Better how? Athletes that run faster? Football matches that last more than 45 minutes?*
We may certainly miss watching our favourite spectacle, but we may not miss everything else that comes with it – most notably, what often feels like contempt for the paying consumer, and in particular those who go and watch their favourite teams and athletes, often at huge expense.Isn't it their choice, then? I like to buy expensive tech, they like to buy expensive tickets. What's the problem?
We can view Manchester United and Manchester City’s joint gift of £100,000 to local food banks in this context. We can also note that this sum, while a generous amount, is less than the weekly wage of many of their top players.So..?
How will it look if sport, oblivious to this suffering, continues to charge exorbitant fees for access to its events? How will it survive if it refuses to distribute its resources more fairly towards its foundations?Ah, of course. Socialism is never too far from the surface of any 'Guardian' article, is it?
* Yes, Reader, I had to Google that!
Football matches are 45 minutes per half, 90 total...
ReplyDeleteFootball matches currently last 90 minutes. Back in days of yore, the duration used to depend on whether United were losing.
ReplyDeleteBe fair. If we didn't have the MSM we'd have to take the mickey out of someone else!
ReplyDeleteBloke in Germany
ReplyDeleteLOL! The rip in the space/time continuum known as "Ferguson's Watch Factor."
You Googled it and you still got it wrong. :-)
ReplyDeleteFootball is a game of two halves. I bet you're as sick as a parrot now, but the boys done good. (Other football cliches available at extra cost. :-))
"Musa Okwonga". Trying to figure out if that's a name or a list of random letters on 'Countdown'?
ReplyDeletePenseivat
I don't see what the problem is. Watching sport isn't compulsory, if you think it is poor value for money don't go, watch it at home or in the pub or don't bother at all.
ReplyDeleteI gave up watching football years ago and now don't even glance at the headlines. It got to the stage where following a team became pointless: the players are just random collections of Africans or various mystery meat with no connection to the area - and absolutely no loyalty. For those of us with memories of the Before Times, this is depressing - and for me unbearable.
ReplyDeleteIf the ball is in play for a total of 45 minutes during a match the fans have got value for money.
ReplyDelete"How will it survive if it refuses to distribute its resources more fairly towards its foundations?"
ReplyDeleteI don't know, seems like they've been surviving just fine for longer than I've been alive with their current system. How about this person let them worry about it since they're the ones with direct knowledge of their circumstances, not some bush-league writer.
They could do what the Grauniad has to do to survive.
ReplyDeleteGet BBC to buy lots and lots of tickets and put all their job vacancies in the match programmes and subsidise player salaries by only using staff from football teams to appear in all programmes. Then register the businesses in some tropical island.
"Football matches are 45 minutes per half, 90 total..."
ReplyDeleteWhoops! ;) Yes, I am sick as a parrot right now...
"Back in days of yore, the duration used to depend on whether United were losing."
Heh!
"For those of us with memories of the Before Times, this is depressing"
As with so many modern thing. Why do they call it 'progress'?
"They could do what the Grauniad has to do to survive."
Begging letters every time you log into the team website?