Grassroots Diplomacy in Action

Under the patronage of the President of the Truce Foundation of the USA and my good friend, Hugh Dugan, the Delegation will carry a message of peace and reconciliation in attending the World Cup in Russia.    The Olympic Truce dates to 776 B.C., where athletes, officials, and spectators were assured safe passage to and from the Ancient Olympics.  This sacred tradition has since been endorsed by the UN General Assembly, which biennially adopts a resolution signifying the body's accord with this grand and noble gesture.  Students will carry with them Truce Foundation lapel pins and Truce Oath cards, which inspire individuals -- one by one -- to embrace the spirit of the truce.

New for 2018: VAR

Finally catching up with 20th Century technology (sort of), FIFA will for the first time deploy a video assistant referee (VAR) system at the 2018 World Cup.  This, after introducing goal-line technology at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, after English midfielder Frank Lampard's goal https://youtu.be/gcAH4Qm5M84 against Germany was not confirmed on the pitch at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.  The standard for overturning a decision is "clear and obvious error," similar to the NFL's standard of "clear and obvious evidence."  However, VAR is applicable in just four situations -- (1) goals, (2) penalties, (3) red cards, and (4) mistaken identity in carding a player -- in order to minimize disruption and flow of the game.

Trending: Match Call in VR?

When watching the World Cup on TV, see if you can tell if the commentators are actually in the stadium covering match, or broadcasting via remote from the International Broadcast Center (IBC) in Moscow, or even from Fox's studios in Los Angeles.  While remote broadcasting is not new, Fox's mostly stateside broadcast crews for this year's World Cup might have been precipitated by budget cuts owing to the United States' failure to qualify.  Only two of Fox's six crews will be in Russia, led by John Strong and Stu Holden.  Telemundo, the Spanish-language broadcast rights holder in the U.S., will cover all of the matches from Russia, with the majority directly from stadiums and the remainder from the IBC.  It will be interesting to see if the studio crews have the same fervor and excitement in their voices and mannerisms as the stadium commentators, who will be drinking in the atmospherics from the pitch and in the stands.  #RussianVuvuzela

Transportation Logistics

The thing about the World Cup is that this mega-sport event is awarded to a country (or countries) as opposed to a single city as is done for the Olympics.  Sixty-four matches will be played over a month-long period at 12 venues in 11 cities, in the largest country in the world by land mass that spans 11 time zones.  Even though the host cities are in the western part of the country, the distance by air between the western-most and eastern-most hosts -- Kaliningrad and Ekaterinburg -- is 1,500 miles, about the distance from London to Moscow.  In order to contain costs while optimizing the World Cup experience, our group will take in four matches at three stadiums in two cities (Moscow and St. Petersburg) over ten days.  #NoRestForWeary

Yanks, Azzurri, Sit One Out

While the Stars & Stripes failed to qualify for this year's edition of the World Cup, casting a moment of sorrow over the WNE Delegation, it should be noted that the Golden Bear side includes members who are nationals of France and Peru!  This will make for an interesting intra-squad rivalry since both countries are in the same Group Stage pool, along with Australia and Denmark.  Hopefully, things will not get too chippy on June 21, when Les Bleus face off against La Blanquirroja (the White and Red) in Yekaterinburg.  While disappointing for Uncle Sam's loyalists, America's absence probably is not nearly as devastating for its fans as Italy's, which country boasts one of the most dominant national teams in tournament history, with four World Cup Trophies to boot.  Boo-hoo.

Got Passport?

According to Forbes, 42% of Americans possess passports, compared to some other countries such as Canada and the U.K., where 66% and 76% of those countries' populations, respectively, have them.  Still, this is a marked increase among U.S. citizens from 1990, when just four percent held passports.  This accelerated growth is attributable in part to changes in travel restrictions in the post 9/11 environment that since January 2007 have required U.S. citizens traveling to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Bermuda, and several other countries to possess valid passports, which were not necessary prior to that time.

Can't Get Enough Here?

For quick-trip highlights during the delegation's stay in Russia (June 13-23), friends and family of CISB Seminar Abroad VI:  2018 FIFA World Cup/Russia can check out our dueling twitter feeds @CISBatWNE and @wnerussia2018!

FIFA's Flagging Sponsorships

On the eve of the 2018 World Cup, FIFA's sponsorship stable has fallen short of its own targets, owing to a combination of factors, including a 2015 corruption/bribery scandal that resulted in the toppling of President Sepp Blatter, indictments/convictions of 18 FIFA officials and associates, Russia's involvement in highly publicized political controversies, and the United States' failure to qualify for the World Cup.  Yes, there are consequences to the largest economy and biggest sports market in the world not being represented at FIFA's shindig.

But there is no need to shed a tear for FIFA, which is projected to net $4B in revenue for 2018!

Sponsor Kit Wars

In the battle for kit supremacy, Adidas is the big winner with 12 team sponsorships (an increase from nine in Brazil) over Nike, which has held constant with ten from 2014 to 2018.  Puma is the biggest loser, dropping from eight to four sponsorships, while new kid on the block, New Balance, emerges on the scene with two.  Umbro, Hummel, Erreà, and Uhlsport round out the field with one each.  

P.S.  Shout out to Nick Starr '13, Senior Account Executive at New Balance and alumnus of Seminar Abroad II, 2010 FIFA World Cup/South Africa, for outfitting the WNE Delegation in NB gear for Costa Rica's match versus Brazil!

Bid Recap

In December 2010, the 22-member FIFA Executive Committee selected Russia to host the 2018 World Cup (and Qatar for 2022).  Russia prevailed against England (eliminated in the first round) and the joint bids of Netherlands/Belgium and Portugal/Spain.  Russia secured a majority with 13 votes in the second round, besting POR/ESP (7) and NED/BEL (2).  Not without controversy, the elections were plagued by allegations of corruption and vote buying.  While FIFA commissioned an independent investigation on the scandal, its report was never made public, much to the chagrin of FIFA's critics.  One of the reforms following this debacle, however, was to have future decisions on World Cup hosts made by the entire FIFA membership instead of the more exclusive Executive Committee.     

Next Up: Tokyo 2020!

Plans are underway for CISB Seminar Abroad VII, in conjunction with the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo to be held July 24 through August 9.  Interested WNE students should see Prof. Curt Hamakawa in Churchill 210 or send an email to curt.hamakawa@wne.edu to be put on the contact list.  Information meetings will be held in fall 2018.

Gastronomy

Russia is well known for its cuisine -- knish, borscht, blini, dumplings, Stroganoff, shashlik, Chicken Kiev, pierogi, and of course, caviar and vodka -- but at the top of my must-try list is khachapuri, a fresh-baked bread boat filled with varieties of melted cheese and topped with an egg and dollop of butter.  Yum!

Something from the Old Testament

Russian authorities are bracing for a possible locust invasion during the World Cup this summer, with a spokesperson for the Agricultural Ministry saying, "football pitches are fields of grass, and locusts are attracted to green."  Fair warning . . . visitors should bring plenty of locust repellent, and avoid wearing green!

Delegation T-Shirt

WNE Senior Graphic Designer Sarah Pyfrom-Stephens collaborated with Delegation Member Joe Guerrera to produce our group's commemorative t-shirt.  Thanks, Sarah and Joe!

Have Paint, Will Travel!

True World Cup fans know that going all in means full-on face paint and wearing the colors -- including costume accessories -- of their favorite teams. 

Got Rubles?

As you know, Russian currency is called the ruble (₽), currently trading at 1₽ = $0.016.  Bills come in denominations of 5, 10, 50, 100, 500, 1,000, and 5,000, and coins -- called kopecks -- come in denominations of 1, 5, 10, and 50 kopecks, as well as 1, 2, and 5 rubles.

Business Analytics vs. Paul, Harry and Achilles

Analysts at UBS, the Swiss global financial services firm, has declared Germany to win it all based on results of the past five World Cups, followed by Brazil (2nd), Spain (3rd), and England (4th), adding the obligatory disclaimer that "past performance is no guarantee of future results."  For the 2014 World Cup, Goldman Sachs' predictions -- based on a statistical model relying on data from international football matches since 1960 -- were bested by an animal oracle, Paul the Octopus.  This year, the BBC is relying on Harry the Otter, a Russian-based creature that predicted winners at the 2014 Sochi Olympics with 75% accuracy.  Then there is the deaf cat at the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg named Achilles, that picked every winner except for one at last year's Confederations Cup.  So there you have it.  You can place your bets based on fancy prediction models of professional number crunchers or rely on base animal instincts (literally)!

World Cup Pay Schedule

FIFA will pay a record $400M to the 32 teams in this year's World Cup (a 40% increase over 2014), with $38M going to the winner and $28M to the runner-up.  The third- and fourth-place teams will earn $24M and $22M respectively, and the four quarterfinal losers will receive $16M each.  The eight teams eliminated in the Round of 16 will get $12M while all others -- the 16 teams that fail to advance from the group to the knockout phase -- will take home $8M.  So you see, failing to qualify (ahem, USA) is tantamount to leaving $8M or more on the table.  Ouch!

National Stadium

Moscow's 81,000-seat Luzhniki Stadium, one of the largest in Europe, will host the opening and final matches of the 2018 World Cup.  Happily, the WNE delegation was able to obtain tickets to opening ceremonies immediately followed by Match 1 between Russia and Saudi Arabia on June 14!  So keep an eye out for those Golden Bears!

Get Ready for the Viking Clap

Iceland, with a population of 334,000, is the smallest country to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, and to put this in perspective, has about the same number of inhabitants as Raleigh, NC.  This just goes to show that countries with comparatively small populations can make their mark on this world stage.

Eyes of the World

Russia expects to welcome a million tourists during the month-long World Cup between June 14 and July 15, with another 3.3 billion watching on TV.  Poor Fox Sports, though, which paid $400M for U.S. broadcast rights, because the Stars & Stripes failed to qualify for the first time since 1986!  But lest you feel sorry for Team USA, Italy's qualification streak, also broken in 2018, dated to 1958.  Mamma Mia!

Delegation

Those who have participated in the CISB Seminar Abroad Program know that each group refers to itself as "The Delegation," because we see ourselves as representing not just Western New England University but the United States of America as well.  In a very real sense, the students comprise a delegation of grass-roots ambassadors that promotes human comprehension and international goodwill on a people-to-people level wherever we go.  From a business and experiential perspective, however, each member of the WNE delegation is also assigned a role and responsibility that mimics an organization's functions in a foreign environment in order to accomplish its goals.  Students simulate tasks and fill various roles while on assignment abroad such as ticket manager, ground transport coordinator, housing coordinator, graphics designer, social media coordinator, photographer/videographer, signage coordinator, meteorologist, service project lead, historian/curator, security lead, chief bear keeper, and chef de mission/delegation leader (that's my job!).  In this way, students gain an appreciation of how organizations navigate challenging situations while at the same time contributing to the success of the mission.

Golden Bears to Meet Russian Bears

As you can imagine, every group has a mix of experiences and this one is no different.  All 13 delegation members have traveled outside the U.S., although four people have not yet ventured across the Pond.  Two just had their first foray abroad, spending this past spring semester in London.  So while all of us have had a taste of international travel, this will be everyone's first trip to Russia, which will make it all the more interesting and exciting!

On Second Thought...

At the conclusion of CISB Seminar Abroad IV:  2014 FIFA World Cup/Brazil, Andrea Canales '16 said, "No one will ever understand how much this trip has meant to me.  What could be better than being in Rio at the Maracanã during the World Cup?  That's right, nothing can compare!"  But now, with Los Incas in the World Cup Finals for the first time since 1982 -- the longest absence of any team playing in Russia -- Andrea might have a change of heart.

Got Pins?

While pin trading at World Cups is not even close to the mania seen at Olympic Games, our students will be equipped to engage in this fun and interactive past time just in case.  Each delegation member will be provided with a complete set of the 32 participating countries' signature pin, in addition to a commemorative "Zabivaka" and "World Cup Trophy" pin.  The MVP of pins, however, is the "Golden Bear F.C." badge shown here! 

FAN ID

For the first time in history, admission to World Cup matches in Russia will require tickets and a personalized FAN ID, which must be applied for upon receipt of match tickets.  While the FAN ID application process -- separate and apart from ticketing -- presented an additional administrative burden, it comes with certain benefits including visa-free entry into the country and free ground transit within and between the 11 Russian host cities.  From a business and operations management perspective, however, it will be interesting to see how this system will work when a ticket holder seeks to transfer (for whatever reason) her match ticket to another person, who ostensibly does not have his own FAN ID.

Golden Bear Passes the Torch

After ten years of traveling the world, including stops in China, South Africa, U.K., and Brazil (twice), GB was looking a bit worn and has been retired to the custody and care of its best-ever bear keeper in Mike Spratt '17, shown here atop Corcovado taking in the majestic view of Rio de Janeiro.

GB II (shown here) will be making its debut in Russia, and is looking forward to many photo-ops in Moscow and St. Petersburg!

Official Song of the 2018 FIFA World Cup

You can listen to Jason Derulo's "Colors" here https://youtu.be/JWKJ285bYW4, but IMHO nothing can compare to Shakira's "Waka Waka" from 2010.  https://youtu.be/pRpeEdMmmQ0 Am I wrong?

Virtual Traveler

It is a CISB Seminar Abroad tradition to "bring along" a distinguished personality of the WNE community as virtual member of the delegation; so if you follow this blog and pay close attention, you will soon learn the identity of our newest celebrity guest(s) in Russia!

2010 FIFA World Cup/South Africa:  Dr. Sharianne Walker

2012 London Olympic Games:  President Anthony Caprio

2014 FIFA World Cup/Brazil:  Provost Linda Jones

2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games:  Dean Rob Kleine

2018 FIFA World Cup/Russia:  Stay Tuned!

Mascot

Zabivaka, "the one who scores," in Russian, was voted mascot of the 2018 World Cup in an election with more than a million votes cast.  The wolf garnered 53%, over a tiger (27%) and cat (20%).  (What, no bear running in a Russian election?)  https://youtu.be/s4qXq_1w0ac

2018 World Cup Quick Facts

The 2018 FIFA World Cup Finals will be held June 14 to July 15, with 64 matches played at 12 venues in 11 cities -- Moscow, St. Petersburg, Ekaterinburg, Kazan, Samara, Volgograd, Nizhny Novgorod, Saransk, Rostov-on-Don, Kaliningrad, and Sochi -- with the Final Match held at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium.  2018 will mark the 21st World Cup, and the first in Russia.  Thirty-one national teams earned their spots through qualifying competitions, with Russia obtaining an automatic spot as the host nation.  Each team will be comprised of 23 players, three of whom must be goalkeepers.

Russia Country Facts

• Name:  Russian Federation
• Capital:  Moscow (as well as the largest city in Russia)
• Official Language:  Russian
• Area:  6.6 million square miles (17 million square km), the largest country in the world
• Population:  142 million
• Life Expectancy:  59 years for men and 73 years for women 
• Currency:  Ruble (RUB or ₽), and one ruble is divided into 100 kopecks.  Currently, $1 equals 61 rubles.
• Religion:  Orthodox Christianity (75%), Islam (5%), Catholicism, Protestantism, Judaism, and Buddhism (1% each).  Other religions comprise 1% of the population, while 8% consider themselves atheists.
• Unemployment:  5.5%

Meet the Delegates

Connor Decker, a sport management senior from Red Hook, NY, first heard about this unique opportunity from students who had gone on previous CISB trips to the Olympics and World Cups, after which he was determined to seek a spot in this program himself.

Joe Guerrera, a business analytics & information management junior from Oakville, CT, said he is "extremely grateful to participate in this program provided by Western New England University" as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Kes Husselbeck, a junior sport management major from Schenectady, NY, and freshly returned from a semester studying in London, says "the seminar abroad trip to Russia is the main reason I decided to attend Western New England," as she dreams of a career working in the English Premier League.

Joe Kaminskas, a sophomore sport management major from Tinton Falls, NJ, and also newly returned Stateside from his spring semester in London, says that being able to experience a major world sporting event as the World Cup will help him gain valuable insights into his future career.

Patrick Perzanowski, a sophomore accounting major from Vineyard Haven, MA, caught the travel bug when he visited England in 8th grade, and he has since been to Japan.  Coincidentally, traveling to Russia is at the top of his list of countries to visit, and the World Cup is just a small bonus.

As a high school senior, Steven Perzanowski, a senior pharmacy student from Vineyard Haven, MA, learned of the planned CISB trip to the 2018 World Cup in Russia and instantly knew that he had to go, because it "combines my love of soccer with my passion for learning about foreign cultures."

Val Wagner, a senior sport management major from France, said that as a lifelong football fan, attending the World Cup would fulfill one of his childhood dreams.  In fact, Val said that the opportunity to participate in this program was a main reason for him attending Western New England.

Nate Wallek, a sport management senior from Windsor, CT, said that until recently, he had never been on an airplane, but that he would not be deterred from being on the flight to Russia to attend the 2018 FIFA World Cup.  Nate, too, said that this was a big factor in his decision to attend WNE.

Alex Weir, a senior sport management major from Hebron, CT, said that although he has never witnessed a single live professional soccer match, being able to see four top-notch matches -- including Germany, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, and host Russia -- at the World Cup "is an absolute dream."  

Ryan Zajaceskowski, a sophomore marketing major from Broadalbin, NY, never would have guessed that as an avid soccer and Arsenal fan, his worlds would collide at the World Cup where he will see his two favorite players, Mesut Özil of Germany (and Arsenal) and Lionel Messi of Argentina (and Barcelona).

Alumna Andrea Canales '16 participated in CISB Seminar Abroad IV:  FIFA World Cup/Brazil in 2014, and as a football-mad fan who's native country, Peru, snagged the 32nd and final spot in the 2018 World Cup Finals after a 36-year drought, Andrea COULD NOT BE HAPPIER!

Steve Sugermeyer '78, MSA '80, a professional educator of accounting, will be making his debut as a faculty chaperone for the CISB Seminar Abroad Program.  A collegiate wrestler and father of WNE wrestling coach, Mike Sugermeyer, Steve will be schooled in association football from the top!

Curt Hamakawa L’84, associate professor of sport management, will lead his sixth CISB Seminar Abroad program to a World Cup or Olympic Games.  Previously the international relations director for the U.S. Olympic Committee, Curt is widely traveled and well-versed in navigating the vagaries of foreign cultures and environments.