MOSCOW -- When FIFA announced this week a new set of "anti-discrimination mechanisms" to address racist and/or discriminatory behavior by fans at the Confederations Cup in Russia, the main features were (1) that the referee can now abandon a match if spectator behavior is out of hand; and (2) that FIFA will have observers in the stadium to monitor and report anything untoward.
Gianni Infantino, the FIFA president, proudly labeled these developments "groundbreaking," which prompted an obvious reply:
Groundbreaking?
Consider that notion for a moment. If, in 2017, the specific delineation of how a referee should act when there is discriminatory behavior in the stands or the simple act of having an official present to keep an eye on the spectators qualifies as groundbreaking, what does that say about where the sport was previously on this important issue?