G
gingergenius
Guest
Ok, so everyone the world over should know that the British tabloid media is awful. I personally think all tabloid newspapers should be illegal (seriously), but aside from gossip and scaremongering they are also responsible for a lot of the hype surrounding players like Cipriani, Henson and Wilkinson.
I also have a problem with ex players, pundits and 'experts' writing their columns and spouting forth **** in usually respectable broadsheets and on the TV.
The rugby media in Britain is pathetic. A win or a good performance will mean someone is hyped up beyond belief. A defeat, and there is 1) a widespread scything of the coaches and players or 2) a widespread scything of the opposition 'cheating' and the referee.
This stems from the same culture that hypes England up for football and complains about one handball amidst a tide of cheating; it is a media culture that creates Heroes, Villains, Legends and Martyrs.
I'd cite this as one of the main resons why British sporting teams in the mainstream media are such disappointments. Yes, we may well be able to produce some great cyclists, rowers and boxers, but these are hardly sports with a broad following. Rugby caught the media's attention back when England were good, and the media haven't let go now we're ****. I can;t help but think that half the decisions to do with English rugby wouldn't have been made (or made with more consideration) had there not been a pack of wolves in the media exerting pressure. Equally, is it really useful having the media on hand whip up a storm around a throwaway comment in the buildup to a game? Or whipping up a hate campaign against the likes of Umaga and Burger while other discretions go unnoticed?
Am I having a big old moan or do I have a point?
I also have a problem with ex players, pundits and 'experts' writing their columns and spouting forth **** in usually respectable broadsheets and on the TV.
The rugby media in Britain is pathetic. A win or a good performance will mean someone is hyped up beyond belief. A defeat, and there is 1) a widespread scything of the coaches and players or 2) a widespread scything of the opposition 'cheating' and the referee.
This stems from the same culture that hypes England up for football and complains about one handball amidst a tide of cheating; it is a media culture that creates Heroes, Villains, Legends and Martyrs.
I'd cite this as one of the main resons why British sporting teams in the mainstream media are such disappointments. Yes, we may well be able to produce some great cyclists, rowers and boxers, but these are hardly sports with a broad following. Rugby caught the media's attention back when England were good, and the media haven't let go now we're ****. I can;t help but think that half the decisions to do with English rugby wouldn't have been made (or made with more consideration) had there not been a pack of wolves in the media exerting pressure. Equally, is it really useful having the media on hand whip up a storm around a throwaway comment in the buildup to a game? Or whipping up a hate campaign against the likes of Umaga and Burger while other discretions go unnoticed?
Am I having a big old moan or do I have a point?
