Corona and Sports
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so, on the slightly more trivial side than complete economic meltdown, and the, you know, spectre of death, let's remember that, once upon a time, this was a Sports forum (remember sport?)
So, this has fucked a few sports aye? Let's look at a few stories we can still talk about
This fucking virus was created by Man United fans to stop Liverpool winning the league. It also confirms that Liverpool is never, ever going to win it. The chances of the EPL getting re-started appear to be pretty remote.
Euro 2020, the cross-continent bonanza is off
The Olympics has been put back a year.
In Australia, there is an almighty shitfight about AFL players pay, with calls for them to take a serious pay cut, and them saying "neh, we played that charity game for you, fuck off" meanwhile most coaching staff and back offices have been rissoled. Claims no 2020 season at all will kill the AFL
In the league, the players, for the most part, have kept their mouths shut, but they are facing significant pay cuts to keep clubs afloat. It appears the professional game is a house of cards, and has no capacity to survive without play. Seems a few clubs will go under with a prolonged shutdown, especially with the leagues clubs not being able to provide that sweet pokey revenue.
It seems for both of these sports, recent broadcasting windfalls were all distributed to clubs with shitty business models, who then paid it all to the players. I just read an article that Ch9 isn't paying its broadcast payment to the NRL either.
Surprisingly i haven't heard anything about rugby in Aus. Either they already quietly went broke, or they are just used to working with no coin.If we ever get out of this, what the hell is the sporting landscape going to look like?
Oh yeah, and it looks like Victorian racing is back on! so there is something to do on Saturday
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@mariner4life was a couple of headlines yesterday saying Jack Goodhue any rugby payers not willing to take a paycut would be selfish.
What he actually said was he didnt think there would be anyone too selfish to not take one, which IMO is totally different take on it than the typical media controversial headline
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@mariner4life said in Corona and Sports:
This fucking virus was created by Crusader fans to stop The Blues winning Super Rugby.
FIFY
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@Hooroo said in Corona and Sports:
not long, I imagine.
do they do any in China, given they are slowly getting back to normal...
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@taniwharugby said in Corona and Sports:
@Hooroo said in Corona and Sports:
not long, I imagine.
do they do any in China, given they are slowly getting back to normal...
Hong Kong hasn't stopped
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@Crucial said in Corona and Sports:
@mariner4life said in Corona and Sports:
This fucking virus was created by Crusader fans to stop The Blues winning Super Rugby.
FIFY
so you're on to your 3rd Super team now?
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@mariner4life said in Corona and Sports:
@Crucial said in Corona and Sports:
@mariner4life said in Corona and Sports:
This fucking virus was created by Crusader fans to stop The Blues winning Super Rugby.
FIFY
so you're on to your 3rd Super team now?
Didn't say I wanted the Blues to win, just that I wouldn't put it past the inbreds to scupper them.
I'm sticking with Team 2 thanks.
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@mariner4life said in Corona and Sports:
@Crucial shameless
No shame in not supporting the Canes.
The only shame would be in supporting the Saders.
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@mariner4life said in Corona and Sports:
This fucking virus was created by Man United fans to stop Liverpool winning the league
Pah - it was obviously conceived at Lancaster Gate to stop mighty Fulham's ascension.
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is @ACT-Crusader ready for when is supporting the Gold Coast Saints next year?
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Still not missing the rugby at all.
Test cricket would be great right now. I wish there was a secluded conrona-free island somewhere with a test series going on right now.
On covid-19 impacts:
This was from a few days ago.
Last year, all the Premiership clubs, plus relegated Newcastle, each received a £12.5m windfall after the private equity company CVC took a 27% stake in the competition. It allowed many to pay off overdrafts and loans as well as investors and, for some, contribute to investment projects, but few have deep pockets and should the shutdown continue through the summer, they face being no better off than they were a year ago while CVC takes more than a quarter of the league’s turnover every year, reducing their income.
The Premiership was suspended until 24 April in the hope it would not spook BT subscribers into cancelling or freezing their deals. While playing behind closed doors would mean a loss of match-day income, it would provide live action at a time when nothing is going on and lead to a resumption in central funding from Premiership Rugby, which makes up for 30% of the turnover on average.
Premiership clubs have responded quickly, collectively agreeing, with the exception of the leaders, Exeter, to cut players’ wages by 25%.
Central funding monies have dried up because it is paid on a monthly basis, based on expected income. With the lucrative Premiership final a potential victim of the shutdown and the knockout stages of the Champions Cup likely to be cancelled if the season resumes in a compressed form, revenues will be lower than calculated, adding to the financial pressure on the clubs whose outgoings average nearly £1m a month. Broadcasters and sponsors alike are conscious they are now getting nothing for their investment.(so no matchday/stadium income, nor any central income)
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But a few days later:
Row over 25% Premiership wage cut intensifies but Eddie Jones accepts drop
Premiership players have been given legal advice on how to challenge the blanket 25% pay cuts imposed by the clubs as domestic rugby’s row over wage reductions intensified on Thursday.
In the Championship, Newcastle Falcons have been plunged into turmoil with their players expected to reject their proposed swingeing pay cuts. In the Premiership the Guardian also understands the entire Leicester Tigers squad is strongly considering rejecting the 25% reduction after the Rugby Players’ Association provided legal guidance to its 700+ members.
Newcastle, currently top of the Championship but still unsure if they will be promoted next season, on Thursday asked all their players and staff to agree to be put on furlough – unpaid leave save for the £2,500 a month available as part of the government’s bailout – and a deadline of midday on Friday to respond.
It is understood the squad was then offered wage top-ups meaning those earning over £75,000 a year would receive 50% of their wages while those on £37,500 to £75,000 would get the equivalent of £37,500. It is believed that without further improvements it will be rejected however, potentially leaving the Falcons in considerable financial strife after the RFU announced last week that all of this season’s competitions below the Premiership would be cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
In a letter sent by the Newcastle director of rugby, Dean Richards, and seen by the Guardian, staff are told they are expected to agree to the measures and warned that redundancies may be necessary if they do not.
In the Premiership meanwhile, an increasing number of players are set to challenge the 25% cuts imposed across the league. As reported by the Guardian, there is growing unrest, particularly among players whose contracts expire over the summer, and a sense of dismay that individual circumstances and varying salaries were not being taken into account.
Meanwhile, Eddie Jones has agreed a pay cut in excess of 25% to his £750,000 salary, after the RFU chief executive, Bill Sweeney, revealed he and the rest of the union’s five-strong executive team would be doing so.
Jones, who is currently in Japan, immediately agreed to the cut – which amounts to more than £187,500 a year – with the RFU estimating it will lose up to £50m in the next 18 months
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This is a great idea!
Love that the will to dominate is still there for DC.