What Soccer Referees Should Learn from #Deflategate - Part 3 of 5

All too often this is a lesson folks forget about generally and referees, being human are subject to this as well.

Check your ego at the touchline.

#Deflategate is filled with BIG egos, and it is my opinion that if a few of these folks on both sides get over themselves, a compromise can be reached. Take a look here and here for two opposing examples. Same is true for referees both on and off the field.

In this vein it is critical to remember that The Game belongs to the players, and yes, some of them too have massive egos, but it is incumbent on the referees to see through that (much like the Honorable Richard M. Berman).

Consider the judges role in this contest ... he is sitting between two ego fueled parties, none of which has a common goal among them, except to win (all for different reasons). His Honor is trying nothing more than to get these folks to work with each other to come to a managed solution and do so without exerting his (substantial) power in the process.

Sound familiar?

Yes folks, that's refereeing. It is managing a match to a positive conclusion knowing one party will likely be the losing one.

Judge Berman recognizes that he is not the show. People are not lining up to hear him pontificate about the Natural Gas Law, or how long it takes a typical male to use a bathroom, or if a ball can be deflated in that time.

His Honor is there to broker an agreement between the parties if at all possible and if not, apply the law straight down the middle based on the facts. That's it. He is seasoned enough to check his ego at the robing room because to do otherwise is counterproductive to resolving the issues. Also, frankly it would be unprofessional and undignified ... just as it would for a referee.

Trust me, referees have egos, and there are rare times when they can come out and use it effectively as while the larger egos may not belong to the players, no one is coming to see the referee do their job. Ask Zlatan ... and everyone else watching this match shown below.

This leads me to my #protip for the day (I learned this one the hard way):
It's okay to show a little ego, just don't be a jackass about it because it will backfire.

What Soccer Referees Should Learn from #Deflategate - Part 2 of 5

Yet another lessons that referees can take away from #deflategate is that consistency is king.

Recent headlines have come up regarding open admissions by Aaron Rodgers on how he prefers his footballs prepared, yet the league has choose to do nothing about it.

Take a look here, among other places for this information. In a nutshell the league is saying they are not going to investigate.

Well as you can imagine, Patriot and not Patriot fans alike reacted poorly to this as it was clear that, if the NFL thought the deflation of balls was akin to performance enhancing, then all instances of it should be investigated as it would seem serious.

Right?

Nope, per Troy Vincent.

Let me assure you folks, there is no faster way to kill a match than to be inconsistent about what you are going to decide. Now, does that mean you can't change your mind about what you are going to call given the emotions surrounding the game. No absolutely not and look below for a very practical use of that method.

What I am saying is that if a referee calls a foul a particular way (like a handling) outside the penalty area, you have to call it the same way inside the penalty area. I can assure you, the laws of physics do not change in that 7128 sqf area. There is no faster way to earn the ire of players than decide to change the course of a match by calling or not a foul in a way not consistent with another part of the field. A foul is a foul no matter where it happens.

Don't be fooled though, the temperature of a match can change, and usually does during a match and it is critical for a referee to take note and deal with it accordingly. Some referees call this "pacing" of a match where there are times more action is needed than not. A referee that is really in tune with a match will help manage the pace to allow players the ability to fully demonstrate their abilities and stop opportunities for the destruction of them. This concept is very advanced but the basics of knowing when a player, or team, or match, is reaching a fever pitch is critical to referee development.

Here is a #protip that I have used late in my refereeing career.

• As a referee don't ever try to manufacture controversy by creating calls to get a higher score on an assessment or to make it competitive. (Yes folks, some referees have been known to do this.) Not only is it unethical to call fouls for a referees benefit, most assessors will catch on and come down on you for it. Heck, if it is an "easy" match ... just leave it that way!

What Soccer Referees Should Learn from #Deflategate - Part 1 of 5

As #deflategate presses on it got me thinking about practical lessons from it that we can learn in our soccer refereeing lives. Over this next week we will explore a few thoughts on #deflategate, how it has evolved, how the parties have acted, and what we can learn from it.

Along the way I will throw in a #protip for each day that can be used in your every day refereeing, all the way to the international level..

Lesson 1: Measure all the balls

The Laws Of The Game (LOTG) require balls to be inflated within a particular range. In fact there are several requirement for a ball to be used in a match, they are:

The ball is:

• spherical (note this is different from round)
• made of leather or other suitable material
• of a circumference of not more than 70 cm (28 ins) and not less than 68 cm (27 ins)
• not more than 450 g (16 oz) and not less than 410 g (14 oz) in weight at the start of the match 
• of a pressure equal to 0.6 – 1.1 atmosphere (600 – 1,100 g/cm2 ) at sea level (8.5 lbs/sq in – 15.6 lbs/sq in)

Additionally for any match connected to FIFA, a ball must additionally bear:

• the official “FIFA APPROVED” logo
• the official “FIFA INSPECTED” logo
• the “INTERNATIONAL MATCHBALL STANDARD” logo

There are a few noteworthy things in here:

1. This describes a "size 5" ball used for U-14 and above play in the US. A smaller size ball, does not match these requirements.
2. There is both a weight and a pressure requirement for the ball.
3. Pressure variability is very large, while the weight variability is not.
4. FIFA has a substantial program around this can can be found here.

Before each match, every single ball should be checked that will come into play. A gauge such as this one from Official Sports do nicely even for large amounts of balls. You can get far less expensive ones that will do the trick in a pinch too. With the very large variability of pressure, most balls will fall within the range will little or no adjustments.

Balls outside these ranges can substantially affect play given the range. A ball on the lower end will act and feel flat and on the upper end no one will want to strike as it is so hard.

Note that the "Charmin Test" of squeezing the ball does not work in all cases and can provide incorrect result, especially with balls that are made of a hard plastic or are overinflated.

Once you get the pressure dialed in, you should be set for the match.

Here are a couple of #protips that I have used late in my refereeing career.

• Give both keepers the chance to handle the match ball before the match, best at the introductions so they won't go far. They will appreciate the touch before the match.
• Remember a ball is SPHERICAL, not round as the distinction is huge. It has also made its way on to National Referee exams.
• What Law 2 does not cover is the most important aspect of the ball ... that it be safe. If a ball hurts a player (from a loose panel or similar) or if there is a large consensus to change the ball, just change it. It is a small thing that can get you big points with players. Remember, its their game ... let them use the (legal) ball they want. 

Is there a 3rd option?

As the FIFA scandal is heating up as we all know, their sponsors, like Coke and McDonalds among others have called them on the carpet to explain what FIFA will look like "under new management" so to speak.

In fact they may have seen this neat video from "Dark5":



Many of these who have been following this mess will likely not be shocked.

These guys did produce a few other videos however, regarding a couple of other FIFA sponsors:

Coke:



and McDonalds:



and honestly after seeing these, I'm not sure who is worse, FIFA or their sponsors.

What Moses, U2, and NFL Referees Have In Common

NFL to experiment with extra official on field, tablets for instant replay

During the second week of the NFL preseason, the league will be testing out two new procedures related to its use of officials: The NFL will have an extra official on the field and officials will use Microsoft Surface Tablets for instant replay purposes.

For 13 games this week, the NFL will use eight-person crews instead of seven-person crews, which has been the standard size since 1978. According to a statement released by the NFL, the eighth official is being brought on in an attempt to reduce "the number of times an official is responsible for multiple areas of the field that may not be in proximity to each other." ...

See the whole article here, courtesy of CBS Sports.

Kicking Back Comments: For those who read me often, you know I am no fan of tinkering with something that works, and frankly I think the NFL officiating works. I say this (please note without any experience in refereeing grid iron) there are an awful lot of officials inside the field of play during a game. In fact 24% of people inside the field are referees (22 players and 7 referees). That is a lot of officiating bodies in there. These folks seem to get it right an awful lot of the time.

Please know that while I feel that is a lot of referees, given the multiple "contact points" inside the field this large number may indeed be necessary. Then again, I thought the addition of end line officials in UEFA to assure if a goal had been scored was too much even in the face of recent events for The Game and the introduction of GLT.

Being handed a tablet however, I think is a bit gratuitous. I am sure part of this is a deal with Microsoft who will be supplying the tablet and service (and have ads all over the place) but the part about efficiency I am not seeing. In fact there was a bit of suspense in having the referee jog over to "the hood" and have a look. Broadcast would look at footage as well and folks would speculate. It was a great opportunity for everyone to play referee. 

With a tablet I don't think we save any time and frankly I think it will look weird when a tablet bearer (they have to be nicknamed "Moses") comes out to present it and we all watch a referee, watch a tablet on a split screen. It may be more fun if we get to see the very same feed the referee sees ... or there is a url we can hit to see the same feed the referee sees. Hmmmmmmm. I would love to see what @DeanBlandino is seeing on game day.

Either way, I think this is a silly and unnecessary change to something that works already in context of the game. I find it hard to believe other than an opportunity for more marketing revenue, this serves any legitimate game enhancing need.

Boo Hoo

Sepp Blatter claims Fifa portrayed as a mafia organisation by US investigation

Sepp Blatter has accused the US justice department of portraying Fifa like a mafia organisation while adding that he will reveal details of his abrupt decision to step down as president of world football’s governing body when he officially departs.

Blatter will leave Fifa after 40 years at the organisation following the presidential election at a special congress in February, having announced his departure just days after his re-election in June which coincided with the corruption scandal that engulfed the organisation and led to the arrest of 14 officials at a Zurich hotel.

Insisting that he would one day “tell exactly what happened” to prompt his resignation, Blatter labelled the investigation into Fifa as a “tsunami” and criticized the light in which the organisation was portrayed by the US attorney general, Loretta Lynch. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of The Guardian.

Kicking Back Comments: Every time I think Sepp is joking, he seems to be serious. News flash Sepp, FIFA is organized crime on a global scale and you are at the head of the snake. You think the US AG Loretta Lynch is the cause of this image? Really?

One telling sign should be art imitating life with the new exhibit at the "Maria Museum" in Las Vegas highlighting FIFA.  Are you going to blame the AG for this too?

Sepp, you got caught, finally, since the US took a stand and brought you down. Enjoy your fall from "grace" ... I know I will. Hey, just write a book on the way, it will be horribly one sided and you likely won't give a dime to The Game you have been robbing for years ... but it may be a fun read.

'Dos a Cero' (R)

U.S. Soccer is trying to trademark 'Dos a Cero'

A rallying cry forged by fans could soon be owned by U.S. soccer. A trademark filing from late June shows that "Dos a Cero" has been registered as a trademark, which could limit how much the phrase is used in the future. ...

See the whole story here courtesy of SB Nation.

Kicking Back Comments: I can see it now, US Soccer jerseys with "Dos a Cero" on them. While being mildly sarcastic I am glad to see US Soccer IP rights are worth protecting. A casual search of TESS shows quite a few US Soccer and Major League Soccer related marks.

While it may not be "sexy" it is certainly an indiction of a willingness to spend money to protect what some would see as a future revenue stream.

U.S. National Team Ties Venezuela

TORONTO (Aug. 10, 2015) – The U.S. Paralympic National Team came back to tie Venezuela 1-1 at the Parapan Am Fields in Toronto at the 2015 Parapan American Games.

The U.S. went down in the 41st minute when Asdrubal Olivares Mora capitalized on a penalty kick.

"We went into this game firmly focused on getting a win and therefore a draw was far from the desired result," said U.S. PNT head coach Stuart Sharp. "The game had no rhythm to it with the Venezuela players constantly using delay and some unsavory tactics throughout the match. No excuses though, we once again could not finish the multiple chances we had to win the game and got drawn into a scrappy encounter that was below our standard of play. We are now faced with two very difficult games that will see goal difference come into play if we want to make it into the Bronze medal match later in the week." ...

See the whole story here, from US Soccer.

Kicking Back Comments: I think we sometimes forget (sadly I know I do) we have three senior National Teams. USMNT, USWNT, and USPNT.  A few player interviews are below ... truly inspirational. Of particular note are the referees for these matches who are National or better and have substantial professional league experience.

You would expect nothing else for a senior National Team match.

I for one hope she stays ...

What's next for U.S. soccer superstar Abby Wambach

NEW YORK — After two Olympic gold medals and years of being the face of women's soccer, Abby Wambach is finally a World Cup champion.

At 36 years old, Wambach is still deciding if she will participate in next summer's Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. "In my mind, I have to believe that if I'm asked to be on the team, I don't know if I can say no," Wambach told media members before a Citi Kids event at Citi Field in New York last Thursday. "But I also know that a lot's got to happen between now and then." ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of Mashable.

Kicking Back Comments: I hope she stays through the Olympics frankly. She is a charismatic leader that is doing worlds for The Game (gender neutral) and The Womens' Game in particular. I also give her big props for her moves against FIFA for the nonsense they created by not allowing the WWC to be played on grass. While I would have liked to see the players continue their suit, I certainly understand why they ended it.

While I personally don't see her moving to the analyst chair for TV, I can only hope she finds herself involved with US Soccer in a coaching or advisory position.

Integrity Indeed

How 14 Indicted FIFA Officials Currently Stand

Updating the legal status of the 14 soccer and sports marketing officials charged in the FIFA corruption case.

Charged in the United States

Jeffrey Webb, President of Concacaf, one of the six regional confederations that compose FIFA, and a vice president of FIFA.

Webb, 50, pleaded not guilty on July 18 at an arraignment in United States District Court in Brooklyn to charges that he had solicited bribes to parcel out lucrative soccer media and marketing deals. Webb, who was arrested in Switzerland in May, was released on a $10 million bond secured by a mix of real estate holdings owned by him, his wife and other relatives; bank accounts; cars; and expensive watches and jewelry. He has been provisionally banned from all soccer-related activities by FIFA’s ethics committee. ...

See where the other 13 indicted folks are here, courtesy of The NY Times.

Kicking Back Comments: I'll save full comment about the topic regarding the "Integrity of The Game" later in the week as I expect the "Deflategate" scandal to come to a crescendo, but it is safe to say I am happy to see the wheels of justice starting to roll over these folks even understanding that it will take years to sort this all out ... and le grand fromage is still walking around Switzerland looking for his long lost Nobel Peace Prize.    

How would you like to referee this one?

Gaza, West Bank teams face off for first match in years

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) Divided politically and geographically, Palestinians made strides toward unity with the first football match between a West Bank club and a Gaza Strip team in 15 years on Thursday.

Gaza's Shijaiyah United played Hebron's Al-Ahly to raucous cheers in a packed stadium. The match ended 0-0.

Israel restricts the movement of Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and the local league's teams were under the same limits, meaning teams from the Palestinian territories hadn't faced off for years. Israel approved Al-Ahly's entrance into Gaza following a request, according to Cogat, the Israeli defense body that handles civilian issues with the Palestinians. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of Fox Sports.

Kicking Back Comments: Can you imagine the pressure on this refereeing team? I've "played some tough houses" but when the venue is war torn and the number of riot police is a substantial percentage of the spectators, it give me pause ... great pause.

Kudos to this officiating team for seeing this historic match take place. Kudos also to the Israelis for allowing the movement through Gaza to make this happen. 

You are now free to have a ball.

Photo courtesy of Skift

Southwest Turns Discarded Leather Seats Into Soccer Balls

Remember those relatively cushy leather seats on Southwest Airlines’ 737-700 aircraft that gave way to slim-line seats, enabling the airline to pack an additional six seats into the cabin?

The new seats, which also can be found in some of Southwest’s 737-300 aircraft, are said to be lighter and made out of eco-friendly products. ...

See the whole article here, courtesy of Skift.

Kicking Back Comments: Good on Southwest Air for doing this. A very neat idea and a very worthy cause.

Support us or get left behind?

This is the title of a recent piece by Sporting News, Wambach to sponsors: Support us or get left behind. This article, while interesting, does not tell the whole story regarding the disparity between women and men soccer players in the US.

Let me start by being very clear, a disparity exists, and it's a big one.

Let me equally clear, this is not because US Soccer or FIFA does not like the women's game. They play an attractive brand of football as do the men. This disparity is caused by a fairly simple reality.

The modern women's game does not make the type of money to allow such pay.

I admire Wambach frankly. She is a tremendous footballer and represents her country with respect and pride and as I have witnessed personally, she is particularly great with young fans. She earns every penny of her salary (reported between $190K - $300K) and fees for speaking engagements ($30K - $60K for a 2 hour appearance) and is a vocal leader for the women's game today. 

It is just simply not enough.

By the numbers the German National Team won $35M for their 2014 victory as compared to $2M for the US for their 2015 win. About a 17.5% discrepancy.

Looking at the revenue for the 2014 World Cup, it took in an estimated $4.8B (with a B). By comparison the 2011 World Cup (the '15 numbers are not ready yet) took in an estimated $75M (with an M ... and I am rounding up). This is a 64% discrepancy.

Some may say that is not a fair comparison as the revenue for the 2010 World Cup is smaller ... It is, but at $3.7B (again with a B).

So to get apples to apples, lets assume the same growth in the WWC, making an estimated 2015 number about 25% higher. This puts us with some serious rounding at about $100M (with a M) or the Men's WC earning about 50x that of the WWC.

50x folks ... Just for Sepp, here is a 20 CHF note at 50x:

Check out this article for these and other numbers, such as the fact as a percentage the women make more than men do in recent World Cup play.

Now I don't go so far as to say this is because "... men invented sports ..." (even tongue in cheek as I hope this author did), nor do I think the US Women's team is not treated like humans as one "social justice activist" did embedded in this article. Give me a break. (Abby didn't help her case either by saying she had to fly commercial sometimes #firstworldproblems and Alex Morgan from US Soccer alone makes ~$250K (source) never mind her endorsement deals).

If the WWC made the money the WC did, you can bet sponsors would be clawing their way to support these teams. It is sadly that simple. It is not about gender, it is not about race, it is not about nationality.

It is about money, and women's football does not make enough of it to be truly relevant to big business.

So now what, that's it? Go home?

Not by a long shot.

In 1999 names like Hamm, Chastain, and Foudy to name a few, pioneered sport when they took the world by storm with what they did. A new professional league was born out of their success and while the WUSA folded after just (3) seasons (and losses of ~$100M) the seeds were sewn.

(Nota Bene the decade long gap with no women's professional league or WWC win)

Today we have the NWSL and a new crop of heroines to continue to fight for the sport we all love. Will the women's game "make it big" someday? Yeah, I think so and agree with Abby that sponsors should get on board before they do.

It's just not yet.

Take a look how long it took for the men's game to get where it is today. MLS is in year 20(!) and there are an awful lot of players with low salaries. Recall that years 1 - 10 most players were making on the order of $11K, many had part time jobs, and flew coach, just like the referees. I know because I had many a flight with an MLS team ... another story later but before the match is ok ... after is horrible.

Compare this to the NWSL which is in year 3. It ain't easy, there is no doubt, but it takes time to build, and requires effort and patience.

Not the message folks want to hear I know ... but is I am afraid, the sad economic fact.

"I Don't Give A F*** About FIFA"

Well then, that seems to be clear.

Just like me with "deflategate," Ronaldo may be tired of hearing about FIFA's issues as they have been going on for sooooooo long.

In his case however, I would think if he had an opinion he would want to share, as one of the potential future presidents of FIFA would see an (8) team increase of participants at the World Cup.

There are a few other proposals Mr. Platini would likely make too that will alter the fabric of the business of football. Check out this article from Forbes too see them all. Some of which I would think Ronaldo would certainly have some thoughts about ... beyond the singular thought he shared.

WWE meets FIFA

This hilarious FIFA 15 glitch has given us an idea for an awesome new game

Somebody has really trolled the game's designers here - but it could be the start of something wonderful.

Image courtesy of EA Sports

There's no doubting that that the FIFA series has got more and more sophisticated over the years.

Shooting, crossing and passing have all become more realistic, while the game physics are more lifelike with every edition. No wonder, then, that each one feels like a more satisfying gaming experience than the last. ...

See the whole story (and video!) here, courtesy of Mirror.

Kicking Back Comments: Where was the referee in all of this? Also, that foul is so violent I think it turns into VC not SFP!! =)

Incredible article from SI on the early days ... with one exception ...

The Birth of a League

A 10-team organization with zero soccer-specific stadiums at the start, Major League Soccer now has 20 franchises, 13 of them playing in homes of their own, with payrolls that have tripled. As the league plays its 20th season, key figures recall the kickoff campaign


Reporting by Grant Wahl and Brian Straus
Compiled by Alexander Abnos

See the whole article here, courtesy of SI.

Kicking Back Comments: This is a spectacular article from many on the ground floor of MLS. It is a worthy read and in fact I may even put this one into "essential."

There is a critical aspect missing in it however ... the referees and the efforts it took to get a group of referees together for these matches. There are heroes that should have been heard from here like Dr. Joe Machnik and Dr. Herb Silva to name a couple. 

You think it was a wild time for the owners and players, I can assure you it was an even wilder ride for us referees in the early days. As one of the referees who worked in MLS from day 1 (I was truly lucky to be the 4th official on the home opener for NE), the above story is incomplete without that view.

Imagine the challenge of getting a group of referees together with experience ranging from FIFA (like Esse Baharmast) all the way through to backyard, barely State referee kids (like me) who were really just starting out. It is a series of experiences I will never forget ... and (in general) should be part of the fabric of the beginning of MLS, as believe me, we were involved ... at times more than we should have been.

We need *more* crying in baseball

My comment is from looking at video of Wilmer Flores here, where he became understandably upset, to the point of tears, when he learned (or thought he did) he was going to be traded. Lets face it, the Mets are an organization he has been with since he was (16) years old and to be forced to up and move from what you knew since you were (literally) a kid is traumatic.

I for one was heartened to see this as far too often we see professional athletes taking their "fame" for granted and not seemingly giving a care to the very thing they are supposed to love. It is clear Flores does.

This goes for referees (of all sports) too. I wish people would take the time and emote as officials. Show you are human and share how you feel (within some bounds) to the players and spectators. Empathy, happiness, anger, even sadness ... it's all fair game.

Try it some time, you may be pleasantly surprised at the reactions you get.

All that said, the scene from A League of Their Own is classic. It also is not lost on me the umpire tried to help the manager there ... to which he was rebuked most ... hilariously. Explicit language warning. =)

... and good riddance Herr Bach.

As we saw the other day, Boston firmly rejected the USOC and in turn the IOC's opportunity to host the 2022 Summer Olympics. As I wrote earlier, I was thrilled to see this as frankly, the cost overruns would be put on the backs of the citizens of Boston and Massachusetts. Real kudos to No Boston Olympics who lead the charge despite being maligned by one politician as #10peopleontwitter. Secondary kudos to Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and Governor Charlie Baker for having the courage (in Marty's case) and the forethought to investigate (in Charlie's case) before getting squeezed by the USOC and IOC. As I stated earlier, neither give two hoots about Boston. They are here for the cash and leave a wake of trash behind.

Don't believe me? Take a trip to Atlanta and visit the sites of the 1996 Olympics. They are dormant and weed filled in some cases.

Even better were some of the demands from the IOC. You have to read them to believe them but they included:

• Separate lanes should be created on all roads where IOC members will travel, which are not to be used by regular people or public transportation.
• The IOC president shall be welcomed ceremoniously on the runway when he arrives.
• IOC members shall be greeted with a smile when arriving at their hotel.
• Meeting rooms shall be kept at exactly 20 degrees Celsius at all times.
• The hot food offered in the lounges at venues should be replaced at regular intervals, as IOC members might “risk” having to eat several meals at the same lounge during the Olympics.

This is truly pathetic. It reminds me too of one of my very first professional matches. Here I was, a kid at 19 years old as an AR on a 3rd division match. It was a small, cramped locker room, but was fine. In a generous display the home team manager felt bad for the cramped quarters and took the time to lay out warm bottles of water and some chewing gum on a paper plate.

It was awesome.

It was clear these guys did not have much money but did what they could to make us feel as welcome as possible.

It was the best chewing gum I ever had to this day.

I read stuff like separate lanes or this other nonsense and just reflect on what a bunch of self indulging t*atwa##les (n. An elitist; someone unaware of their own limitations and highly critical of others.) these folks are.

Good riddance Herr Bach, you may say it is Boston's fault, but honestly, we're happy to see you go.

I can't believe my earballs

Image Courtesy of FX

For any who do not understand the reference, this is a regular line from a character named Cheryl Tunt from the FX series Archer. Cheryl has a brother Cecil who are the only two surviving members of the Tunt family. She is voiced by Judy Greer and frankly is a bit of a ditz.

I understood what she meant though when I heard Vladimir Putin state Sepp Blatter deserves Nobel Prize for his FIFA work. I'm serious, just take a look here.

Twitter reacted to the nonsense as I expected they would, with a series of clever and demeaning messages for the incident. My personal favorite was a photoshop of Putin and Sepp, joined on stage by the Sith Lord, Sauron, and Lord Voldemort. You can see this and the other images here.

One bright spot in the actual draw was the relative ease the US should qualify ... that is if they get their current act together and play like many believe they can. Let's face it, the Gold Cup was a huge disappointment for them and some soul searching may be in order to get back to business.

That said, I for one have faith the US will qualify for 2018. Once we get there however, I am concerned what we may find. As I have said before however, one teams early exit is another teams good fortune. Should the US exit early, it makes it far easier for a US refereeing crew to progress on. After the stellar performance Mark Geiger put in last year I look forward to another fabulous showing from a US refereeing team.

Good Riddence

A final blow to Boston’s Olympic bid

WHAT CAN YOU say about a $5 billion plan that died? The collapse of the city’s Olympic dream on Monday, less than seven months after the United States Olympic Committee picked Boston as its bid city, comes as a bitter blow to the many people who devoted their energy and time to advocate for the Games. Despite months of effort, the plan fell apart after Mayor Walsh refused to guarantee that taxpayers would cover any cost overruns. The USOC is reportedly seeking to cobble together a last-minute plan with Los Angeles or another city to bid for the 2024 Games. Although the process started vital, far-reaching discussions about the city’s future, ultimately the people of Massachusetts never got a fair chance to weigh in by voting in a referendum. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of the Boston Globe.

Kicking Back Comments:

I for one, and as a resident of Massachusetts, am glad to see this fail. While as the article states and I agree, it is a great starting point for some conversations about how to continue to remake Boston, which is truly an amazing city. Given the realities about hosting an Olympics in the US, which with one exception has been a massive money loss that city, state, and federal tax payers hold the bag for, I don't want anything to do with it.

A reality is as well, the IOC does not give two hoots about the host country, like FIFA, it is a corrupt organization that bilks money from various countries and leaves waste in its path.

What remains so sad is that sport, true sport, is spectacular when acted out by the best in the world. It is a joy to watch. What is so foul however, are the corrupt beggars that put themselves first and sport second.

Good riddance IOC. I am happy to see the bid fail but remain sorry to think of the next country that will be fleeced for bribes and left with nothing when it is done.

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'Nuff Said

Photo Courtesy of Sky Cycling

Legal Week Finale: Swiss v. Brodkin - So totally worth it!

Simon Brodkin reveals cash he threw at FIFA President Sepp Blatter was $600 of his own money... and police gave all of it back

• Comedian Simon Brodkin showered Sepp Blatter in cash in prank
• Brodkin evaded security to gain access to FIFA press conference in Zurich
• He threw $600 bundle of dollars over Blatter before security removed him
• Brodkin was charged by Swiss authorities with trespassing
• He revealed the cash was his own and he is taking the charges 'seriously' 

Comedian Simon Brodkin has revealed the money he showered over FIFA President Sepp Blatter was $600 of his own money - and that he received all of it back from the police.

Brodkin, best known for his comedy alter egos Lee Nelson and Jason Bent, evaded security to storm a press conference at FIFA headquarters in Zurich on Monday and throw the dollar bills at Blatter.

He was arrested and charged with trespassing by the Swiss authorities on Tuesday before being released to return to the UK. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of Mail Online.

Kicking Back Comments: OMG, this was fabulous. If there is a legal defense fund, I'll be down for some!! Great prank that I can only hope FIFA does not intent to press charges on. They have much bigger fish to fry.

Legal Week Day 5: The Extradition of Jack Warner

On July 27, 2015 Jack Warner is scheduled to appear in a New York court to face his portion of the indictment (from Legal Week Day 4). There is only one problem ... Trinidad & Tobago won't let him go.

Unlike Henry Webb who did not fight extradition (and I think smartly as the first ones in get the deals), Warner has dug in his proverbial heels and is fight it. Garvin Nicholas, T&T's AG is reviewing the matter now and some experts have stated it could take up to 5 years (!) for this to happen (source).

The US and T&T do have extradition treaties with each other and can be viewed here (the Trinidad version).

Here too is where fugitives have to be careful as if the Feds want you, really want you, they are going to get you and have unlimited resources and time to do it. Take a look at Barry Bonds, who the Feds have chased for over 10 years now, and have just decided to stop prosecuting after ten's of millions of dollars spent. Mr. Warner is in for a long ride.

I dunno, I would think that he would do well to come to the States with his "mountain of documentation" and blow every other FIFA criminal out of the water ... then as for witness protection.

Get ready Somewhere USA, that slick talking elderly guy that *really* likes soccer who just moved in named "Jack Warren" may not be who you think it is.

I see a screen play ... this FIFA move keeps getting better in my head.

Legal Week Day 4: US DOJ v. Jeffery Webb et al

If I ever forget, anyone out there please remind be never to tick off the US DOJ.

For all interested the DOJ has posted their indictment publicly here. It is 164 pages of really, really, dense, largely technical details of just how deep the rabbit hole goes, so to speak.

I'm not going to go through the indictment other than to say the (14) folks, Jeffery Webb especially as he is here in the US as our guest, are certainly feeling the heat. Also, and this became clear to me when Sepp and Gerome refused (not failed) to come to Canada to present the Women's World Cup trophy, everyone else is hearing footsteps in the evening as folks are afraid to set foot in countries friendly to extradition with the US.

In a supreme act of cowardice however, Issa Hayatou, who while not on the indictment, has been under investigation for corruption charges, was essentially made a canary in a coal mine and pushed out to present the trophy to the US Women's team (under a shower of BOOs) and was no doubt watched by Sepp from his Swiss lair to see if our friends to the north were willing to arrest the man on the spot.

It will not end well for these folks as Webb has had to ransom off his riches to make bail and pay for his own private security when he is awaiting trial. I expect similar fates for the others on the DOJ's list. The NYT has a nice chart here. It's on my wall with a few "X's" through it now.

I actually think the DOJ is playing this well and at the end of the day, we will see Sepp here for a visit as well. Unless he goes all rogue or something ... THAT would be a plot for a real movie from FIFA. Not the $1310 BOMB it just made which is now being called the worst movie in history. I can almost see Sepp in this one ... as the bad guy, little FIFA ring and all.

Let's face it ... it is only a matter of time for Sepp and company now. There is a price to pay however. Has anyone asked why Dan Flynn was on the Hill the other day in front of the Senate and not Sunil Gulati?

Yeah, it may be because he knew in advance what Andrew Jennings was going to say, calling for his resignation. I would hate to think it was because he did not want anything on the record.

Stay tuned.

Legal Week Day 3: Gregory and Mary Ellias, Administrators of the Estate of Hayden Ellias, deceased vs. Porter Athletic Equipment Company, et. al.

While the particular case is tragic and long settled, this story is heartbreaking and when I first reported on it has continued to captured my thoughts and feelings on the topic to this very day.

Sadly, unsecured goals are a very serious and continuing problem world wide. To date, in the US and Canada since 1979 there have been a minimum of (39) deaths and (57) injuries (source).

Not interesting nor surprising is when I last wrote about this about a year ago, the title of my article was, 38 Dead Children; 56 More Injured.

Notice something?

Yes ... there have been more deaths and reported injuries from just a year ago.

Recall Law I where goals must be securely anchored to the ground.

No excuses folks, just do it. It's quick, it's easy, and will save a life.

Consider the alternative. In additional to a lifetime of regret and emotional trauma knowing you may have stopped a life from being lost or forever altered, there is little doubt in my mind in addition to that emotional burden, you will almost certainly be looking at being named as a co-defendant in a civil suit where you as a referee have an *affirmative duty* to make sure the field is safe and goals are safely anchored.

Save a life.

Save yourself the hassle.

Check the nets and don't play unless they are safe.

Legal Week Day 2: Mehr et al v. Federation Internationale de Football Association et al

Back in August of 2014 a group of parents sued FIFA and several US based soccer organizations, claiming in part they failed to warn or protect children from concussions. A particular focus regarded repetitive heading of the ball.

While the suit was dismissed (opinion here) for reasons I will briefly go into, there is a point lurking in there somewhere as some of the sports greats and future greats have had a career cut short due to these injuries. Taylor Twellman comes to mind among many.

We have seen the serious effects of concussion (in general in The Game) not just from headers in the 2014 World Cup with a staggering Christoph Kramer asking the referee " ... is this the final?"

In the US, risks of head injuries in sports has been a recurring concern. In mid-2014 the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) agreed to settle a head injury lawsuit by creating a $70 million fund for concussion testing. Some of the same lawyers involved in that case filed the subject lawsuit.

While the suit at hand sought no "direct damages" (i.e. money to the plaintiffs) it did look to institute a (unbelievably broad) medical monitoring program, as well as attorneys fees and tried to alter the LOTG to "limit" the number of time players could head the ball and making it "easier" to substitute if such an injury is suspected.

The suit against FIFA was dismissed and can not be brought again as the judge made it clear FIFA had no standing in such a case. In short, the ties to the US game are too tenuous to drag them into court over this issue. Plaintiffs tried *hard* to do this ... but no avail.

The suit against the US organizations, see p.3 of the opinion for a nifty chart, was also dismissed, but not prejudicially so ... it can come back, and I believe will. In part the dismissal was the fact the all of the plaintiffs did not currently have injuries that were being claimed. In short, they (fortunately) all recovered from their injuries that lead to the suit in the first place. Also part of the decision was the fact the parents (of the minors) knew and assumed the risk of the possibility of injury of the type claimed.

There were a few statements when this was first filed that caught my eye. First was the AYSO saying it's "... highest priority is creating a safe and nurturing environment where kids can play and have fun ..." and AYSO requires any player exhibiting signs of a concussion immediately be removed for the remainder of the day.

*HUH?*

Any AYSO referees out there aware of that? It is certainly not uniformly adopted across the US.

Also, from the attorneys, a well crafted and foreboding statement:
"For many families soccer is seen as a terrific alternative to football ... . Parents are often relieved when their children choose soccer. However, soccer ranks among the top sports in the number of concussions per game."

I'll tell you folks (and for any who have heard me speak on the topic you have) as a referee, don't mess around here. If a player takes a knock in the head, stop the game and get the coaches. Don't evaluate, don't try to play through, stop and get the coach or trainer.

Also, know the symptoms of a concussion, not to medically diagnose one as this by many reports can take 8-10 minutes, but to be casually familiar if you see such behavior. If you do, stop the match and get the coach or trainer. Do not pass go, do not collect $200, stop right there.

We are in a funny time right now where the rule making bodies and organizing folks are under threat of suit, scared, and don't know how to proceed as a whole. (In conversations it is clear many folks do know how to proceed but getting a large body to agree is the issue here) As referees lets make it easy on them, and in turn ourselves.

A blow to the head, stop, get help, and remove the player.

Signs of a concussion, stop, get help, and remove the player.

Yes, you may tick a few folks off in stopping play when particularly advantageous circumstances exists, but I would argue, those folks who would ask to continue when another player is suffering such a condition, have a "head injury" themselves.

Legal Week Day 1: "Deflategate"

So unless you have been traveling on New Horizons somewhere near Pluto you have heard of "Deflategate" where various members of the New England Patriots have been accused of doctoring game balls and then covering up that event.

This has a life of its own now and with an announcement out any day now from the NFL league office I am going to let it be, with one exception ... the referees.

Interestingly, the "Wells Report" commissioned by the NFL and created by investigator Ted Wells is highly complimentary of the officiating crew and states in part Dr. Walt Anderson, the referee for the contest and a 19-year NFL veteran, as an organized, by-the-book, detail-orientated referee.

Fro the report itself:
“It is obvious that he approaches his responsibilities with a high level of professionalism and integrity.”

It is also stated how Dr. Anderson tested the footballs before the AFC title game, noting he had not one, but two air-pressure gauges, and used a gold pen to mark the footballs that were tested. He also marked the spare footballs in case they were to be used, but only after asking NFL senior director of officiating Alberto Riveron for permission.

Understanding that the LOTG spells out how the balls have to be prepared for The Game, what other procedures do you use to assure the balls used are ones that have been tested.



Now you may think this is not a big deal ... and in general I may have agreed as generally a referee may give a ball the "Charmin Test" before putting it in play and no more.



At the professional and international level this is a daunting task and is generally delegated to the 4th official and there are a couple of dozen balls to go through and requires a pressure gauge to make sure the pressure is correct as players are increasingly sensitive to such changes.

Now, I am going to recommend folks start carrying a pressure gauge and a marker pen to even youth matches. Why you ask, surely not due to "Deflategate"?

Nope, I have no fear of FIFA coming down on me as a referee if a ball is under, or more importantly over inflated.

My reason is, and this is a stretch, as we will see tomorrow there was a HUGE lawsuit that was just dismissed, but I have no doubt is coming back and is over soccer players, headers, and concussions. My logic is simple, the harder the ball, the possible greater chance of a concussion (up to a 30% in this report for heading). While the particular suit did not involve referees directly ... how soon is it before a referee gets questions about ball pressure or is required to show before each match the ball was properly inflated? After all, we should be doing this anyway.

Whacky ... yes ... a bit ... but when you see the verdict and some info I will present about concussions later this week, you may at least pause to make sure a ball gets more than the Charmin test before a match. Get in the habit now ... gauge it, fix it, mark it ... done.

Special trivia for the FIFA video above too ... can anyone name the FIFA referee at :53 of the video? I'll give you a hint ... he is really not welcome in Italy and was recently released from jail. I was very surprised FIFA used him in the video (2) years after his conviction.

"Legal Week" At Kicking Back

Readers of Kicking Back,

Over the last few weeks there have been more than a few "legal stories" in the news regarding soccer. This next week I will share them with you as well as some opinions about the future that may result from my point of view. These are more than just the FIFA goings-on, but some other things that affect every single referee.

We start tomorrow ... stay tuned.

Will they get a Caution from "The Don?"

MLS players react to picks of Lampard, Gerrard for All-Star Game

The first 13 names on the 2015 MLS All-Star team caused no small amount of consternation among players and fans. Neither of the league's top two leading goal scorers (Columbus' Kei Kamara and Toronto's Sebastian Giovinco) made the Fan XI, which is determined via online voting. Columbus' Ethan Finlay, a rising star who currently leads the league in assists, also failed to garner enough votes.

But no two names aroused as much criticism from fellow players as the two "Commissioner's picks" for the event: NYCFC's Frank Lampard and the L.A. Galaxy's Steven Gerrard. Both high-profile midfielders have only just started training with their clubs, and neither had played a single second of MLS action at the time Commissioner Don Garber summoned them to appear in the All-Star game.

Players league-wide took to Twitter to vent their frustrations. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of SI.com.

Kicking Back Comments: This is brilliant stuff from these players!! Kudos to all of them for their clever responses to (a good business and) a poor player management decision. 

I get what Mr. Garber is doing and from a league perspective (of which he is responsible) it makes sense. From the perspective of equity for players who actually deserve to be playing in that All Star match, he of course is dead wrong. Then again, life is not fair either.

All that aside, it is great to see players have the courage to shoot a few barbs @thesoccerdon as he earned them. I do wonder however, if there will be any fines or other "cautionary tales" coming back at these folks.

Stay Tuned.

Boston Testing New Child Protection for Soccer

See the whole silly article and video (!)  here, courtesy of the Boston.com.

Kicking Back Comments: I'm not sure why they picked soccer to do this with frankly ... running full tilt into an opponent does not seem like much fun. Clearly these guys have not taken physics and what effect greatly varied masses have on impact force ...

Funny none the less.

Very Cool SI ... Very Cool

SI honors World Cup-winning U.S. women with a cover for each player

The U.S. women’s national team made history by becoming the first to win three Women’s World Cups, snapping a 16-year title drought to do so by beating Japan 5-2 in the final and capping a memorable month in Canada.

To honor that achievement, Sports Illustrated has come up with a one-of-a-kind cover shoot. Instead of one cover to honor the 23 players and coach Jill Ellis, one for each of them. From Golden Ball winner Carli Lloyd to veteran stalwarts Abby Wambach and Megan Rapinoe to backup goalkeepers Alyssa Naeher and Ashlyn Harris, each member of the World Cup-winning squad, posing with the World Cup trophy, has her own cover as part of a unique set. ...

See the whole article here, courtesy of SI.com.

Kicking Back Comments: While the title says it all, I was very concerned about one thing ... In the article I saw AARP now has Brandi Chastain as a spokesperson!! She is 46 years old. Now ignoring momentarily I am about the same age as Brandi ... is there a substantial generation gap between the juggernaut team of ole and today?

It certainly gave me pause ...

Kicking Back - OUT!

Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia

Friends,

Over the next week or so I am going to be out and about and generally unavailable.

We would like to wish all our readers of Kicking Back a happy, safe, and mindful holiday season over this Independence Day.

We'll certainly be back at it for a recap on the Womens' World Cup and other significant happenings on our return.

Thanks for reading!

Drone-Gate?

Some NFL Teams Are Being Probed for Using Drones to Film Practice

National Football League teams have taken to the skies in their search for a competitive edge, launching drones to film their practices.

“You can coach better. You see hand placement, you see where they have their feet and where they have their eyes,” said Jason Garrett, coach of the Dallas Cowboys.

The problem is, it’s illegal to fly the unmanned aircraft for any commercial purpose without first getting a Federal Aviation Administration waiver. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of Bloomberg.

Kicking Back Comments:

Alright guys ... start the deflate-esque comments now =)

I think I am going to fly one of these for "educational" purposes for the next assessment I do.

An Open Letter to the GU16-1 South Shore League MTOC Team Coaches

Gentlemen,

During your match today at 4PM on Field #12 at Progin Park in Lancaster MA, I witnessed conduct so pathetic and barbaric from you both, I was compelled to write about it.

Let me start with a clear and unequivocal statement that I harbor no ill will against your team. There is no reason to involve them as they have earned the right to play and from today's result, will continue in the tournament.

My issue is with you both in bullying a seventeen year old girl about a decision she made. Bullying from a pair of late forty, early fifty men that was so persistent and so severe, it brought her to tears during and well after the match.

Bullying so grotesque it involved screaming by you, the lead coach, from the technical area and calling her decision "bull shit" and "what are you trying to do to us?" which persisted for several minuets with your arms raised as if a universal injustice was unfolding right before us.

It did not stop there however, until well after the match when you, the assistant coach, pulled her aside and told her "... I was a referee for 35 years and that was a serious decision you missed." Apparently the comment somehow was intended to have some weight to lessen the systemic bullying you heaped on this girl running the line in front of you, by saying something like "I've been there."

I find the premise pathetic, and if you really wanted to help you should have just walked away, or if you really felt compelled to say something like "I'm sorry I lost my head" or "I was a referee and know how hard it is. Thanks for all you are doing today" would have been fine thanks.

Please don't lower our craft by somehow thinking because you wore a referee badge at some time, you are obliged to offer free advise to any referee who strays from your vision of what should happen. Referees don't need that kind of help, from you, or anyone like you.

Referees, all referees, need coaching and support from those involved to allow them to learn the craft.  Now you may feel that is somehow unfair to your team which may have a legitimate opportunity to be crowned the "best team in the state." Let me tell you something, if you are so overwhelmed with that goal such that you are willing to bring a seventeen year old to tears, I would opine your priorities are tremendously out of whack ... and if you think a trophy makes you "champions" you have missed the point completely.

Consider the twist if I were to dissent to your team if they missed a play on the ball or made a wrong decision. Imagine if I shouted from the touchline "you suck #whatever, that was a shitty touch." Can you imagine the fallout if I continued my hypothetical pathetic tirade until she cried. But not to be deterred I had another person with me to say, "It's okay, you were really that bad and I used to play, so I know."

Of course it is not okay.

So why do you both think it is okay to do this to a seventeen year old girl who is serving the game as a referee??

A critical point you both have likely failed to consider is you have likely ended this referees career with your bullying. I can say this because I spoke to her for a while after and she has no real interest in coming back to get screamed at again. I don't blame her and I hope I am wrong, but at the very least, she will not be back tomorrow.

Over 50% of referees didn't come back after two years due largely to "above the game arrogance" like you both demonstrated today. If that was your goal, well done, you have likely succeeded.

In conclusion, I find your collective behavior boorish. For a forty or fifty something to berate a seventeen year old girl to tears and only stop when an adult was present for concern about "getting yelled at" as you stated when the field marshall approached, is a special kind of bully. I can only imagine what the parents of your players would think to see you bring that girl to tears.

I'm fairly certain it's not "what a role model our coaches are."

Buying a Nobel Peace Prize?

Let's go back together in the not so recent past where we experienced several very visceral incidents of blatant racism in The Game. One of the most memorable was regarding Dani Alves who had a brilliant response to having bananas thrown at him. You can see the article describing the whole matter here from CNN and here in Instagram.

FIFA frankly has a horrible record of doing something about this issue inside the field. Recall in 2011 where Sepp had stated that racism could be solved "with a handshake." While I agree with his critics that he is woefully out of touch on the issue and how serious and widespread it is, I also have to give him some credit for the idea.

It is a lesson Jr. and I were talking about just the other day when he came off the field angry at an opponent. I told him to let it go when you leave the pitch ... outside of that rectangle (please note Law 1 requires the field to be a rectangle, not square) it does not matter.

This is actually an ethos I live by in my soccer life. While it can be argued that I am narrow minded to think that by crossing the outside boundary of the field the world changes back to normal, it is a construct I have used for decades now to hold to the fact that The Game is a subset of life, not the other way around.

FIFA has done some excellent, good, bad, dumb, and really dumb things in an effort to try to stop these disgusting practices. While I will not go into them, examples are legion of the full spectrum of efforts. There are a couple that stand out though.

One such notable effort was the appointment of a FIFA EXCO member specifically tasked to combat racism. An excellent Executive level position to give the issue prominence. Jeffery Webb was appointed and gave a good speech in front of the 2013 FIFA congress. However he was recently indicted and dismissed from his positions.

Another effort is "racism monitors" throughout international matches and notably for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Even those however may not be up to the task as we have also seen recently. Now we have the "independent" group Kick It Out that seems to be gaining prominence in UEFA and is tenuously connected to FIFA, but my jury is still out on those guys while the goal is spot on some of the methods are a bit scary (e.g. calling for a referee to never work again who chose not to report an incident that he did not believe was racism or downloading an app from iTunes (here) to report such incidents).

As a final example, and a further note on Sepp's hubris, is the "handshake for peace" program that honestly really first caught my eye at the WWC. Again from above, a great concept albeit a bit too contrived from my taste, but with the backing of the Nobel Peace Center no less to give it gravitas. 

Only one catch, FIFA has been paying for the privilege (almost $1.3M per year since 2013) and it has been reported this is a crushing blow to Sepp personally as he saw himself as a Nobel Peace Prize laureate. While it was well understood that Sepp's ego knew no bounds, I was unaware that one could "grease" the Nobel Committee with a paltry $1.2M/year. I would have thought that the Nobel Peace Center would choose a cause an organization like this, as fundamentally it would seem to be a worthy cause for such a group.

Ah when will I learn.

 

Like it, or else?

The Women Are A Cleansing Sorbet...

There's too much football. It's fine to admit it. It's utterly relentless, a bombardment of games and tournaments and friendlies, just when we thought the season was over. The FA Cup final was followed by the Champions League final after which came a couple of England games then the Copa America and oh sweet fancy Moses the European Under-21 Championships is about to start. You start to feel like Roberto Duran being smacked around, but with perpetual football rather than Sugar Ray Leonard's fists. No más, no más, no más. ...

See the whole article here from Football365.com.

Kicking Back Comments:

What a load of crap frankly. Just because people are not jumping up and down about the WWC does not mean they are bad people or don't like The Game, it just means they are not interested or may not be entertained. There was a great reply to this article here on Football365 itself and an even better comment to that article:

"...While I agree with Nick Miller on the England Women's team being refreshing to watch (it's so weird watching football without the diving and swearing at the ref) I'm going to make an appeal to the good writers at F365. Can the next article on women's football not be a hand wringing 'why are people so negative' one like Jonny Nic's was the other week. Can we please have a 16 conclusions, or a preview of the Norway game, or even a profile of a couple of the players. If you want people to take the women's game seriously - then lead the way by giving it some proper coverage. Like you do with the Spanish League for example. A regular weekly column by one of your fine writers would be a much bigger boost to the game then trying to tackle misogyny single handed. Plus I really want to know who's at no. 50 on a WWC ladder! Mike, League 2, BRFC"

Honestly too, if this was true, most of the world would be considered a misogynist as attendance has been heavily inflated (source it look like only 313,411-ish in actual attendance for all matches to date) and while the US and Canada matches are very well attended, it looks like few others are. A real question is why this is the case? Remember from earlier that Canada was the ONLY country to bid on the WWC. Let's face it WWC is just not a money maker in most places. 

It is interesting though. People are about to go to jail and alter their lives forever in trying to get a World Cup into a particular country ... yet only a single country bids on the WWC.

Lets face it folks, it's not about misogyny, it's about money, and there is sadly not much in the women's game today.

FIFA's New Card Game!!

FIFA scandal collector cards: Get the whole set!

(CNN) So many arrests and so many men wanted and then there's the resignation of the top boss -- FIFA president Sepp Blatter.

If you're struggling to keep up with who has done what in the FIFA scandal, you're not alone, but CNN is here to help.

In a nod to those games you loved playing with your friends at school, we've designed a set of FIFA scandal collector cards, containing the key data of just who has been charged, banned suspended, resigned or pled guilty.

Feel free to print them out and swap them with your friends. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of CNN.

Kicking Back Comments: 

OMG this is great!! Soon we may see a deck of playing cards with their likenesses on them. Yes, Sepp would be the ace of spades.

I'm betting he is sleeping with one eye open right now just waiting for the FBI or Swiss police to come crashing through the door.

Tick tock Sepp ... tick tock.

Thanks Dad

My Dad taught me many things.  Fortunately, the things he believed in and taught me stuck.  

He taught me to be accountable for my actions.  To admit when I messed up.  Even more importantly to apologize and try to make amends to those I harmed.

He taught me to be self sufficient.  If I wanted something done, I had better get off my duff and do it myself.

My Dad liked sports and encouraged me to play them.  He was teaching me through sports too.  I learned the simple truths of sport, where success or failure is so easily defined and measured.  Either I hit the ball or I don’t.  Excuses have no place here.

I learned when to stand up for myself.  I learned when it was time to fight, and when it was tactically better to back off.  I learned that sometimes it was important to get back up and stick my chin out even after I got knocked down.  

I learned about how to compete and what it takes to win.  And I learned how merely the act of stepping onto the field is a victory in and of itself.

I learned about balance.  I learned how to enjoy good food and spirits and still take care of my body.

I learned how to relate to different people and different cultures.  I learned empathy for their struggles.

The funny thing is that I cannot really remember my Dad sitting me down after my game to give me those lessons.  They just happened.  Somewhere along the line, I absorbed the wisdom of my Dad like the rays of the sun. 

Thank goodness that I had a Dad who liked and encouraged me to play sports.  I am guessing you did too or you would not be reading this.  Go thank your Dad.  

Add murder to the FIFA rapsheet?

The wife of an official murdered by masked gunman as he was about to expose fraud at the 2010 South Africa World Cup has told how the corruption-mired tournament killed her husband.

South African politician Jimmy Mohlala was gunned down as he got ready for church – the day before he was due in court to give evidence of a multimillion pound World Cup stadium construction fraud.

The dad of four – one of three politicians linked to exposing World Cup fraud who died in mysterious circumstances – uncovered forged building contracts at the £80million Mbombela stadium. ...

See the whole story here courtesy of Daily Mail.

Kicking Back Comments:

I was in fact pondering with a co-worker the other day when this shoe would drop (that someone was killed over a bribe). FIFA and its sponsors are turning a blind eye to the deaths in Qatar, so to think that there are other equally nefarious yet direct actors in my opinion, is unsurprising. 

The (FIFA) joke heard 'round the world

Question:

FIFA president Sepp Blatter, the director of communications, and the secretary general Jérôme Valcke are all sitting in a car. Who is driving?

Answer:

The police.

This was the joke uttered by the (former) Director if Communications for FIFA, who lost his job over the comment. I have to say though ... pretty funny.

Shades of 1994?

Women's World Cup: Nigeria's Njoku suspended three games for elbowing

A second-half substitute, Njoku was standing with her back to Kerr in the 76th minute of Australia's 2-0 win when she drove her right elbow into Kerr's face, knocking her to the turf. Kerr, who was originally thought to have a broken jaw, was attended to by trainers but finished the game. She is expected to play Tuesday against Sweden. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of the LA Times.

Kicking Back Comments: 

A few thoughts on this one. (The match report is here.)

First, is for anyone who thinks the girls don't play as rough as the boys, think again. This was a vicious off the ball hit that could have seriously injured that player if it landed correctly. It reminded me of this classic from the 1994 World Cup which caused Tab to be out for some time.

Second, is this was behind the referee so she had no chance to see it. I do wonder what the 4th was doing at the time however as it was fairly close to the bench area. Yes, if the 4th had seen that, I would have expected the crew to take action in sending the player off. To me this includes a quick peek at the video monitors to get the info. Something this vicious needs to be dealt with.

Third, this is a great use of video review after the fact. Now for anyone who is paying attention you may look at my last point and say *hey* that is a form of video review. Well, color me a hypocrite, but yes it is of sorts. My distinction is in the first case the refereeing crew is using every tool available to them *at the time of the incident* to get to the correct conclusion. After all, how many times if we see a 50-50 ball that we look at players reaction to help make a decision? In the latter case we get some delay and a booth official involved and after a 5 minute delay we get a decision and off we go. It's all too NFL for me. So for my money as the entire crew missed it, the right result occurred after the fact.

I will be curious to see if any of this crew are appointed later in the tournament for missing such a serious foul.

A piece of what?

Pia Sundhage calls Hope Solo a 'piece of work'

WINNIPEG — Ahead of the World Cup clash between the United States and Sweden Friday, the New York Times published an interview with Pia Sundhage, who had sharp words for her former U.S. players.

The Swedish coach said when Carli Lloyd felt coaches had faith in her, she “could be one of the best players, but if she began to question that faith, she could be one of the worst.” Sundhage also said if she were still the U.S. coach, Abby Wambach would come off the bench, and added that Hope Solo was one of the most challenging players she’s ever coached, “especially when it comes to trouble.” ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of USA Today.

Kicking Back Comments:

Very tactical stuff from Pia frankly and while they may see each other again later in the tournament, this was an interesting little zinger prior to what is likely to be the top two teams from Group D.

Here too is something I am learning about life ... everyone loves a winner no matter how much of a bad actor they are. If they are successful, during that time, they are forgiven. Not saying it's fair ... but that's the way it is.