NoBlog Number 5 - Jim Lovetoy Muses About the Future of the Way we Watch Football
14th October 2009
NoBlog
Media personality Jim Lovetoy writes exclusively for The Football Ramble. “This is no blog, it’s a column. It’s credible. Proper journalism that has an influence...”
So here we are in the international break, England’s 100% record is gone and the Premiership isn’t even on. Rubbish. The England vs Ukrania game was broadcast exclusively on the internet for the first time ever, heralding a new era for the way football is watched and making me a packet in the process as it was broadcast on my content-packed site www.more-on.tv. I watched it in a cinema with some of the lads and it made me laugh to think back to the days when poor people I knew of would apparently keep checking the scores on Teletext!
So will we be watching football online in the future? Though I have to say it’s a welcome addition to be able to watch football AND tweet about my dinner at the same time rather than one or the other I think that the most natural environment for any full blooded, passionate, dedicated supporter to watch football is where it’s always been. On the sofa.
TV is the spiritual home of football. Do you really think you’ll be able to experience the atmosphere of what live football is like anywhere else? You’re certainly not going to get the professional post-first half/post-match insight of people who know the game like Jamie Redknapp or dare I say myself from watching games on the internet. The half time analysis will be done by “internet sensations” like the dickheads who run this very site (sorry boys!) The ’net is full of dilettantes who feel they can comment on something they have absolutely no talent in themselves and football can do without characters like that thanks. A lot of these people think that just because they have an opinion everyone wants to hear it, you should see some of the abuse I get sent on Twitter! (@JimLovetoyTFR if you want to send me some love by the way!)
What worries me is that TV will now try and become more like the internet to compete. I watched the Football League show for a laugh the other night and it’s already happening. They actually have some bird reading out emails from fans that say things like: “Watford are the best!” Firstly, Watford are not the best, I’d advise any true football fans supporting them to get out while they can and follow a decent side, you’ll get much more glory out of it. Secondly, if ain’t broke, don’t try and make it better.
This week Jeremy Clarkson said: "The problem is that television executives have got it into their heads that if one presenter on a show is a blond-haired, blue-eyed heterosexual boy, the other must be a black Muslim lesbian.” I’m a big fan of Clarkson and I agree with everything he says. This statement is no different. Things shouldn’t change just because the world is changing, we’ll never make any progress that way. Just try and imagine The Champions League without Clive Tyldesley and the funny Master Card adverts. It doesn’t bear thinking about. Some things are best left as they are.
Despite the boredom of the international qualifiers (has a single thing of note happened?!) it’s good that England are there already. I remember as far back as USA 94 when England didn’t qualify and it was rubbish. Personally I think the big glamour teams should be automatically seeded for the good of the tournament. It’s all well and good these little footballing nations having teams but what are the likes of Denmark or Greece ever going to realistically achieve in international tournaments? The people want entertainment and I for one hope the big sides like Brazil and Spain follow England into automatic qualification. Chelsea, Chelsea!
Jim Lovetoy
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Paul From Petersfield
:::2009-10-14 15:22:07
Easy badger,
Innit mate what would footie be with out the tele?! nothing. Nothing. Only a fool would say otherwise. I mean how or where would you watch it?! how would you play fifa!? good point. I recon in 5 years time the internet just wont exisit. Its bolocks. Like you say Jim its causing there to be an overpouring of amatures. The other day I was looking for a decent bit of porn and all i could find was shakey camera, badly light amature crap. The women dont even have american accents. It´s ridiculose. That aint porn its just sick.
On the ball- Paul - who is tall
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