Comments on: Arsenal and the Springboks: British media hypocrisy

By: Maria Hrafn

Maria Hrafn — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 16:21:55 +0000

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By: jammathon

jammathon — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:25:01 +0000

So…where is it we disagree, Pat?

By: Pat Moroney

Pat Moroney — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:01:49 +0000

As a Gunners fan and a rugby coach I could not disagree with you more. PDV said that gouging was part of the game and if you did not like it go get a tutu and become a ballet dancer. It was a disgusting comment and he should be fired for it. I don't mind coaches defending players although I don't like AWs usual "I did not see it".

By: Olly

Olly — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:57:45 +0000

Seriously we don't get a worse ride than any other side. It's pathetic when fans complain of media campaigns, you get the same from Utd and Liverpool banging on about the "London-based" media. Everyone remembers slights against their club. Do you think the Chelsea fans felt the media was going after them in the wake of the Barca game, or Liverpool fans after Benitez's rant?

The British tabloid media is sensationalist and hence it will go after any story, now stop being so precious, particularly when you live in Australia and can avoid the British media if you so chose.

Also, it's quite a stretch to compare the rugby and football media which are two separate entities. I think the rugby media offers a far more balanced approach to reporting and would be similarly slating the eye gouging incident had it been perpetrated by a player in red and then excused by the Lions management.

By: Lucien

Lucien — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:11:08 +0000

A very good post. I cannot agree more. There seems to be a sinister campaign against Arsenal in the British media. I am another Gooner in the RSA and I sometimes have a chuckle when all the other teams supporters worry more about Arsenal's results than their own teams.

By: Child of dirt

Child of dirt — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:03:30 +0000

Perhaps one of the reasons the media has it’s claws in for, not just Arsenal, but what Arsenal represents in an economic sense, is because they are all paid by the same bosses, who all have the same sick desire to see football run in the same vein of distorted economic practice as followed by Manc Citeh and Real Madrich.

That is the economic pattern of football that pays the bills for all the sycophants and parasites. The economic policy of Arsenal, defies that excessive glut that is equated with any type of eighty million squid transfer. And what sells? An Arsenal policy based on frugality on the part of an intelligent youth development programme and limited ‘big name transfers’ or eighty million squid wankers in pink hats???

On a side, I would like to see Khune, the SA goalkeeper, in an Arsenal shirt, he saved a Villa penalty like it was me taking it… Maybe thats just because I’m a Native Jozy dweller.

and Imtiaz, there are only a few Gooners in the RSA. So very few…

By: jammathon

jammathon — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 07:53:06 +0000

I agree with the majority of what you said, 'THEKNOW', and he rightly got some stick for what he said.

But my point still stands: What of the English managers who spout similar rubbish in the EPL?

Thanks for reading and the comments, guys.

By: THEKNOW

THEKNOW — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 07:09:09 +0000

It's is true that the British media is lost in a fog of its own stinking shit but I cannot completely agree with you about the treatment De Villiers got. South Africa are a notoriously rough team and play with a lot of commitment and passion. But sometimes things seem to cross the line. Too many players got taken to hospital and seriously hurt in this match to ignore. As O'Driscoll quite rightly pointed out, this kind of rugby will stop people letting their kids involved. Instead of the coach saying that it was a physical game and that there was no malice in the tackles just a proper game of rugby. Instead of this he suggested that the learns take up ballet. Basically he made himself look like a tosser and has since tried to distance himself from his own idiotic words. He got the treatment he got because he is an idiot and told the world so.

By: clcockendgooner

clcockendgooner — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 07:00:03 +0000

I remember listening to Alan Green on Radio 5 on the way home from Cardiff following the Pointless Cup defeat to Chelsea the other year. This was the game at which Chelsea fans we lobbing stuff onto the pitch at Fabregas when he was taking a corner. Green said words to the effect that "well, it's only celery and that's just what Chelsea fans do". Quite happily ignoring the facts that Fabregas didn't know what was being thrown and that if it was such harmless fun, why weren't they doing it at their own players when they came within range. Bright, Green, Crooks, Hansen, Lawrenson, and the worst of all, that talentless scribbler Bose who is the BBC sports editor are a disgrace to an otherwise venerable organisation.

By: Imtiaz

Imtiaz — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 06:51:44 +0000

Well put ! Yippee! A fellow South African Arsenal supporter! At least i know i aint alone!

And at least I know I'm not the only one to feel as if Arsenal get more negative treatment and barbs from the media than any of the other Top 4. The media just seem to revel in ripping Arsenal up into pieces on a weekly basis…

I've just been hearing an interview by Yuri Geller and he talks about how the media should bear some responsibility for destroying Michael Jackson's already fragiel psyche – we saw it with Britney and Diana – the media are like a bunch of parasites feeding on others!