Soccer-who?
Channel 10 / Via tenplay.com.au
Channel 10 / Via tenplay.com.au
Channel 10 / Via tenplay.com.au
Blatter is suspected of criminal mismanagement and misappropriation.
Fabrice Coffrini / AFP / Getty Images
The statement released by the Swiss attorney general said Blatter is being investigated "on suspicion of criminal mismanagement as well as — alternatively — on suspicion of misappropriation." The probe stems from a contract Blatter signed with Jack Warner, former president of the Caribbean Football Union, who has been charged by U.S. authorities with corruption.
"There is suspicion that, in the implementation of this agreement, [Sepp] Blatter also violated his fiduciary duties and acted against the interest of FIFA and/or FIFA Marketing & TV AG," according to the statement.
Blatter is also accused of making "a disloyal payment" of 2 million Swiss francs to Michel Platini, president of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), who was the current favorite to replace Blatter as FIFA president. Platini was also questioned on Friday morning.
"I have always been open to supporting the relevant bodies and authorities in their investigative work and therefore cooperated fully," Platini said in a statement. "Regarding the payment that was made to me, I wish to state that this amount relates to work which I carried out under a contract with FIFA and I was pleased to have been able to clarify all matters relating to this with the authorities."
On Friday morning Blatter was "interrogated" by the Swiss government, and his office "has been searched and data seized." FIFA headquarters were also raided by federal police.
A press conference scheduled at FIFA's headquarters in Zurich was canceled Friday.
FIFA released a statement saying it is cooperating with the Swiss attorney general.
"We will continue this level of cooperation throughout the investigation," the statement reads. "Today, at the Home of FIFA, representatives from the Office of the Swiss Attorney General conducted interviews and gathered documents pursuant to its investigation. FIFA facilitated these interviews as part of our ongoing cooperation."
The organization refused to comment further.
In June 2015, amid investigations into top-ranking FIFA officials for corruption, Blatter announced his intent to resign as FIFA president. He had recently been re-elected, but said in June that he would allow an executive committee to determine his future at the helm of soccer's governing body.
In May, nine FIFA officials and five corporate executives were indicted for corruption by the U.S. Department of Justice, seven of whom were arrested at a hotel in Zurich following a three-year investigation by the FBI.
Meanwhile, a second probe by Swiss authorities is investigating corruption relating to the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bids. In June, the Swiss attorney general seized electronic data from Blatter's office at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich.
Can you spot the difference between the real Premier League badge and the very similar impostor?
England vs Wales is due to finish around 9:30pm on Saturday. The last train from London Paddington to South Wales leaves at 10pm.
David Davies / PA WIRE
The Group A fixture is due to finish around 9:30pm and the last train departing London's Paddington station for South Wales is 10pm.
The services leaving after 10pm are only due to go as far as Bristol.
Great Western Railway (GWR) has advised those trying to get back to Wales to make other travel plans or stay overnight in London.
The potential disruption is the latest in a series of complaints about the travel situation throughout England and Wales during the first week of the World Cup.
Steven Paston / PA WIRE
There were also complaints from those travelling to Wales last weekend after people were turned away from trains due to overcrowding, despite having pre-paid for tickets and reserved seats.
There were also reports of three-hour waits for trains after Australia's game with Fiji at the Millennium Stadium on Wednesday.
A bag of “evidence” left on the doorstep of the mother of Patrick Kane’s accuser was planted by the mother herself, the District Attorney said Friday.
Erie County District Attorney Frank Sedita
WKBW
A bag that allegedly contained evidence from the rape investigation into NHL star Patrick Kane what was left outside the victim's mother's front door was falsified and planted by the mother, the District Attorney in Eerie County, New York said Friday.
On Wednesday, the alleged victim's attorney, Thomas Eoannou, held a news conference saying a brown bag containing evidence – including his client's rape kit – had been ripped open and left on her mother's doorstep.
Eoannou indicated that the chain of custody of the rape kit, which is essential to preserving admissibility of evidence in a trial, had been broken with the evidence in his client's case, and a "good samaritan" had delivered it to the mother's home. The attorney pointed out initials from the nurse and the alleged victim, used to indicate that the evidence was in fact the original collection from the alleged victim.
Thursday night, Eoannou removed himself as counsel for the alleged victim due to ethical concerns.
Erie County District Attorney Frank Sedita said Friday that Eoannou's information wasn't true.
The evidence bag and brown bag presented by Eoannou on Wednesday was not the evidence taken from the alleged victim in August. The rape kit and other evidence remain in police custody and are fully intact, according to the DA.
WKBW
Sedita on Friday presented a point-by-point walk-through of who was in possession of the legitimate rape kit and evidence.
Video of the certifiable rape kit was shown being placed in a locker by an investigator:
We want to crash their playdates.
Bradley Kanaris / Getty Images
Jonathan Papelbon grabbed Bryce Harper’s throat during the eighth inning. After losing to the Philadelphia Phillies, Papelbon said they had “squashed” their differences.
Greg Fiume / Getty Images
The Washington Nationals pitcher Jonathan Papelbon grabbed teammate Bryce Harper's throat in the dugout on Sunday as the team struggled against the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Nationals went on to lose to the Phillies 12-5, and after the game, Papelbon appeared calm as he talked to reporters.
"I grew up with brothers, he grew up with brothers, I view him as a brother," Papelbon said. "And sometimes in this game, there's a lot of testosterone and things spill over."
“You guys like Gatorade?”
BuzzFeed Video / Via youtu.be
The team said in a statement that Jonathan Papelbon’s behavior on Sunday was “unacceptable.”
Greg Fiume / Getty Images
Papelbon also shoved Harper into a bench before the players were pulled apart by their teammates.
After the game however, Papelbon shrugged off the incident.
“I grew up with brothers, he grew up with brothers, I view him as a brother,” he told reporters. “And sometimes in this game, there’s a lot of testosterone and things spill over.”
The Nationals lost the game to the Philadelphia Phillies 12-5.
The team's general manager, Mike Rizzo, said in a statement that the pitcher's behavior was "unacceptable."
"That is not at all in line with the way our players are expected to conduct themselves, and the Nationals Organization will not tolerate it in any way," he said.
The statement didn't address the criticism fans have levied on Nationals manager Matt Williams for leaving Papelbon in the game after the attack on Harper.
After the game, Williams explained during a press conference that he left Papelbon on in “because he’s our closer.”
Later, Williams tried to explain that he did not see the severity of the attack on Harper and if he had he would have pulled Papelbon from the game immediately.
Greg Fiume / Getty Images
With the Nationals' four-game suspension and MLB's three-game suspension, Papelbon will be out for the rest of the season.
The Nationals acquired Papelbon from the Phillies mid-season, when the Nationals still were favored to win the NL East, and the Nationals are on the hook for $11 million for the closer next season.
Upon acquiring Papelbon, Williams gave Papelbon the role of closer and moved Drew Storen to setup reliever. During the second half of the season, Williams refused to deviate from those roles.
Jacquelyn Martin / AP
Erik Roner, an accomplished extreme skier and BASE jumper, died Monday when he traveled off-base during a parachute stunt and hit a tree.
Jeff Bottari / AP Images
Extreme athlete and MTV co-star Erik Roner died Monday after a fatal crash into a tree during a parachute stunt at a charity golf tournament, entertainment company Nitro Circus, announced.
Roner was 39, married, and a father to two children.
According to the company's statement, Roner was part of a three-person parachute team at the 4th Annual Squaw Valley Institute Celebrity Golf Classic in Northern California when he "was off the drop zone target on descent and hit a large tree."
Roner was rushed to the hospital, Nitro Circus stated, but was declared dead shortly after.
According to Teton Gravity Research founder and eyewitness Roy Tuscany, "He hit a tree... he hit a tree so hard." Tuscany added that he didn't know what happened from there.
Within the extreme sports world, Roner was a household name. The native Californian's first sport was skiing. He has been featured in several magazines for his talents, and helped pioneer ski BASE jumping. The extreme sport incorporates BASE jumping (which stands for the surfaces from which one can jump: building, antenna, span, or Earth) and skiing.
According to his website, Roner was signed to Nitro Circus and co-starred in an MTV show with X Games gold medalist Travis Pastrana. The series, called Nitro Circus, lasted two seasons and aired in 2009.
Pastrana said in a Nitro Circus statement, "Erik was an amazing person who made everyone and everything around him better. His smile, laughter and personality will be missed by everyone at Nitro Circus."
"Most importantly," Pastrana added, "he has a beautiful wife and amazing kids that will miss him dearly."
Brownlow my god.
Robert Cianflone / Getty Images
“I love my body. Other people don’t, but I can’t let that stop me.”
Were you stalking the Dally M Awards or the Brownlow Medal last night?
Johnathan Thurston
Cameron Laird / Getty Images
Nat Fyfe
Quinn Rooney / Getty Images
The eyes are the window to the goal.
The young man and the seal.
They don’t make ‘em like this anymore. That might be a good thing.
The true story of the drunken urinal valve yanker!
Vaughn Ridley / Getty Images
SB Nation
Are you shOAR you can handle it?
Lesson of the day: YOU CAN’T TRUST AMAZON.
"I open up the box like a child on christmas' morn. I see that there is some kind of shipping sticker on the opener. no big deal, I think to myself, mouth thirsty for beer. hand ready to open beer with new mets opener."
"but then I peel back the label and find the worst thing one could find."
WNBA President Laurel Richie
Christian Petersen / Getty Images
WNBA President Laurel Richie, speaking at a recent conference on the role of women in sports, said that “on occasion we have sold the WNBA too much as a cause” – rather than what it is: a premium sports league.
Later that same day, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver suggested that media outlets and business partners should make concerted efforts to grow the WNBA, adding that those who don’t will be left behind. But he also admitted that “we thought [the WNBA] would have broken through by now.”
It was a sincere bit of candor in the sports industry, one that often obscures transparency.
As the WNBA gears up for its 19th annual Finals series on Tuesday night between the Minnesota Lynx and Indiana Fever, Richie, in a phone call with BuzzFeed News, expanded on the balance between marketing the WNBA as a “cause” and her aspirations of building a deep, dedicated fanbase who will watch it for what it is.
Growing the fanbase, and the league’s bottom line, is essential to remedying one frequently discussed aspect of the WNBA: Player salaries that are just a fraction of what men make in the NBA.
“First and foremost we’re a sports entertainment vehicle,” Richie said. “We are the home of the greatest women basketball players in the world,” adding that the WNBA is also “the longest running women’s sports league in the country.” (This is certainly the case for team sports, but the Women’s Tennis Association and Ladies Professional Golf Association pre-date the WNBA by 24 and 47 years, respectively.)
“I think everyone would agree that sports play a critical role in informing and shaping society, so when you look at where women are, and where women are headed in this country, the WNBA champions and supports women and women’s achievements,” Richie also said. “I would say we are actually a beacon for that.”
Sports league revenues are a mix of direct revenue – such as tickets and merchandise – business and advertising partners, and all-important television broadcast deals. To grow the WNBA, the league has to push to grow all three. But in order to do so, the league’s officials have to cultivate an engaged, dedicated fanbase.
Marissa Coleman and Tamika Catchings of the Indiana Fever after defeating the Chicago Sky in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Kamil Krzaczynski / AP Images
Richie is concluding her fifth season with the WNBA, after a career in advertising and as Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Girl Scouts of the USA.
When she started, Richie aimed to tighten up the league’s understanding of its target audience — which she identifies as “a diverse fan base united by progressive views on gender roles.” She also pushed team promotions and league-wide initiatives, such as Breast Health Awareness and Hoops for Troops.
“Each team was doing these promotions, but not all in the same time frame. We pulled them together to reach a bigger critical mass,” she said. “For example, each time was doing a Pride event, but now we’ve unified it and do WNBA Pride Month to give a bigger platform.”
The WNBA also wants to overhaul how the league’s marketing arm showcases the complexities and personalities of the players. Silver mentioned during the September 17 conference that players said they felt distant from the marketing portrayals of themselves.
“If you look at players — both our legends and our current players — I think one thing that is very interesting is they are very complex characters, so one of the things going forward is to partner with the players who have interesting stories, and share that complexity and passions and interests with the public,” Richie noted.
A recent ad, called “Watch Me,” is the public’s first look this revamped plan. It includes footage of players on the court, as well as coaching on the sideline, and, notably, as mothers. The spot was received well by media and fans, eliciting even positive comments from the notoriously crass YouTube commenting community.
WNBA
The WNBA’s marketing and growth strategy also draws huge interest because it’s related to top-tier athlete pay.
The 2015 league maximum for a WNBA veteran is $109,500, a paltry salary compared to what their male counterparts make. In 2014, the WNBA team salary cap was $901,000. During the 2014–2015 season, 49 NBA players made more individual salary than maximum league-wide WNBA payroll. With sports leagues, salaries and team financial abilities are not uniform – NBA employs a salary cap; MLB does not, for example – but the WNBA’s salaries compared to the NBA’s are still a jarring example of disparity for men and women in similar roles.
Many justify this canyon in pay by saying the WNBA product is inferior, or less “watchable” than the NBA. The WNBA, however, says it offers the highest level of women’s basketball as a product.
Because the player salaries are relatively low, the WNBA competes with international leagues, – which pay players exponentially more – to keep talent. Some players elect to play in both, making the grueling, physical sport into a year-round affair. Notably, Diana Taurasi, formerly of the Phoenix Mercury, elected to sit out the 2015 WNBA season after the Russian Premier League team offered to pay her more than her WNBA salary to take the time off.
It’s a predicament the WNBA acknowledges. Commissioner Silver mentioned during the conference, though, that he’s not quite sure how the international leagues find the high salaries despite extremely low attendance rates.
“We’re often compared to look at salaries in the U.S. versus overseas and it’s important to remember not everyone chooses to go overseas,” Richie said. “Maybe some include going back to school — there are lots of things our players do during the offseason both to follow their passions and from income generation standpoint. One thing I feel very strongly about: They should make the best choices for their lives and for their careers.”
Rebekkah Brunson and Maya Moore of the Minnesota Lynx during the Western Conference semifinals.
Stacy Bengs / AP Images
Richie contends that players often choose the WNBA because of the prestige of the league and the other benefits offered to players, including “a very robust benefits package” and a 401k.
“It’s important to understand what they do get, and as our business grows I know I speak for the league and our owners in saying that as our business grows, we look to increase salaries as a result.”
As for Commissioner Silver’s comments at the conference in September about where the NBA expected the WNBA to be, and where it has to go, Richie called it “a very honest assessment of where we are at 19 years, and where we’re headed. We are certainly looking to increase trajectory of the growth.”
To reach that goal, Richie realizes the WNBA might have some help:
“As I look at this past summer, I think there are so many things happening within broader culture that will bode well for the continued success of the WNBA. Right now there are two women who are legitimate candidates to be the first woman president of the United States. The women’s Finals for the US Open sold out before the men’s, and of course there was an incredible following of the US Women’s soccer team during the World Cup.”
“Now really is a wonderful time for women’s sports,” Richie said.
