A lack of broadcast coverage has left female fighters underexposed and underpaid. But the Olympics and talented athletes have changed the status quoWhen Heather Hardy and Shelly Vincent met in the ring in New York City’s Madison Square Garden last month for the WBO featherweight title, there weren’t any measured jabs to start off the fight. They came out swinging. After all, they had no time to lose. Hardy and Vincent had 10 two-minute rounds to prove that women’s boxing deserved to be on center stage, that it deserved to be televised.The rematch between the featherweights was the first fight of a prime-time triple-header on HBO, kicking off the night before the main event between Daniel Jacobs and Sergiy Derevyanchenko....
The sort of abuse thrown at Karen Carney needs to be tackled by Instagram and co in the way that racist abuse at a game leads to a lifetime ban or a game behind closed doorsI was really disappointed to see the abuse directed at Karen Carney last week but I can’t say I was completely surprised. Unfortunately, it’s nothing new – the sad reality is if you’re on social media and are a recognisable individual you are potentially exposed to such abuse.I’ve experienced it, my brother has experienced it and so many other people I know who are in the game have experienced horrific online abuse. But I was more surprised that it happened to Karen. Nobody deserves that...
Showing Premier League and European midweek matches live causes a dip in attendances that hits smaller clubs’ revenuesDuring the early 1980s, when English football began its slow-shuffle towards showing one live game a week, the Guardian’s venerable correspondent David Lacey warned of the potential consequences. In a column titled “The death threat of live television”, Lacey predicted: “Matches shown on the small screen, warts and all, far from stimulating interest, would be more likely to have the opposite effect,” and suggested: “A televised match would become the complete alternative to paying to watch football and more fans than ever would have reason to stay away.”Lacey was far from alone. Years before the dawn of the Premier League Brian Clough thought...
The widely carried rumours are the latest example of social media concoctions that swell well beyond their substanceEven in dark times, the idealism of some football fans remains a beautiful thing to behold. Suggestions over the past week that the Glazer family were considering selling Manchester United to a certain party were greeted with delight in various quarters. As one United supporter positively willing the deal to happen put it: “We deserve better.” Better, in this case, would be Saudi prince Mohammed bin Salman, a man whom journalistic cliche demands we style as “in the news for all the wrong reasons”. But hey – nobody’s perfect. Related: José Mourinho charged with improper conduct after Newcastle match Continue reading...
Gary Lineker has led a largely stellar cast of voices while on the other side Eni Aluko has shone and Patrice Evra was a disasterMain host: Gary Lineker Continue reading...