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Tristan Wall
Professor Malcolm Campbell
UWRT 1103
22 February 2016
Topic Proposal: What Happened To The NFL and FIFA?
Introduction/Overview
The topic that interests me is corruption in the NFL and FIFA. The two large corporations
impact around the globe interests me. American Football can easily be viewed as the most
popular sport in America and Soccer the most popular sport worldwide. I care about the
corruption in the two big organizations, because of how high they are held and the impact they
have on everyones lives. The NFL has recently been under fire from many due to the multiple
infractions with players being covered up for the sake of corporate profit and scandals of that
nature. FIFA has recently been involved with the uncovering of a large history of internal money
laundering and the bribing of many nations associated with FIFA.
After playing soccer for four years in high school and as a child, the game means a lot to
me. In simple words, its fun. Soccer is just plain fun. However, amidst all the fun it is also
dangerous, intellectually challenging, and requires an immense amount of skill. Put all these
together and youve got one heck of a beautiful game. In countries like Guatemala, Haiti, and
Uganda, where families struggle to put food on the table, soccer provides joy in their lives.
Fundafeild.org released a picture of a soccer ball that was photographed in Africa where the
makers had strung together bits and pieces of trash bags in order to play the game that they love.
There is a reason that if you Googled images of, The Beautiful Game that hundreds of soccer
related images show up. It provides life to many people rich and poor around the globe and to

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me, its beautiful to watch. Its elegant, strategic, and at times powerful and violent. My passion
for the game is what fuels my interest in the Corruption charges that have been coming towards
FIFA non-stop recently. As of now, according to BBC, there have been about 29 FIFA officials
that have been arrested on corruption charges and that, well over $150 million has been paid
out in bribes, and Much attention has been focused on a $10m deal that US prosecutors say was
a bribe to secure the 2010 World Cup for South Africa. These few accusations are among the
many surrounding the organization that, according to the official 2014 FIFA Financial Report,
brought in around USD 5,718 Million from 2011-2014. I find these facts the most appalling.
NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell is not the most liked character. In a poll conducted
towards 300 NFL players conducted by USA Today, Goodell escaped with a 39% approval
rating, very reflective of the general public opinion towards Goodell. Over his career as NFL
commissioner, he has been involved with numerous scandals. One of which is the suspension of
New England Patriots Quarterback, Tom Brady. Goodell suspended Brady for 4 games because
Brady was somewhat aware that the teams footballs were deflated under the regulatory standard
put in place by the NFL. However, when security footage of former Baltimore Ravens Running
back Ray Rice surfaced of him knocking his (then) girlfriend unconscious in an elevator, Goodell
suspended Rice for a mere two games. It sent the message to the public and the league that in
Goodell's eyes, domestic violence is no big deal compared to deflating footballs for one game.
However, I wish not to focus on destroying what Goodell has built but instead on how he and the
entire corporation contributed to the overarching theme of corruption in professional sports.
American Football, much like soccer, has a very large fan base, a large portion of it being the
youth of America. According to statisticbrain.com, around 1.2 million youth play high school
football every year. Thats over 1 million football players in America, not including Pop Warner

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leagues, every college football player, and all the NFL players. That is a lot of football players in
America, which even further emphasizes the impact that the NFL has on America as a whole.
The NFL sponsors youth leagues and many organizations to encourage the continuation of
football and the young people playing it. I love American Football and consequently why I'm so
interested in why the NFL continues to cover things up such as the death of former players due to
concussions sustained during head to head contact. I think that the sport is a vital part of
American society and life and that it is an accurate reference point as to how American society
has evolved. The reason I want to investigate this issue is because I love the sport, not the
corporation that, to quote the movie Concussion, Owns a day of the week.

Initial Inquiry Question(s)

How long has money laundering been occurring in FIFA? When did the world find out
about the corruption charges? How will this impact organized soccer leagues going forward?
Have there been any notable players aware of the corruption charges? How long have they been
aware? How much has it changed the game? Is there an end in sight? Besides the concussion
scandal, what else has the NFL been covering up? How much time does Roger Goodell have left
in office? How will the game change for the better or worse? How does the NFL and FIFA
compare to one another? How can these issues be avoided in the future?

My Interest in this Topic

Im interested in corruption in major sporting organizations because of how it is so easily
intertwined with peoples daily lives around the globe. Whether you are well versed or connected
to the sporting world or not, one can easily pair this story with political corruption worldwide as
well. Many of these corporations have operating systems much like that of the common

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governments around the world. I also care about the majority of the young athletes who dream of
one day working and playing for these large corporations. The injustices committed by the two
are extremely detrimental to the well being of the aspiring youth of today.

Next Steps
My next steps will including looking at the history of the NFL and FIFA and try to figure
out where this all stems from. I will look in the UNCC library for articles and books that could
useful reference points and sources for my paper, such as old newspapers or articles from
magazines. I will continue to look online on websites such as BBC, ESPN, and FIFA. Many of
these have useful articles about the corruption and from where it stems. I will also plan on
referencing the recently released movie Concussion, starring Will Smith and the controversy the
movie focuses on in real life.