O/T:-Gary Lineker

[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

[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!

[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).

[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!’

[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.

[Magpies1959]

I love the way quite radical socialists on here will support a virtue signalling plastic socialist purely because he tweets quite offensive political opinions In this case, that attack their hated Tories.
Seems the smarmy tw*t has gone a step too far this time and been suspended by the BBC ��

[upthemaggies]

Shearer and Wright have both pulled out of MOTD tomorrow night.

Neither pulled out of going to Qatar.

[Elite_Pie]

I love the way quite radical socialists on here will support a virtue signalling plastic socialist purely because he tweets quite offensive political opinions In this case, that attack their hated Tories.
Seems the smarmy tw*t has gone a step too far this time and been suspended by the BBC ��

This was posted by sid earlier, but you didn't answer any of his questions:

Who are 'they'? Where is 'here'? When will global warming be 'a thing'? What kind of thing will it be? Who are 'we'? Will all of us be under water?
So many questions, such loose language for a person of 64 years (a presumption based on your username)

I'll now ask a couple of questions.

Who are the "quite radical socialists on here"?
Who actually finds his "quite offensive political opinions" offensive?

At least the BBC are doing what they usually do, bowing down to the right.

Strangely, this will do far more good for Lineker than it will the BBC!

[Elite_Pie]

Must admit I find this latest development really funny.

Those who moan the loudest about snowflakes and cancel culture are suddenly deeply offended!