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Balls, billionaires and bullfighters

Cruel metrics

One ball doesn't go in, another ball does.
It's that simple.

Net zero goals
The net looks empty but it's rammed with expectations and emotions.
Did you know that they christen a new type of ball for major championships? The art of getting the balance, shape and dynamics right has come a long way from the original cow or pig bladder encased in leather.
Uniforia
The one in use at the highly-charged Euro 2020 tournament final stages was an Adidas Uniforia - a combination of  'unity' and 'euphoria'. But unless you've already got your gloves on one, you're out of luck: the £120 version has sold out. It's down to the £30 models now. Aw, that's cruel.
 

Talking of balls...
In Spain, football and bullfighting used to run about equal in terms of popularity and TV airtime.
Times change, but even today, few would deny the 'cojones' required to step out in front of a crowd thirsty for dramatic virtuosity.
The bull weighs some 500-600 kilos.
A bullfighter's costume weighs about five kilos, costs £3,000-£6,000, and requires help to get into.
But this is an empty costume!
Hm, yes and no.
Courage, cruelty, culture, cojones.

The public loves a spectacle. Why?

We want to be awestruck, to be taken beyond ourselves.

We delight in the safe distance and immersion of watching others run risks.


And it makes criticism much easier
On the same day as the Euro 2020 final, English entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson scored with a high-flying spectacle when he shot up to the edge of Space in a Virgin craft just days before Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was due to go up in his own Blue Origin - dubbed his 'cock-rocket' by some, for reasons which become obvious if you look at it.
Branson took flak for the pricey and environmentally unfriendly expedition, but as usual he'd hijacked the headlines. Fellow British brand Branston pickle deftly leveraged both his stunt and the corresponding outcry by creating a #BranstonNotBranson campaign.

The public loves a spectacle. Why?

We want to be awestruck, to be taken beyond ourselves.

We delight in the safe distance and immersion of watching others run risks.

While it's hard to argue with the Branston sentiment of wanting to be on Earth, "where the sandwiches are", it's also easy to admire Branson's perennial flamboyance.
For someone who's spent so much time up in the air in balloons, Virgin aircraft and other devices, the man who turns 71 on July 18 retains his trademark down-to-earth quality.  

This began as the '3Bs' newsletter.
Then we added birthday, Bezos, Branston, brands.
What a lot of B......s!
What B would you add? Go on! Fill that Space!!

ENDS


Posted by Tree Elven on 08/08/2021

Keywords: Sir Richard Branson Space trip 2021, Euro 2020 football championship, cruel metrics, appeal of public risk takers, public morality, billionaire Space flights

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