A Shroud of Racism Hangs Over the World Cup

This will be my third article on the upcoming World Cup tournament in Germany; and frankly, I think I’ve lost my mind. For some reason, things just keep coming in regards to this event that I feel compelled to write about.

Let me tell you about my career as a World Cup 2006 freelancer:

First, I just wanted to opine about how stupid soccer is (and offer some suggestions on how to make it better); secondly, I came across a report involving the international sex trade and it’s connection to the World Cup (had to write about that); and lastly, there’s this story.

This is by far the most serious subject I’ve encountered (and by accident too) involving the World Cup; and it’s definitely the most important. I want to write about a problem that I did not know existed until very recently; racism in international soccer.

ESPN ran a segment on the growing (or disappearing, I really couldn’t tell) problem that is racist soccer fans, players and coaches. I know that there aren’t many people of African descent residing in Europe; especially Western Europe, but I did not know that such hatred (to the degree that this ESPN piece expressed) still existed.

First off, I’m naÃ?¯ve. Let me get that out of the way; I’ve never been anywhere besides Florida (twice), Maine (three times), a few stops in between and Canada once. I’ve never been out of country; fuck, I’ve never been west (I don’t think that I’ve wondered more than 150 miles off of the Eastern seaboard). So, I’m hardly an expert on international affairs. My favorite television show right now is VH1’s Supergroup; maybe that’s all you need to know about me.

So with that said; I am hardly the person to be dissecting a problem of such gravity; especially one in which I’ve already admitted to knowing very little about. I mean, how much can you gather from a Jeremy Schapp narrated, four minute Sportscenter piece on ESPN; that you catch just before you nod off into dreamland?

Plenty, that’s how much; and now, without any further ado, I want to bash FIFA- the pathetic organization that puts on the World Cup.

The images I saw on ESPN that night were down right scary. I saw hooligans (as the most “hardcore” football fans are called) throwing bananas at black players; I saw retards waving flags with swastikas and hailing Hitler; I was fucking shocked because I had no idea.

Let me tell you something about these supposed hooligans; they are about as hardcore as a couple of middle aged housewives sucking down wine coolers at a Kathy Lee Gifford concert. These guys are pathetic. If FIFA allows any (and I mean any) racist activity to go on during this year’s World Cup (and I’ll be watching now), I will do something very rash.

I will go out and find as many youth soccer leagues in this area and I will run out on the field with a giant machete. I will take every single soccer ball I can find and I will slash it to pieces (I will do all this wearing nothing but a sheet cape that says ‘FIFA Must Die!’). I will do this in hope that I scare enough youngsters so that one day soccer will be eliminated from the North American sporting map.

FIFA, the ball is in your court; and the ball is covered in blood.