Things one can do during international breaks:
- Refresh Newsnow for updates on the latest 12 year old sensation
- Watch reruns of Law and Order
- Try to maintain interest in Heroes despite the show losing its first season magic.
- Listen to some football podcasts if it helps
- Go to work.
- Try other sports.
- Listen to (and watch) John McCain’s laugh — on loop.
- Try to listen to Sarah Palin speak but end up looking at her.
Not much really and, whilst Scott has managed to keep churning out remarkable number of posts even during the drought that is the international break, I’ve slacked off completely. While I am currently groaning under the increased volume of work in my offline life, I still think the international break hasn’t helped much either.
A spokesman for the Glazers said that the credit crunch won’t affect United. I am not sure to take this as spin, or actual truth but no one can really be safe, especially not if you have debts as much as £600m+. At the same time, we are also, on the surface, a pretty well run club.
Gideon Haigh, a cricket writer and historian primarily — someone who I have great regard for — has an article on the Guardian on the business of modern sport in times of the credit crunch, with primary emphasis on football (as well as bringing about the example of United).
Speaking of debt, Michel Platini seems intent on getting debt ridden clubs banned from the Champions’ League. While the idea, of forcing clubs to balance their books, is well intentioned, it doesn’t take into account the fact that debt is not always bad especially if the interest is serviceable — which was David Gill’s contention.
In international football news, Rio Ferdinand had some words to say on Sepp Blatter’s handling of racism:
“The football authorities need to look at themselves. Sepp Blatter likes to speak up about things that are good for Fifa’s image. I would love to see them stand up and dish out the right punishments for these incidents. They make a lot of comments about what they are going to do but they never back up the words with actions. Croatia were fined a few thousand quid. What good is that going to do? That is not going to stop people shouting racist or homophobic abuse. If things like this keep happening you have to take points off them. Then the punters will realise the team is going to be punished.”
True words indeed. Racism, needless to say, is a big, big issue and a serious one at that. It’s shocking, in the first place, that lot of people can be openly racist even in a sporting arena. It’s a sad thing, and current FIFA efforts to “kick racism out of football” isn’t adequate.
Oh well, I am off to attend to my morning chores.
Till tomorrow, I hope.
