BBC license fee to go up by £15. Will you keep paying it?

[Mr. Dazzle]

I'm taking the piss. You're being a bit a bit slow this arvo Iccy

He can't be bringing in the subs, we don't have a choice in paying them Hence this thread.

[DefTrap]

Personally I like what Lineker does on MotD - he's presentable, knowledgeable and engaging, and not totally thick like a lot of them. The salary sets itself really, if the Beeb didn't pay him mills then presumably Sky or BeIn or one of the other big boys would offer him more. MotD has a long time been the Beeb's flagship weekly footy show in a changing world where they just can't afford the eye-watering money for the rights to televise live club football these days. So that said, they are fighting a losing battle and what they've got left (MotD) probably demands a presenter of adequate status and not just some random celeb. airdropped in to create a level of ratings.

Most of the criticism of Linker stems from -
- the level of his salary (well, this is just jealousy)
- where that money comes from (you don't get to decide, sorry)
- his politics (which are normally quite reasonable criticisms of abhorrent government behaviour - but apparently he should be muted as some sort of benign government lackey).

I'm always slightly surprised why, in particular, sportspeople seem to have to shoulder and demonstrate some unspecified moral and political code on behalf of the rest of us.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Like I said kn another thread though, if you want millions just for "being you" then "you" gets judged by different rules IMO

[Cousin Jack]

I think it's a bad example of a politicised issue that is stuck in the mud because it's a politicised issue.

I dread to raise it but the NHS is another good example, I'm convinced that if politics was taken off the table entirely and some clever chaps sat around a table then it could be improved to the point of being unrecognisable and whilst perhaps it wouldn't be perfect (because nothing ever can be), it wouldn't be far off.

Almost everything that needs long term planning turns to a crock of shit once politics gets involved. No PM dare think more than 3 or 4 years ahead, the Chancellor and the Treasury think that 6 months is too long. Railways, schools,the NHS, politics has fcuked them all

[DefTrap]

Like I said kn another thread though, if you want millions just for "being you" then "you" gets judged by different rules IMO

I think "the rule" is that you can say what you want about them, just up to the point that they contemplate a suicide.

[Pirahna]

I think he comes across as a smarmy cnut, but that's my only criticism really, I don't care about his salary or politics, but if asked to comment then I think he's a bit of a div and doesn't really know what he's talking about, and unfortunately the vast majority of people that watch him will be even bigger divs who will believe what he says as gospel because he's on the telly.

He's got arguably a lot more successful than anyone on here, his success is mocking our failure. He's three years older than me and still working, so I suppose how you judge success.

As for not knowing what he's talking about, 461 club appearances with 238 goals, 80 England appearances with 48 goals etc.

[MrLongbeard]

Yeah but his parents are lousy tippers*


I used to deliver their morning newspaper, and buy fruit from their market stall, the tight bastards

[Mr. Dazzle]

As for not knowing what he's talking about, 461 club appearances with 238 goals, 80 England appearances with 48 goals etc.

I suspect Iccy is referring to the political commentary, not sporting.

[irie]

I'm taking the piss. You're being a bit a bit slow this arvo Iccy

I'm really tired, busy day and I'm juggling casual social media posting with some serious work stuff involving big numbers, so my sense of humour has given way to stress

Also been playing (aka investing) with some large numbers (for me) waiting for the ME war to kick off and push the price of energy into overdrive. Don't see Iran/Hezbollah/Houthis/et.al sitting with their thumbs up their arses forever while Israel lays waste to Hamas and Gaza. Softly softly catchee monkey. Or lose.

[Pirahna]

As for not knowing what he's talking about, 461 club appearances with 238 goals, 80 England appearances with 48 goals etc.

I suspect Iccy is referring to the political commentary, not sporting.

He was the Lib/Dem MP for Leicester for term.

[Yorick]

I think he comes across as a smarmy cnut, but that's my only criticism really, I don't care about his salary or politics, but if asked to comment then I think he's a bit of a div and doesn't really know what he's talking about, and unfortunately the vast majority of people that watch him will be even bigger divs who will believe what he says as gospel because he's on the telly.

He's got arguably a lot more successful than anyone on here, his success is mocking our failure. He's three years older than me and still working, so I suppose how you judge success.

As for not knowing what he's talking about, 461 club appearances with 238 goals, 80 England appearances with 48 goals etc.

His C.V. commands a great salary. One of the best players in the world. His opinion carries a lot of clout.

[Tricky]

I think he comes across as a smarmy cnut, but that's my only criticism really, I don't care about his salary or politics, but if asked to comment then I think he's a bit of a div and doesn't really know what he's talking about, and unfortunately the vast majority of people that watch him will be even bigger divs who will believe what he says as gospel because he's on the telly.

He's got arguably a lot more successful than anyone on here, his success is mocking our failure. He's three years older than me and still working, so I suppose how you judge success.

As for not knowing what he's talking about, 461 club appearances with 238 goals, 80 England appearances with 48 goals etc.

His C.V. commands a great salary. One of the best players in the world. His opinion carries a lot of clout.

He is very self-opinionated, there's no doubt of that- bit of a self-promotional virtue signaler some say too...
As for clout, well, if you mean a lot of people are influenced by him- absoloutely no doubt about that- I'd agree.
Whether his opinions are valid is something for debate- pleasant bloke and (IMO) good at his BBC job, but outside of that, I think @Potter sums it up fairly well.

And @Pirahna - "his success is mocking our failure" hmmm that sounds a bit sad to me and I can honestly say not something I've ever thought about anyone really - who exactly do you mean by " our", and what's " our failure"?
Anyway, I don'y want a fight and don't expect a response, I just think it's it's a daft/negative/twatty phrase- maybe you see him or his success ( however you measure that) that way, but I don't, in any shape or form, and I am guessing I'm probably not alone there

[Pirahna]

And @Pirahna - "his success is mocking our failure" hmmm that sounds a bit sad to me and I can honestly say not something I've ever thought about anyone really - who exactly do you mean by " our", and what's " our failure"?

It was a bit tongue in cheek and I did say arguably. I'm 3 years younger than him and retired, so maybe I'm more successful, it depends how you measure things.

[Yambo]

"His success is mocking our failure" is usually said by people who feel/recognise that they are failures.

It's said on here quite a lot.

We're surrounded by failures.

[DefTrap]

I think he comes across as a smarmy cnut, but that's my only criticism really, I don't care about his salary or politics, but if asked to comment then I think he's a bit of a div and doesn't really know what he's talking about, and unfortunately the vast majority of people that watch him will be even bigger divs who will believe what he says as gospel because he's on the telly.

I think most of his comments that folk take issue with are not when he's "asked to comment", they are freely given tweets, his own opinions. It's not like he's regularly being interviewed about it all, most of that occurs if he stirs up the nasty people such that he's obliged to defend himself. I find it surprising that folk can take umbrage over such little, and like I say reasonable commentary, particularly when twitter is awash with a tsunami of abhorrent stupidity on a daily basis.

But yeah, "he's smarmy", "he's a div", "everyone who watches him is a div", these are all strong and reasoned rebuttals when you've got nothing to say and you don't really know who he is.

[Mr. Dazzle]

He's a crisp thief!

[Mr. Dazzle]

[mangocrazy]

Perhaps he should stick to what he's good at then and comment on football.

He was successful at that, only.

If that rule was applied on this forum it would be a wasteland, apart from a flourishing IT wankers section.

[mangocrazy]

Whether or not a public figure should be allowed to express opinions unrelated to their specialism normally depends on whether one agrees with that opinion or not.

[irie]

Perhaps he should stick to what he's good at then and comment on football.

He was successful at that, only.

This.

For some reason people who are very successful at sport and/or make a lot of money believe their success therefore somehow lends credence to their personal views in unrelated fields. Social media has largely fueled this.