The Trump Balogun Controversy Exposed Two Different Sports Cultures

America Wants the Best Players. Europe Wants the Rulebook

As you likely know, Team USA striker Folarin Balogun was awarded a controversial red card against Bosnia-Herzegovina, and thus suspended for the next knockout match against Belgium. And, as you likely know, FIFA shockingly lifted the ban on Balogun, roughly 24 hours ahead of Monday’s match. The reinstatement happened via FIFA Disciplinary Code Article 27, a close cousin of ADAA Continuation 113-D.

Depending on perspective, this is either justice miraculously served, or a deplorably corrupt act of deus ex MAGA, following Donald Trump’s phone call to FIFA President Gianni Infantino. Trump White House reporter Marc Caputo of Axios is reporting that Trump had no impact on the decision. That may well be true, but it’s hard to weigh that possibility against this funny Shane Gillis story of Trump asserting social dominance over Infantino and introducing him to Ivanka with:

This is the president of soccer. And they gave us the World Cup and they did that because of me.

I mean, I would assume the esteemed winner of the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize would hold some sway here.

Admittedly, it’s hilarious watching international media in a lather over all this, as though sacred football itself has been ruined by an arguably correct result born out of arguably incorrect process. Before, my subjective take was that many media Euros were smugly footballsplaining to us American dummies that we had to swallow this bad ruling almost like it’s a hazing ritual for admittance into their club. Sure this is unfair, but don’t you get it? This is how things are and you just have to accept it. Now things are different and boy are they not accepting it.

The controversy has exposed a massive rift in our sports cultures. Yes, a lot of the reaction is influenced by priors regarding America and Trump. Much of the response, from either side, is downstream of preferred outcome. But I also have to conclude that we just view sports differently in some ways. Yes, at the risk of being a big bad CHAUVINIST, I prefer the American way. I am an American, after all.