Apologies as I know this story is nearly a week old now, but I’ve just stumbled across this latest salvo from Ian Wright against his former employers the BBC. And you know how much I loved this one when it first broke a couple of weeks back. Seemingly now a new pet favourite of that bastion of quality The Sun, former self-appointed jester Ian Wright has decided that not only is the BBC’s sports coverage rubbish, but the BBC as a whole is well… rubbish.
Oh dear, oh dear. Has Wright’s stormy departure from the Beeb not quite had the reaction he was expecting. Rather than being hailed as some kind of conquering hero of the masses, striking a blow against the suits and tie brigade of intelligent football coverage, it seems Wrighty might be the one out of touch. Had he perhaps not considered the level of affection that still exists for Match of the Day, but also that football fans might actually still want intelligent coverage of football. It certainly beats ITVs somewhat wishy-washy coverage, often presided over by a decidedly uncomfortable and out of place Steve Rider.
But this one gets even better, as Wright positively bristles over a comment made by Gary Lineker at the top of the first edition of Match of the Day following his departure.
When this story first hit, Wright was quoted across the press as saying:
“I feel like I’m just there as a comedy jester to break the ice with Alan Shearer and Alan Hansen…”
On the edition of MOTD in question, Gary Linker quipped:
“We’ve got vital games at both ends of the table. It’s all too serious now for any court jesting.”
To which Wright hit back in The Sun with a pithy:
“I had to listen to Lineker do this two-bob gag about court jesting, which I found completely disrespectful.”
Would it be churlish to point out that Wright himself was the first to start throwing the jester word around? No, I don’t think it is, and if you can’t take it, don’t dish it.
But it’s Wright’s blinkered view of the BBC’s role that has me rolling my eyes wearily.
“I don’t watch the BBC any more, I just don’t know who they’re trying to reach. They have lost live cricket, boxing and football, the three main sports that people watch on television, so what is it that we’re paying for?”
Um… where would you like me to start? Aside from sport (and it’s not just about balls you know) there’s still children’s TV output, a radio network that has massive reach diversity, the corporation’s role within the switch-over to digital, award-winning documentaries, wide-ranging drama…
I mean, I could go on…
Okay, so the BBC is far from perfect, but I find it laughable that the host of Gladiators on Sky One can dare have a pop about anything the Beeb does. And let’s face it, not even ITV would stoop to bring back reheated leftovers like Gladiators.
If you want to see somebody having a go at the BBC with some style, look no further than Sir David Attenborough. That’s the way it should be done…
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