Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Thierry Henry and the media circus
For years we had the will he stay won't he stay pre season debate over Patrick Vieria. Now we have the same old nonsense with Thierry Henry. Both club captains I might add! For captains who are supposed to set an example not just to other players but the fans they both acted like prima donnas. No wonder so many fans from my generation have little but contempt for the average player today.
Henry of course is no average player. But when he comes out with comments like
'Last season, people were announcing all over the place that I was leaving.
'Some people wrote that it would happen for sure but at the end of the day I stayed at Arsenal. It could be the same this year.
'I've not taken any decision and my name is not up on any departures board. If something happens, I will tell everybody.'
you can understand why people are wary. Or weary. Me, I'm bored with it. Every bloody year same old shit.
The problem is of course we now have a large media circus dancing round English football and in the close season they are gagging for morsels which they lap up with the glee of a performing sealion. They fabricate stories, take quotes, mix them up, add 2 and 2 and get 7 and punters devour it. Message boards and blogs analyse each scrap and regurgitate an opinion and we have a self perpetuating circle that only gets broken when the season starts and we can start talking about football again.
This whole obssession with celebrity has grown up and enveloped much of the western media it seems and although I left before it started I still get asked about Beckhams, Owens, The Spice Girls or whichever manufactured pap artist is flavour of the month. In fact it wasn't so long ago I was asked what I thought of Paris Hilton. Dunno I answered with disarming honesty, never stayed there!
Stay or go I don't care. The Arsenal were around for along time before he arrived, we'll be around long after he's gone. But why the hell should so many people be suckered into by this nonsense time and time again?
Henry of course is no average player. But when he comes out with comments like
'Last season, people were announcing all over the place that I was leaving.
'Some people wrote that it would happen for sure but at the end of the day I stayed at Arsenal. It could be the same this year.
'I've not taken any decision and my name is not up on any departures board. If something happens, I will tell everybody.'
you can understand why people are wary. Or weary. Me, I'm bored with it. Every bloody year same old shit.
The problem is of course we now have a large media circus dancing round English football and in the close season they are gagging for morsels which they lap up with the glee of a performing sealion. They fabricate stories, take quotes, mix them up, add 2 and 2 and get 7 and punters devour it. Message boards and blogs analyse each scrap and regurgitate an opinion and we have a self perpetuating circle that only gets broken when the season starts and we can start talking about football again.
This whole obssession with celebrity has grown up and enveloped much of the western media it seems and although I left before it started I still get asked about Beckhams, Owens, The Spice Girls or whichever manufactured pap artist is flavour of the month. In fact it wasn't so long ago I was asked what I thought of Paris Hilton. Dunno I answered with disarming honesty, never stayed there!
Stay or go I don't care. The Arsenal were around for along time before he arrived, we'll be around long after he's gone. But why the hell should so many people be suckered into by this nonsense time and time again?
# posted by Me @ 5:30 PM 
