March 6, 2013

Sports Illustrated releases 50 most powerful people in sports, soccer makes its mark

Written by The 91st

Sepp

Make no mistake about: Sports Illustrated’s Most Powerful People in sports is not a place for the athlete. This about the figures that wield the ultimate power behind the scenes: owners, presidents, agents …

And when it comes to the true shot-callers in sports, soccer answers to no one. Here are the people who are affiliated with soccer and ranked and SI’s list.

 

3. Philip Anschutz, AEG owner (LA Galaxy, part owners of Houston Dynamo)

4. John Skipper, ESPN president, admitted soccer fan

6. Stan Kroenke, Kroenke Sports Enterprises owner (owns Arsenal, Colorado Rapids)

7. Mark Lazarus, NBC  Sports Chairman (NBC broadcasts MLS, EPL in the fall)

12. Robert Kraft, Patriots/Revolution owner

16. Sepp Blatter, FIFA President

21. Richard Scudamore, Premier League CEO

29. Glazer Family, Manchester United owners

36. Sheikh Mansour, Man City owner

 

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January 7, 2013

Messi dresses like reverse dalmation, wins FIFA World Player of Year with Wambach

Written by Dill Pickle

The soccer world got all dressed up Monday for FIFA’s Ballon d’Or gala. People danced and sang and Messi’s suit broke out in a rash – it was good times all around.

Then the moment of truth arrived and the player of the year awards were announced. Hope Solo presented the Women’s World Player of the year to teammate Abby Wambach, who beat Alex Morgan and Marta for the honor. Marta was quoted as saying: Congrats on your ONE, Abby … I have FIVE (loosely translated).

Italy’s Fabio Cannavaro arrived to present the men’s award. The tension was thick … or was that just Sepp Blatter hogging stage space? When Messi was announced the winner, Cristiano Ronaldo sucked his teeth so loudly it created microphone feedback.

Ronaldo digested the news, connected the dots (on Messi’s suit) and there was applause and forced smiles. The end.

 

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June 21, 2012

We need goal-line technology … and circular pizza boxes

Written by Reshad Bahadori

It’s about time Sepp!
My two least favorite arguments against technology in sports are that it will remove the human element from the game and that there is traditional value in the methods that have been used for years. This means that you are ok with a home run being called a foul ball, a touchdown catch being called out of bounds, a three being called a two, and a game-changing goal being taken away. I DON’T GET IT!

I guess I just have to come to terms with the fact that there are certain things in life that I will never get.

Things I don’t get:

    *Pizza box is a square. Pizza is a circle. Pizza slice is a triangle.*It’s called double-u even though it’s double-v. (W) 

    *Six Flags uses an old creepy dancing man to attract children.

    *The point of cursive.

Sorry, I blacked out for minute. The point is that soccer needs to stop being so afraid of change. It would take less than 2 minutes to review a goal and we can finally stop listening to those Bloody Brits complaining about Lampard’s disallowed goal in the World Cup. (which you can see after the jump)

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May 30, 2012

Get rid of penalty kicks? Don’t even think about it!

Written by Jahmal Corner

By Jahmal Corner

You hear that? It’s the growing chorus of opposition to penalty kicks. Like clockwork, soccer’s imperfect tiebreaker comes under fire every now and again, whenever a match we care about ends unceremoniously in PKs.

But this time the resistance seems to have some real clout, with Sepp Blatter commissioning the exploration of alternative ideas.

Hey Sepp, here’s an idea: LEAVE PENALTY KICKS ALONE! Unless, that is, you’re not a fan of can’t-take-your-eyes-off-the-screen-drama.

The truth is, for all of the moaning about the injustice of deciding a game in 1v1 fashion, penalty kicks are the most exciting five minutes in all of sports.

The next time you turn off the television as two teams prepare for penalty kicks will be the first. Because when it comes to entertainment value, PKs never disappoint. They consolidate much of what’s great about the game while eliminating the few things that aren’t (not enough action … teams play too defensively).

Is it fair? Well, is Brandi Chastain the soccer queen of the sports bra?

The answer is yes, people, yes. As long as both sides get the same opportunity to score we’re not breaching any code of fairness here. More importantly, having teams play on beyond a full 90 and an overtime may sound like a good idea until you’ve actually witnessed it (ever watched the Boston Marathon? I didn’t think so).

No thank you, I’d rather stick with penalty kicks. I love them, and so do you.

 

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May 25, 2012

No Penalty kicks in 2014 World Cup!

Written by Seth Burleigh

Well, not exactly.  But it isn’t too far off…

Today, Sepp Blatter and FIFA commissioned Franz Beckenbauer and “the league of extraordinary gentlemen his panel of experts” to explore alternative solutions to penalty kicks.  Clearly, in response to last week’s Champions League Final that ended on penalties.

All I can say is, THANK GOD.  It is hands-down the single worst “overtime” in all of sports.  Even the old NFL structure (where only one team got the ball) was better because at least it partially preserved the Team vs. Team concept.  How can you take the ultimate team game, and decide the outcome in a 1v1 manner?  It’s hypocritical.  It’s cruel.  It’s uncreative.  I’d rather see a team dance competition, or crown the winner of a team multiple choice exam.

Here is my (the right) proposed solution:  After 120 Minutes >> untimed Golden Goal.

You would need to allow more substitutions (including switching out the referee), but the game needs to be decided on the field, and by the teams.  In my opinion, this only strengthens the team concept, because the depth of your team (top-to-bottom) will be on display. The best team (20+ guys), not just the best 11, would win.

Now Sepp, we need to discuss my payment…

 

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April 14, 2012

Italian player dies during match

Written by Jahmal Corner

Livorno midfielder Piermario Morosini died Saturday after suffering cardiac arrest and collapsing on the field during a Serie B match at Pescara.

The 25-year-old player is the latest in a series of recent on-field futbol tragedies. Indian player D. Venkatesh died on the field last month while Fabrice Muamba famously faced a life-threatening moment as well.

Morosini fell to the ground in the first half and attempted unsuccessfully to get up. He was pronounced dead upon reaching the hospital.

The match was suspended with Livorno leading 2-0.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter tweeted (in Italian):

“Only tears. There are no words to express what I tried to when I found out about Piermario Morosini’s death. The tragedy which hit everyone who wished him well, is a source of great pain for football fans.”

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April 6, 2012

Oh snap, soccer is scandalous! (In case you didn’t already know)

Written by Jahmal Corner

The scandalous nature of FIFA is well documented. The World Cup bribes, the political maneuvering for high profile positions, the fact that Sepp Blatter is still in charge, the list goes on. We’ve heard of all the match-fixing in [name the country] by players, coaches, presidents, referees, and other officials.

And this just in: another illegal scam in Malaysia that raked in up to $1 billion dollars:

“The highly-organized and well-funded ring operated for a month from several luxury properties in an upscale gated community – home to several ministers and former cabinet members,” The Star Newspaper reported.

A preliminary examination of the ring’s records indicate it may have taken in nearly four billion ringgit ($1.3 billion) in bets and fraudulent income over that period…”

What is it about soccer, futbol, fusball, whatever you want to call it that opens itself up to illegal activity? The supposed beautiful game has a pretty awful ugly side too. I suppose there will always be crooks throughout the world and since soccer is the #1 sport in the world it opens itself up to myriad of illicit opportunities. But I can’t help but wonder what Cruyff, Pele or Best are thinking now. The sport they nurtured, now seems to be the easiest to exploit. If only these idiots listened to the fans a little, either that or let us hand out red cards.

 

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June 2, 2011

Video: Blatter: FIFA will be credible

Written by Administrator


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June 1, 2011

Update: Blatter re-elected as FIFA president

Written by Administrator

FIFA has voted Sepp Blatter to remain as president for a fourth term after he ran unopposed on Wednesday and won 186 of the 203 votes.

The voting FIFA member nations had the option of either choosing Blatter, or abstaining, after Mohamed bin Hammam pulled out of the presidential race amid the allegations of bribery and corruption that have rocked world football’s governing body.

Blatter, who has been at the helm for 13 years, avoided having to delay the election after the FIFA Congress voted against postponing it by a margin of 172 votes to 17, with 17 abstaining.

In his victory speech, Blatter told the FIFA Congress in Zurich: ”I thank you for your trust and confidence from the bottom of my heart and together we will have four more years – provided the Lord gives me the life, the energy and the strength to continue on our path.

”I’m happy today we were once again able to bring solidarity and unity into FIFA. We shall move forward, we will put FIFA’s ship back on the right course in clear, transparent waters. We need some time, we cannot do it overnight, but we will do it. I am deeply moved, I am honoured and I thank you. This is a new challenge and I accept it.”

Earlier, Blatter vowed to learn from the “public anger” that has arisen from the FIFA crisis.

“We have been hit and I personally have been slapped,” he said. “We have made mistakes and we will learn from this. I can say to a certain extent that this is a good warning, not just to look into our problems, and I am willing to face the public anger in order to serve football. I am the captain weathering the storm. This is a difficult period for FIFA and I admit that readily. Not only is the pyramid shaking but our ship has drawn some water. We must do something because I do not want ever again that we face this undignified situation.”

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June 1, 2011

Blatter promises vote change

Written by Administrator

via ESPN Soccernet.

Sepp Blatter has announced that all 208 FIFA member associations will vote on World Cup hosts in the future after it was confirmed he would continue as the president of world football’s governing body.

Blatter is the sole candidate for Wednesday’s election and he will therefore be re-elected unopposed for a fourth term, with the Football Association’s attempt to delay the proceedings having failed by 172 votes to 17.

FA chairman David Bernstein had called on FIFA members to vote to delay the election to ensure the winner would have “proper credibility” over his four-year term after Mohamed Bin Hammam withdrew from the race.

However, the FA had been warned by CONCACAF secretary general Chuck Blazer that the move was “too little too late” and the motion was defeated by a landslide.

Blatter had told the FIFA congress on Wednesday that he would be able to restore order to the governing body.

Blatter said:

“We know that the FIFA ship is in moving waters, I could even say in troubled waters, but I think this ship must be brought back on the right route. I’m the captain of this ship and it is my duty and responsibility to see we get back on the right route but I can only do it with you, the 208 [national] associations. You are the owners of FIFA. You are the legislative body but you are the decisive body. I’m certain you can follow me in the idea that we can settle the problems inside FIFA [by] strengthening what we already have.”

He has since revealed that he will make a major change to the way World Cup venues are selected as the furore over the 2022 tournament in Qatar continues.

World Cup locations have in the past been decided by the 24-man executive committee but, amid allegations of bribery, Blatter has revealed that all 208 member associations of FIFA will make the decision in the future.

“I want to give more power to the national associations,” he said. “In the future, the World Cup will be decided by the FIFA Congress. The executive committee will create a shortlist – but will make no recommendations only a list – and the Congress will decide on the venue.”

Blatter said the chairman of the ethics committee – the watchdog group set up in 2006 to deal with claims of malpractice in FIFA – would in future also be elected by the Congress. He also suggested that a committee would be set up to examine FIFA’s corporate governance and recommend changes.

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