The disgusting organization that is FIFA

[Seamus Fermanagh]

Oh yes, great privilege in having your citizens riot in the streets because you spent their money on stadiums which won't be used after a dozen games. Such honor in having your country bulldoze slums and forests alike just so you can send all the profits straight to FIFA anyway!

Sports for sports sake is inhumane.

In the USA, they hold the riot to celebrate their team's winning.....or at least that has too often been the case.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

Didn't realize PE teachers used slaves.

They're labeled "students" as a courtesy.

[a completely inoffensive name]

Olympics are quite different from WC. Football doesn't demand such a diverse infrastructure and is by far the most popular sport in the world. Even more so in Brazil.

Football stadiums are also quite versatile and can be used for other sports, athletics tournaments are often held there, and even for some stuff unrelated to sports, for instance concerts.

In the case of Cuiaba, the stadium was built in place of an older stadium, that had capacity of cca. 44,000, and it will be used as home stadium by two local clubs, Mixto and Cuiaba.

I'm not saying it couldn't have been done cheaper as I don't really know the average attendance of Mixto and Cuiaba.

But, again, not FIFA's fault. World Cup is one of the few international sporting events that are actually profitable if done correctly. FIFA often allocates WC to a country that could use a significant investment in football infrastructure so that they could offset much of the cost. Of course, corruption in said country can drive the cost higher than it should have been but that is again not FIFA's fault.

Brazil is a sound choice and they will benefit in the long run. Qatar, on the other hand...

Fair enough. I'm glad we both recognize the absurdity of Qatar hosting.

In the USA, they hold the riot to celebrate their team's winning.....or at least that has too often been the case.

They're labeled "students" as a courtesy.

Alright, I'll admit, I laughed at both of those. But I still think that LA "rioting" after the Lakers win is different than the LA Riots of 1992, which were really bad riots.

[HoreTore]

I don't care about corruption, I don't care about poor people being screwed, I don't care about overblown spending.

But by the love of all that is holy......


Get those damn drums out of the stadiums!!

[Seamus Fermanagh]

How about those auto-goals! Seems like a rash of them so far.

[Kadagar_AV]

I think holding the football WC in Brazil is about equal to holding it in countries with Gulags, modern USA standards, or Concentration Camps.

To me it seems rather ill advised.

[Strike For The South]

soccer>poor people

[Kadagar_AV]

soccer>poor people

First of all, this is a international board. It's called football, and we cant help that you in the US call a game not handling balls with their feet overly much "Football".

You do however amuse us with the belief of calling it "soccer", oh you silly colonials


As to OP:

How many children in Brazil are homeless?

How come we don't see them around at all when it comes to the WC? It almost feels like the police and militia cleaned the streets.

[Papewaio]

How about those auto-goals! Seems like a rash of them so far.

That wouldn't have anything to do with gambling now would it...

[HopAlongBunny]

How come we don't see them around at all when it comes to the WC? It almost feels like the police and militia cleaned the streets.

Much like Vancouver did before the Winter Olympics; the homeless get free re-location when we invite the world

[Kadagar_AV]

Much like Vancouver did before the Winter Olympics; the homeless get free re-location when we invite the world

Are you positive that the youth beggars were re-located in an orderly fashion living up to modern ethical thinking?

I, for one, am not convinced.

[Ironside]

As to OP:

How many children in Brazil are homeless?

How come we don't see them around at all when it comes to the WC? It almost feels like the police and militia cleaned the streets.

They were probably cleaned out and restricted to the favelas long before that. I've been to Brazil years ago (Rio and Foz do Iguaçu) and there were no harrasing street beggars that I saw. I can't remember if I saw normal beggars or people obviously homeless, I probably did, but they sort of end up in the backround.

The difference between the stores for the rich and for the rest of the population was quite obvious though. And going by bus on bridges above the favelas does give an odd feeling and not a positive one.

[Husar]

It almost feels like the police and militia cleaned the streets.

Someone on Facebook posted a link from some organization which had photos and said the police were killing the homeless children. How true that actually is I do not know, it was on Facebook after all...
The always reliable Daily Mail also reports it: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...olls-town.html

This article touches the subject and highlights how Russia is a far better country: http://guardianlv.com/2014/03/death-...for-world-cup/

Also found a link to an article about the Facebook picture, but it's probably too graphic to post it here.

Apparently Brazil is some kind of gun nut paradise where vigilantism and police killing people even for the smallest crimes are a daily occurrence: http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/footba...street-3272688

Amnesty International seems to focus on the ban on protests however: http://www.amnesty.org/en/news/brazi...sts-2014-05-08

[a completely inoffensive name]

Fifa officials arrested on corruption charges as World Cup probe launched

http://gu.com/p/499vk

[Fragony]

Fifa is indeed a really ugly organisation. Not just because the corruption but also because of the horrible working-conditions of the guys building the stadiums in Qatar. Hundreds have died, how can you look away from that, these are human-beings. I celebrate the first country that refuses to play there.

edit, text doesn't matter, picture does http://www.powned.tv/nieuws/sport/20..._opgepakt.html

[Gilrandir]

I celebrate the first country that refuses to play there.

Even if it is the Netherlands?

[Fragony]

Even if it is the Netherlands?

Would love it, human rights are more important than money, I am not going to watch it, it's tainted with misery

edit, more calls for a boycot it seems. If the A-teams like Italy, France, Netherlands, Germany, Spain, etc just stay home than what is left of the World Championship. And seriously, Qatar?? Fifa would have a gigantic problem if there are only B-teams playing.

[a completely inoffensive name]

I hope the ones arrested cave in and bring the entire leadership down.

Looks like the US uncovered plans that reveal that South Africa paid FIFA to host the World Cup in 2010.

And perhaps Blatter may not win the presidential election, although I wonder if anyone who is considered for the job has not already taken bribes from someone.

[rory_20_uk]

I'm not surprised that it took the USA to investigate. All the countries that like football don't really care about the bribery or the deaths.

[Gilrandir]

And, symptomatically, Russia supports the current FIFA management:
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/a...up/522479.html

[Husar]

They finally found a use for all that NSA surveillance?

[Fragony]

They finally found a use for all that NSA surveillance?

Germany does that as well Hus

[Husar]

Germany does that as well Hus

Because we do everything the USA do/want, therefore stopping the USA doing/wanting it is the most important thing.
I wish I could vote for the POTUS given how much influence he has on my life, no taxation (of my data) without representation and all that.

Either way, it's a bad thing because I heard professional sports create a lot of wealth and jobs.

[Fragony]

Yeah it is of course all America's fault. Merkel is an ex-Stasi informer and has all major internet-routes monitored, Germany does the exact same thing as the USA. Just like everybody else.

edit: fun conspiracy theory just for fun, she DOES look like him http://macedoniaonline.eu/content/view/26363/53/

[Brandy Blue]

Only way to 'fix' FIFA would be to create a new one and have everyone abandon FIFA.

But I have a feeling it would be in the same boat as when the USA talks about the 'World Series' and the only countries participating is them and Canada.

I think the intention was that other nations would join in eventually, but only Canada has showed up to the party so far. Maybe we should issue invitations. :)

Anyway, American and Canadan If They Managed to Qualify This Year Series just doesn't sound right.

[Kralizec]

Merkel is an ex-Stasi informer

Sounds like nonsense. All Stasi files that remain intact are open to the public AFAIK. Many politicians of Die Linke (which has many former members of the DDR's communist party) are known to be former stasi informers and this is frequently pointed out by others. If there was any proof Merkel was a stasi informer, we'd all know.

[Fragony]

Archives can disapear, google is your friend. If it's bull it is at least fun bull

[Husar]

Archives can disapear, google is your friend. If it's bull it is at least fun bull

I didn't want to derail the thread but your entire argument is complete bull:

1) It was a joke because I heard that the data collection is actually not all that useful and hasn't prevented a lot of terrorist attacks yet.
2) The Merkel-Stasi thing is complete conspiracy theory bull.
3) What do the Merkel and the Stasi have to do with what the BND does?
4) AFAIK Germany does not collect and store all transaction data, at worst they cooperate and let the NSA collect data from hubs here and then store it in the US where they store all the other data.
5) If the people I have elected decide to spy on me that is still a completely different thing than a complete stranger whom I cannot throw out of office violating my privacy from behind a lot of guns and warships.
6) Maybe there is nothing I can do about the spying, but I can get on your nerves. If you think that's unfair, so do I.

[Fragony]

Only said Germany does it, even helped the nsa actually

[Greyblades]

I didn't want to derail the thread but your entire argument is complete bull:

1) It was a joke because I heard that the data collection is actually not all that useful and hasn't prevented a lot of terrorist attacks yet.
2) The Merkel-Stasi thing is complete conspiracy theory bull.
3) What do the Merkel and the Stasi have to do with what the BND does?
4) AFAIK Germany does not collect and store all transaction data, at worst they cooperate and let the NSA collect data from hubs here and then store it in the US where they store all the other data.
5) If the people I have elected decide to spy on me that is still a completely different thing than a complete stranger whom I cannot throw out of office violating my privacy from behind a lot of guns and warships.
6) Maybe there is nothing I can do about the spying, but I can get on your nerves. If you think that's unfair, so do I.