I know I keep harping on about the rise of the shelf company franchise teams with no ‘club membership or membership rights,’ such as the Titans, Manly, Souths and Cowboys and the fall of the ‘clubs’ run by the people. But lately, I have become aware of just who is really running the game.
The game, which is no longer run by the clubs, has been effectively handed over to Betting Agencies and big sponsors. The increase in power of these groups has risen to the point that they can even directly, and transparently, manipulate Channel Nine News and the Nine telecasts of live games.
For example, during the State of Origin, Nine were running stories on their 6pm TV News bulletin about the dramatic increase in 3D TVs. The reporter was conveniently interviewing Harvey Norman staff and he carried out a forensic evaluation of the sizes and costing of the TVs.
All the while, big Harvey Norman signs were always in the frame. At no point did Peter Overton disclose that Nine had the rights to telecast Origin and that Harvey Norman was the main sponsor of the series.
Further, Nine heavily plugged the pending 3D telecast of Origin during the News. Clearly, the biggest group to benefit from such a free kick was Harvey Norman. Harvey Norman even own the Video Ref Screen. Hence, we can be sure the match quota for Video Ref referrals is met each game and the ‘3D TV’ logo is shoved down our throat regularly during the game.
Then, you have the betting Agencies.
On the one hand you have Ray Warren going public to denounce gambling on the basis of what it did to him. Then, on the other, during live games he and his co-horts are constantly updating us on the current gambling odds offered to poor unsuspecting saps.
The common Fatty Vautin phrase: “If you like a flutter…” gets trotted out every time he calls a live game. Further, the expert callers even defer the ‘expertise to the betting punters themselves with the chestnut call: “ Oh they have firmed on…”
The odds on betting have now started to appear as part of the game stats.
Even Peter Sterling will happily take us through the odds to lose our grocery money. In the Add break, we get the ever smiling ET and the oversized Peter Griffin Mascot KENO bloke inviting us to embrace KENO and possibly win a corporate box. Oh the hijinks, how can we resist. Let’s not forget the Adds with the player covered in Post It Bets or the super confident Loner On-Line Gambler punching the air after the rare win in his lonely lounge room.
How do you explain to your kids what all this gambling stuff is all about and why people do it?
News and Nine have allowed the running of the game and the broadcasting to be taken over by the Sponsors. I am tired of having fast food companies, gambling Agencies, Alcohol companies ruining the game. It is not a matter of simply muting the Telly. The playing field is painted with a loveable Rum drinking Polar Bear.
The moving screens located adjacent to the field (always within the viewing frame of the TV broadcast) brightly display the logos of the Betting Agencies. KFC now dominate the bottom of the screen during live play and the Betting Agency Odds now have a permanent place in the panel discussion and the ongoing stats of the state of play.
There is no mute button for this. There is, however, the off button.
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