100%...

The Wall Street Journal this morning reports that 100% is the refund amount that French retailer Carrefour is offering to customers who buy a widescreen television through late May if France wins the World Cup in July.

Dedicated to all my favorite Moms...

From Millan.Net

A Special Dining Experience...

A day after our Executive Committee meeting, as peace and tranquility returned to New York City, the one remaining member Guillermo Canedo and his wife Adriana, joined us for a special meal at Eleven Madison Park. We had been trying to get a reservation there for weeks, but luckily we managed to swing one for their last seating at 9:45pm. What followed will be remembered for a long time as one of the best culinary experiences of a decade.



It was great to establish a new relationship with a very special American restaurant to enlarge the choices of exceptional places to bring guests when visiting New York.

In with the New; Out with the Old...

The New Meadowland Stadium. The opening of the stadium to a real event, which tested the rafters as the match between Mexico and Ecuador sold out the new building to its capacity of almost 78,000. As we drove up to the new structure, we could see the disassembly of the old Giants Stadium which was home to us here in New York since the mid '70s. No score tonight, but the building performed up to standard while construction and the parking lots continued as the rush to completion before the American Football season kicks in.

Friday our Board Made Some Decisions...

Friday morning our Board meeting opened with a presentation by the Russian Bid Committee for the World Cups 2018/2022. Following a short break, 3 hours of discussion and presentation took the Executive Committee through all current and future competitions and an update from recent Committee meetings held in the Miami Beach offices where new direction was provided for many initiatives now in place including the expansion of youth tournaments to 12 finalist and the women's Olympic qualifying to 8 teams. Greater financial assistance will be provided to all hosting associations as FIFA FAP funds are being anticipated to increase this year and into the future.



The great success of the Gold Cup and the Champions League were highlights of the day's reports with special emphasis Pachuca's exciting injury time victory to propel them to the FIFA Club World Cup Final in Abu Dhabi this December.

The Russians are Coming...

The night prior to the CONCACAF Executive Committee meeting in New York, I had the pleasure of being the guest to dinner by the delegation of Russia's Bidding Committee for the World Cups 2018/2022. Their choice was outstanding, the top shelf restaurant L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon at the Four Season's Hotel. Simply superb.

A pleasant surprise was the addition to the original delegation, led by Alexei Sorokin, of the newly elected President of the Russian Football Union, Sergey Fursenko (pictured below the following day during the CONCACAF meeting). The former Gasprom director brings a wealth of corporate management experience to the new Russian Federation. He was also the President of Zenit, St. Petersburg.

Pre-Game Dinner...

One Wednesday, prior to Mexico's exhibition at the New Meadowlands Stadium vs. Ecuador, Mexico's Team Manager Javier Aquirre, who guided the Tri-Color to this year's FIFA World Cup in South Africa, took time out from his busy schedule to have dinner with Chuck Blazer at Campagnola's in New York City.