Football & Other Sports

I am completely fed up with the way the World Cup is dominating everything - the airwaves, media & news generally. All of the main TV channels have wall to wall football. FIFA have made headlines about rescinding a red card ban so the best American footballer could play. They still lost. The competition lasts for 39 days, nearly 6 weeks, for goodness sake. In 16 stadiums in Canada (2), Mexico (3) & the USA (11). The longest & most expensive ever. For non football fans it's unbelievably boring. 

According to FIFA it will generate $13 billion profit for the organisation. The cost of running it is apparently $3.8 billion. It's a money making bonanza. Sport, particularly football, has become big business.

Miami, Mexico & New Jersey will have non air con, energy sapping, temperatures of above 30 degrees. Why on earth are FIFA exposing players to that? This is expected to be the hottest world cup ever. Surely it will benefit the home teams who are used to it & disadvantage those who are not. I imagine it is a real health risk for players.

There are 48 countries represented. The vast majority stand no chance of winning. It isn't really a fair fight. One list I saw put Argentina at the top & New Zealand at the bottom. 

My main criticism is that sport used to be seasonal. Football, for example was played from the late summer to spring. It was established in England in the 19th century so cricketers could play football to stay fit during the winter. Now it's never ending. Football has become a replacement religion for fans. Stadia are 21st century cathedrals. They have their own mass responses & hymns. Supporting a team is a belief system led by managers & star players. When a player scores they often slide on their knees to adoring fans. In the same way that religion has become divisive, so has football fandom. 

 

Where is the sporting ethos in all of this? Young & talented players are made into icons & paid exorbitant salaries.They have to deal with both extreme fame & adoration as well as rejection & vilification while very young & relatively inexperienced. They have to deal with failure. 

It's called the "beautiful game". Personally I can't see it. To me it seems very exploitative & money driven.