EU to successful businesses - we want you to stop being successful
Yes, really. That is, in effect, what a likely to be adopted report on football says. More here, care of Libération.
Whether one likes the 'commercialisation' of sport or not, even the EU knows that this is way outside its area of competence (in both senses...). As Libé notes, "The European Constitution envisaged including the sport in its fields of competence, but since the French and Dutch referendums, it is a dead letter".
According to the report, football euro-style is "the result of a democratic tradition anchored in society as a whole". And "football does not function like a normal area of the economy and supporters cannot be regarded as merely consumers". And so, "The usual criteria of economic competition must thus be adapted to "the balance of the competition" They do talk rot, don't they?
The brain behind this is a French Green. Doesn't he have some climate change scare stories to fabricate? Doubtless at the back of his mind he is thinking about the US sports model, which is immensely more moneyed than football, but everything is focused on keeping the sports competitive in order to keep the TV viewing figures up. Consider this - 10 different gridiron teams have won the Superbowl in the last 15 years, whereas in the same period just five different teams have won the FA Cup.
Further thoughts later, perhaps.
Whether one likes the 'commercialisation' of sport or not, even the EU knows that this is way outside its area of competence (in both senses...). As Libé notes, "The European Constitution envisaged including the sport in its fields of competence, but since the French and Dutch referendums, it is a dead letter".
According to the report, football euro-style is "the result of a democratic tradition anchored in society as a whole". And "football does not function like a normal area of the economy and supporters cannot be regarded as merely consumers". And so, "The usual criteria of economic competition must thus be adapted to "the balance of the competition" They do talk rot, don't they?
The brain behind this is a French Green. Doesn't he have some climate change scare stories to fabricate? Doubtless at the back of his mind he is thinking about the US sports model, which is immensely more moneyed than football, but everything is focused on keeping the sports competitive in order to keep the TV viewing figures up. Consider this - 10 different gridiron teams have won the Superbowl in the last 15 years, whereas in the same period just five different teams have won the FA Cup.
Further thoughts later, perhaps.
Labels: EU fun and games, sport
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on Saturday, April 07, 2007 at 6:11 pm.
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OT: I HAVE A GROUP BLOG.
THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS.
WE HAVE 10 CONSERVATIVE BLOGGERS FROM OZ, ISRAEL, THE EU, AND ACROSS THE USA.
WE NEED AN ADDITIONAL EU BLOGGER.
YOU BLOG REAL GOOD, MAN!
WE COULD USE YOU AT T.A.B.
CHECK OUT T.A.B. FOR A WEEK OR SO.
THEN, LET ME KNOW IF YOU WANT TO CROSS-POST THERE.
YOU CAN DO THAT JUST BY POSTING IT AS A COMMENT AT T.A.B.. THEN I WILL POST MY EMAIL HERE AT YOUR BLOG.
THINK ABOUT IT. IT WILL HELP YOUR TRAFFIC AND MINE. (WE GET ABOUT 1000 PAGE VIEWS PER DAY.)
AND BRING ANOTHER VALUABLE RIGHT-OF-CENTER POV TO MY READERS.
http://astuteblogger.blogspot.com/
I've had a look, and I could be interested. I'll be away most of next week, but e-mail me (thethreeforks@gmail.com) with further details.
I'd rather you called it Europe or the UK than the EU though.....
The opening line conjured up images of the butter mountain. By the way, are you considering the above commenter's comment?
I'm having a mull. They look to be broadly sound.
Having lived across the pond their sports make up seems an eminently more sensible way to arrange things from an owener's and fans point of view.
The teams are balanced, the years unpredictable. College sports is a good idea too.
The only loss is the fact that there are only a few team given the size of the continenet and so many people are in effect disenfranchised from watching their major sport live.
Then again, most of the Amercians I met played sports of their own and watched it on telly (I acknowledge) too though he masses who only watch tv).
will email u details!
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