The World Cup and Whatnot...

The World Cup is a pretty big deal over here. It is really fun to not tell the scores to the detainees who have been caught. We talk about it enough to get them to ask us who is winning and who is losing, but then we don’t tell them. Hahahahahaha
It is great.
Anyways, they do things the right way over here. This Arab sports network is airing the games over pay-per-view to most of the countries in the Middle East. That doesn’t fly to well over here. Most of the citizens are not going to be able to afford pay-per-view. So a couple of the networks are broadcasting them for free. That is right, the network is paying the $100 bucks or whatever to buy the telecast, then airing it over their free airwaves for everybody to watch.
This is so freaking awesome.
And what is the Arab sports network gonna do about it?
Absolutely nothing is what.
The Iraqi government is too busy trying to set itself up and convince the people not to blow up buildings to worry about this kind of crap. I think that the FCC will be one of the last branches of the government they create. And besides, when the men are watching soccer, they are not out blowing shit up. Everyone wins, except for the Arab sports network trying to get over on the common folks.
Wouldn’t it be great if someone could get away with this in the states?
But this is how I have been watching the games, in Arabic. I go down to the interpreters’ quarters to watch on their little TV. It is fun because they are so into it. I would love to have been watching the games on Armed Forces Network, but they couldn’t secure the broadcast rights.
That is such bullshit.
AFN doesn’t have the money to pay for broadcast rights. Pretty much every American sports league lets us have the games for free; you know, it is part of that whole “thank-you for defending our freedom to turn a profit” thing. The World Cup, however, sold their international broadcast rights to some stupid Swiss company that is charging every country’s military network for the broadcast rights.
What assholes.
Though there is a shining light…
Good Ole Rupert Murdoch took some of the change out of his couch cushions and arranged for we servicemen and women to watch the matches involving team USA, the semifinals, and the final.
What a guy; you can read more on the Aussie's generosity by clicking here
So at least for the USA’s last match against Ghana, I will be able to understand what the broadcaster is saying. Though it really wasn’t that big a deal before, I mean, there is only one way to say Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooal!!