O/T:-Gary Lineker

[jackal2]

The fact that the thread title and news articles are all talking about Lineker and not the proposed change in law shows that what Gary has done isn’t highlight the issue, but rather distract from it.

I honestly don’t care whether a sports presenter thinks the government are nazis and posts it on twitter.

I do care about how we deal with the real problems of the world. Stick to the topic Gary if you are going to comment, don’t become the story with hyperbole, correct or not.

For better or worse, Gary Lineker's objective is to feed his own ego, celebrity and bank balance. Every few weeks he'll express a possibly insincere and often hypocritical view on a news story knowing full well that the Twittersphere and then the wider media will 'bite' and start debating it, thereby maintaining his celebrity profile and enabling him to get/keep lucrative contracts, for example from companies who want a 'progressive' face to sell unhealthy products that contribute to childhood and adult obesity, or presenting football programmes from Qatar (with a heavy heart etc.)

To be fair to Gary Lineker, he's a smart cookie who plays this cynical game very well, and he's just one of many/most celebrities who do the same from whichever broad political position they choose to adopt. In some cases they may genuinely hold the views they espouse, but in other cases their private views may differ greatly from their public narrative. The views they express and the subjects they choose to speak about are just a vehicle for their true objective, which is to increase or maintain their celebrity status and effectively place themselves as products. As the (very good) singer Jessie J once said: "Thanks for all the likes, and the dislikes - we like both", because they all mean you're being talked about and that equals sales and money.

I'm not saying this is wrong - it's just business. It's the way the world has become, especially since the advent of social media platforms that allow celebrities to provoke and pontificate through their own channels rather than having to abide by the restrictions of someone else's, like the BBC.

In that sense I think Gary Lineker's entitled to say whatever he likes on his own Twitter feed and people can respond in kind. I don't really see why the BBC should be held accountable for their 'celebrities' expressing political views, unless they do it on a BBC programme. In fact, I can think of many un-impartial political views being expressed on BBC programming and going largely unchallenged, but probably because they came from people less successful at promoting themselves than Gary Lineker!

You've got to hand it to him really. With one Tweet, he's stayed at the top of the Notts MAD message board for three days and yet he's never played for Notts and many of our fans aren't really that bothered about the Premier League or Match of the Day.

[BigFatPie]

You've got to hand it to him really. With one Tweet, he's stayed at the top of the Notts MAD message board for three days and yet he's never played for Notts and many of our fans aren't really that bothered about the Premier League or Match of the Day.

That’s true. He’s also saved the more reactionary posters on here from trying to defend the government’s ‘policy’! Well apart from CBP, who ended up posting links which directly contradicted what he was saying. Good old Gary!

[Proactive not Reactive]

If Gary Lineker had said what he said on a BBC programme then that would have been more of an issue, but really he's entitled to say whatever he likes on his own Twitter feed as long as he accepts that those reading his comments have an equal right to respond with praise or criticism as they wish.

I thought Stewart Lee (not noted for being a right-winger) summed up Gary Lineker best:

"My name is Gary Lineker. I like to wake up in the morning and send out a succession of tweets in support of broadly progressive causes. Then, in the afternoon, I like to relax with a great big bag of crisps.”

Linekar is an arrogant so and so, who by all accounts is not a very nice bloke.
If MP's started tweeting about Arsenal's off side trap or Linekar's performance on MOTD he would soon be up in arms,he's famous for his football NOTHING else.
He comments far too much publicly on subjects he knows nowt about.
The same with Marcus Rashford now he's concentrating on his football and not school dinners his football has massively improved.

[Bushwacka]

It ls literally only footballers that I can think of that ever get told to keep their political opinions to themselves. No other profession.
Why's that?
And, at that, it's only ever footballers whose opinions can be seen as aligning with the left.
Again, why's that?

Peter Shilton, Matt Le Tissier and, to an extent, Chris Waddle, are footballers who like to Tweet their support for right leaning causes, nobody tells them to stick to football (they just take the piss out of them instead).

[sidders]

For better or worse, Gary Lineker's objective is to feed his own ego, celebrity and bank balance. Every few weeks he'll express a possibly insincere and often hypocritical view on a news story knowing full well that the Twittersphere and then the wider media will 'bite' and start debating it, thereby maintaining his celebrity profile and enabling him to get/keep lucrative contracts, for example from companies who want a 'progressive' face to sell unhealthy products that contribute to childhood and adult obesity, or presenting football programmes from Qatar (with a heavy heart etc.)

To be fair to Gary Lineker, he's a smart cookie who plays this cynical game very well, and he's just one of many/most celebrities who do the same from whichever broad political position they choose to adopt. In some cases they may genuinely hold the views they espouse, but in other cases their private views may differ greatly from their public narrative. The views they express and the subjects they choose to speak about are just a vehicle for their true objective, which is to increase or maintain their celebrity status and effectively place themselves as products. As the (very good) singer Jessie J once said: "Thanks for all the likes, and the dislikes - we like both", because they all mean you're being talked about and that equals sales and money.

I'm not saying this is wrong - it's just business. It's the way the world has become, especially since the advent of social media platforms that allow celebrities to provoke and pontificate through their own channels rather than having to abide by the restrictions of someone else's, like the BBC.

In that sense I think Gary Lineker's entitled to say whatever he likes on his own Twitter feed and people can respond in kind. I don't really see why the BBC should be held accountable for their 'celebrities' expressing political views, unless they do it on a BBC programme. In fact, I can think of many un-impartial political views being expressed on BBC programming and going largely unchallenged, but probably because they came from people less successful at promoting themselves than Gary Lineker!

You've got to hand it to him really. With one Tweet, he's stayed at the top of the Notts MAD message board for three days and yet he's never played for Notts and many of our fans aren't really that bothered about the Premier League or Match of the Day.

For a person I consider one of this site's most articulate and thoughtful posters, J2, it's good to know that your comments are occasionally flawed. If you don't see that someone of Lineker's affluence and experience is way beyond the need of ego polishing I find it disappointing. Looking at his early background and social upbringing, he understandably supports progressive, slightly leftish causes and I welcome it because greedy boogers like most footballers rarely express sympathies for leftist views.
I also find comments which imply that celebrities are actually quite nasty and selfish people when they come without evidence other than dodgy anecdotes not worth the time taken to type them.
Apart from that, J2, I enjoy reading your s h i t

[sidders]

If you believe in free speech then you'd have to stand up for the right of Lineker to Tweet what he wants. Contractually, BBC employees have to remain neutral but as he sub contracts he gets away with it, to the BBCs detriment as it just drags them into impartiality rows they don't need.
The BBC does make a huge amount of good programmes, most of the output of Quest, Yesterday ,Drama and PBS America are BBC re-runs.
Where it falls down for the BBC is that it's always one way liberalism. What are the chances of Professor Neil Oliver being recommissioned to make a history series ?
Free speech involves being irritated and offended. For some It's Jeremy Clarkson and Laurence Fox, for others it's Gary Lineker and Suzy Eddie Izzard. What I don't like is cancel culture and especially one way cancel culture. Most people in life aren't impartial, we all have views but increasingly we are being thought policed into silence. Izzard and Lineker are welcome at the BBC, Clarkson and Fox not so much.
I'm sure the left leaning posters disagree but it is career suicide to admit you voted Brexit and want to have a career at a university, people keep silent as they do about voting Tory. I know this, I have family that do work at universities and they absolutely will not make their views known. That really isn't how a democratic, open, questioning and tolerant society should function.
Covidiots, Brexiloons, fascists, climate change deniers, Terfs, conspiricists, tin foil hat brigade the list goes on and what all the name calling does is close down opinion, close down debate. It largely also reinforces the powerful. Covidiots empowered Matt Hancock, Terf empowered Niccola Sturgeon, climate deniers empowers Bill gates multi billionaire, land grabbing private jet owner and frequent user who's carbon footprint is huge.
Free speech should, I would argue must always rise above politics but increasingly I feel speech is being weaponised into a form of censorship.

Good post, Optipez, which has completely changed my mind about you as a poster. This is good thoughtful stuff and although I only agree with about half of it, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and it serves to illustrate that posters on Notts Mad are generally among the brightest bunch in the football firmament. El Sid

[jackal2]

For a person I consider one of this site's most articulate and thoughtful posters, J2, it's good to know that your comments are occasionally flawed.

Only occasionally? Blimey, I’m going to take that as a compliment, intended or not!

If you don't see that someone of Lineker's affluence and experience is way beyond the need of ego polishing I find it disappointing.

On the contrary, I think people who have become accustomed to success, celebrity and the wealth that comes with it are often the most prone of all to egotistical fears that their ‘star’ might wane if they don’t keep saying or doing things to stay relevant, especially when they’re reaching the veteran stage. Celebrity is uniquely addictive and lives off itself.

Looking at his early background and social upbringing, he understandably supports progressive, slightly leftish causes and I welcome it because greedy boogers like most footballers rarely express sympathies for leftist views.

Top footballers are certainly wealthy if not greedy boogers. I’m sure Gary Lineker has made enough money from his football career and his subsequent long-term BBC contract to live comfortably for the rest of his life. He can afford to have principles, so perhaps he shouldn’t make a (crisp) packet promoting unhealthy snack products known to appeal most to customers from lower socio-economic status backgrounds?

I also find comments which imply that celebrities are actually quite nasty and selfish people when they come without evidence other than dodgy anecdotes not worth the time taken to type them.

I said that many celebrities play what could be seen as a cynical game to place themselves as products and maximise their earning potential. I pointedly didn’t say it was wrong, nasty or selfish - I said it’s just business - the way of the modern social media world.

That said, you don’t have to trawl too far through the TV archives or through video or eye-witness accounts on the internet to find evidence of actions by celebrities that many would interpret as nasty and selfish, but of course, there are also plenty of examples of celebrities being very kind and generous too.

Apart from that, J2, I enjoy reading your s h i t

I don’t know if that’s a ‘like’ or a ‘dislike’, but as Jessie J says, ‘We like both!’

[Ex_Southwell_Magpie]

You've got to hand it to him really. With one Tweet, he's stayed at the top of the Notts MAD message board for three days and yet he's never played for Notts and many of our fans aren't really that bothered about the Premier League or Match of the Day.

Or in fact that he was falling over quicker than Mullin when we played them in the FA cup in 91!

[jackal2]

Or in fact that he was falling over quicker than Mullin when we played them in the FA cup in 91!

Cheat! Cheat! Cheat!

[Old_pie]

It is not headline news, why are the BBC making it so?

Lineker is not impartial, just listen to him when Leicester are on MOTD.

He's not a reporter, why isn't he allowed his views?

What government funding is being used to coerce the BBC, or promised knighthoods withdrawn? (I thought the BBC were lefties?)

The small boats problem needs to be resolved. Hopefully the new agreement between the UK and France will:

a) allow asylum seekers to the UK to be heard in France
b) any boat people to be sent back to France to the new centre

If they've got to France they are already in a safe place.