what a tremendous accomplishment (for slave labor) https://t.co/KY8ZHj6EOu
— Jort-Michel Connard 🐘 (@torriangray) October 25, 2022
Be interesting to see if this is available on Netflix USA…
Netflix are releasing a documentary exploring corruption in FIFA.
It will air on November 9th. This will be explosive.pic.twitter.com/KprpFVU4vb— SPORTbible (@sportbible) October 25, 2022
The first World Cup in the Middle East is one month away, nearing the conclusion of an often bumpy 12-year journey for Qatar that has transformed the nation. https://t.co/lLg79GMjSx
— The Associated Press (@AP) October 21, 2022
… On Nov. 20, the biggest tournament in soccer will finally get started a couple hours after sunset at the 60,000-seat Al Bayt Stadium — a new venue north of Doha built for the World Cup. The maroon-and-white clad national team from the host country will open a tournament that has come to define the gas-rich emirate’s image against the team from Ecuador — probably.
All 64 games over the course of 29 days involving 32 teams will be held in the Doha area, with many more shows and cultural events planned for a soccer-led party in the conservative Muslim society.
For one month, Qatar will relax its strict limits on where alcohol can be bought, including serving beer from World Cup sponsor Budweiser at the eight stadiums and at the official big-screen viewing site in Al Bidda Park.
Promises of “the best World Cup ever, on and off the field” were made Monday by FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who said the same in Moscow four years ago when Russia hosted the tournament.
However, since the decisions in 2010 to pick Russia and Qatar as future World Cup hosts, 21 of the 24 men on the FIFA executive committee were variously convicted in criminal or ethics cases, indicted, acquitted at trial or implicated in wrongdoing.
The president of FIFA at that time, Sepp Blatter, is one of them, still banned from the sport he led for 17 years for various misdeeds. Blatter, however, has said he didn’t vote for Qatar…
FIFA World Cup fans will not need Covid tests https://t.co/YHFp0xxDjj
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) October 27, 2022
Of course, cases are not necessarily ‘continuing to fall’ in all those visitors’ countries, but whatevs.
… Visitors to the Gulf state will still have to follow local restrictions, including proof of vaccination.
But from 1 November it will drop a requirement for a PCR test 48 hours before arrival, or a lateral flow test a day before.
“It makes life so much easier and less stressful for everyone in the end,” said Gerwyn Jones.
The Wales supporter from Gaerwen, Anglesey had already booked and paid £75 for a test that is no longer necessary…
Like many fans, he will stay in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates for the tournament, travelling into Qatar for each Wales match.
It would have meant testing before each trip…
The decision to drop testing for visitor is due to “the number of Covid-19 cases continuing to fall,” the country’s health ministry said…
Qatar — the host of this year’s FIFA World Cup — has been accused of human rights abuses against migrant labor and LGBTQ groups. Now the country is also imposing sweeping restrictions on media coverage. pic.twitter.com/PgSkhbcHIc
— DW News (@dwnews) October 22, 2022
‘No pity’
Eyeing profits from the upcoming World Cup, Qatari landlords are kicking out tenants, sometimes with just days’ notice
More than one million football fans are expected to descend on Doha for the tournament, sending demand for flats surginghttps://t.co/HBSBPUuHVm pic.twitter.com/88yPW0kMA1— AFP News Agency (@AFP) October 17, 2022
Qatari landlords eyeing profit from the looming World Cup have been kicking out a growing number of mostly foreign tenants, sometimes with just a few days’ notice.
More than one million football fans are expected to descend on the capital Doha during the November-December tournament, putting a strain on the tiny Gulf nation…
Most fans will be staying in hotels, apartments, cruise ships and desert camps booked through the official World Cup portal.
Despite some concerns, organisers have insisted there will be enough accommodation for all fans in the emirate of just 2.8 million people.
To ease the crunch, FIFA recently released thousands of hotel rooms it had reserved, which experts have said could push prices down in the coming weeks.
Some World Cup visitors are turning to the open market for luxury apartments or better locations near specific stadiums, and the prices advertised for some Doha properties highlight owners’ sky-high hopes.
On Airbnb, apartments for two people go for $2,500 a night.
A villa for the full 29 days of the World Cup will cost fans booking through the online platform at least $13,000 — but prices can go into the hundreds of thousands of dollars…
Fifa asked to ban Iran from Qatar World Cup 2022 https://t.co/dBhW5E9bgb
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) October 21, 2022
This request comes from Iranians:
… A group of Iranian football and sports personalities have sent a formal request to the body asking for it to suspend the Iranian Football Association.
They claim government intervention – by stopping women entering stadia in Iran – contravenes Fifa rules.
“Neutrality from Fifa is not an option,” the group said.
It comes amid a violent crackdown by the country’s security forces against widespread anti-government protests.
The request also follows a similar call from human rights group Open Stadiums last month…
“Women have been consistently denied access to stadia across the country and systematically excluded from the football ecosystem in Iran, which sharply contrasts with Fifa’s values and statutes.
“If women are not allowed into stadia across the country, and the Iranian Football Federation is simply following and enforcing governmental guidelines, they cannot be seen as an independent organisation and free from any form or kind of influence. This is a violation of (Article 19) of Fifa’s statutes.”…
Security services looking… tight:
Moroccan security officials will provide security at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in partnership with Qatar. pic.twitter.com/4ASupUh6s8
— Africa story Live (@AfricaStoryLive) October 20, 2022
dmsilev
FIFA is the only organization capable of going toe to toe with the IOC in the Sports Corruption team event.
eclare
@dmsilev: Yep.
Ken
I’m trying to decide if this is an example of the “suspiciously specific denial” trope. Also, if so, what the hell is going on in Wales?
Scout211
That Netflix documentary on FIFA corruption looks really good. I may have to reactivate my Netflix account next month to view it.
In other news, Musk has taken control of Twitter and fired the CEO and top executives.
eclare
@Scout211: Saw that about Twitter. I guess Ye and TFG will start tweeting any minute now.
Captain C
@dmsilev:
@eclare:
Agree, though pound-for-pound the NCAA (or at least the money sports part) comes pretty close.
prostratedragon
@Scout211: I heard that some guy said he’d be back next week, as he offered congrats to the new owner. I might spend some time with Buddhist chanters or Mevlevi dervish to prepare.
Captain C
As a soccer fan, I’m pissed and disappointed about this whole mess of a World Cup about to happen. The FIFA corruption and the slave labor of course are the biggest things, but also things like the fact that they had to hold it in November-December (and screw up the club seasons) so that the players (and fans) don’t drop dead at the same rate the construction workers did and that people are getting evicted so that landlords can gouge visiting fans.
I look forward to watching the World Cup every year, and hoping and telling myself that this is finally the year that the Dutch don’t pull a Mets or Spurs. Again*. But I’m ambivalent over how much or if I can support this with my eyeballs. We’ll see what games are on and how entertaining the chaos from holding a sporting tournament in a hot desert is, I guess.
I also find myself wondering if Qatar’s plumbing system will be able to hold up to the strain of up to a million extra users, many of whom will be in full party mode and therefore glutting out. I think there’s a word, an expression for what happens if it fails…
*Some years they do it in the qualifying round and don’t make the final 32 or whatever it is in a particular year.
geg6
In good news today, Luciane Goldberg kicked the bucket. Monica Lewinsky is pouring herself a nice glass of wine and smiling.
Dangerman
@Scout211: So, it will deteriorate from it’s present shit hole to Holy Shit. That stock is gonna go into free fall.
James E Powell
@eclare:
Those two and many others who are just as bad or worse.
I use twitter as an entertainment & sports news feed. I left it for a while as the election approached because I could not avoid the insanity. If it happens again, I will deactivate again and not look back.
Captain C
@Dangerman: Didn’t he buy all of the stock? Or was that not part of the final deal.
Either way, he’ll wind up like whoever bought MySpace for half a billion bucks and then sold it for much, much less.
geg6
@Scout211:
Oh what a shitshow this is going to be. And this on top of Meta falling to pieces amidst a reportedly very unhappy quarterly report with Zuckerberg getting loads of pushback from investors.
dmsilev
@Dangerman: The stock doesn’t exist any more, or at least isn’t publicly traded.
John Revolta
Explosive!
Yeah, we’re gonna need something to talk about on Nov. 9th.
Ken
@geg6: How could Meta fail? They added legs.
Though on reflection, maybe right after a multi-year quarantine wasn’t the best time to launch a platform to eliminate all face-to-face interactions. At least, not when selling to primates.
Captain C
@Ken: They forgot to hire Hiro Protagonist to do their swordfighting routines.
eclare
@James E Powell: I use it mainly for entertainment, I follow around a dozen people, including Cole and Ms. Cracker. I guess I’ll see how wretched it becomes.
apocalipstick
I’ll drop a plug for World Corrupt, a podcast hosted by Roger Bennett and Tommy Vietor.
Amir Khalid
Qatar, a country where it’s too hot out of doors to play football, has spent billions to build seven world-class football stadiums just for the World Cup: stadiums that nobody needed before, that nobody will have a use for afterwards. The stadium that will host the final is part of an entire city being built from scratch, also just for the World Cup. Those stadiums, and that city, are just going to fall into disuse by 2030. The waste of national resources is senseless, the corruption is heinous, and the exploitation and abuse of workers from the poorer parts of Asia is obscene.
geg6
@Ken:
LOL!
As for Twitter, Musk made a terrible deal for it. Plus, IMHO, it’s even worse than it looks. Twitter is going to be on the downswing quickly. I could have told him that two years ago. With the exception of Black Twitter, no one under 30 is interested in it. The students on my campus put it in the same category as Facebook: for old people only. Even Instagram is out of style. TikTok is where they are. They aren’t going back.
geg6
@Amir Khalid:
This. I like to catch some of the World Cup but not this year. I refuse to even be a minuscule part of it.
eclare
@Amir Khalid: I saw a photo spread within the past few years of what the stadiums built for the World Cup in Brazil look like now. It was depressing, such a waste.
barbequebob
would it be appropriate to say FTF FIFA?
mrmoshpotato
@Scout211:
Well that’s just wonderful. How long until they unban the Soviet shitpile mobster conman?
mrmoshpotato
@barbequebob: Just say Fuck FIFA.
Fuck FIFA!
Mike in NC
@mrmoshpotato: Tomorrow
prostratedragon
@barbequebob: Appropriate, but difficult.
ronno2018
Well it is bad and all, but the players just will play and the coaches will just coach. Get the hell out of that hell hole and we hope for the best in the next world cup. GO USA!!!!
Dangerman
@dmsilev: oh, that’s right, he bought the whole thing.
I can’t believe he bought the whole thing.
/plop, plop, fizz, fizz
prostratedragon
@mrmoshpotato: Ye, who needs a swing kick to the gut just for that stupid name, also had his account banned recently. Wouldn’t be surprised if he made a return in the wake.
Elsewhere, a big mural featuring Ye has been painted over, while Wiener Circle has added him to their advertising 😉
cain
@geg6: Let’s see what Musk does with a very fast depreciating asset.
Of course if that shit stain Trump comes back to twitter – I’m definitely be thinking of going to Mastodon. In the end though, it’s a dying platform and if he doesn’t attempt to make it safe – it’s going to tank and tank hard.
cain
@Amir Khalid: Perhaps they’ll re-use the space for shelters when shit break downs.
CaseyL
The fall of FB has a lot of people on Twitter talking/joking about MySpace coming back.
I was never on MySpace: did it have a wide open chat function like Twitter?
When the news first broke about Musk buying Twitter, I remember signing up for another service. Trouble is, I can’t remember what it was!
Jackie
I thought sports ball referred to the WS. GOOOO PHILLIES!!! ⚾️⚾️⚾️
pacem appellant
@cain:
Twitter is toast. Musk just blew the fattest wad buying junk.
If you’re on Mastodon, come follow me at @[email protected]
Jackie
@geg6: Agreed. I am fairly new to following the WC, but I’m on strike this time around. I’ll stick to American football and the WS.
Hitchhiker
Wtf happens to Truth Social if twitter goes full trump? Is there still an argument for that platform?
Jackie
@Hitchhiker: Truth Social is already on fumes. It will be entertaining to see if TFG sticks with TS or moves back to Twitter. Or jumps back and forth.
JCJ
@Captain C: this is finally the year that the Dutch don’t pull a Mets or Spurs.
Spurs?!? San Antonio has won a few championships
Oh. You mean Tottenham.
Never mind!
lgerard
@Jackie:
trump has an agreement with the truth thing that he post there first. Of course agreements mean nothing to trump
Major Major Major Major
My guess on twitter is that it’s not going to be much different from the 2019 version.
Splitting Image
My guess is that taking Twitter private will end up being seen as a big mistake. There will be a big exodus of users after the takeover, which ordinarily would hurt the stock price, but usually with these things there is a rebound sometime later on after the dust clears.
Since there no longer is a stock price for Twitter, there will therefore never be a rebound, so its valuation will be based entirely on “feeling”, and it’s going to feel emptier and emptier as liberals leave and right-wingers make it a toxic echo chamber. If he clamps down on bots, right-wingers will go back to complaining about their followers disappearing (and blame Musk for it), and if he doesn’t, it’ll get even more toxic than before.
My prediction is he sells it in three years for about $60 million.
ian
Re: the twits. Flee. Musk’s money doesn’t set itself on fire. It goes down the drain if the subscribers leave, then advertisers will pull out. I unsubscribed myself 2 months ago.
James E Powell
@Splitting Image:
That’s what I fear will happen. It can be pretty bad now. I reduced the flak by only following a handful of accounts.
Anoniminous
Forwarded from previous thread:
As far as I can tell Elon has blown $44 billion on a mature business with no upside potential, with declining revenue growth, and has had only two profitable years in its history: 2018 and 2019. Elon doesn’t have the chops to turn the place around.
If I worked at Twitter I’d sell my stocks and stock options and get out of there so fast you couldn’t see my arse for the dust.
James E Powell
@eclare:
I saw that too, but can’t remember where it was. What a colossal waste!
Amir Khalid
@eclare:
And Brazil is one of the most football-mad countries in the world. But those stadiums went up in small cities deep in the Amazon rain forest, where the local football teams would be unable to afford the use of such a big stadium.
David 🌈 ☘The Establishment☘🌈 Koch
with regards to social media:
Twitter is boring.
Onlyfans is stimulating.
different-church-lady
Seriously, it’s that hard to host a soccer tournament?
different-church-lady
It’s gonna be great a year from now when journalists rely exclusively on TikTok for their stories.
Amir Khalid
@different-church-lady:
The World Cup is not just any football tournament. It’s one of the two biggest sporting events in the world, the other being the summer Olympics.
different-church-lady
@Amir Khalid:
It’s just one damn sport! There’s probably more infrastructure involved for the attendees than the actual activity being witnessed.
Amir Khalid
@different-church-lady:
It’s just one sport, true; but it’s the most-followed sport on the globe, it requires the biggest venues in terms of seating capacity, and the sponsorship and TV rights fees are humongous.
piratedan
@Amir Khalid: and all that graft isn’t going to grift itself, so to speak…
you gotta coordinate the swag
put on the soirees
bring in the hookers and blow
coordinate any other hedonistic exploits for the fans and high rollers, just think of it as a GOP convention, only bigger…
mrmoshpotato
🎶 ARE YOU READY FOR SOME BASEBALL?🎶
It begins.
Go Phillies!
Kelly
Ben Collins has inspired a pretty good best of twitter thread
https://twitter.com/oneunderscore__/status/1585454026098966529
cain
@CaseyL: You probably signed up to Mastodon.
Darkrose
@mrmoshpotato: I’m a little torn. I was rooting for the Padres, especially since they eliminated the Dodgers. The Phillies are the NL team, though, and the Astros openly cheated to win in 2017 and faced zero consequences. On the third hand, I would like to see Sacramento’s own Dusty Baker finally get a WS ring. Tough call.
Paul in KY
@cain: I’ve seen Mastodon. A fine hard rock/prog metal band.
mawado
For what it’s worth, The Men in Blazers have a podcast on the subject. https://meninblazers.com/2022/10/07/mib-announce-new-limited-series-world-corrupt/
I haven’t listened, but follow the main podcast and enjoy the pair.
Fair Warning: The main podcast has become more commercials than content lately.
gratuitous
If any jackals are interested in quality soccer that doesn’t feature swan-diving shin-grabbing mama’s boys fishing for a PK, I suggest tuning in to the National Women’s Soccer League championship game at 8 EDT on Saturday on your local CBS affiliate, featuring the Kansas City Current and the Portland Thorns.
If you’re sick of FIFA corruption (and who isn’t) the Thorns present a particularly compelling story this season, with the airing (at last) of front office shenanigans related to player abuse. That story isn’t over yet, but the players have the upper hand, executives have been fired, and calls for Merritt Paulsen to sell the team are getting too loud to ignore anymore.