Marwood
Full Member
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2021
- Messages
- 2,795
I don't personally think you should have to sacrifice. I just feel this is the latest bamdwagon pundits are on whilst being in Qatar for no other reason than enhancing their bank balance.I have protested all my life, mostly without sacrifice. I have been detained by the police, other days others were. I was frequently prepared for that but if it didn't happen it didn't negate my protest.
Its the intent and belief that's important and the willingness to sacrifice. I think the reactions of the others showed Roy was out on a limb a little. Roy has shown us he's not afraid to speak his mind.
And he's not Che Guevara but I'm glad it's him there speaking up and not someone else saying feck all. In the moment he spoke up and while Id prefer he spent some of his football money creating a movement and organising a huge boycott, I'm still glad he spoke up. He said they should take a yellow card and Id say he probably might have.
His dissent is not huge but he spoke up.
It's four weeks. How much do you think can be achieved?The damage might be done, but what Keane, Wright or other pundits discuss during the world cup helps shape public opinion back home. It might not make a difference for Qatar, but it can make a difference in other ways. They're not journalists, but for better or worse for the duration of the world cup you could argue they're the public face of the media, so it's still an important job to talk about these topics even if they themselves don't sacrifice anything by being there or putting pressure on the FA and FIFA.
Do you think Keane, Souness etc will say another word about LGBT issues once the world cup is over and they've had their pay?
I'd wager not.
A few pre rehearsed words and profiteering off the back of it is better than not going in the first place? No I don't think so.Do you think ITV shouldn't be covering the World Cup at all?
Maybe they shouldn't - that would be one way to go about it.
But given that they are covering it, and given that they do need pundits, isn't it better that Keane and Wright are being explicitly critical about certain aspects of the tournament - rather than, say, just ignoring those aspects and "focusing on the football"?
Isn't it more impactful that Roy Keane and Ian Wright make statements about this in Qatar, in real time, as pundits for a major network, rather than...them not doing it?
This is the reasoning they use to justify beimg there. You're repeating Gary Neville's nonsense.
All the major pundits don't take part. Make a stand. Don't make money off it.
That wouldbe something of substance.
There are plenty of groups saying lots.It's actually you with the naive take.
You are right, we all know why the WC is there and we all know people will put money first. That is, and sadly always will be, the reality of the situation.
But whilst there, surely it matters that some speak out and highlight it? In your way, nobody says anything...I'd take a voice, even one being paid a lot of money, over someone being paid a load of money and happily doing so whilst not giving a shit.
And it's the same for the players, I see some posts about a ranking of who's worse and it's not their fault, but the likes of Kane and Southgate have mouthed of about the armband and used that as their excuse for going, and yet when it comes down to it they shit themselves and decide just playing is more important. Just the same as those who never made a stance in the first place.
So again, whilst you are right about this tourney and the money, you should see that at least people using their voices on that stage is better than those that wouldn't. Keane and Wright spoke out and said things their replacements wouldn't, on live TV. Surely by any metric that's got to be a positive no?
A football pundit spending five mins a week talking about it, in order to make the broadcaster look responsible, is useless. Just by being there and taking the money thry have validated the world cup.
They are there to make money. Nothing more. You won't hear a peep from these guys about LGBT issues once the world cup and their payday is over.