In spite of being the only nation to have facilities ready and waiting to host the 2018 World Cup, and in spite of the people and manpower ready to work the World Cup, the United States did not get the hosting spot for the 2018 World Cup.  Instead, FIFA decided to indulge its sense of exploration and gave the 2018 World Cup to the tiny Middle Eastern nation of Qatar.  The 2022 World Cup will be in Russia.

So how small is Qatar?  Well, it’s only the smallest nation to ever host the World Cup; Russia is the largest nation to ever host the World Cup.  Qatar is about the size of the state of Connecticut, and it has less people than the city of Phoenix, Arizona.  All the good work done by GoUSABid and all the high-powered dignitaries sent to Switzerland was for naught, but there’s no reason to hang your head, US Soccer fans.

“There’s no way around it: I am disappointed.  Millions of U.S. soccer fans worked hard to bring the World Cup to our country.  To come up short is very difficult to take,” said US soccer president Sunil Gulati.  “In the face of this disappointment, we shouldn’t lose track of all that we achieved.  During the past two years, the outpouring of support for soccer in the United States has been inspiring and historic.  More than one million people signed on to our bid, and more than 100 million [in the US] watched last summer’s World Cup.  Thanks to your efforts, the game is stronger than ever in our country, and it will continue to grow stronger.  There’s no question that you’ve helped make a lasting impact on soccer in the United States.  The entire country – and the entire world – took notice.  Even though our Bid did not win, the future of soccer is bright in the United States.”

Tags: Russia, Qatar, the World Cup, World Cup 2018, World Cup 2022, World Cup location chosen, FIFA, Qatar World Cup 2018, Russia World Cup 2022, soccer, international soccer, international football, soccer tournament, football tournament, first world cup to be held in the middle east, Sunil Gulati, GoUSABid, US Soccer

“Nothing makes me prouder than coming home with six Grammys, then coming to the BRITs and winning album of the year.  I’m so proud to be British and to be flying the flag and I’m so proud to be in the room with all of you,” said Adele. Then presenter James Corden stepped in, interrupting [...]

Forget about Moneyball, the game-changing baseball philosophy that values getting men on base over defensive metrics, speed, body type, or other traditional tools lusted over by scouts.  The Oakland A’s are going to experience first hand the power of Mannyball.  Manny Ramirez, the long-haired slugger last seen with the Tampa Bay Rays last season before [...]

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent and a time in which members of the Catholic Church give up the things they enjoy, such as meat on Friday, to prove their devotion to God.  But that’s tomorrow.  Tonight?  Ahh, tonight is the night to drink it up, party like crazy, and have one [...]

Saturday Night Live cleverly made its barbed points about the racism surrounding the coverage of the NBA’s newest star. The meteoric rise in popularity of second-year NBA player Jeremy Lin has created a buzz in his Knicks’ city of New York and around the world. As only the fourth Asian-American to play in the history [...]

In a scene straight out of the Old West, the Glenn M. Anderson Federal Building’s seventh floor was the scene of a shootout.  No, a rogue nut didn’t get through security and it wasn’t an act of terrorism.  One federal agent shot another federal agent, then was subsequently killed by a third federal agent in [...]

Once you start smoking, it’s very difficult to quit.  A few cigarettes a day can quickly become a dangerous habit, so it’s best to never start.  However, once you do start, quitting aids like nicotine gum and those new electronic cigarettes can help.  Electronic cigarettes are those little cigarette-shaped things with the light in one [...]

When you operate a restaurant in which people over 350 pounds eat free, this kind of thing is going to happen.  At the Heart Attack Grill in Las Vegas, Nevada, the Triple Bypass Burger nearly lived up to its name one Saturday night.  A 40-year-old man walks into the Heart Attack Grill, orders a Triple [...]