This is an appalling, grotesque – but true – story. As Donald Trump unveils a new military strategy in Afghanistan, here is a story that will have you twisting with rage but understanding why NATO is failing in that country. If you have not been paying attention to the western intervention in Afghanistan since 2001, … Continue reading How NATO Covers-up Child Abuse in Afghanistan and Helps the Taliban
Category Archives: Blog
Why UEFA Should Monitor the FC Astana vs. Celtic Game
Ninety percent of match-fixing in football is easy to prevent. One of the keys to a successfully fighting corruption is to recognize ‘choke point games’. These are games – 3rd match in opening round of the World Cup, 6th match in Group Stage of Champions League or any Italian game featuring a team in danger … Continue reading Why UEFA Should Monitor the FC Astana vs. Celtic Game
Fixing Wrestling, Academics and the Olympics
As the sporting world wrestles with yet more revelations of doping at the Olympics, an excellent analysis of alleged corruption in the Rio Olympics wrestling tournament has been published by the fight website www.flowrestling.com I single out their articles for a couple of reason. First, to a neutral reader the idea of ‘fixing’ and ‘wrestling’ … Continue reading Fixing Wrestling, Academics and the Olympics
Why Neymar is Cheap at 220 Million Euro
It is not about the sport. The sporting giants like Jürgen Klopp and Arsène Wenger have weighed in to denounce the transfer of Barcelona’s Brazilian star Neymar for 220 million Euro to Paris Saint-Germain. They claim it is against the spirit of sport and is “beyond rationality”. Their rival José Mourinho at Manchester United, somewhat, … Continue reading Why Neymar is Cheap at 220 Million Euro
Secret Transcripts of the Middle East Soccer Argument
There is an argument going up and down the halls of power in Washington. No, it has nothing (well, not directly) to do with Donald Trump. Rather on one side are keen, hungry FBI agents and their Department of Justice counterparts. These police and prosecutors are usually clothed in dark suits, dresses with shoulder pads … Continue reading Secret Transcripts of the Middle East Soccer Argument
Mafia Threats and the To Do List for European Football
He is one of the most powerful men in world football. We met at the offices of a very prominent European Football Association. He was there with a colleague. I was there to speak to them about match-fixing. The officials were interested, purportedly, in better protecting their sport. However, when his colleague, briefly, left the … Continue reading Mafia Threats and the To Do List for European Football
Fighting Justin
Five years ago, Canadian politics changed inside a boxing ring. The then backbencher MP Justin Trudeau fought the Conservative Senator Patrick Brazeau. Trudeau won so convincingly that he began his rise to power. Now on the anniversary of the fight Toronto Star contributor Declan Hill – who also fought that night – jumped in the … Continue reading Fighting Justin
The Cold War Spy Games Inside Sports
As the world fixates on Russian spying and cyber-attacks in U.S. politics, the field of sports has been struck by similar intrusions and Canadian athletes and organizations are among the hardest hit. The Montreal-based World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) was warned last summer that Russian hackers were trying to breach its computer system, according to security … Continue reading The Cold War Spy Games Inside Sports
The Greatest Case of Commercial Blindness in the History of Sports Integrity
There are all kinds of examples of inappropriate blindness. There was Captain Smith of the SS Titanic not seeing the iceberg. There was Admiral Nelson putting the telescope to his eye patch not to see the signal to retreat. There was Johnny Papalia the mafia thug who beat up the head of Toronto’s illegal gambling … Continue reading The Greatest Case of Commercial Blindness in the History of Sports Integrity
Penis Size, Golden Showers and the Sorry State of American Journalism
“You’re the opposition party. Not the Democratic Party. You’re the opposition party. The media is the opposition party.” Stephen Bannon is right. Sadly, he may even be right in the second part of his now-famous quote to the New York Times, “The media should be embarrassed and humiliated and keep its mouth shut and just … Continue reading Penis Size, Golden Showers and the Sorry State of American Journalism
