At Least TRY to Hide Your Intentions

Soccer (football) is a big deal in Europe. Hell, it's pretty much a big deal everywhere but the United States (and to a lesser extent, Canada). Here's the latest piece of evidence to back up that thesis statement:

Two soccer players on the French national team -- Franck Ribery and Karim Benzema -- are getting in some hot water for allegedly sleeping with an underage "escort" (she was 17 at the time).

Here's the best part:

According to Liberation Newspaper, the police investigation into whether Franck Ribery and Karim Benzema knowingly paid for sex with an underage escort girl has been put on hold until after the World Cup. "We're not moving till the World Cup is over," a police insider told Liberation. "There is no rush. The implications are too serious."

The police are putting off an investigation because they don't want it to hinder France's chances (oh, nice rhyme!) at winning the World Cup next month!! At least try to hide the fact that you're putting a criminal investigation on hold because you don't want these soccer stars arrested and unable to play. At least try to be coy about the fact that you're letting a national sport rule your police work. You could have said, "We're investigating this and taking it seriously. We will not rush the investigation, as this is a very important matter. We're going to take our time with it." Then it sounds like you're working on it all the while, but really you're not going to touch it until after the World Cup. But when you say, "We're not moving till the World Cup is over", that makes it pretty obvious what your intentions are: World Cup Title > Justice.

I like Ribery as a soccer player, and I was surprised to hear that Ribery was involved in this prostitution scandal. Well, not really surprised, I mean I don't really know anything about him personally. Maybe he totally is a scoundrel womanizer (that sleeps with another woman while married with kids). I just know him as a soccer player and as my little Quasimodo. Yeah, I know it's totally horrible that I call him that. Yeah, I know he was in a terrible car accident as a child. It's just my term of endearment for him...

Surely this is not someone that has to pay for sex.

I know, I'm terrible.

P.S. Ribery and Thierry Henry are my favorite French words. And when I say words, I mean French soccer player names. Roughly pronounced Ree-bear-ree and Tee-airy On-Ree. I only watch the French soccer team so I can cheer for those names (while also eating a baguette).