FIFA Corruption and the Carolina RailHawks

It was just about a year ago that I left for a month long vacation to Brazil for the World Cup so my long term readers know that I’m a big fan. I’m also cynical enough that I was not surprised when the U.S. Department of Justice recently indicted several FIFA officials for corruption. I was surprised, however, that among them was Aaron Davidson, President of Traffic Sports USA which is the majority-share owner of my local club, the Carolina RailHawks.

While I will be grateful to Traffic for saving the RailHawks from the abyss a few years ago, I have long been uncomfortable with their absentee ownership and, along with my fellow Triangle Soccer Fanatics, would prefer someone local. Unfortunately, until I become a rich and famous poet, I can only contribute to the RailHawks as a season ticket holder and advocate for local ownership of my local club.

To that end, I am sharing TSF’s open letter to our league’s commissioner, petitioning him “… to revoke Traffic’s franchise rights immediately and for the League to assume full control of the Carolina RailHawks on an interim basis until new, permanent, preferably local ownership is found.”

If you’re a fellow fan of the beautiful game and wish to see it freed of corruption at all levels, then I ask that you add your name to the open letter.

About Bartholomew Barker

Bartholomew Barker is one of the organizers of Living Poetry, a collection of poets and poetry lovers in the Triangle region of North Carolina. Born and raised in Ohio, studied in Chicago, he worked in Connecticut for nearly twenty years before moving to Hillsborough where he makes money as a computer programmer to fund his poetry habit.

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