Front page

Blarchive

Don’t listen to the innumerates

12 Jun 10 | Re: Puzzling received wisdom

As the World Cup begins in South Africa, here’s a World Cup-related question. I’ve read people saying that England shouldn’t be bidding to host the Cup in 2018 because of the expense. But how can the privilege of hosting a massive international event that everyone wants to watch and that will bring thousands of visitors to your country be something that costs money? If you’re not making millions out of a chance like that, you’re doing business wrong.

I’m going to leave the Olympics aside because (1) we are needing to build expensive facilities and (2) the IOC still treasure the last lingering memories of their amateurist beginnings, so maybe they don’t allow hosts to ching ching cash in. But we already have heaps of football grounds and FIFA are maniacally commercial, so why is holding the World Cup thought to be this great expense? It must be a rumour put about by football-haters, block-heads and innumerates.

Posted by CYRIL SMALL at 19:02

[Back to main blog]

[Or dive into the blarchive...]

---

Take me home