Saturday, March 05, 2011
The Media & Negativity
What is the role of the media in developing football? Does it even have a role? Should it blindly regurgitate quotes and saws from the great and good as it does with politicians, should it be positively critical or should it be just staggeringly negative?
I had hoped to have put the Young Lions v Geylang United game to bed now. It was a bloody good game of football and it should be talked about but with other countries to cover it is time, for me at least, to move on.
But a story in today's local paper, I don't look at the ST so you can guess which paper, is still harping on about the events at Jalan Besar on Thursday night but, this being Singapore, with a negative spin.
I haven't even mentioned the pushing and shoving that went on between the Young Lions coach and the ref after a YL was red carded late in the second half. I was too busy buzzing about the game itself.
But not this paper. They've been talking to all sorts of old and young farts asking their input on how the coach should be punished for his role in the melee.
Now fine, it is something that needs to be discussed, not by me but by others more closely involved in the game in Singapore. But to go overboard on this story while ignoring the efforts of players like Shafiq Ghani is to do a disservice to Singapore football, insults the players involved (and only two were foreign. Who says Singaporeans can't play football?), and panders to an already deeply ingrained prejudice among Singaporeans to football in their own backyard.
Where is a feature on Shafiq? Some graphics on his movement during the game? Analysis of his role in the opening goal by Fazil Ayob?
Anything like that, anything remotely positive is ignored for the sake of football bashing. And a quote from an ex ref who says there is no such thing as 'spur of the moment'! Maybe not in Singapore where emotion and passion are frowned upon by the founding fathers but they are an integral part of football worldwide.
Yes, the coach went too far and yes the coach knows it. And yes, it was a red card anyway. But when you have a bloody game game, why not write about the bloody good game as well. Singaporeans are always whining. About the standard of their football yet when they get served up a classic the media overlook it and they never get to hear about it. In fact it takes Cantona before most people here even hear pf Shafiq Ghani.
# posted by Me @ 7:18 AM 
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That's the way Antony, take the bull by the horn. I am richer and happier by not buying that news paper...
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