World Cup Pass For Russia Shows Why FIFA Is A Joke
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?
Back to my point, according to Associated Press reports, FIFA declined to expel "Russia from World Cup qualifying on Sunday but said it remained an option, deciding instead the squad can play using the "RFU" acronym of its football federation, the Russian Football Union.The unanimous ruling by the Bureau of the FIFA Council, which includes the six regional football confederation presidents, was also that the Russian flag and anthem can't be associated with the team."
Really? That is how you punish a country for invading another? Oh no! They can't fly their flag or play their anthem! Wow, that's hitting them where it hurts but Vladimir Putin can watch his team compete for the World Cup? Even the weakest of sports organizations, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) may have done more (Please note the use of the word "may" at the end of that sentence). Have the FIFA officials not seen the tens of thousands of families walking to Poland? Think about walking to Buffalo with all of your stuff and your kids, because somebody blew a missile through your apartment. With FIFA, it's out of sight, out of mind.
"FIFA will continue its ongoing dialogue with the IOC, UEFA and other sport organizations to determine any additional measures or sanctions," FIFA said in a statement, "including a potential exclusion from competitions, that shall be applied in the near future should the situation not be improving rapidly." Not improving? Bombing people in their homes is a good pace for FIFA? I can't even comprehend a decision like that. So, I am now boycotting FIFA and will not, even casually follow their World Cup product.