Good Morning.

I have mused about the upcoming national embarrassment that other countries call the "World Cup" of football.


As increasingly histrionic news comes from certain folks in Washington concerning certain teams coming to our shores (Iran), coupled with the absolute shitshow the events in nearby Foxboro, MA seem to be....I had a thought.

This is the 1936 Olympics, isn't it?

Those Olympics were awarded to the Weimar Republic in 1931...a full two years before Adolf Hitler came to power. It was actually a magnanimous gesture, and was intended to signal Germany's return to society after the long years of isolation and disdain after WWI.

Of course, they were transformed into the "Nazi Olympics", meant to showcase Germany's technical prowess, showmanship, and of course the superiority of the Aryan race. (Jesse Owens would like a word.)

Except....the 2026 World Cup isn't quite that.

The tri-national bid was approved by FIFA on June 13, 2018. Poopyhead was already President at that time, and had he served a "normal" two terms....somebody else would be in the White House now.

I'm sure FIFA and the rest of the world couldn't predict the hard turn to fascism the United States would take during a "Trump Renaissance" (or Dark Ages, you pick), but nevertheless, here we are.

I can't speak for other parts of the country, but I can observe that the 'America 250' celebrations in and around Greater Boston essentially collapsed on the day Trump was inaugurated. Being old enough to remember the Bicentennial, this was a crushing disappointment, as well as a knockout blow to the tourism industry in Boston. My mates back at the trolley tell me they are running 40-50% BELOW annual averages. Nobody is coming here anymore.

But the World Cup has bigger problems. Foxboro, home of the New England Patriots, New England Revolution, countless arena concerts, and anything else Robert Kraft thinks is a good idea, has literally and figuratively dropped the ball.

Driving to the stadium is discouraged. There are 20,000 parking spots available for American football, but for the other kind, only 5,000. This is because of FIFA's "security" requirements, hospitality pavillions, and media presence. Don't worry though, you can take a rickety old train from South Station for just $80. Or, ride a motorcoach from your hotel for $95.

Admittedly, I didn't check the ticket prices when they first went on sale, but you can't get a ticket at Foxboro for less than $400 at this late date. "Follow the Money" is taking it to another level for sure.

But do consider Hitler again. I dismissed the Trumpian Semisesquicentennial celebrations here, because they were sure to be jingoistic, right-wing, red meat celebrations of "Patriotism", rather than the spirit of independence, loyalty, and the ideals the nation was founded upon.

There don't appear to be any games in Washington, DC for this tournament, which is probably a good thing. Since this won't be about him, I'm sure the sitting president of the United States won't be bothered to make an appearance as host, even for ceremonial purposes.

I would love to see the crowd reaction to such an event on the Global Stage though.