Ah gan on then...I kna you're sick of hearing about it, but it has to be doesn't it?
A Pillar To Post
COVID19
It's been 2 weeks since my last blog post, and I suspect this one won't be any better - not by a long shot. I haven't dragged my arse back to the PC to educate myself on world matters or stumbled across a spark to ignite discussion for a while, so it looks like this is the best I can come up with, sorry.
So, over the course of the last fortnight, (that's two weeks kids, not a shoot-em-up!), the deadly virus has now reached a status of global pandemic, with instances of the virus being detected worldwide.
So, what is it?
COVID-19 is a new strand of respiratory virus, meaning it predominantly affects your lungs and airways. This is of particular importance to those whom already suffer from respiratory illnesses.
Where did it come from?
It is said to have originated in Wuhan, China where they have "wet markets" - a source for locals to do their food shop, buying and selling fish and birds in the main. However, it is believed that bats may have been the true source of the virus, despite remaining unconfirmed.
What are the symptoms?
Those infected are said to experience flu-like symptoms, with reports of fevers and high-temperatures being mentioned, along with coughs and a shortness of breath. However, in more extreme cases, this has lead to pneumonia and even kidney failure.
How does it spread?
It is assumed that coughs, sneezes and close contact with infected parties are the main methods of transport for the virus.
With that in mind, below is an image detailing the head count and reach of the virus thus far:
*The details (and image) provided above are extracted from numerous sites, such as Bloomberg, The Telegraph, NHS and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.*
It is undoubtedly a cause for concern with the virus claiming an estimated 20-30 times the amount of lives that seasonal influenza does (source: www.ecdc.europa.eu).
Yet, to put things in perspective - the population of human life on the planet is estimated to be approximately 7.7 billion people. So, the percentage of cases (at time of writing) is currently at 0.0013%, leaving deaths at a mere 0.00004% and it's kinda felt like across the planet your average punter is being thrown into a state of frenzy by the media and government officials alike.
It's one thing to expect an element of survival of the fittest, people clambering to get their supplies and beat the rush. After all, "nice guys finish last", but the pandemonium that has been generated all seems a bit much and in some cases unnecessary.
I mean - at work, we're getting daily updates, reminders, tasks and tests. It's almost as if people are championing the virus as an opportunity to demonstrate their supposed importance, rather than doing their actual job. I never thought people would need constant reminders to wash their hands properly or cover their face when coughing or sneezing...then I visited the gents toilets and realised that absolute scruffs are amongst us. So maybe all the bluster and panic is required...
(That's not to say those unfortunate enough to have or have had the virus are by the way...)
Personally, I've ignored all of the reporting of the virus until writing this blog, and I'm arguably daft to have done so. It's almost been a case of ignorant is bliss, but as the virus has drawn closer, so has reality. Irrespective of whether you have friends or family in the affected areas, you should care for your fellow man (or woman) - that'd be the right thing to do. I guess it's not that people don't care, it's just that they don't pay attention until it hits a form of home.
So, I guess this is a load of waffle, just me expressing some thoughts. Nonetheless, all that being said...
QUICK - TO THE SHOPS! WE NEED BEANS AND SANITISER...
...AND LOTS OF IT!!!
Keegan's Corner
Closed Doors?
In my disorganised attempts to bring some fairly regular content to your digital screens, this editions "Keegan's Corner" article has came after some deliberation, and the need to plan out what I publish has become apparent.
Edition 3 and the wheels are coming off, perhaps before they were even put on. Meeeh - whatever.
Discussion this weekend started to develop around the increasing threat of COVID19 and whether the English FA should follow that of the Italian FA, and enforce games to be played behind closed doors. A discussion that stirred mixed opinion across the footballing nation. A sensible solution to prevent the increasing, pandemic pandemonium it would seem, and yet, fans flocked to social media to discuss their discontent of potentially missing a match (or two). I guess to the non-sports-fan this would appear ludicrous, but hopefully I can shed some light on why it isn't.
To my eyes - sport, now - more than ever, has become an entertainment business, and this entertainment business has global reach to a worldwide audience. The Premier League possibly pipping everything else to the post. With the Middle-East, Asia and North America all arriving to the party late - boosting viewing figures to levels never seen before. The appetite for televised fixtures is on a whole new scale.
Gone are the days of a standard, Saturday - 3 O'clock and meeting your pals at midday in a designated bar, predefined from the previous match day. Aye, I'm only 30, but I too remember those, despite only being a bairn at the time. Out with the old - football violence, tribalism, gruesome grounds and pissy concourses and in with the new - sanitised atmospheres in all-seated stadia with some arse hole videoing their every reaction to dickheads like Dele Alli.
Media truly has taken a hold.
Me - I'm a sportsman. A shite one, but a sportsman. Match day to me is about the camaraderie, the sense of belonging, the pride in your city - as Sir Bobby so famously quoted. It's about your club giving it their all to be the best they can be, and being (hopefully) better than their opposition. "My city's better than yours" may seem a little 'playground', but well...it is. I'm from Newcastle upon Tyne. Accept it.
I digress...
The point being, it's about winning. It's about being the best. It's not about who has more expected goals or 82% possession. It's about who comes out victorious over 90minutes. It's nee good wielding a sword in battle for 82% of the time if yours heeds been cut off is it?!
This, in my opinion, is a feeling lost on those who follow the fashionable football entertainment business and not the footballing competition.
Were games to be played behind closed doors, then a fresh opportunity for powerhouses such as Sky, Amazon and BT would come to the fore. Match day's being "saved" by the increasingly present television screens and transferring additional power to the man with the remote, not the man with cold feet and a bovril. You can forgive fans for having this assumption, given the fluidity of the fixture list that is already instilled in the Premier League. Or maybe, I'm looking into this too much, and they just don't want their season drawn short. For many, it's a day out, a chance to socialise, a time to release all of the tensions from the past 10 to 14 days.
If every game were to become televised or (legally) accessable, I think it's fair to say attendances would dwindle, and with that, so would the quality of "entertainment" being provided. That's why ticket pricing and the quality of the match day experience now require more focus than ever - a piece for another time. With less quality, comes less subscriptions, and with less subscriptions comes the start of the end, and who'd be left? That's right - the fans, to rebuild the game from the ashes.
So, I think I best come back a step - we're aal ganna get the lurgy, or so we're led to believe. Are you arsed where you get it??
There are those amongst the (football) fan base that'd have you believe going to match poses as much risk (if not less) as getting the London Underground, or going to work. There may be some validity in this, but going about your usual day is somewhat necessity. Keeping the economy alive, education in full flow and food on peoples tables does not surpass our need for sport. It doesn't make you any more of a fan.
You require money. Money to watch your football, money to buy your beers that you drink whilst you discuss your football, money to buy the replica shirt you're gonna slop your beer down when you watch your sport implode on Sky (ha!).
The reality is, that the games should simply be delayed and remain in the hands of the match goer.
Finally...
....on a lighter note, unlike the last edition where I wrote something profound and educated, offering food for thought, this time I will offer thought for food.
In times when talk of COVID19 is rife, you'd normally consider that going out in public for a meal and some beers might be questionable. Yet, with tasty tapas and sangria on the menu, I cannot afford to worry about the Corona Virus or having the Coors Shites...
Until next time (if there is one 👀), stay safe and...
Ciao for now ;)
No comments:
Post a Comment