This is
serious! German media is going mental about it. It concerns the Eurocup game
between Germany and the Netherlands. So, what is causing all this noise? The
team’s performace? Nope. The two great goals by Gomez? Guess again. The Pitch?
Political Issues? Neighbourhood rivalry? The referee? All this doesn’t matter.
What does
matter is this scene: http://tiny.cc/d8yzfw.
Germany’s team manager Jogi Löw is mocking one of these lads that cater spare
footballs for the players if they kick it off the pitch. The ball boy held the ball
and Jogi pushed it out of his grasp. Good for “Bundesjogi” that nobody
perceived this little innocent prank as bullying. This was fine.
The
outrageous thing was that this was shown during the live coverage of the game
as if it had been live. But this happened during the warm up period and was
recorded. The German media is at one: this is fraud, a true scandal that damages
the credibility of media coverage as a whole. Headlines and commentators set
their priorities and discussed this and left minor issues such as climate
change, Euro crisis and human rights aside.
I think
this is going too far. They did not show a fake goal or suggesting a substitute
to come in that wouldn’t. It even happened on the same day! This scene was broadcasted
just half an hour later to brighten up an otherwise dull interruption of the match.
Am I just naïve? They also didn’t show a streaker when Croatia met Ireland. This
is something we all need to see. This is the core of sports coverage and should
be the ultimate label of credibility. German media even used the term censorship
in this context.
This reasoning
does not make a lot of sense to me. It can only be explained with the unshakable
German notion that there is only one truth. One sole truth with no grey area surrounding
it. Nothing can be kind of true. Black is black and white is white. It’s like when
you arrive on 7:03 when you said you’d be there at 7 - you’re just late.
Things have
to work properly and there is only one proper way. No need to mention that this would have never happened in Germany. Why do something because its fun if it is not true? I guess this is why many Germans
earned their fame as pedantic, little flexible and humourless people. I have sympathy
for the idea that media has a lot of responsibility and must live up to it. But
live coverage of streakers and ball boys is not necessarily at its core. Do we really
have to discuss everything seriously? Always? As a matter of principle? I don’t
think so.
Well, I'd like to contribute a hint for your media: thinking of the massive audience on the eastern side of the continent, to watch a football game at 3am and at the same time to strive for their work hour in the morning is a tough task. Thus this unlive episode has the same function as redbull for them. (the broadcasting team must think the episode is more interesting than the game. Sorry Gernamy:p) Would your media view this fraud insertion as considerate now? :)
ReplyDeleteI think cheering up an audience should always be welcomed. You are right. The audience is international and people watch it at different times of the day (or night). But time and place should not matter. What matters should be content and I still think this insertion was just fine. Let's just hope future games will not need this redbull effect for people to enjoy it ;)
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