Imagine yourself at the last football game of the season for my local team 'Laredo'. They are currently in the 4th Division. They are very well placed near the top of the table and a win will take them into the 3rd Division. I know this may be a bit dull for those who do not have a taste for football, but it gets better and takes us to a wider view of the 'crisis' mentality.
Laredo is winning 1-0 and its looking good for a promotion, the end of the game approaches and the crowd is in a good mood eagerly waiting for the final whistle. The referee adds on some extra time for time lost during the game for injuries etc. the crowd begins to whistle and shout as this 'extra' time grows to 5 minutes. Still no end..10 minutes added..something is wrong, the ref has gone to sleep? He is not looking at his watch?..the visiting team suddenly score a goal..the score is level..Laredo have lost the promotion..the ref now blows his whistle signalling the end of the game. The crowd is indignant and want to lynch the referee..rightly so.
What went wrong? Rumour has it that the Laredo management reached an agreement with the referee that he would ensure that Laredo do not win..by hook or by crook. Why? It turns out that in the higher division the team has to do a lot more travel and there are no funds available and no sponsors who are willing to provide resources for the team. So its best if the team remains in the current division!
What a defeatist attitude..nobody bothered to tell the players? I am sure if they had been promoted someone might have been willing to provide sponsorship..
Just as I thought that this was bad, the very next evening the Spanish entry into the Eurovision song contest, which was widely expected to win, came tenth. Not as bad as Englebert Humperdink who managed just 'un point' on the evening and was very close to being last.
Apparently the authorities took a collective sigh of relief, because had Paloma won the contest, it would have meant that they would have had to look for several millions of Euros to make the arrangements for the event next year..specially as the facilities for the event in Baku, Azerbaijan so fabulous.
And as everyone knows Spain is going through an economic crisis. Perhaps its wise to lose to live to win another day. I don't buy it!
Laredo is winning 1-0 and its looking good for a promotion, the end of the game approaches and the crowd is in a good mood eagerly waiting for the final whistle. The referee adds on some extra time for time lost during the game for injuries etc. the crowd begins to whistle and shout as this 'extra' time grows to 5 minutes. Still no end..10 minutes added..something is wrong, the ref has gone to sleep? He is not looking at his watch?..the visiting team suddenly score a goal..the score is level..Laredo have lost the promotion..the ref now blows his whistle signalling the end of the game. The crowd is indignant and want to lynch the referee..rightly so.
What went wrong? Rumour has it that the Laredo management reached an agreement with the referee that he would ensure that Laredo do not win..by hook or by crook. Why? It turns out that in the higher division the team has to do a lot more travel and there are no funds available and no sponsors who are willing to provide resources for the team. So its best if the team remains in the current division!
What a defeatist attitude..nobody bothered to tell the players? I am sure if they had been promoted someone might have been willing to provide sponsorship..
Just as I thought that this was bad, the very next evening the Spanish entry into the Eurovision song contest, which was widely expected to win, came tenth. Not as bad as Englebert Humperdink who managed just 'un point' on the evening and was very close to being last.
Apparently the authorities took a collective sigh of relief, because had Paloma won the contest, it would have meant that they would have had to look for several millions of Euros to make the arrangements for the event next year..specially as the facilities for the event in Baku, Azerbaijan so fabulous.
And as everyone knows Spain is going through an economic crisis. Perhaps its wise to lose to live to win another day. I don't buy it!
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