Sepp Steps in It
Posted on November 17, 2011 4:46 pm
Perhaps the most reliable natural phenomenon known to man is the absolute certainty that, on a regular basis, Sepp Blatter will say really stupid stuff.
Which is why, despite having substantially beefed up the FIFA PR and Media relations operation last month by bringing in all sorts of expensive hired guns, the only thing that would help in this regard would be to sew the man’s lips shut.
So yesterday, when Seppy told a television interviewer:
“On the field of play, I deny that there is racism. If you had a confrontation during the match, you shake hands, and when the game is over, it is over.”
…anyone who was particularly surprised simply hasn’t been paying attention.
Many times, of course, part of the problem with his long (and obviously growing) list of ill-advised (read: stupid) public comments is the fact that there is often a kernel of truth in what he’s saying.
So when, for example, he said that comely young women wearing short, tight pants would beef up interest in women’s soccer, it was simultaneously undeniable and stupid.
Cute fannies on parade would certainly attract some attention although I’m not sure it would create a worldwide sensation; last I knew the Lingerie Football League was barely hanging on despite featuring suspiciously regular on-field wardrobe malfunctions.
Still, the point is probably valid to some extent. But the President of an international sport governing body is supposed to have better sense than to say so.
Same goes with the Qatar gay sex remark. He’s certainly correct that refraining from open homosexual relations while visiting much of the Middle East is a wise policy. The problem there wasn’t that he was wrong, but rather that it raised the question of how in hell the World Cup ended up being awarded to a country that imprisons people for who they choose to sleep with.
In this case as well, it’s obvious what he was getting at; everyone knows that in the heat of the contest stuff gets said and the whole point is to get inside your opponent’s head however you can. Even if you don’t believe a word of it. Even if it doesn’t even make sense.
Did Materazzi really think Zidane – or his mother, I was never clear on that – was a terrorist?
However, for several reasons, this isn’t simply a badly made point or something that you should only say to a close friend behind closed doors at 3AM as you pour the last drops of scotch from the bottle.
This one is much more appalling.
First of all, it assumes that spending 90 minutes hurling racial epithets at an opponent is an acceptable way to play the game. He seems to be equating it with “your mother wears army boots” or “caught your sister at the pussycat club last night – hell of dancer”.
And if he really and truly doesn’t get that, then he needs to be replaced immediately. Right now. Today.
Secondly, for a long time now he has insisted that before really big matches the players – who really need to be focusing on other things – have to assemble on the pitch behind a huge “Say No to Racism” banner while the captains read some dreadfully leaden prose on the topic of – well, of not saying racist stuff to people.
So now he tells us that it’s not really any big deal? Nothing to worry about? Just boys being boys?
Finally, in case he missed it, FIFA is under increasing scrutiny for their awarding of the 2018 World Cup to Russia, a country where football racism – on the stands, on the pitch and in the media – has reached levels which are starting to make everyone very nervous.
(If Qatar feels like it, they can simply tell their police to look the other way if they see openly homosexual behavior; what’s Russia going to do about 50,000 people in a stadium chanting ugly bigotry? Turn up the music?)
Understandably, there is a good deal of outrage today from all over the world over this latest comment and, predictably, Britain’s Sports Minister is calling for Blatter’s resignation.
Rio Ferdinand spoke for a lot of people when he said:
“Sepp Blatter your comments on racism are so condescending its almost laughable. If fans shout racist chants but shake our hands is that ok? I feel stupid for thinking that soccer was taking a leading role against racism … it seems it was just on mute for a while.”
All those committees and all those PR guys and all the backtracking and “here’s what I really meant” corrections – Blatter is saying today that he was “misunderstood” – aren’t going to be able to put this particular toothpaste back into the tube.
We’ll see how this plays out over the next few days; if we know anything for sure it’s that with FIFA almost anything is possible.
(For what it’s worth, William Hill, the ubiquitous London bookmaker, is offering 3/1 odds on Blatter not surviving until Euro 2012)
But Sepp Blatter was on pretty thin ice already, and it’s possible that the organization may quickly reach a consensus that it’s finally time for him to go.
Hopefully Blatter finally had enough rope to hang himself. Who will be the next dottering old crook?
Sigh… I just can’t muster up the hate or energy anymore. Things will never change. We will shake our heads in disbelief at the guy that comes after him.
That’s actually really disappointing and it makes me feel sad for international soccer….
I, like you Bill, genuinely thought FIFA and other international markets were heading the front to do something about the racism that plagues our sport….
Sigh, another hit to my hopes for humanity.
“what’s Russia going to do about 50,000 people in a stadium chanting ugly bigotry? Turn up the music?”
I’m not certain if it’s Blatteresque, but I think it would be good for the world audience to hear and see racism/bigotry on display like that. It will be offensive and shocking but I think there are far too many people in denial of the extent of racism in society today.
Agreed Der… i think most people on the US side think it’s just callling someone a name once or twice… i’ve seen stories about some of the stuff done in other countries, even to their own players, because of race. It’s sickening…
We all get what Blatter was saying, but just because some people use it as part of the game doesn’t make it right (Blatter, you listening? …Why yes i’ll take that wad of money).
Actually, the worst part is that no one outside of England cares enough to make a stink so we are all screwed, Sepp comes out unscathed, and the English FA is further marginalized.
… and we , the lovely USSF voted for the guy last year
While Blatter has a long history of surviving these foot in mouth moments, he’s really stepped in it this time. I wouldn’t be surprised of some of those “to be named at a later date” people who are currently under investigation, may use this as an opportunity to get rid of the biggest threat to their piece of the FIFA pie.
Nice to see the Premier League once again showing how gutless, cowardly and out of touch they are in their (non)response to Blatter’s statement where they somehow managed to fail to reference Blatter or his idiotic words at all, instead just spouting the same insincere, hollow platitudes that they have spouted for years.
There’s no one at FIFA who can tell Blatter that it’s time – or haven’t you noticed?
Racism is and always be a tricky topic for FIFA because the World Cup is fundamentally a competition between nationalities. And nationalism is only a thin line away from racism.
So FIFA is constantly playing up the “joyous celebration” aspects of the WC as a way to excuse the jingoistic/racist reasons people value the competition in the first place.
I’m afraid if 50,000 people in Russian start chanting few people outside Russia will have any idea what they’re chanting.
I remember when a Serb in Italy (the defender with a wicked deadball delivery about 5 years back) was charged for using racist remarks against Viera during a game. He essentially used the defense that Blatter cited. Of course, he also mentioned that Viera had made a nasty remark toward him first.
“I’m afraid if 50,000 people in Russian start chanting few people outside Russia will have any idea what they’re chanting.”
Pretty sure the world will get the point if they start waving bananas around again.
Blatter will continue to rule no matter how many idiotic comments he makes. Anyone notice the creepy silence of the African Nations on the racism subject, when it is many of their players who are targeted by the chants ?
Remember, absolute power corrupts absolutely.
The worst part is that his “clarification” was just that; he merely reiterated his earlier, bigoted point more clearly.
Blatter is right. One can’t make progress by criminalizing racism. Wenger is also right. He has endured some vicious smears on the pitch, and he is correct in observing that racism is one form of many bad behaviors. In the 60′s in the US, it was a sign of racial transcendence when a white person could joke about a black person being the n word. Then things got uptight and crazy, and the idealistic progress that was made turned to crap.
Septic Bladder has sat in that chair for far too long. ” In the name of God, Go!”
Why is it whenever I think of FIFA I think of “THIS IS SPARTA!!!” ? Someone needs to do an image of Sepp kicking various people who criticize FIFA into the pit.
Beckham – “Shake hands to solve racism? This is Madness!”
Sepp – “MADNESS?!?! THIS IS FIFA!”
don’t make me bring out my MS Paint for this… – have the perfect picture to cut out for blatter too…
Your observation is prescient, and suggests an ugly fact: racism — the irrational belief that a person’s race is determinative of abilities and character — is a widespread phenomenon, and is as virulent among non-European ethnic groups. Is it “caused” by fear? by ignorance? by some innate us-versus-them instinct? Does it matter?
The difference between the Western approach to overt racism, and the approach the rest of the world takes, is that in the West, societies have decided to suppress the behaviour. In the rest of the world, societies accept the behaviour as natural or normal, without necessarily approving of or celebrating it.
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