Never Piss Off a Big Soccer Fan

As I wrote the other week, John Oliver has long been a vocal critic of FIFA, which recently got slammed with major indictments by the U.S. Justice Department, and led to the resignation of its long-time president.

Related to this in some way (it's convoluted, and I don't quite understand, but that's not important), another high-ranking FIFA official is Jack Warner, a Trinidad and Tobago politician, bought airtime on Trinidad television to -- well, that's what's unclear because I couldn't make it through the eight-minute video, but basically it seemed that he was claiming he had evidence of FIFA bribery within the Trinidad government (in which he had a senior position) and was threatening to release it unless...I don't know, unless Trinidad did something.  Again, believe it or not, it's not important to the point here.

This is the video, entitled, The Gloves are Off.  I do NOT recommend you watch the whole thing.  For most people, it's unwatchable anyway, so you don't really need that admonition.  But for the point here, it would be helpful if you at least watch the first minute, or just 30 seconds.  I'll explain why below -- which you might want to read first.

Well, I'll tell you why here, and go into details below.  

John Oliver responded.  On Trinadad and Tobago television.

John Oliver and his Last Week Tonight crew made a parody video to respond to Jack Waner -- and like Warner, they bought airtime on TV6, which is the largest TV station in the country.  To air it, the station had to pre-empt the first four minutes of the regularly scheduled program, which Oliver refers to in his video.  (When you see him quip about it, that's not a joke, it's the real show that got interrupted.)

Oliver titled his video to Trinidad and Tobago, The Mittens of Disapproval are On.  He recorded it following his show's regular taping, with the studio audience still in attendance.

Okay, that's the background -- and why it's not especially important that you understand precisely what Jack Warner was talking about.  But do go back now and watch a bit of his video, The Gloves are Off, so you can get a better sense of what John Oliver is referencing.

And then come back here and watch Mr. Oliver himself below.  

What makes this all the funnier to me is that, for all I know, John Oliver may be close to unknown in Trinidad and Tobago.  Perhaps HBO is available there, but maybe not.  And while certainly his YouTube videos can be accessed from most anywhere, viewers have to individually seek them out.  It's not like he has the prevalent popular culture presence he has in the U.S.  Yet there he is, buying airtime and popping on Trinidad and Tobago television for four minutes.  Just because.

Well...not exactly "just" because.  John Oliver has described himself as being a maniacally massive fan of soccer.  This is another example of why you don't want to screw around with him when it comes to have most very favorite sport...