FIFA Tells IOC That Stars Are Off-Limits

It was really late, somewhere around 3 AM in the morning, and with my wife on the disabled list I was ironing uniforms and getting school bags ready for school. That’s when I heard an announcer for an Olympic soccer match between Argentina and Nigeria say “each team was limited to only three players over the age of 23.” I was shocked.

The next day I learned that FIFA, the governing body of international soccer, not only refuses to send its best players to the Olympics - it does not even includes the Games as one of the tournaments for which clubs must release players to their home countries. Say what?

While the governing body of international baseball, the IBAF, is pandering and appeasing the IOC to get the sport back on the Olympic slate, FIFA is laying down “their” law to Jack Rogue and his cronies. Why does the Yankees have to send their best when Juventus says “forget it?”

Perhaps the IBAF would be better off working behind the scenes and getting rid of that arrogant Jacka** whose ani-American but gutless to admit it. Getting rid of baseball was a cowardly act but including softball was just downright shameful. The Olympics need baseball and softball - but the IOC needs someone at the top who is not drunken with power.

It was “insane” for the head of the IOC to lecture the world’s fast man on how to celebrate but refuses to make China deliver on their countless broken promises or tell FIFA “send your best or suffer the fate of baseball and softball.” Jack reminds me of a coward who hits his wife but cries when confronted by a man.

Even if MLB would send its best players to the Olympics, the World Baseball Classic would still be the premier tournament because of the quality of teams. No disrespect meant to the Olympic bronze medalists - but the beijing Games featured just “three” baseball heavyweights. The Olympics also needs Latin America, too.

I spent six years in Europe yet a Japanese taught me everything I know about soccer. But, while I get bored watching a sport that one of my Swiss players said requires “two feet and no brains,” I would never get rid of a sport that so many other people love. I supposed I’m just a better man than Jack who kicked sand in the face of millions of Europeans who enjoy baseball and softball.

Marvin Moore writes about international baseball. Contact him at mjmoore@baseballdeworld.com