by Arthur Crabtree » Wed May 30, 2012 9:49 am
I think the volte face by the press about Strauss is massively disingenuous. They seem to be saying, we didn't want Strauss to be dropped, we wanted him to get some runs to confirm his position. But by writing that he wasn't getting enough runs, what are they suggesting should be done? That he should be fined? That he should wear a different type of power bracelet? That he must make a blood sacrifice?
And if he had made more thirties in this series, what would they be saying now?
Of course they were saying he should be dropped.
I also think it is absurd that whenever a subject like this comes up, and their behaviour is criticised, they have some collective tantrum about their right to pursue any subject in order to attract readers. We've got to fill the column. They seem to believe that they have some untouchable right to jump on the career of any player who happens to be struggling at any point. Columns questioning the place in the team of the least currently successful player are facile knee jerks usually requiring zero journalistic skill. And are not something to get defensive or righteous about.
Journalists don't have a right to form join the posse just because the have a blank page to fill.
I always say that everybody's right.