Beneath or maybe even around the scum and scam there are people at Fifa who do a brilliant job. And football is an easy sell. There are stars like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo who transcend all. UEFA - the European football boss - carries a lot of the load anyway as do the major leagues. Any old fool could run Fifa, and one has been. So don't fret; football is a lot bigger than Fifa... but why did this investigation have to fall into the hands of the American justice system? The Fifa hoods are amateurs trading in chicken feed compared with the work of corporate America and its minions, the American government.
To recap ...
Consumer advocacy was getting out of hand in the 1970s, led by nasty anoraks who thought the people deserved a voice. A lawyer who later became a Supreme Court judge wrote what is viewed as the turning point, a recommendation that big business unite to fight.
And so the lobby system was born, to corrupt the democracy. From this base of well-placed vested interests, the United States tries to rule the world and now gets to lead the hunting of Fifa. When American investigators talk of Fifa's institutionalised and deep-rooted corruption, you can only guffaw and yell "look in the mirror".
I'm not anti-American, far from it. But it has an exaggerated view of its own sense of fair play, to put it mildly. Just look at how the so-called banking crisis was resolved, how those with the power and money got to look after themselves.
The integrity of everything from medicines to food to the environment has been damaged because of America's corporate greed and influence. Representatives of this system chasing down Fifa is like the bribed investigating the bribed. Fifa's crimes are bad, but the real effect on people's lives is negligible.
British football also stirred the resistance to Blatter. The English Premier League is a fascinating competition, but also one where a couple of rich clubs plunder. One of the chosen few is Chelsea, whose existence is controlled by a Russian oligarch, a romantic name for a bloke who attained incredible wealth from extremely dodgy dealings to put it very, very nicely. Roman Abramovich will still be waving a blue scarf and what should be other people's money long after Blatter's Bumblers have been brought to justice.
Influential England and the United States were angry, having been thwarted in their bids to host World Cup tournaments. That's what spurred on the Fifa probes. English football is not all bad, far from it. But their backyard is hardly squeaky clean.
As for the US of A, getting to act as the world's policeman again in such a popular chase is a publicity coup their notorious lobbyists would have been proud to engineer.
Bring on Aussie series
New Zealand cricket has never been in a better place. There is so much good will for the national side that a drawn series against England which was there for the taking almost sounds like a victory.
Something better lies ahead, though, especially since it will occur in our time. The three-match series in Australia at the end of the year may rank as our most eagerly awaited cricket test contest ever.
Hopefully our big guns, Trent Boult, Tim Southee et al, remain fit for action. On that note, the fast-medium bowlers seem more injury-resistant than in the past. I'm assuming lessons have been well learned, that the management and care of Boult and co has improved.
This is another giant tick for today's players and the backroom staff. As for the magical left-armer Boult, he is becoming one of my favourite bowlers to watch ever, from any country. His rhythm and artistry are fantastic.
