It is over for another year? How will we survive without it? I’m talking, of course, about the media hype that is Wimbledon.

I am a great sports fan. All sports/games, (except football), attract my radar and I will be in seventh heaven in a few weeks with the advent of the Beijing Olympics. However, (and you know there would be one) whilst I enjoy watching the tennis at Wimbledon I have been driven mad by the media hype this year, and mostly from the BBC itself.

Now I know that the BBC is short of sport to cover and traditionally Wimbledon is one of its great sporting events of the year. But why do they have to spoil it all with such inane reporting and commenting? The move from traditional sports journalist, with secure knowledge and stats to hand, to ‘celebrity’ commentator has added nothing to the viewers’ experience – except a desire to throw something at the screen. (I exclude McEnroe from this whose commentary adds value to the occasion.) The desperation of the reporter on Henman Hill trying to stir up the crowd to elevated levels of excitement during Murray’s games was cringeworthy.

The redeeming feature was the wonderful Hawkeye technology which added interest into dull games and gave the crowd something to get excited about. It is a great technological asset to this game and there must surely be ways it can be adapted for use in other sports where disputes reign.
Come on Beeb, stop dumbing down and give the public the service it deserves and pays for.