Ex-FIFA Executive Jack Warner Used Onion Headline to Defend Himself in Video

Jack Warner, the former head of CONCACAF, is a central figure in the on-going FIFA corruption scandal. Although he was arrested last week, those thinking the longtime FIFA power broker is going to roll over on Sepp Blatter might have to think again. In what can only be described as the ongoing theater of the absurd, Warner took to the web on Sunday and used The Onion as part of his defense.

Per the New York Times the original video with reference to The Onion was pulled and replaced.

Warner, in short, tries to say that all the arrests and charges against FIFA stem from the United States losing out on both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar, respectively. That premise isn’t entirely without merit … but using a headline from The Onion about the United States hosting a fictional 2015 World Cup and citing is as a “double standard” is just plain silly.

Meanwhile the BBC reports that a South African soccer officials ‘admits’ to paying $10 million to Warner so that the country would host the 2010 World Cup.

In a weird way you do have to hand it to FIFA for one thing — some of the actual headlines produced over the last week often read as if they are ripped straight from The Onion.