Menu
Download the app

SBJ subscribers – Enhance your experience with the revamped iOS app

People and Pop Culture

Former U.S. Soccer Official Chuck Blazer, Involved In FIFA Corruption Scandal, Dies At 72

Former CONCACAF and FIFA exec CHUCK BLAZER, who was a "central figure in the FIFA scandal that laid bare widespread corruption in international soccer," died yesterday at the age of 72, according to Longman & Ruiz of the N.Y. TIMES. The cause was rectal cancer, which he "had for years." In '13, as "part of a wide-ranging federal investigation into soccer-related improprieties that had started with his own failure to file a personal income tax return," Blazer "secretly pleaded guilty to 10 counts of criminal charges that included racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering." Blazer, a member of FIFA's exec committee from '97-'13, forfeited $1.9M to the U.S. and "cooperated with the authorities as a witness." His insider testimony "assisted a far-reaching inquiry that ultimately touched several nations, predominantly in South and Central America." Blazer became a USSF Exec VP in '84 and was "named general secretary" of CONCACAF in '90. According to federal charges against him, Blazer "profited from a number of moneymaking schemes, including the unauthorized sale of tickets to the World Cup, and received money smuggled in bulk and hidden in tax havens" (N.Y. TIMES, 7/13). The AP's Ronald Blum wrote with "girth, charm and a pet parrot, Blazer was a bon vivant as he made deals from an office and apartment in Trump Tower." As a member of FIFA's exec committee, Blazer was "central to the rise of the sport" in the U.S. Blazer was "banned from soccer for life" by FIFA on July 9, 2015 for his role in the scandal (AP, 7/12).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2017/07/13/People-and-Pop-Culture/Blazer.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2017/07/13/People-and-Pop-Culture/Blazer.aspx

CLOSE