Today FIFA finally capitulated and agreed to “reopen” discussions on the use of technology in the refereeing of the world’s favorite sport. FIFA responded to massive backlash from a slew of goals that weren’t (America, Mexico, England), non-goals that were (Brazil, Argentina) and red cards born from theatrical histrionics of players thrashing on the ground (that means you Kader Keita from the Ivory Coast).
Despite loud calls for change, FIFA’s head, Sepp Blatter has consistently stuck his head in the technology ground, steadfastly refusing to follow the rest of the sporting world in improving their product with technology. The line goes something like this:
“We want to keep football as a game of the people with a human face, so we don’t want technology on the field of play because we want to maintain the spontaneity of football — played, administered and controlled by human beings,” – Blatter.
Soccer Football is a game of chance and personal judgment. This human element, of course means that mistakes are made. When you have fervent fans like football does, those mistakes further the fervor of those fans, driving them to levels of fanatacism usually found only among extreme religion zealots. The more fervent your fans, the more hours of television watched, the more World Cup jerseys purchased, the more sodas, tickets, website visits, etc. etc.
This has played out in practice – the entire country of Ireland became francophobes after a very deliberate hand ball, clearly visible on replay, resulted in a goal that kept the Irish out (and sent the French in) of the World Cup. Irish pubs were packed for every World Cup game against France. Some pub owners gave away a free Guinness every time France was scored upon. (Which, given their play, must have proved costly.) US fans rallied around their team as goal after goal was disallowed – and the US round of 16 game set a viewership record. The hype surrounding the upcoming Germany/Argentina game is based in part from the rancor caused by the missed call from the disgraceful “hand of God” goal from Maradona that put Argentina into the 1986 World Cup Final against Germany. During the last World Cup, this rancor devolved into a fistfight after Germany eliminated Argentina on penalty kicks. Fistfights in football makes for great TV.
Its not like football is incapable of change . . . the inane four step rule for goalies was abolished some time after I played in High School. Blatter’s “openness” to change are actually quite limited to considering including goal line technology, but nothing else – this means most mistakes (like erroneous yellow cards and off sides which result in a goal) will persist. Alexi Lalas was on to something when he said FIFA will only make changes when it hits them in the pocketbook. I’d suggest the reason change hasn’t been adopted is because failure to embrace technology has actually lined FIFA’s pockets – regardless of how much those rules impacted the actual game of football. Sepp isn’t necessarily a Luddite – but the colossal stupidity of the anti-technology stance in the face of global criticism make this the only reasonable explanation I can come up with.
Sepp loves controversy and the spectacle it creates for both himself and FIFA’s bank account. Today he issued a proclamation that the French Football Federation may be banned if the French government becomes too involved with the national team. Is he afraid that Sarkozy is going to mandate a 32 hour maximum work week for football players? Arrogant temerity or marketing tactic? I suspect French fans will now show their support with a resurgence in purchases of French football jerseys. At least we know Irish eyes are smiling.
