Quote ="lefty goldblatt"To be fair to the Beeb, in certain circumstances, as Harold McMillan once said, "You've never had it so good"
As I said in counter to duckie's codswallop earlier, yes, the Beeb DID drop the Lancs/Yorks Cup, and they lost the Prem/Tests for years (whether they bidded for them, or were outbidded I don't know), BUT, we now (and have for the last few years) get TWO Challenge Cup games per weekend ,shown FULLY, and live. For those on here under the age of 30, let me tell you JUST how the Beeb treated our game in the mid to late 80's.
Picture the scene.
It's 2:40 on a Saturday afternoon.
Des Lynam would sneer, and say here's Rugby League. The game is already underway, and you get literally 5 mins of highlights of the first half, and then the second half live. As soon as the match was over, the players would just be shaking hands, and it's be straight back to Des sneering at our game again, just in time for the all important footie half times. No interviews, no try recaps, no analysis. Just Des' self love.
But, these WERE the days of the Old School Tie, when the Beeb's hierarchy were all Oxbridge educated, and in their 60-70's (typical Rah-Rah fodder). For the last 20 or so years, the Beeb's been run by middle class lefties, so the Old School Tie brigade are of a bygone generation.
I think Granada's Saturday afternoon games from the autumn of 1989 were a HUGE kick up the Aris for the Beeb. It's hard to believe, but ITV's sports department did a half decent job (for once), and the Beeb really took notice and immediately started showing our game the respect it deserves. It upped the standard of their coverage, even though we had to put up with Steve Sims and Ross Strudwick.
With regard to the 6 Nations, we've just got to admit defeat.
We are a nation of 60 million people. You mention Rugby to someone, and automatically they think 6 (or 5 Nations). Not because it's better, it's just the one thing they subconsciously grab hold of, once a year. That bottom hole Chris Evans has been on about it this week, and will be 'til it ends. After that, he won't mention it again. Similar to Wimbledon. Joe Public doesn't give a stiff one about tennis, 50 weeks a year. Come the last week in June, I'm sick of hearing "Come on Tim/Andy/Fred Perry". After that, the public don't care.
Nah, the Beeb don't particularly like us, but they tolerate us a lot better than the did, a generation ago.......and we get a magazine show, now. "Enjoy your Rugby League.......we do"'"
At least the BBC give the Challenge Cup it's due, unlike another broadcaster who can't be bothered with it simply because they don't have the "exclusive" rights.
Lynam didn't mind the RL to be honest, I sensed he never had any issues when linking up with the broadcast. Steve Rider however, was a completely different kettle of fish. I hated that guy.
