This might be a watershed for MoTD and other football based programmes Perhaps just putting up the highlights and missing out the inane chatter and self congratulations for their ex colleagues might just tempt me back to MoTD that I haven't watched since we were relegated from the Premiership. Even better with modern tech no one needs the BBC to show this programme late on a Saturday evening as those of us who are interested have already seen the goals on the internet or Sky's website. The licence payer wouldn't have to pay for Gary's salary and that of the hangers on, Shearer et al. As for his comments who gives a sh1t?.
Personally I don't believe the government had him removed directly but I do think they have pressured the BBC into acting quickly. The mess of it all suggests that nobody in the BBC looked seriously at how this would come across and the repercussions of it all. Because of the question marks around Richard Sharp, coupled with things that the likes of Alan Sugar have said and gotten away with in the past, it has blown completely up in a short space of time. It comes across like double standards, certainly when the chairman still keeps his job after failing to disclose dealings with the government. There is no way someone like that can be impartial. It just doesn't sit right for me, nor a lot of the public and staff within the BBC it seems, you can see why people are jumping to conclusions.
I've not really followed any of this closely but the Mrs came out with Where was Gary prior and during the World Cup, where was his criticism whilst he was taking his hugh wage, as I said before I've not followed any of this closely but thought she was talking sense. Don't even know if he debated these issues during the build up to the Quatar experience but he seems to pick his moments and I like Rowleys comment of puddle deep which sums him up for me.
Boris Johnson stepped in to persuade the EPL to give Newcastle United to the Saudis. He stepped in to persuade the BBC to hand Richard Sharp a highly paid job. It would be quite a stretch to believe he hasn't had a word about Lineker.
According to some Johnson is doing his best to sabotage Sunak. No idea what Johnson gains by the Beebs behaviour here. Anyone could see people would link the dodgy appointment of the beeb head with this action, which is precisely why this is entirely independant of Johnson or govt influence in my opinion. The disapproval, across both sides of the house, about the lazy comparison he made is probably why they have been bounced into action. Sadly he seemed to pour more oil on the fire with his subsequent tweets where irony seems to be something he has no sense of. I am tiring of the story now to be honest. Not sure how many more angles the media can play. But the sense seems to be it is likely to get worse before better.
Braverman was Johnson's attorney General ... ... she probably has sacks full of dirt she could fling at him. Besides, I don't think he can help himself ... still thinks he's running the entire country. Sadly, he probably is.
Might be right. I doubt he cares though. He is a cannon the conservatives have cut loose. He has no sense of fear in my opinion. He seems so far removed I wouldnt be surprised it he is on a beach not even aware this is going on. Too busy making money elsewhere. I would be amazed if this is a govt created thing. The beeb have wrestled with this sort of thing for ages. Always getting criticised by the govt of the day for their impartiality, or lack of. I would bet my pocket money (yep my wife gives me beer money) that this is Lineker feeling passionate about something but explaining it badly and someone in the beeb hierarchy acting without a proper thought process. Lineker and the beeb had a chance to put it to bed on Thursday but it appears neither were big enough to meet somewhere in the middle. Now we have this ****show. It is the beeb staffers on 5 live today I feel sorry for. Not everyone in the organisation has the luxury of Shearer or Defoe who arent employees and have enough money to refuse to work. Situation is a mess and nobody will win from here, in my opinion anyway.
I see it as fairly straightforward, Lineker spoke up disparaging an aspect of Tory policy. As a freelancer its dubious that the rules on 'impartiality" apply to a famous football presenter. Many in the country see him speaking, 'truth to power' Lots of tories and the likes of the Daily Heil/Gets much worse went ballistic and after a few days the two tories appointed to head the BBC suspended him. These two were not too bright, as they did not reckon that the other by and large non political football presenters on censorship/cancelling of one of their own would. The two tory heads of the BBC look very foolish!
I'm enjoying how everyone is coming out in solidarity with Lineker. The BBC have massively underestimated the strength of feeling amongst the public and it's employees
When Boris Johnson shooed in Sharp as Chairman of the BBC, a really key position in the UK, the die was set. This situation was inevitable tbh and would've manifested itself in one way or another pretty quickly, Sharp owes favours. It's just that Sharp chose the wrong hill to die on. Johnson has been an absolutely pervasive disaster for the country in en exactly the way he was at all of his schools, his jobs, etc. He has a certain charm for some people but his legacy will inevitably be seen as poor imo ... ... no doubt he, with his incredible arrogance, will think the opposite.
Johnson's not even PM any more. He really is the Boogeyman for some people. Does he strike anyone with a brain as a 4d chess playing puppet master? The fact is that Lineker has been pushing and pushing with DGs of various political persuasions over the years, thinking he's untouchable, and has finally come a cropper.
He certainly seems to think his association with the bbc is not a close one. That is where some of the tension arises from. Based on what I know of tax law he is on uncertain ground there. I tend not to think he is much of a political mouthpiece though. I have a sense he is genuine enough. His language is the big problem here. I laughed out loud when he accused penny morduant of a clumsy analogy. Irony and all that. For the avoidance of doubt I wont lose sleep if the heads of bbc roll. The decision to suspend him was an own goal. But heads of bbc having political affiliations which hamper them is not new. Maybe a major change is needed, including the ability for Lineker et al to pay limited tax...
Well if has been quite something to see all these defenders of free speech finding their voice. For nearly three years J K Rowling has been threatened with rape, death and assault because she said that a man cannot be a woman. All the while these free speech champions looked away or stared at the ground. " But free speech has consequences" was the only, pitiable defence offered for the silence, but it is not to apply to Lineker apparently. There are multiple examples of a similar nature. I could not care a jot if Lineker is on the telly or not. He is an anodyne presenter of an awful programme. He is not the problem. The problem is the organisation he works for ( or not if he's talking to the taxman). It is long past it's time, is less and kess watched, and should be gone.
Really? https://www.not606.com/threads/things-that-arent-worth-a-new-thread.401063/page-66#post-16494821
