Coca-Cola and McDonalds call on Sepp Blatter to stand down immediately. They are two of FIFA's major sponsors. More on #bbcnews at Ten
— Reeta Chakrabarti (@rchak100) October 2, 2015
Not really a fair comparison, since the Lizard’s old man was responsible for so much actual death and misery, but… Per USA Today:
ZURICH (AP) — Envy and hatred, rather than any illegality, is to blame for Sepp Blatter’s reputation being ruined and it will take several people to do the FIFA president’s job in future, according to his daughter.
The 79-year-old Blatter rebuffed demands Friday from four FIFA sponsors to quit immediately rather than stay until February’s emergency election after being placed under criminal investigation. Blatter is waiting to hear whether he will be suspended before then by FIFA’s ethics committee.
Blatter’s interrogation by Swiss investigators on Sept. 25 lasted eight hours, daughter Corinne Blatter Andenmatten disclosed in Sunday’s edition of Swiss newspaper Blick.
“I was afraid that they would take him away in handcuffs,” she was quoted as saying…
Although Blatter was voted in for a fifth term in May, four days later he announced plans to quit amid the fallout from the arrest of seven FIFA officials in Zurich ahead of the electoral congress.
Blatter has a reputation for about-turns, but he has insisted he will not stand in the Feb. 26 presidential poll…
“His loved ones were FIFA. It was everything to him. As a family we often had to take a step back.”
The BBC says Visa and Budweiser are also calling for Blatter to step down. The remaining “major FIFA sponsors” are Adidas, Gazprom and Hyundai.
“Meanwhile, a separate Swiss investigation is looking into the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, which will be held in Russia and Qatar respectively.”
From an earlier BBC article:
… The BBC’s Imogen Foulkes in Geneva says the timing of the announcement of the investigation into Sepp Blatter was no accident, coming as it did while the world’s media were gathered in Zurich for a Fifa news conference.
She says that ever since the first arrests in May, the Swiss attorney general’s office has told her it is serious about investigating Fifa, and proving to a sceptical world that Switzerland can get tough on financial corruption…
Bitter Scribe
“February’s emergency election”?
That’s one of the least urgent “emergencies” I’ve ever seen.
redshirt
Seth Batter
Another Holocene Human
@redshirt: Step Ladder
guachi
Septic Blather
ThresherK (GPad)
Not just any “four men” can replace Blather. To achieve that level of corruption and disregard FIFA should think about going thru GWB’s cabinet.
PS Autocorrect on Sepp’s last name, and I’m leaving it be.
lamh36
Been a really lazy weekend for me this time around. Back to work tomorrow though..ugh…
Anyhoo, so Sam Smith is doing the theme song for the latest Bond movie…Spectre. The movie comes out during my Birthday weekend.
I just happened to write a blog post on my favorite Bond here: Bond…James Bond! Top Ten Theme Songs and Favorite Bond…
And you can check out the newest Bond theme: Sam Smith Unveils Bond-Themed “Writing’s on the Wall” Video
Major Major Major Major
Open thread?
I walked into my neighborhood bar and sad down. The bartender (new guy I guess)
Ignored me for ten minutes while I played around on grindr or something.
Comes up and says “Can I help you?”
And I squint at him playfully since he squinted at me.
He says “You’ve been over served.”
And I, completely sober, have to leave.
The hell? So weird.
redshirt
Imprune Step Bladder!
Mandalay
Switzerland is a vile shitstain on humanity that has thrived on legalized corruption:
When it comes to being corrupt and taking dirty money Seth Blatter is a complete amateur compared to Switzerland. Switzerland has enabled misery and suffering on a scale that ISIS and Al Qaeda can only dream of.
Major Major Major Major
@Mandalay: their national museum is so weird. At the end it’s all like “obama is trying to take your money”
Chris
@Mandalay:
Swiss bankers, American bankers, British bankers, Dubai bankers. What’s the difference? Big banking’s an internationale if there ever was one.
benw
I for one hope that if I ever launch a bloodthirsty war of aggression for murder and personal profit, or cause uncounted suffering in the third world to continue my reign as a corrupt profit-mongering beaurocrat, that my daughter will still love me.
Mike J
Sports? Last week I dreamed a plane crashed in Lake Washington while I was out sailing. I didn’t go sailing today, and a plane crashed less than a mile from the dock.
The plane was a small float plane that flipped on a wave. Happily everyone got out and survived, even without me there to pull them, out.
Mike in NC
Still waiting for Sepp Blatter to come clean about his role in the Malmedy Massacre. But he might find a job working on JEBzzz campaign, where denying stuff is a priority.
lamh36
Dedicated to all the Saints fans on my timeline…lol
http://media.giphy.com/media/sPZdjmGJxJWaA/giphy.gif
Omnes Omnibus
@lamh36: I know your thing with Idris Elba, but if you want a black Bond, Adrian Lester is the guy. Ever see Hustle?
Omnes Omnibus
Dupe.
daniel
Since when? Their fucking GNP is built on financial corruption, it’s the major Swiss industry.
Omnes Omnibus
@lamh36: Aside from the Bears win, today was a good football day – for me.
gf120581
@Omnes Omnibus: Hey, the Bears win for me at least ensures they won’t go 0-16. After the last two weeks, that was a real concern.
Not that I give too much of a shit about football this season. The Cubs have all my attention right now.
Omnes Omnibus
@gf120581: The Pack is 4-0. I can’t ask for much more than that.
lamh36
@Omnes Omnibus: actually, I’m over wanting a Black James Bond. The reaction from some parts at just the mere suggestion of there being one have me saying fuq the Bond franchise anyway.
I’d just say that if someone in Hollywood isn’t throwing spy script or action flicks at Idris Elba are missing a real goldmine opportunity. Aside from my “obsession”, lol…alot of folk actually would LOVE to see Idris Elba in a good sexy action role.
BTW, I only know Lester because of the writer who suggested Lester cause he felt Idris was too “street” for the part. I’d bet not alot of folk know who is/was either….
Chris
@lamh36:
I really don’t have a strong opinion on the whole “black James Bond” thing, but for years now the IMDb boards have been filled with butthurt whiners complaining that James Bond can’t be black, a trend that eventually made it all the way up to Rush Limbaugh.
So at this point, I kind of want a black James Bond. Just so I can enjoy the disturbance in the Force as millions of douchebags scream out in terror and are suddenly silenced.
@Omnes Omnibus:
Thank you for reminding me that I need to get into that show. (Although I have to say Elba’s be great in the part too).
ThresherK (GPad)
@lamh36: Missing from the themes list for me: Aha, The Living Daylights, Shirley Massey, Moonraker, and Chris Cornell, You Know My Name (Casino Royale).
lamh36
@Omnes Omnibus: I don’t even watch football, but when/if I root for a team, it’s my hometown team. And so is my entire social media TL. Even when I DON’T watch the game, I have to wade through live play by play during whole time the Saints are on…lol
lamh36
@Chris: I was like that at first, but now I’m like fuq it…give Idris on hell any other good Black actor…their own franchise. It’s been too long since Blade, Men In Black…etc.
And to my thinking, there hasn’t been a big action franchise like Bond with a Black lead in not in a long time, not ever.
I’m really hoping or GREAT things for the new Black Panther movie. If done well, it can be awesome.
Omnes Omnibus
@lamh36: Didn’t lots of people see Primary Colors?
Warren Terra
I feel pretty confident he’ll retain Gazprom’s backing.
Omnes Omnibus
@efgoldman: The skiing is so much better in Switzerland. Also, Davos is a great place to ski.
Warren Terra
@lamh36:
“Franchise” may be pushing it, because they were built around the star rather than the star stepping into an important role, and because so few of them went to sequels, but for a while there Will Smith was the go-to star for big box office action spectaculars.
But, yeah, if anything the action movies seem to have mostly gotten whiter and more male of late, especially with the rise of Marvel – I mean, good fun films, but not so forward-thinking on gender roles for the most part. On the gender if not (at all, I think) the race side, there is the recent Mad Max
divF
@lamh36:
Me neither. But all my in-laws are NFL fans (Madame isn’t, TFSM), and my house is seven blocks from Memorial Stadium (where Cal plays). So Attention Must Be Paid this time of year.
Chris
@lamh36:
I think Shaft was supposed to be the black James Bond, but I’ve never seen any of the movies, and judging by the state of the franchise now it’s fair to say that it hasn’t really taken off.
I was looking forward to the Black Panther movie, not really happy they moved it back a couple years. But in the meantime there’s that new comic written by Coates to look forward to.
NotMax
I spent a month in Geneva one week.
Origuy
@Chris:
The last part of that is not going to happen. They’ll just find something else to scream about.
Omnes Omnibus
@efgoldman: Well, Davos is also a pretty shit place for an après.
goblue72
@daniel: Contrary to Wikileaks perception – completely untrue. Banking a significant part of the Swiss economy? Yes. The biggest – not even close. The actual biggest? Manufacturing, by a sizable margin. Hugely positive account balances per capita in terms of foreign trade. Turns out the Swiss make a lot of money making stuff, typically high value-add stuff – pharmaceuticals, watches, precision machining, etc.
cckids
@Chris:
As if.
Those dickwaffles won’t be silenced until Death taps them on the shoulder & says “JUST THROUGH THIS DOOR, KEEP WALKING”.
John Revolta
Yeah well, I guess we’re forgetting about the Goddamn COOCOO CLOCK now ain’t we??!!!?!?! What is that, chopped emmentaler?
NotMax
@John Revolta
Cuckoo.
Obligatory video snippet.
EconWatcher
Interesting that it was American law enforcement officials who blew the lid on both FIFA and Volkswagen, even though European officials would seem to have a stronger interest in both. USA! USA!
On another note, did you guys see that Trump said the world would be better off with Saddam and Qaddafi in place? http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/donald-trump-stable-middle-east
Say what you will about the Trumpster, he is messing with the Republican narrative in ways I never dared dream.
Amir Khalid
@ThresherK (GPad):
That’s Shirley Bassey, who sang the title songs for Goldfinger and Moonraker.
Amir Khalid
If anyone wants it, there’s a football manager’s job open in Liverpool. Brendan Rogers has been sacked after a fitful start to the season, after eight matches, they are 10th in the Premier League table, out of 20 clubs. (Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, who has made a much worse mess of the title holders’ early season — Chelsea are 16th — and shamed the club with his treatment of the first-team doctor and physio, somehow still has his job.)
NotMax
@Amir Khalid
Nitpick, but she’s Dame Shirley Bassey, still goin’ strong.
Amir Khalid
@NotMax:
In America, you don’t use British titles.
ETA: So there.
TheMightyTrowel
@Amir Khalid: nitpick: when speaking of the landed and titled, one ought really to use the third person omniscient, oughtn’t one? ;-P
Amir Khalid
@TheMightyTrowel:
When one is speaking of Americans, this is not really necessary. ;)
TheMightyTrowel
@Amir Khalid: a fair observation!
boatboy_srq
@EconWatcher: Actually for VAG it was a private investigation by a nonprofit, which the DoJ and EPA picked up. Our Great Overreaching Oppressive Free-Market-Crushing EPA was satisfied with the original testing – until they were shown the non-profit’s research proving VW cheated.
There’s been a lot in the European presses about how the EU relies on the US for this kind of research. Individual national standards are as strict or more than the US, but they depend on US testing and (in the US market) enforcement since no single nation has the US’ resources to maintain the regimen.
Another Holocene Human
@Major Major Major Major: I always have these paranoid thoughts that everyone else can figure out this bar thing and I can’t. Which keeps me away from crowded bars. I think I’d rather order a drink from a bartender rather than going through an intermediary, unless they’re really good at their job, which is rare in this town.
Another Holocene Human
@Mandalay: The original sin (?) was stealing the assets of murdered Jews, and it’s been all downhill from there. (They also cooperated with Nazi coordination because they didn’t want icky Eastern European refugees crowding their hollers.)
Another Holocene Human
@Chris: Not so fast. They gulled Icelandic bankers into thinking they’d been admitted into “the club” before taking all their money.
Another Holocene Human
@Origuy: True. Tragic lack of a shame gene.
Another Holocene Human
@goblue72: They also love to make chocolate (so delicious) made from cocoa of dubious provenance, that is, harvested by child slaves (stomach churning).
The motherfuckers.
(I am one of those who thinks Americas cocoa tastes better, but none of the fair trade chocolate purveyors seems to know how to make chocolate with good texture and none of them use fresh dairy products, if it’s milk, they use powder milk }X^C Horrible!)
Another Holocene Human
@EconWatcher: Hm, maybe Holder wasn’t the weak, lily-livered, criminal loving squish all the lefties say?
Nahhhh.
Another Holocene Human
@Amir Khalid: Right on, brother.
Cervantes
@ThresherK (GPad):
That’s the re-make, I guess.
The original Casino Royale (1967) had a fabulous Bacharach/David soundtrack. quite possibly the best-engineered LP of all time.
Chris
@Another Holocene Human:
Yeah, I guess I just don’t see what’s so unique about Switzerland when it comes to enabling or profiting from fascist oppression, given the sheer number of people all over the world who have dirty hands when it comes to that. Certainly American industrialists were no strangers to ole Adolf: the Holocaust was a nice boost for IBM’s profits.
(Same with Argentina in the postwar era, another country that for some reason gets singled out as exceptionally Nazi-friendly when the sad truth is that they were pretty much the norm).
Nutella
@EconWatcher:
Wouldn’t it be great if the Europeans returned the favor by charging some of the many Americans who run international criminal enterprises?