Monday 19 April 2021

A Question of Sport?

I love sport but the debate about the potential formation of a European 'Super League' of Soccer clubs, should focus attention on the whole concept of elite sport (https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/apr/18/five-english-clubs-sign-up-to-european-super-league-report-says). A backlash is developing against, what is essentially a franchise model (there would be permanent spots, in the Super League, for the already very rich clubs that have signed up for it). The one aspect that hasn't received much attention, however, is whether the current business model for all sport is sustainable. I don't know if the advocates for The Super League have heard, but the world is threatened by climate change. Elite sports, of all kinds, generate enormous carbon footprints. Sportspeople, their management teams, their equipment and accompanying media, are flown all over the globe (sometimes in private jets). In normal times, hoards of spectators also travel, at great expense, to 'follow' the objects of their affections (a cricket side, a soccer club, a formula 1 racing driver, an Olympic athlete etc, etc). Elite sport generates enormous amounts of cash and can make some people very rich (and famous). Sport is, however, in one sense, very big business! It's not so very different to a major petrochemical company. The last thing the owners of some major football clubs should be thinking of doing now, is bringing in yet another 'international' competition. We really need to consider whether there are ways of running 'entertainment' (and elite sport is a big sector of this) in ways, that don't destroy the planet. That must mean finding ways of running competitions, whilst generating less 'greenhouse gas' than is currently the case.

1 comment:

Paul Brain said...

It's all off now (cancelled in record time) but it just shows how some sport has been influenced by the modern commercial model (maximal returns with minimal risk for the owners). Eliminating competition has also served Google and Facebook well. People are now suggesting there must be punishments for the teams that nearly participated.

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