Boycotting BBC Sport
We're back on blogspot - Wordpress wanted money for me to wipe my nose. Sorry. Home again!
Sharing this as the first post on the new site. Sticking here now. Matt
Pointless? Probably. But here is the evidence, and having watched loads of Law & Order episodes I can tell you this would stand up in any court...dum dum. Yes, I know they are a media organization and have overheads to cover. But there is a steady decline into ‘tabloidesque’ reporting which has grown exponentially since the BBC switched to use of advertising on their websites. Basically, the trashy stories they offer are what the average mug reads standing at the bus stop. It reminds me of the back page of the Sun or Mirror.
So, my four reasons for writing:
1) Stories of no significance - yet getting everyone pumped up and arguing.
While writing this yesterday I see Daniel Sturridge, now at Liverpool, has claimed he is at the biggest club in England. Another pointless story like the following, from the ‘F Files’:
Ferguson claims Spurs poached Zeki Fryers from them.
Ferguson calls Alan Pardew a ‘hypocrite’
Ferguson states cameramen at training is ridiculous.
Ferguson not panicking about Rio Ferdinand’s contractual status.
Ferguson lamenting his own future.
Ferguson calling his own team ‘champions’.
All these over the space of about 4 days, apart from the Dec 28th Pardew comment. Everyday - come one!!!
2) Lawro’s weekly predictions.
Firstly, we must remember his loyalty to Liverpool FC. Jaded somewhat with time and reality, yet in interstellar terms equivalent to say, a small black hole in our solar system that ensures slightly larger heads (than the average human) at NASA are scratched due to unforeseen orbital satellite anomalies.
In short, he is bias. I guess he is one of the many too busy 'Being Liverpool'.
Lawro clearly had a ‘I love the number 2 week’ for these predictions. So - his first - actual second - my comment third. Games as of January 1st / 2nd 2013:
West Brom v Fulham 2-0 1-2 Shocker, a loss for ex Liverpool coach Clarke’s new club.
Man City v Stoke 2-0 3-0 Yawn..... poor old Stoke. They need a billionaire too. We all do.
Swansea v Aston Villa 2-0 2-2 Villa’s error here? Wearing claret and blue - Lawro thinks they are West Ham.
Tottenham v Reading 2-0 3-1 Another incredible prediction. Hopefully AVB celebrated with a pie. He’s a tad too skinny for me.
West Ham v Norwich 2-1 2-1 It’s a bloody miracle. He predicts a win and the Irons do. He must hate mustard.
Wigan v Man Utd 0-2 0-4 Wow, that must have been tough. Now what did Fergie complain about that day?
Southampton v Arsenal 0-2 1-1 Mmmmm, is Terry Neill still in charge? Maybe Liam Brady was injured.
Chelsea v QPR 2-0 0-1 Oops! What a shocker, yet odd as Lawro sees QPR in the Europa Cup in 2013.
Liverpool v Sunderland 2-0 3-0 See, told you. It’s like a blind spot.... Liverpool v blurred vision therefore insignificant
Newcastle v Everton 2-1 1-2 Still banging on about Newcastle. Everton get a bonus goal for ‘best wig in the premier league’
Why so many ‘2’ score lines? Lawro's dodgy dice. Scientific video evidence and you’ll understand:
3) Garth Crooks’ Team of the Week December 3rd, 2012.
So, what is the problem you may ask? Well, it is this - West Ham 3 - 1 Chelsea. So, the 45+ minutes in which West Ham ripped Chelsea apart results in Juan Mata making the team of the week. I actually choked while drinking my tea and reading this. Not sure on Garth’s selection system but I suspect the criteria for selection could be this (in order of significance):
1: Plays for either Man Utd, Chelsea or Liverpool
2: Has cool hair.
3: Is relatively unknown but as a selection flags up Garth’s broad footballing knowledge.
4: Has one name only.
5: Does not play for West Ham.
6: Used to play for West Ham but clearly a better player for leaving.
So, there you have it. West Ham played well as a team and therefore it was tough to identify any individual players. Thought it was a team game. Ha! And finally...
4) Post match coverage of West Ham v Manchester United - FA Cup.
Y
es, Robin Van Persie is a great player, as is Ryan Giggs, but when you take a macro look at how the game was reported on, West Ham, the players or coach were hardly mentioned. The media did make a surprisingly big deal over Joe Cole returning home. Cole provided both crosses for Collins to score his brace. The Hammers started with young Potts in the starting 11. That’s a story in itself. BBC coverage, tweets and headlines were pandering to the worldwide audience of Man Utd supporters sucked in by clever marketing. I do respect the thousands of Man Utd, Chelsea etc supporters who have been around their clubs for years. For me, there has to be a reason you support a club. Maybe it’s where you grew up, or a family tradition. Good for those people. The fair-weather supporters are the issue.
Yes, it is professional football and that ensures winning only matters. Out there on the muddy fields of grass roots football it may not be. Imagine the uproar if a team that always wins now play a weaker team - and for a change keep 2 or 3 of their better players on the bench. Then, seeing his / her team are actually going to lose to the weaker team, the coach puts on a couple of his stars. Of course its not going to happen in the Premier League. But it would be more interesting for the rest of us.
How long will the boycott last? Not long. Seriously, I'm looking forward to this weekend and a cutting comment from Fergie, Lawro predicting a 0-2 loss for the Hammers at Sunderland, no one apart from the golden boys making Garth's team and reporting that ignores the unfashionable. Have a smashing week. I'm off to tweet pointlessly at BBC Sport.
We're back on blogspot - Wordpress wanted money for me to wipe my nose. Sorry. Home again!
Sharing this as the first post on the new site. Sticking here now. Matt
Pointless? Probably. But here is the evidence, and having watched loads of Law & Order episodes I can tell you this would stand up in any court...dum dum. Yes, I know they are a media organization and have overheads to cover. But there is a steady decline into ‘tabloidesque’ reporting which has grown exponentially since the BBC switched to use of advertising on their websites. Basically, the trashy stories they offer are what the average mug reads standing at the bus stop. It reminds me of the back page of the Sun or Mirror.
So, my four reasons for writing:
1) Stories of no significance - yet getting everyone pumped up and arguing.
While writing this yesterday I see Daniel Sturridge, now at Liverpool, has claimed he is at the biggest club in England. Another pointless story like the following, from the ‘F Files’:
Ferguson claims Spurs poached Zeki Fryers from them.
Ferguson calls Alan Pardew a ‘hypocrite’
Ferguson states cameramen at training is ridiculous.
Ferguson not panicking about Rio Ferdinand’s contractual status.
Ferguson lamenting his own future.
Ferguson calling his own team ‘champions’.
All these over the space of about 4 days, apart from the Dec 28th Pardew comment. Everyday - come one!!!
2) Lawro’s weekly predictions.
Firstly, we must remember his loyalty to Liverpool FC. Jaded somewhat with time and reality, yet in interstellar terms equivalent to say, a small black hole in our solar system that ensures slightly larger heads (than the average human) at NASA are scratched due to unforeseen orbital satellite anomalies.
In short, he is bias. I guess he is one of the many too busy 'Being Liverpool'.
Lawro clearly had a ‘I love the number 2 week’ for these predictions. So - his first - actual second - my comment third. Games as of January 1st / 2nd 2013:
West Brom v Fulham 2-0 1-2 Shocker, a loss for ex Liverpool coach Clarke’s new club.
Man City v Stoke 2-0 3-0 Yawn..... poor old Stoke. They need a billionaire too. We all do.
Swansea v Aston Villa 2-0 2-2 Villa’s error here? Wearing claret and blue - Lawro thinks they are West Ham.
Tottenham v Reading 2-0 3-1 Another incredible prediction. Hopefully AVB celebrated with a pie. He’s a tad too skinny for me.
West Ham v Norwich 2-1 2-1 It’s a bloody miracle. He predicts a win and the Irons do. He must hate mustard.
Wigan v Man Utd 0-2 0-4 Wow, that must have been tough. Now what did Fergie complain about that day?
Southampton v Arsenal 0-2 1-1 Mmmmm, is Terry Neill still in charge? Maybe Liam Brady was injured.
Chelsea v QPR 2-0 0-1 Oops! What a shocker, yet odd as Lawro sees QPR in the Europa Cup in 2013.
Liverpool v Sunderland 2-0 3-0 See, told you. It’s like a blind spot.... Liverpool v blurred vision therefore insignificant
Newcastle v Everton 2-1 1-2 Still banging on about Newcastle. Everton get a bonus goal for ‘best wig in the premier league’
Why so many ‘2’ score lines? Lawro's dodgy dice. Scientific video evidence and you’ll understand:
3) Garth Crooks’ Team of the Week December 3rd, 2012.
So, what is the problem you may ask? Well, it is this - West Ham 3 - 1 Chelsea. So, the 45+ minutes in which West Ham ripped Chelsea apart results in Juan Mata making the team of the week. I actually choked while drinking my tea and reading this. Not sure on Garth’s selection system but I suspect the criteria for selection could be this (in order of significance):
1: Plays for either Man Utd, Chelsea or Liverpool
2: Has cool hair.
3: Is relatively unknown but as a selection flags up Garth’s broad footballing knowledge.
4: Has one name only.
5: Does not play for West Ham.
6: Used to play for West Ham but clearly a better player for leaving.
So, there you have it. West Ham played well as a team and therefore it was tough to identify any individual players. Thought it was a team game. Ha! And finally...
4) Post match coverage of West Ham v Manchester United - FA Cup.
Yes, Robin Van Persie is a great player, as is Ryan Giggs, but when you take a macro look at how the game was reported on, West Ham, the players or coach were hardly mentioned. The media did make a surprisingly big deal over Joe Cole returning home. Cole provided both crosses for Collins to score his brace. The Hammers started with young Potts in the starting 11. That’s a story in itself. BBC coverage, tweets and headlines were pandering to the worldwide audience of Man Utd supporters sucked in by clever marketing. I do respect the thousands of Man Utd, Chelsea etc supporters who have been around their clubs for years. For me, there has to be a reason you support a club. Maybe it’s where you grew up, or a family tradition. Good for those people. The fair-weather supporters are the issue.
Yes, it is professional football and that ensures winning only matters. Out there on the muddy fields of grass roots football it may not be. Imagine the uproar if a team that always wins now play a weaker team - and for a change keep 2 or 3 of their better players on the bench. Then, seeing his / her team are actually going to lose to the weaker team, the coach puts on a couple of his stars. Of course its not going to happen in the Premier League. But it would be more interesting for the rest of us.
How long will the boycott last? Not long. Seriously, I'm looking forward to this weekend and a cutting comment from Fergie, Lawro predicting a 0-2 loss for the Hammers at Sunderland, no one apart from the golden boys making Garth's team and reporting that ignores the unfashionable. Have a smashing week. I'm off to tweet pointlessly at BBC Sport.
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