As fans of soccer, we appreciate the theater, drama and storylines that call us to develop personal opinions. The game is as much about heroes and tribes as it is about common enemies and villains. There are some things we all love to hate. If you can’t admit that, well, you’re just afraid of your own primal instincts.
Tennis has it. Rugby has it. Even cricket has it, and hardly anyone bothers with cricket. Video replay technology has been embraced by a great number of sports as an aide to umpires and referees, but until now, soccer has been steadfast in its rejection of the replay.
Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini were both given eight-year bans from all soccer activity today by the FIFA Ethics Committee. After the bans were announced, Sepp Blatter put on a little press conference in which he said some outlandish things and then said some even more outlandish things. What follows is a "greatest hits" of Blatter's press-conference quotes (via AP reporter Rob Harris). They were a delight.
Sepp came out swinging.
After the latest bust took down a bunch more of FIFA's top brass, we have some questions.
Are FIFA even paying attention? They stayed in the same hotel as the last big bust. It didn't even occur to them to switch hotels! The only difference between this bust and the last one was the police came in a different door to arrest people.
Sepp Blatter's take on his recent health scare:
"I was between the angels who were singing and the devil who was lighting the fire, but it was the angels who sang."
Perhaps he was just lighting a cigarette and happened to take a glance at a mirror, but all jokes aside the suspended FIFA president claims he was really close to the final whistle.
Editor's note: We received this letter from 13-year-old Mic Beedy and knew immediately we had to publish it. She's an aspiring soccer player with a bright future. She currently plays with the Missouri Thorns (a feeder club for the NWSL's Portland Thorns) and is a name you should remember – you just might hear it mentioned during the 2023 Women's World Cup. But it's not her soccer skills that caught our attention. It's the power of her words. Quite simply, she puts into perspective what it's like for a young woman to face inequality in sports.
In news that can perhaps be filed under “Yet More Evidence That The Pope Is a Committed Catholic”, the World Anti-Doping Agency has released a 325-page report accusing the Russian Athletics Federation (ARAF) of sending athletes to the 2012 London Olympics that it complicity encouraged to use performance enhancing drugs. The report calls for Russia to be banned from the 2016 Olympics in Rio.
The FIFA Golden Boy award shortlist was announced and, surprisingly, it foretells of a European continent dominated by England, Belgium and, more traditionally, Spain.
With a whopping five nominations from each of these countries - the award is given to the U-21 player who displays the highest footballing prowess - the tides appear to be turning in Europe.
Since its inception in FIFA 08, FIFA Pro Club mode (a.k.a “Be a Pro”) has given players of the game the option to break away from the traditional soccer scenario where they control 11 individuals and instead control their own personal player during matches.
The mode has somewhat lost steam over the years, but still remains one of the games more desirable plays due to its replay value.
Sharpen your proverbial knives, unabashedly flaunt your club allegiances and, if you’re Javier Mascherano, pray that Roy Hodgson has spent the year canvassing for your cause. It’s the 2015 FIFA Ballon d’Or shortlist!