7500 To Holte: Reasoned Reaction To World Cup 2018, 2022

In the days of social media, it’s easy for the rest of the world to see an unmeasured, emotional, gut-check reaction--and after yesterday’s World Cup bid announcement, there was certainly plenty of that in twitter messages, facebook statuses and hastily posted blogs. Aaron Campeau, of 7500 To Holte, reacts to that reaction:

Russia and Qatar won the hosting rights and they won them soundly, sending a fairly clear message that FIFA are serious about bringing the competition to new markets, expanding the reach of the game and inviting elements of the international community that have often been shut out into the fold. Right?

Okay, perhaps not. Because if the reaction at-large is to be believed, this was purely about money, power and influence. It’s about the corruption of FIFA and the willingness of the voting members to accept bribes. Purely a black and white (and green, if you wish) issue. And while I’m realistic enough to understand that FIFA is in fact corrupt, horribly corrupt most likely, I am also not naive enough to think that the bid committees representing the England and US efforts are above indulging in such behavior.

Aaron then outlines the context behind choosing Russia for 2018 and Qatar for 2022. He might not love the decisions, but he’s able to see why they were made, providing a sharp contrast for the emotional response of many.