closing the book

Five months and 907 pages later, I finally finished David Goldblatt’s opus “The Ball is Round”.

And the one thing I’ve come to realize about the beautiful game is just how tarnished it is.

Almost every section contains an example of corruption, violence, intrigue, and death. Although a social and political history of the game, it often reads more like a polemic. Not because Goldblatt has an agenda, but because the instances are inescapable.

And it seems like most footy fans know this and accept it. After all, it best reflects reality, doesn’t it?

Conversely,iIts funny how American sports have moments of corruption (NBA and its referees), violence (NFL players killing people and dogs, involved in drug trafficking) and intrigue (MLB’s stance on steroids), but its never accepted as systemic like it is with soccer.

When Jose Conseco wrote ‘Juiced’, it was mostly dismissed by the media and MLB because it was written by Jose Conseco. But most of what he wrote, although I haven’t fully read it, is practically true. Several sports writers and bloggers are coming around to the suspect officiating in the NBA, but it seems to be falling on deaf ears. And for all the (incorrect) bad publicity the NBA gets for its players being ‘thugs’, those questions should be directed to the NFLPA.

It seems American sports haven’t even reached the stage where the problems are acknowledged and not fodder for contrarians.

In some elements footy has accepted this issues, but hasn’t done a thing to change it; stadium infrastructure being a prime example.

And the more I read the I kept asking why I keep following the game that is so obviously suspect. Maybe not Fulham, but the entire system that surrounds them.

Perhaps some answer will come on Monday when the first and second round draw Europa Cup occurs and Fulham get an idea who they could be playing next month.

Or tomorrow if the USA upsets Egypt.

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