We all love to believe in things, things we set apart from what we see around us everyday.
Like most people, I have many - Stuff I hold up to be admired. Things that, on good days are truly inpiring.
Today I have to cross one off my list.
Soccer. Specifically Italian soccer, and to get to the real point: Juventus.
Soccer is a big money sport and has always had its share of corruption and controversy.
Match fixing, threatening or bribing officials, meddling with player transfers, etc
Well, the Italians have decided to top everyone.
A small group of owners has done all of the above. Not with an eye to winning a big match here and there, but controlling all aspects of the game to pre-determine who will be in contention for the championship, year after year.
If you played against these teams, the officials ruled against you when it mattered, the player's organization didn't allow you access to the best players.
Players and teams outside of this cabal were pressured or marginalized.
And it's full, blown, systemic corruption. The top league officials, the big owners - all the stuff the tinfoil hat people are saying about baseball and football in this country is true in Italy.
My team, Juventus, just won the Scudetto, and I just don't care. Juve is more than up to their neck in it. They're the capos. They're due for having their titles taken from them, and are possibly facing relegation.
- Read the disgrace at the Guardian.
- The BBC's take: Italian football's tangled web
2 comments:
Could have been worse. It could have been Arsenal.
Still could be. The conspiracy folks in Jolly ole England have been alleging the same sort of system exists there. The 'big five' are pretty much the only real teams in contention, year after year.
At least the NFL has had some major changes from year to year, but the Premiership is pretty much Man U, Aresenal, Liverpool, Everton, and Tottenham - lather, rinse, repeat.
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