FIFA Officials arrested

While it may be all sound and fury, signifying nothing, I can't help but smile at the situation (I'm going to enjoy a nice Gruyere in celebration). Hopefully someone(s) turns rat and provides enough evidence to build a case against the capo di tutti capi, Mr. Blatter. He can avoid extradition by living the rest of his life in Qatar, in palace accommodations, like this guy:

 

FIFA makes Democrats and Republicans look like choirboys when it comes to corruption. Go big or go home.

 

My social feeds have been absolutely blown out by this news since last night. I've read a lot of it and I still don't quite know what to make of it. FIFA is so institutionally corrupt that I have to ask...is this act, bold as it may be, enough to create real and long lasting change? I don't know. As nev points, the best chances may lie in the arrested supplying evidence against Sepp.

The organization needs to be rebuilt from the ground up. Did this wrecking ball knock down enough to make that a viable option? We'll see.

 

Here's the official version from our g-men (and women). I don't know much about racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering, but it sounds pretty bad, with some penalties kinda on the stiff side. I see this whole thing heading to the International World Court in The Hague, where it will die an ignominious death.

http://www.justice.gov/usao/nye/pr/May15/2015-May-27.php

 

FIFA is so whacky that this election will go on as planned on Friday, Blatter will win, and then play the victim card. It's a most sincerest wish that the blood of the estimated 5,000 laborers that will die in Qatar while building stadiums and hotels for a month in 2022 will stick to him forever.

 

I love this line from the FIFA Statement:

"As unfortunate as these events are, it should be clear that we welcome the actions and the investigations by the US and Swiss authorities and believe that it will help to reinforce measures that FIFA has already taken to root out any wrongdoing in football."

Did they actually say that with a straight face?

 

Speaking of trying to keep a straight face, Putin weighs in:

http://news.yahoo.com/putin-accuses-us-meddling-fifa-affairs-093647908--spt.html

 

While riding a horse without a shirt?

 

Bingo! Posted that on my FB page, Don. Then it occurred to me that some might think it implied that the Swiss, themselves, were that corrupt. well, I aint gonna explain it.
Also like Jim's take.
The preposterous thing is that anyone actually BELIEVES that Sepp Blatter didnt know. Blatter is the Putin of FIFA. In fact Putin wishes he controlled Russia as well as Blatter controls FIFA, which explains his support.
Now, the real question is "Why, exactly, does the US DOJ give a crap?" If there was ever an issue that is OLD NEWS this is it!
All I gotta say is Bill Archer is in hog heaven. You guys DO read Bill Archer, right?
http://www.bigsoccer.com/blog/2015/5/28/uefa-threatens-the-nuclear-option

Well, I'll not hold my breath... seems like we've seen this before.

 

Lol... she aint 'DC Heather' for nothing!
AG politics as in; "Look... I hit the ground running!!!"

Great, sweetie... now try the Clinton Foundation.

 

'I am the President of everybody. I am the President of FIFA.' Not sure if that comment was funnier than in the middle of his acceptance speech Herr Blatter thanked 'my Ocean's 11' in reference to the Oceania Confederation, headed by New Zealand and such football stalwarts as New Guinea, Tonga, and the Cook Islands that have as much say as who the Prez is as the World Champions Germany do.