USA is a bad idea. We got smacked by Brazil and Qatar, who both understood the IOC and FIFA's desires for a long term legacy in new markets. Our Olympic and World Cup bids were all about us. That only works when you are a little guy. The bids should have been about what we can do for them.
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You're saying we had a bad strategy to play the game.

I'm saying the game is rigged, no matter what. I'm not convinced even the right strategy would make a difference.

Look at England. Their free press has been investigating FIFA corruption, and it clearly had an impact on England's poor showing. No change in strategy will ever be able to change those core values, such as freedom of the press.
 
Re: World Soccer XIX- Full of Pomp-ey and Circumstance

blockski said:
No, Qatar will not win an apples to apples comparison. But they haven't even put up anything to compare!
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Yes they did. The air conditioned stadiums were just a little appetizer as was the Qatar WC tourney, itself. A mirage, if you will, and small potatoes in the grand scheme of things. The main course they offered FIFA was Arab World Access beyond just Qatar. That's what really FIFA bought today, and that is worth a lot.

We offered a better tourney and more money as our appetizer. We didn't offer a main course. That's why we lost. In 1994, we had a main course - a new market for FIFA, and they bought it. Since we can't offer a new market, we needed to offer more than a nice tourney and more money. That's why we could have done more for FIFA as our main course. Make sense?
 
Re: World Soccer XIX- Full of Pomp-ey and Circumstance

Puck Swami said:
Yes they did. The air conditioned stadiums were just a little appetizer as was the Qatar WC tourney, itself. A mirage, if you will, and small potatoes in the grand scheme of things. The main course they offered FIFA was Arab World Access beyond just Qatar. That's what really FIFA bought today, and that is worth a lot.

We offered a better tourney and more money as our appetizer. We didn't offer a main course. That's why we lost. In 1994, we had a main course - a new market for FIFA, and they bought it. Since we can't offer a new market, we needed to offer more than a nice tourney and more money. That's why we could have done more for FIFA as our main course. Make sense?
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So, we should have claimed we could have one of the stadiums on the Moon, or at McMurdo in Antarctica to claim we're using the 7th continent as proof that soccer is played every where, or not had a bid is what you're saying. Since, you know, we're being compared against a country claiming it can do things that are currently unfeasable technologically.
 
Re: World Soccer XIX- Full of Pomp-ey and Circumstance

Puck Swami said:
Yes they did. The air conditioned stadiums were just a little appetizer as was the Qatar WC tourney, itself. A mirage, if you will, and small potatoes in the grand scheme of things. The main course they offered FIFA was Arab World Access beyond just Qatar. That's what really FIFA bought today, and that is worth a lot.

We offered a better tourney and more money as our appetizer. We didn't offer a main course. That's why we lost. In 1994, we had a main course - a new market for FIFA, and they bought it. Since we can't offer a new market, we needed to offer more than a nice tourney and more money. That's why we could have done more for FIFA as our main course. Make sense?
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Here's the difference - our main course in 1994 was actually capable of hosting the tournament and hosting it well.
 
Re: World Soccer XIX- Full of Pomp-ey and Circumstance

blockski said:
Here's the difference - our main course in 1994 was actually capable of hosting the tournament and hosting it well.
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We sure did. We set records that still stand for attendence and profit, and good times, too.

And if attendence and profit and a great environment was the FIFA goal now, we'd win again.

But FIFA evaluated the long term return on investing more in America, and likely calculated the ROI was greater if they invested in the Arab World instead.
 
Re: World Soccer XIX- Full of Pomp-ey and Circumstance

blockski said:
You're saying we had a bad strategy to play the game.

I'm saying the game is rigged, no matter what. I'm not convinced even the right strategy would make a difference.
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Wholly agree. FIFA was going to Russia and Qatar all along because that's what Sepp Blatter wanted. They have money to spend and Blatter wants a Nobel Peace Prize.

If FIFA was really going after new markets and doing things for the world of football, as they put it, then they would've gone with Australia (the biggest loser in this debacle). Another country where soccer is overpowered by other sports and a situation where the A-League could've been another FIFA legacy.

This was a travesty. A horrible farce.
 
Re: World Soccer XIX- Full of Pomp-ey and Circumstance

Jimjamesak said:
Wholly agree. FIFA was going to Russia and Qatar all along because that's what Sepp Blatter wanted. They have money to spend and Blatter wants a Nobel Peace Prize.
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Which he isn't going to win.

If FIFA was really going after new markets and doing things for the world of football, as they put it, then they would've gone with Australia (the biggest loser in this debacle). Another country where soccer is overpowered by other sports and a situation where the A-League could've been another FIFA legacy.

This was a travesty. A horrible farce.
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Bingo. Look at the votes to see how big of a snowjob this was. Both Russia and Qatar were the agreed to choices before the committee even voted. England was the first one eliminated for 2018? That's not a joke, that's a disgrace. AUSTRALIA got only one vote, and Qatar was one vote away from getting the nod on the first ballot with FIVE different bids on the table? Total bag job. The rest of it was just a dog and pony show. Who are the dopes who were voting for Japan and especially South Korea on multiple ballots?

I was absolutely backing our bid first and foremost, but the Australians need to be seething mad at how this unfolded and I do not blame them. I liked their bid. Even though I pegged them as our top rivals, I thought they would do a fantastic job. After Russia was announced I actually thought we were kind of a shoo-in... would never have pegged FIFA willing to go through four "tough" WCs in a row. But Australia wouldn't have even been altogether tough. The Qatar bid was intriguing but it was only that - intriguing. I thought it was a significant sign that they were at least being taken seriously with a bid, but going all the way is a little different. The way the voting went, both the USA and the Australians deserve to have major beef with the way it was conducted.

And the best part of all... Sepp Blatter and his cronies will. not. care. At all. Matter of fact, I give Blatter within the month before he's calling people complaining about the Qatar World Cup racists, regardless of the criticism. Mark my words.
 
Re: World Soccer XIX- Full of Pomp-ey and Circumstance

Red Cloud said:
Bingo. Look at the votes to see how big of a snowjob this was. Both Russia and Qatar were the agreed to choices before the committee even voted. England was the first one eliminated for 2018? That's not a joke, that's a disgrace. AUSTRALIA got only one vote, and Qatar was one vote away from getting the nod on the first ballot with FIVE different bids on the table? Total bag job. The rest of it was just a dog and pony show. Who are the dopes who were voting for Japan and especially South Korea on multiple ballots?

I was absolutely backing our bid first and foremost, but the Australians need to be seething mad at how this unfolded and I do not blame them. I liked their bid. Even though I pegged them as our top rivals, I thought they would do a fantastic job. After Russia was announced I actually thought we were kind of a shoo-in... would never have pegged FIFA willing to go through four "tough" WCs in a row. But Australia wouldn't have even been altogether tough. The Qatar bid was intriguing but it was only that - intriguing. I thought it was a significant sign that they were at least being taken seriously with a bid, but going all the way is a little different. The way the voting went, both the USA and the Australians deserve to have major beef with the way it was conducted.

And the best part of all... Sepp Blatter and his cronies will. not. care. At all. Matter of fact, I give Blatter within the month before he's calling people complaining about the Qatar World Cup racists, regardless of the criticism. Mark my words.
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No way Qatar should've gotten 11 votes with 3, 3!!!, Asian countries bidding. That is one of the things that makes this all fishy.

Australia got bent over hard by FIFA and the AFC. Nobody would be complaining if 2022 had gone to Oz, not even Grant Wahl and the like.

Australia is the biggest loser in all this. England got smacked hard but Australia got raped. Australia was banking nearly all of their soccer future on this because they had very little choice, the A-League is struggling, the National Team is struggling, and FFA is struggling now. They moved to the AFC to help themselves in situations like this and got *** by their own Confederation. They are hurting big time.
 
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Re: World Soccer XIX- Full of Pomp-ey and Circumstance

Red Cloud said:
How many of them have run a business keenly interested in the accumulation of wealth?
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That's fair. I don't think he'll win either. I'm just saying if I woke up one day to see "Sepp Blatter wins Nobel Prize" my first thought won't be, "I'm shocked!" it will be "Typical..."
 
Re: World Soccer XIX- Full of Pomp-ey and Circumstance

WeWantMore said:
That's fair. I don't think he'll win either. I'm just saying if I woke up one day to see "Sepp Blatter wins Nobel Prize" my first thought won't be, "I'm shocked!" it will be "Typical..."
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Like everything else involving Sepp Blatter...
 
Re: World Soccer XIX- Full of Pomp-ey and Circumstance

Puck Swami said:
The Technical Report doesn't matter. If it did, we'd win every time out. FIFA wanted something else - to fill the Arab Void. They see oil money, fast growing populations with everyone there under 30, and a huge need to link the Arab world to the west by expanding soccer to new markets. And the bribes? Of course they were there. No competition of this size ever runs cleanly.
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Yeah, "soccer market"... I think they see the bribes, I think they see lots of bribes, lots of "benefit payments" from here to the end. Just hire a guy's brother to run an oil admin department or some such. Look at how FEW votes the English got... tell me that wasn't out of spite for trying to turn off the bribe spigot.
 
Re: World Soccer XIX- Full of Pomp-ey and Circumstance

Patman said:
Look at how FEW votes the English got... tell me that wasn't out of spite for trying to turn off the bribe spigot.
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Via Twitter
Before today's World Cup vote, Sepp Blatter reminded FIFA executive comm members about "certain media" and "recent media coverage."
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Yeah, I'd say it was on their minds.
 
Re: World Soccer XIX- Full of Pomp-ey and Circumstance

WeWantMore said:
They aren't helping the poor! You know what stadiums in underdeveloped countries do after big sporting events? Sit and rot. You can't rip on the US for not being "humble humanitarians" and then hold up Qatar as some beacon of shining light unto the world.
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Yes, this is what we call a lie... its political cover to claim they're going to split these stadiums into parts and "give" them to other people... first of all Arab culture doesn't behave like that, as far as I understand it they'd rather such things rot out of spite... second of all, how do you seriously take apart a stadium and "donate" it elsewhere. Its an excuse to give cover to the FIFA executives, especially to those with more western outlooks but emptier pockets that need to be filled... its how you cover up what is such an insane extravagance for such a small nation.
 
Re: World Soccer XIX- Full of Pomp-ey and Circumstance

Jimjamesak said:
No way Qatar should've gotten 11 votes with 3, 3!!!, Asian countries bidding. That is one of the things that makes this all fishy.
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Qatar, Australia, Japan, and South Korea? Try four.
 
Re: World Soccer XIX- Full of Pomp-ey and Circumstance

Craig P. said:
I'd go the other way with it. Give them all the money they want to unearth every single FIFA skeleton. Turn MI-6 loose on it if there's anybody sitting around twiddling their thumbs. Turn the sunlight on those cockroaches up to 11.
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Maybe that's the premise for the next Bond movie. :D Maybe they can borrow Goldfinger's laser?
 
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