OSG Championship: Whelan Charged By FA Over Racist Comments

((HT: SkySports/Beanyman Sports))

Not that this is a surprise...

But ever since Wigan chairman Dave Whelan hired Malky Mackay as his new manager to stop the hemorrhaging of the Latics. Currently, they're next-to-last in the table with only 18 points on the season so far- clearly, nine points above Blackpool but in the logjam in the relegation zone.

So, Whelan hires Mackay who is under investigation for sending racist and anti-Semitic text messages in his time as manager at Cardiff City last season. Then, Whelan says on the record to The Guardian newspaper: "I think Jewish people do chase money more than everybody else."

Whelan also said he did not view the word 'chink' as offensive. It was the term by which Mackay allegedly referred to Cardiff owner Vincent Tan in one of the text messages under review.

From the Guardian newspaper and David Conn at the time:

Asked whether he did not think what Mackay said was offensive, because the claim Jews “love money” has been used as a negative stereotype, Whelan said: “Do you think Jewish people chase money a little bit more than we do? I think they are very shrewd people.”

Asked if he himself believed that, Whelan, the 77-year-old multimillionaire and former owner of JJB Sports, said: “I think Jewish people do chase money more than everybody else. I don’t think that’s offensive at all.”

He then apologized...


The FA said in response: "It is alleged the Wigan Athletic chairman breached FA Rule E3[1] in that his comments were abusive and/or insulting and/or constitute improper conduct and/or bring the game into disrepute.

"It is further alleged that this is an 'Aggravated Breach' as defined by FA Rule E3[2] as it included a reference to ethnic origin and/or race and/or nationality and/or religion or belief."

Whelan said he will quit if found guilty by the FA. He has until December 5th to respond to the charge.

The HQ didn't think the season could have gotten any worse for the Latics, but we think it will.

FIFA's Take Is To Blame Britain For Corrupt Bids Process

((HT: Sky Sports))

Shocking no one, really...

The findings of the FIFA-requested inquiry into the 2018 and 2022 bidding processes that eventually awarded the World Cups to Russia and Qatar were revealed as clean. But the villian, as exposed by FIFA in their review press conference was Britain...

Naturally...

But the former US attorney who came up with the review is now critical of the edited version that FIFA has released themselves claiming that the edited version is wrong.

Michael Garcia has a 400-plus page report that was edited down to, about, 10-percent of that for the public review.

FIFA's top judge, Hans-Joachim Eckert, came up with his own version
((HT: Deadspin))

FIFA report

Here's the Hometown Headlines review of the findings and England is not happy...


Garcia will go in front of the FIFA Appeals Committee- which should have the attention span of a cocker spaniel when it comes to listening to their original author.

The HQ doesn't think this will go anywhere other than an appointment on a calendar...

A Walk-Off Review...???

((HT: MLB/ROOT))

The HQ doesn't know what to think of this...

Is it what you are looking for in a review- even if it ends a game- or does it take away too much from the game itself when you call for a review...???

Happened last night in the Pirates-Giants game...
Here's the end...
What say you...???

Catholics Vs. Conifers: Did Irish Really Win...???

((HT: Pac-12 Conference/NBC))

The question at the beginning of the day was: Are the Irish BCS-back...???
The question at the end of the day is: Are the Irish as good as their record indicates...???

Answer One: Probably by default...
Answer Two: Meh, maybe... the jury is still out...

By the time overtime was over and Notre Dame won by seven, there were more discussions over the play at the end of the game where Stanford either scored and got jobbed or didn't score on a great, goal line stand...

Here's the play at the end of the game...
Examine for yourself...


The Irish are now 6-0 for the first time since 2002...

"I didn't get a view of the last play," Stanford head coach David Shaw said after the game. "Stepfan (Taylor) swore to me that he got in. That he put the ball over the goal line on the second effort. The officials looked at it and they said he didn't get in, so he didn't get in."

Irish coach Brian Kelly called it a classic goal line stand...
Of course he did...

Stanford drops to 4-2...

So, faithful reader... did Taylor score or was it a classic goal line stand...???