No media support for our Warriors

[Tallman]

No media support for our Warriors
By Peter O'Connor (Trinidad Express Letter)

Trinidad and Tobago played Mexico in a World Cup qualifying match last night. This letter is being written on the morning of June 8.

The lead story on the back page of all three dailies was the WI cricket team's loss to Pakistan. Finding any news about our football match involved a search through the sports section.  One daily chose to run a story about "the confusion'' surrounding Clayton Ince's temporary omission from the squad, mentioning the World Cup qualifier in passing under the Clayton Ince headline.

The local media all received reports and photographs on Tuesday morning detailing the Warrior's arrival in Mexico and the fact that they were met by hordes of Mexican media, plus a large crowd who applauded the T&T team as they boarded their bus. All this took place at midnight in Mexico.

How is it that Mexico and the Mexican media can show so much more interest at midnight in our team than we ever show? The match tonight is crucial for Trinidad and Tobago-less so for Mexico who already appears to be coasting to Germany.

In Mexico the sporting public already knows more about our team than we the people at home. They know what we eat, when we eat, where and when we practice, and all the details of our players and plays. These are all published and the Mexican media are in our hotel and following our team bus.

Here, we know nothing. Even though the information is being sent to the local media, only brief snippets are published.

I have been told by persons in the media that it is not their job to promote football or indeed sport. Their function is to report results and activities. Yet, the same people will criticise sports administrators for failing to "promote their events sufficiently'' - not enough paid advertisements in the media maybe?

However, the integrity of our media, in reporting and criticising sports performances, while ensuring that they do not promote the events makes them unique in international sports coverage. From Third World Mexico and Guatemala to First World England and USA, the sporting media lift, promote and support their national teams and athletes. Yes, they do criticise and blaze them too - but the ongoing emphasis is placed on support and promotion.

We long for the day when our footballers can get the kind of individual coverage and exposure currently only given to boats in the Great Race or horses in the Derby.

The biggest sports story in our collective lives will be an appearance at the World Cup finals. Making this story come true requires a far stronger performance from our media, than we have seen to date.

Peter O'Connor

Marketing Manager

[Tallman]

Yuh know how long I talking about dis same ting? Our media coverage of football in general is pathetic. Match reports does sometimes show up two days after de game. De match reports demselves are usually lame. Imagine after a day of PFL matches yuh does usually get one report dat tries tuh cover all de games. Each game does get ah few sentences or a paragraph at most. Even de reports from ttproleague.com doh do de games justice. Ah guess dey jes doh care.

[Cowen]

The media is a bunch of opportunist. They just waiting to jump on the bandwagon when we inside.

I doubt anyone from the media was even in Mexico for that game. From the kinda commentary, it sound like they was watching the TV and reporting.

[Babalawo]

what happen to this Peter O'connor, since u the head of marketing you should know money and controversy gets you on the back page.  Being in Marketing he should know that. Instead of complaining to sumting to fix it, dats your job

[Flex]

I could send him a tape of the game, but then again Peter O'Connor should be the last to complain as I offered him tapes etc and he refused, now, take that and cool it. ..

Serious, he is the marketing manager,,, do something.

[Coop's]

If you all read Sammy's article these are some of the things he's refering too,the good old days will always have to come up,you always had reports on where aver Football was played in the newspapers/radio,at every game guys like George Baptiste,Keith Shepard,Rudy Ragbir,Noel Saldenah could be seen,and on the Radio Raffie Knowles was the man he made you feel like you were there(ball by ball),i know we might say is different times but we paying for it and still can't get it.