Drexel beat Louisville. Jon Tannenwald and I talk about that.
Mostly, though, we cover the two huge stories surrounding FIFA and head honcho Sepp Blatter. First, the rumor put out on Twitter by Newsweek’s Jonathan Alter that FIFA officials were paid $10 million for their votes.
Soccer scandal: Brits, U.S. (Including Bill Clinton) wasted time going to Zurich to win World Cup. Fix was in for Qatar!!
Soccer scandal cont: Press in FIFA nations shld probe how FIFA members spend their new $10 million apiece. Qatar bribed way to victory.
I didn’t read about $10 mil apiece soccer bribes. I heard it from very well-placed source. Hope Twitter can flush out more
Um…wow.
This isn’t just some crackpot Twitterer. This is a respected Newsweek journalist. So why the hell isn’t Newsweek doing this investigation? Why would Alter put it out on Twitter and then ask us to “flush out more.” What the hell is that? Is that what journalism has become?
Besides, even if it’s true, who can police it? Will an investigation lead FIFA to pull the bid from Qatar? If the entire system is dirty — other than, as Tannenwald puts it, the Anglo-Saxon countries — then why not get dirty with them? Unless the rules are different for each nation, like a cop busting walkers on one corner for jaywalking but not the corner down the street. And maybe that corner isn’t getting busted because a few of the regulars paid off the cops. So…fair? True? Twitter…help?
We then get into the comments by Blatter about the fact that it’s ILLEGAL to engage in homosexual activity in Qatar (Gawker).
“I would say they should refrain from any sexual activities.” Do you hear that, gays? You are totally invited to the World Cup! Just don’t, you know, do any gay stuff.
Tannenwald and I get into a long conversation about this, which gets into this story from more angles than, frankly, a sports show probably should.
Oh, and how about those Drexel Dragons.
Thanks for listening.