"Oi, media... NO!"

Another day, another load of media coverage to do with the demise of George
Best.

This time they've been showing his coffin being offloaded off a plane at an
RAF base in the 'Land of the Mick'.

Was he really *that* good, that his passing onto the other side, and the
weeks leading up to it, warrants such heavy coverage of someone who wasn't
even an England player, ffs?

Anyone would think he was a member of Royalty, the, IMHO, vast overkill in
coverage they've dedicated to him.

 

Greatest footballer of his generation, if not all time.

They're predicting that over a quarter of the population of NI are
likely to turn out for the funeral tomorrow - that's pretty significant
and probably justifies the coverage.

You have to remember that national news coverage isn't limited to
English stories only.

 

Not just an enormously talented footballer, and a joy to watch - and
that's from a dyed in the wool non-football fan, but the bloke (love
him or hate him) was an icon to a whole generation, the first ever
sports media-hyped, playboy-lifestyled superstar, if you will.

YMMV

 

I don't have a problem with him - he didn't ask for the media to use his
impending demise as something to shift papers... or even a problem with the
circumstances that brought about his premature death.

I just happen to think the media have taken the piss in terms of the amount
of coverage they've given to his illness and passing away, over the last few
weeks.

Barely a day went by without the tabloids giving full front page coverage to
his worsening condition at one point, never mind the daily TV news reports
covering the same - it's enough to make one wonder just how much 'bad news'
the Government had been looking to bury.

I know for a fact that due to said disproportionate coverage I'm not the
only one who was wishing he'd go sooner rather than later in the end, so
that both he, and the rest of us, could finally have a 'thankful release'.

 

I was most entertained by the big "United" of Manchester United on the
side of his coffin. Rather unsubtle political statement, maybe.

 

I said pretty much the same.

But then, I'm the guy whose first comment when told about the WTC was
"Wow, cool.". Admittedly I was thinking it was a small 2 seater type
plane rather than a jumbo.

 

Slow news week.

 

Give my best regards to your friend's family. Neat trick, by the way.

--

Paul.
CBR1100XX SuperBlackbird
BOTAFOT #4
BOTAFOF #30
MRO #24
OMF #15

 

I remember getting in mid afternoon from college, having been sealed away
from any form of news reporting all morning, and flicking the TV on.

'Coo, the special effects in this film look pretty realistic, but it's
unusual for them to show films along these lines on ITV, mid afternoon...'
was my initial thought until the news anchorman kicked back in...

Oh, and you were probably just thinking about the one that hit the Pentagon
(1).

HTH ;-)

(1) Cue: several conspiracy theories.

 

The funeral certainly caused a few road hiccups. They even had properly
yellow AA warnings of it on the lampposts wiv his name on.
I know he has come in for criticism, having only played footie up to
26ish but I find his other antics much more inspiring ;o) FFS life is
short and a one off.
It's a real shame he couldn't control his love for the bottle, it's hard
to understand, after a couple of days heavy drinking I'm kerry packered
for some time.

'Hog

 

Yes he was. End of [1] ...

[1] Been dying to use that for ages.