FIFA '15: The Plot Thickens, And An Important Answer To A Common Question

We're now about a week in to the FIFA scandals, and we've picked up some more information:

• We now have confirmation that both the United States and Switzerland have launched investigations into the bidding processes of both Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022.
• Chuck Blazer, admitted felon in these scandals, has now admitted taking a bribe to aid France in it's (successful) bid for the 1998 World Cup.

(Leaving it only a matter of time before we find out the same for USA 1994.)

But this does bring up a very interesting question I've heard a number of times:

Why did it take the United States to get this all done?

The answer is simple, and most pundits have figured it out (and, as I told Brian the day Blatter got re-elected, is also the reason you will never see true investigation of Selig and the NFL):

Soccer is life in many parts of the world.

Sans about three weeks of delusional flag-waving (and the occasional qualifier or Gold Cup), the United States doesn't give a damn about soccer.

That's why.

For many countries, an intra-city "derby" match (a match between two clubs in the same city) can be the cause for riot and effective war.

Imagine (and, as I've said here a few times) if a match between the New York Giants and Jets were even remotely like this.  The fights you see in the stands would be on the streets (and, sometimes, not just on the day of the match!) and probably would get many killed in America's violence-crazed gun-filled culture.

But it just isn't that way here -- soccer is seen as a sport for girls (and not even in support of the US Women's National Team, who begins their World Cup in Canada this weekend) who aren't MAN ENOUGH to play a real sport, like maiming your brain in "real" football...