What would make you think FIFA was corrupt? What could have ever made you think they needed investigated? Answer: They had one of their premier events in an area that was unfit to play or be a spectator. It was in a hot dry climate. They were making corrupt backroom deals with corrupt politicians.
Quotes form the recent article FIFA and the Blagojevich Principle author Darius FIFA has long been suspected of being a very corrupt organization, and with good reason. After all, FIFA officials possess the first thing necessary for corruption: something valuable to sell. In this case, FIFA officials possess the votes for which country should get to host the World Cup. It’s the most recent manifestation of what I’ve dubbed The Blagojevich Principle. Rod Blagojevich was the governor of Illinois in 2008 when Barack Obama, who was then a US senator from Illinois, was elected president. That left Blagojevich with the chance to appoint someone to fill Obama’s seat for the remainder of Obama’s senate term. Blagojevich, sensed an opportunity: why just appoint someone when he could sell the seat for personal gain? As he said to an aide, “It’s a fucking valuable thing, you just don’t give it away for nothing.” When FIFA officials sold their votes for World Cup venues, they deprived countries that couldn’t or wouldn’t pay bribes from consideration for hosting a tournament that is supposed to transcend national squabbles. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2006 Press Release from Office of Governor in Illinois. SPARTA – Governor Rod R. Blagojevich today, joined by state and local officials, business leaders and sportsmen from across the nation, opened the long-anticipated World Shooting and Recreational Complex (WSRC) in Sparta. The newly constructed, state-of-the-art facility will become an economic boon for Southwestern Illinois, bringing more than 250 new jobs to the region, and hundreds of thousands of visitors to the state. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Blagojevich principle or not, the ATA made the deal with the devil......just thinking out loud. Was it worth it?
