Tuesday 29 August 2017

TalkSport's odd couple

I see that Joey Barton, currently banned from playing football for betting offences, has been taken on as a pundit/commentator by talkSPORT. Barton is an interesting character. He's got a temper - he's been convicted of assault twice, serving 77 days of a 6 month sentence for a street brawl in Liverpool and being given a four month suspended sentence for a training ground incident while on Manchester City's books. He has also been charged with violent conduct by the FA on three occasions. So he's definitely got a yobbish streak. But he can also be very erudite. And also a bit dim as the rules on betting for football footballers are pellucidly clear - I paraphrase but they basically say it's not allowed on football matches anywhere in the world at any time. And if I know that you'd think most professional footballers should also know it. But honest, sort of, as he didn't use a stooge to place his bets and had an account in his own name. Whatever, I think the length of his ban (13 months) was harsh in all the circumstances, but the FA probably think that, as he's 34 a long ban should mean the end of his controversial playing career.

Did I hear someone say typical scouser? I couldn't possibly agree but it is a fact that Barton comes from Huyton.

Barton is appearing with Alan Brazil on talkSPORT's breakfast show. I sometimes listen to talkSPORT and Brazil in particular is usually worth listening to. However his ratings have been falling and Barton might be the man to spice things up.

I spotted Brazil and Barton in a newspaper ad. The thing I found most striking though was even more politically incorrect than anything Joey Barton has done or said. But as Brazil is male and white I might be able to get away with a remark about a person's appearance. After all, the newspapers give David Cameron plenty of stick for his paunch. So I'll go ahead and say doesn't Alan Brazil look more like a koala bear than you'd ever believe a human being could?




4 comments:

  1. Interesting that the the media are embracing person who has regularly been in trouble with the law. Is law breaking to be celebrated now?

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    1. I'm not seeking to defend Barton, who is no stranger to controversy and not exactly a role model. But aren't people who've done time allowed to be rehabilitated? Unless they are footballers maybe? The furore about Ched Atkins implies many think they should be banished from public view forever but that would not seem fair to me. Sure, sex offenders have restrictions but in a media role if enough people decide to turn off rather than hold their nose then the individual won't be kept on. As is often the case, the market resolves most issues.

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  2. Let's hope that rehabilitation means rehabilitation or is that Brexit means Brexit?

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  3. And from 2012 - https://tonyrobertson.mycouncillor.org.uk/2012/08/22/greedy-attention-seekers-%e2%80%93-no-not-politicians-this-time-but-footballers/

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