BBC off the Menu for 2013 -

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.

I am Oscar. I am a grouch.

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Oscar makes me laugh. Sesame Street makes me laugh every time I watch – which is good emotionally, psychologically and physically right now. Oscar is a grouch and for about nine months I have been mean to my kids, Jill, I’ve drunk too much and been 2 seconds away from road rage every other day.

Why? Among a few other things, that is what coaching high school soccer will do to you given the Indiana High School Athletic Association rules and some of the people in and around the neighborhood. Before we take this dark ride on the rollercoaster of truth know this: back home in Essex we rarely ‘hired’ a ref. We officiated our own games. There was a ‘code of conduct’ amongst the sports staff keeping everyone in check and maintaining a level of control and safety that was outstanding.

When I was a kid playing school soccer not one parent or coach on the sideline ever said a word. When I was a teacher coaching soccer coaches and parents were quiet displaying a respect for the tough nature of refereeing a game. Once in a blue moon a parent would lose it. Some of us would quietly mention to the parent they should stick to encouragement. On rare occasions we would stop the game and tell the parent to go before we called the police.  It worked. Simon Watkins would stand face to face with parents and reduce them to dust if they dared to question a decision.

The sad fact is this. Despite being technically unqualified soccer / football officials we managed games with a level of respect and safety which kept the games moving, safe and coaches never questioned a single moment during the game. So now I find myself at this point. An explanation.

No names. My team is losing yet dominant. The ref is decent but not really calling the game in a balanced way. I know this as one or two of our parents, qualified officials, are starting to shout from the stands. I am starting to need to question decisions as the ref assistant keeps telling my forward to ‘stay onside’. Right. Ok. So my forward or any player can wander wherever they want. It’s up to the officials to decide if they are interfering with play. One final bad call. A free kick against us for a challenge immediately after an opposition player assaults our central midfielder. I get a yellow card for asking the ref why he did not see it and whether that is related to the fact he is wearing a wrap around pair of sunglasses.

Here is the thing. He walks away and I think this. What will he do if I remind him to take his sunglasses off. So I say it. Red card. That what he thinks. Interesting.

Long story short? I sit in the stands. The ref reminds the AD of the school we are playing I have to leave. He slides over and tells me this. I tell him I am not going to as my school has no one to coach them or be legally responsible for them. Regardless the AD insists I leave. He walks with me, like some naughty school kid around the field. I repeat my question about the safety of the players now not led by any member of staff from the school. I also remind him that I personally organized and set up two of his players (on the field at the time) attend a WHUIA player ID Camp for free. I actually offered his school 5 free places. Seems to me a respect call to let me sit rather than walk me out.

Nope. IHSSA rules rule. Do you know how many people at their school who thanked me for setting the 5 scholarships up? Zero.

10 minutes later the Indianapolis School Police turn up.

Policeman “I’m I here for you?”

Me “No idea – are you?”

Policeman “Are you the coach who was kicked out?’

Me “Yep”

Another 10 minutes later I negotiated me standing by the bus – rather than sitting in it. The game should have been stopped. Both coaches, one of which was not listed as a coach of the opponents, spent the second half standing at the halfway line shouting. I’m not a psycho but when I ask the ref’s assistant to move the opponent coaches back, the main ref came over to me and started shouting that I should not be speaking to them.

Interesting, I am remarkably calm in such moments. The inability of officials and coaches to deal with in game issues leaves me shocked.

So in terms of coaching HS Soccer – I am done. Read my previous blogs. I thought about drawing the comparison between Indiana HS rules and FIFA rules – alas, I am tired and lack the enthusiasm to do this. So, leave it to your imagination. When we play a game one day and the ref / assistant wait for  the attacker to engage they raise the flag. Next game the ref blows the whistle the second a hair on an attacker’s body strays offside.

There have been some great times and some great kids. 8 Hours driving back from Rome with Brian, Sam and Mike will always be with me. But I am done. Time to move on before the need to increase my medication overtakes the need to live an honest, healthy and productive life. After several years of working and coaching within Indiana I can honestly count the number of people who matter and do what they say they are going to do on one hand. I wonder if you reading know in your heart that you are one of them.