The trials and tribulations of “New Football”
In an increasingly commoditized and commercialized game, we must remember that sport is a vehicle of love.
The rumors that swirled over Hank Steinbrenner’s interest in purchasing English Premier League (EPL) side Tottenham Hotspur last week generated plenty of controversy both stateside and across the pond, largely alternating between celebrations of the Yankees’ commitment to excellence and eulogies to the integrity of English football.
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Jonathan Obika (34) of Tottenham Hotspur F. C. celebrates scoring with Kyle Walker (28).
Tottenham Hotspur F. C. and Sporting Clube de Portugal played to a 2-2 tie during
a Barclays New York Challenge match at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, NJ, on July 25, 2010.
Photo Credit: ISIPhotos |
People are understandably torn between the positive and negative aspects of a Yankees-owned club, conflicted between enthusiasm over the Steinbrenners’ reputation and skepticism stemming from the Steinbrenners’ reputation. The speculation ended up being mostly fodder and thus died quickly, but the impact of the rumors has shed light on the relationship between sport and business, one that is becoming increasingly blurry, sad, and shameful.
Having had a week to let the speculation settle down, there are definitely lessons to learn about English football from the Steinbrenners’ apparent interest. First, the English Premier League has transcended time and space to become the world’s first truly global league, and has deserted its roots in the process. Second, the football economy—the English one in particular— has increasingly linked itself with the world economy, which has brought both many benefits and many consequences.
And most importantly, the primary victim from the consequences of the two aforementioned phenomenons is The Three Lions. Why? Because as English football’s ego has grown, the national team’s skill has proportionally declined. The competition that previously used to be vehicle of love has turned into a symbol of posh.
Sport in its purest form is pretty much dead. Gone are the days where sport was pure, fandom was simple, and loyalty was reciprocal. As Ian Thomsen fairly wrote [about NBA basketball], players are becoming entrepreneurs interested in expanding personal brands and owners are becoming increasingly opportunistic and lavish. No longer will there be Ryan Giggs and Alan Shearers of the world, but the new wave of maddening Cristiano Ronaldos and LeBron James. And on the flip side, no longer are there EPL owners who truly embrace Britain and British football—owners that value British because they want to, rather than because they have to.
Simply put, England is no Spain. Poorer players, less integrity, less style, and a less genuine league. It’s funny to say that La Liga is typically considered a par league with the English Premier League, despite its relative lack of hoopla and different economic ecosystem. It’s ironic that a league occasionally derailed by the English because of pride for the Premiership is considered great because of its merits, and not its panache.
But La Liga, despite its flaws, champions domestic ingenuity and integrity far more than the EPL does, and for that the former is a better league and the hosting nation a World Champion.
English football’s got a lot of introspecting to do.
Allen J. Kha joined SoccerNation as a columnist and contributor in late June 2010. Kha's weekly column on soccer will be published on Mondays. A football aficionado and University student, he tries to weave football the game and football the business, and will present variant perspectives as much as he can. His focus leagues are the EPL, La Liga, Ligue 1, Eredivisie, international football, and NCAA college soccer. He also blogs about childhood favourite Leicester City FC at world blog platform The Offside, and enjoys college baseball as well.
This is the introduction to a series of columns that will review the relationship between soccer and soccer economics and the state of English football. The next column, which will be published next Monday, will take a deeper look into the roots of club ownership in the English Premiership, sports economics, and politics.
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