David Shonfield
ANDY Gray and Richard Keys have definitely done us a favour. Not just by their departure from Sky, long overdue anyway on the grounds of insufferable smugness, but by testing the Oscar Wilde Theory of Marketing to destruction.
As you may recall, the OWTOM states that “There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about and that's not being talked about”.
Oscar himself tested his theory quite severely and others - the brave, the foolhardy and the totally cretinous – have since taken it close to its limits. But in becoming the most talked-about football commentators of all time Andy and Richard have surely destroyed it forever.
I suppose it must be the power of the Sky brand name plus the power of You Tube, but those fateful phrases about Sian Massey have been travelling around the world and back again since Monday. And while Gray and Keys may have received some sympathy in England, elsewhere there is simply bewilderment that experienced broadcasters could have behaved in such a crass and insulting manner.
Around Europe most reports have been concentrating on the football issues rather than the more offensive remarks off-air in the studio that were broadcast subsequently. Italy is an exception, but then they're used to sex scandals of their own.
Simona Marchetti, London correspondent of the Gazzetta dello Sport, evidently decided readers might be shocked by the “would you smash it?” clip and coyly referred to Richard Keys inquiring whether his studio guests “had had sex” with Louise (“the original expression was rather more colourful” added the editor).
Il Sole, Italy's main business paper, took a more severe line, described the incident as “a scandal for British sports journalism” and drawing attention to the allegations of endemic sexism and bullying at Sky. Rupert Murdoch is trying to secure complete control of BskyB and the scandal has threatened to derail his talks with the British government, the paper argued:
“Whatever the outcome of this affair, Sky's hopes that it would disappear from the front pages appear to have been dashed”
The Spanish media seemingly weren't sure whether to describe the behaviour of Gray and Keys as “machismo” (possibly acceptable, at least in the eyes of some readers) or “sexismo” (definitely a bad thing). Eventually they opted for sexist. Most of the sports papers have played down the affair: Spanish fans don't seem that interested. Not so some of the more heavyweight media:
“All these incidents bring out into the open the high levels of machismo which still exist in football,” wrote Walter Oppenheimer, London correspondent for El Pais, “but also how much has changed in England compared to the past.”
It wasn't the first time that women officials had been ridiculed, he pointed out – referring back to Mike Newell's rant against Amy Fearn, when she was named as an assistant for Luton's match against QPR in 2006.
“In the same way that English football embarked on a rigorous struggle against violence and racism, the contempt shown for Sian Massey could turn into a catalyst in the battle against machismo and homophobia.”
French sports magazine So Foot has been speculating that Andy Gray might forfeit his marriage as well as his job as a result of what one website described as “a small macho remark”. As in Italy there has been almost as much shock about the salaries Gray and Keys were being paid as about their behaviour.
It was left to France 24, which is a government-backed broadcasting channel, to ask a serious football question: Where are the women referees?
“More and more women are appearing as officials in the men's game, but just as assistants, never in charge of a match”
It's not sexism, Sebastien Duret, editor of Footofeminin, told the channel. “It's mainly the physical requirements which are preventing women taking charge of League One games. Endurance and speed off the mark are tested but it's above all over short distances that women find it difficult to match men. In Germany and the Nordic countries it's not uncommon to see women take charge of second division games because there are more who want to become referees.”
Source: http://feeds.examiner.ie/~r/iesportsblog/~3/5GLsdfzOhX8/post.aspx
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