Gary Lineker is on safe ground; it’s been a generation since he retired from playing football. He still comfortably represents the most formidable blend of (men’s) footballing pedigree with televisual competence and charisma in the English-speaking world. We also know from the publication of salaries that he’s acknowledged as the BBC’s most lucrative human asset.This – combined with what a significant chunk of people feel is the moral high ground on this particular issue- gives Lineker immense power to bend the rules. The BBC’s censure so far has mainly been toothless and meaningless insofar as discouraging Lineker himself or influencing public opinion on his intervention.That’s not to say he’d be universally popular: in the age of the culture wars, that’s impossible. But so far Lineker’s actions have strengthened the zeal of his fanbase and impressed many neutrals. It’s arguable that the BBC needs Lineker in the current media climate more than he needs it.Because even if the BBC fires Lineker, it won’t put a lasting scratch on him. BT or Sky will swoop, Lineker’s platform will only grow – with fewer restrictions on what he can say- and the Beeb’s resulting vacuum will further endanger its threadbare claim to relevance in the football world.The BBC faces several more challenges. Their response has led to accusations of double standards from the right, hypocrisy from the left (pointing to views expressed by the likes of Andrew Neil while on their payroll), and impotent posturing from across the spectrum.Finally, there’s a growing perception on the political left that under sympathiser Tim Davie the BBC is in danger of turning into the broadcast wing of the Conservative Government. The optics of the government and BBC singing from the same hymn sheet in lambasting Lineker’s criticism of a (controversial, very probably illegal) government policy – on the same day as swathing cuts to BBC Music caused outrage in the arts world- adds to the feeling that any action against Lineker is at least partly political.The thread running through this is ‘damned if you do; damned if you don’t, and despite the self-inflicted elements of the crisis, it’s hard not to feel deep sympathy for the BBC’s rank-and-file.And the government? Much as when Marcus Rashford single-handedly forced a U-turn on free school meals, a regime whose competence is often questioned once again finds itself flapping around for a way to play the victim because a footballer was mean to them on social media about one of their extremist policies. A show of strength it is not…https://lnkd.in/eBkBNxvS
Mark can be found at: www.borkowski.co.uk