I don't understand the thrill of the game

[venta]

Today I've had Xfm on, streaming from my computer. It's sufficiently cool today that we don't need the aircon on, so I can hear music properly. Most of the DJs have talked about the football, everyone who's called in has been asked about/mentioned it. Some of the adverts are football orientated. There's even been adverts for a club which is "the only place to be after the match".

Over on elle_'s journal, it's clear that companies all over the place are using the match as an excuse for a jolly. Someone else mentioned that their company is shutting up shop early this afternoon.

Now, I'm not a football fan, not even at times like this. I come from a family of sport-despisers. When a passing French bloke tried to take the piss on Sunday night, it was completely lost on me because, though I knew there was a match on, I hadn't known it was against France, and at that point I didn't know England had lost.

I know there are plenty of people out there who're not bothered about footy. So, without wanting lots of frothing comments along the lines of how the match tonight is getting in the way/sodding up your plans/annoying you: what percentage of the population cares ?

The prevalence of the little car-flags, the quietness of the streets when there's a game, everything else suggests "near 100". But a surprisingly high percentage of my friends are rabidly anti-. Is this just me knowing an unrepresentative sample ? Is it that the football apathists are just much quieter about their apathy than the supporters are about their support ? That people are worried they'll be deemed sad, uncool, unpatriotic or pummelled if they admit they don't give a stuff ?

I'm genuinely curious.

Comments

It's the cynic me

[wimble.livejournal.com]

I'm just waiting for the moment when all these people realise that spending millions of pounds on assorted George Crosses is not going to make a blind bit of difference to whether the England Football team actually win or not.

And whether they take them all down when England get kicked out (which will demonstrate their stupidity: if you're going to support the team, then they surely need more support when they lose).

Re: It's the cynic me

[onebyone.livejournal.com]

all these people realise that spending millions of pounds on assorted George Crosses is not going to make a blind bit of difference to whether the England Football team actually win or not.

I don't think anyone is very confused on this point. Both sides have to concede that it's pretty much unmeasurable whether "the lads" will be "inspired" by footy mania to play a tiny bit better. It's not an implausible suggestion, but it's also not entirely compelling

The important thing is that flying flags etc is improving people's enjoyment of the tournament and hence quality of life. If sneering at them from a position of assumed intellectual superiority is improving your quality of life then OK, I guess. But your hobby will never be as popular as theirs.