Are football ‘influencers’ ruining it?

[Maluco]

Why is so bad to say that someone appearing on a football show should know about football? Surely it’s the bare minimum?

I watched a few clips from “The Club” and was shocked at how little they seemed to know about football, despite making a living from it. No research whatsoever.

I am not against influencers or digital age personalities, the world and how we consume content is changing, but there seems to be absolutely no expectations or boundaries anymore.

If I am watching football, I don’t want 22 minutes of someone who hasn’t got a clue. Surely thats not a boomer attitude?

 

[Utterly De Ligt'd]

Pretty much, yeah.

Digital snake oil.

You guys sound like a couple old fuddy duddies. I am older, don't get people like this Speed guy, but obviously people of a younger generation do, and I think it would be ridiculous to write off an entire medium of information like this because it evolved after a time in my life that I would be on board with it.

It's like having an argument with your parents and them responding, where did you read that, the internet? Yeah, of course I did, it's 2025 and that's the place where all information is, it's not 1990 where there are a couple weirdos with message boards and strange porn.

 

[Posh Red]

You guys sound like a couple old fuddy duddies. I am older, don't get people like this Speed guy, but obviously people of a younger generation do, and I think it would be ridiculous to write off an entire medium of information like this because it evolved after a time in my life that I would be on board with it.

It's like having an argument with your parents and them responding, where did you read that, the internet? Yeah, of course I did, it's 2025 and that's the place where all information is, it's not 1990 where there are a couple weirdos with message boards and strange porn.

Influencers by design make money by ‘influencing’ people into buying products. That’s just a fact, no?

 

[Utterly De Ligt'd]

Influencers by design make money by ‘influencing’ people into buying products. That’s just a fact, no?

To me it's just sort of a catch all term for people who use social media as their platform. Let's face it, most people are sheep that will follow the crowd, there are few that are the ones the crowd follows. Those people will stand up in society and draw that crowd through one medium or another because they have that personality. 20 years ago these people would have tried to become actors or musicians because that was the medium used at the time. Those professions are no longer seen at the top echelon of our society (not my thoughts, couldn't care less about any of these types of people), so those personalities have moved with the times to the current medium.

I agree, shit term, but you need something to capture a wide variety of different styles, interests, topics, etc.

 

[ggtnxbb]

You have to set the bar somewhere - what is this guy influencing his followers to be? Being daft and clueless?

 

[Posh Red]

To me it's just sort of a catch all term for people who use social media as their platform. Let's face it, most people are sheep that will follow the crowd, there are few that are the ones the crowd follows. Those people will stand up in society and draw that crowd through one medium or another because they have that personality. 20 years ago these people would have tried to become actors or musicians because that was the medium used at the time. Those professions are no longer seen at the top echelon of our society (not my thoughts, couldn't care less about any of these types of people), so those personalities have moved with the times to the current medium.

I agree, shit term, but you need something to capture a wide variety of different styles, interests, topics, etc.

Perhaps we are just interpreting the term differently. Content creators, fine. Influencers? Not for me.

 

[AndySmith1990]

You guys sound like a couple old fuddy duddies. I am older, don't get people like this Speed guy, but obviously people of a younger generation do, and I think it would be ridiculous to write off an entire medium of information like this because it evolved after a time in my life that I would be on board with it.

It's like having an argument with your parents and them responding, where did you read that, the internet? Yeah, of course I did, it's 2025 and that's the place where all information is, it's not 1990 where there are a couple weirdos with message boards and strange porn.

Asking someone if they read it on the Internet can also be inferred as challenging the accuracy of what you're saying. Seeing as a large amount of information online is false or exaggerated. See that's what we've lost by gaining easy access to information over having to visit a library to learn stuff. Any bullshitter or attention seeking clickbaiting knob head can post on the internet, and people can't be arsed fact checking. But that's exactly why we live in a world where literal morons are referred to as Influencers, because they can lie and manipulate at will and people lap it up without applying any critical thinking

 

[Zlatan 7]

You guys sound like a couple old fuddy duddies. I am older, don't get people like this Speed guy, but obviously people of a younger generation do, and I think it would be ridiculous to write off an entire medium of information like this because it evolved after a time in my life that I would be on board with it.

It's like having an argument with your parents and them responding, where did you read that, the internet? Yeah, of course I did, it's 2025 and that's the place where all information is, it's not 1990 where there are a couple weirdos with message boards and strange porn.

The internet is full of shit and duff information mixed amongst the truth. I’d say that’s a fair comment from the parents

 

[Chairman Steve]

Maybe it’s my age but there’s something tacky about high level football punditry, when you do get social media personalities in, they go by their online persona name, they use zoomer talk (or any kind of phraseology used predominantly by teenagers of any given time that dates pretty quickly) or they’ve never played professional football.

On their Sky Sports show today, CallumdaBaller believed Mo Salah was ‘bussin for real for real’ to which CheekyNando retorted that he was ‘mid’ and it was all about ‘starboy’ Bukayo Saka. Big Green Deano then threw out Kylian Mbappe was the ‘no cap deadass mf’ of football currently.

It feels like major media companies are doing a ‘How do you do fellow kids’ when they do things like that or CBS bringing Ishowspeed on. They’re catering to a demographic that will be dated in a year or two anyway.

 

[Oranges038]

You guys sound like a couple old fuddy duddies. I am older, don't get people like this Speed guy, but obviously people of a younger generation do, and I think it would be ridiculous to write off an entire medium of information like this because it evolved after a time in my life that I would be on board with it.

It's like having an argument with your parents and them responding, where did you read that, the internet? Yeah, of course I did, it's 2025 and that's the place where all information is, it's not 1990 where there are a couple weirdos with message boards and strange porn.

They're just bottom feeders.

 

[Vidyoyo]

Fan media has its benefits, with some podcasts producing some really great content in terms of contributors talking with great knowledge about their club which can be much better than poorly prepared pundits on TV who just spout cliches and lazy analysis. However, some of the fan channels and podcasts have spilled heavily into 'banter-casting' where (mostly) young lads argue about 'knowing ball' and obsess over meme-based nonsense. It's not real analysis. It's noisy drivel. It's just an extension of playground banter that doesn't really go anywhere. Saying daft things for a reaction and knowing very little about the sport beyond surface-level stuff. Contributors also talk with such strong smug self-confidence - almost declaring an opinion as 'fact'. It's nauseating. Yet there's a market for this stuff and the opinions that are shared carry weight in terms of how the listeners are influenced.

Good post. Sums up the situation well

 

[Utterly De Ligt'd]

The internet is full of shit and duff information mixed amongst the truth. I’d say that’s a fair comment from the parents

Sometimes it's on people to be intelligent enough to decipher truth from fiction, and once again the internet is the resource where you will find the information to do that.

What do you look at? Encyclopedia Britannica?

 

[Posh Red]

Sometimes it's on people to be intelligent enough to decipher truth from fiction, and once again the internet is the resource where you will find the information to do that.

What do you look at? Encyclopedia Britannica?

My old dear is always getting caught out with stuff online. It’s moved to quickly for her.

 

[Zlatan 7]

Sometimes it's on people to be intelligent enough to decipher truth from fiction, and once again the internet is the resource where you will find the information to do that.

What do you look at? Encyclopedia Britannica?

How did you know that’s what I use?

And a lot of people don’t check you should know that, they just take what they read and run with it. And different sources say different versions of ‘truth’. You should know this too and it’s not as simple as you make out. Anyway, I guess that’s too far off topic.

Back to it, most ‘influencers’ I’ve come across seem to lack something and appear quite thick, although they’re doing something right and doing a decent grift for themselves