MCJ

Protected: Corruption, Murder, and the Beautiful Game

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When I think about Fifa, I think of big name stars putting their football skills on display for their loving fans. The matches are heart stopping and always end with either heartbreak or endless joy. The crowds and their enthusiasm bring a spectacle to the world that causes pride to rise for each and every country in attendance. When I think of Fifa, I do not think about the back alley deals, the bribery, or the violence that comes along with such a beautiful game. Grantland’s Brian Phillips uses his piece, Corruption, Murder, and the Beautiful Game to portray the grimy underworld of Fifa that even a non-fan would be outraged about.

MCJ

Protected: Helen’s Response #1

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Love Letters by Katie Barker

What I found most striking about this piece was how it didn’t try to make me hate the brides. It took what would be a normal (patriarchal, misogynistic) story about this army of "ridiculous brides who are so over-obsessed with having the perfect wedding that they actually take their invitations to some small town in Oregon so the cancellation would look nice," (as a lesser author/person would have put it) and made it mean something. By introducing Geri Canzler as a sympathetic woman, and showing that this is her job and the only thing keeping this small town relevant, Baker removes the ridiculous element of the ridiculous that runs through the core of this story. Reading it, this all made perfect sense. I was convinced of the importance of Canzler’s job, and of what these brides do to keep their wedding invitations from being ruined in the mail.