To begin to understand what is going on with this contriversial tweet, we need to go back to basics and look at who is Gary Lineker and what is the BBC.
Background - Gary Lineker
Gary Lineker is a name that needs no introduction for football fans around the world. Born on November 30th, 1960 in Leicester, England, he is one of the greatest English footballers of all time.
Club Football
In 1985, he made a move to Everton, where he won the Golden Boot in his first season, scoring 30 goals in 41 league games.
After two successful years at Everton, Lineker joined Barcelona in 1986, where he enjoyed a remarkable spell, scoring 42 goals in 103 appearances. He won the Copa del Rey and the European Cup Winners' Cup and was also named as the league's top scorer in the 1988-89 season.
In 1989, Lineker returned to England to join Tottenham Hotspur, where he spent the final years of his playing career. Despite being in his mid-thirties, he continued to be a prolific goalscorer, scoring 67 goals in 105 appearances for Spurs.
International Football
On the international stage, Lineker is best known for his performances for the England national team. He scored a total of 48 goals in 80 appearances for the Three Lions, and is currently England's third-highest goalscorer of all time. He was also a key player in the England team that reached the semi-finals of the 1990 World Cup, where he won the Golden Boot for being the tournament's top scorer.
Media Career
After retiring from football, Lineker went on to have a successful career as a broadcaster and pundit. He has been a regular presenter on the BBC's flagship football show, Match of the Day, since 1999, and is known for his insightful analysis and witty commentary. He has also worked for several other broadcasters, including ITV and BT Sport.
The Beebs (aka BBC)
The British Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as the BBC, is a public service broadcaster based in the United Kingdom.
Established in 1922, it is the world's oldest national broadcaster and one of the largest media organizations globally, with over 22,000 employees.
The BBC operates a range of services, including television, radio, and online content, catering to a diverse audience both in the UK and internationally. The corporation's mission is to inform, educate and entertain, and it is renowned for its impartiality and high-quality journalism. In addition to producing its own programming, the BBC also provides news and current affairs content to other broadcasters worldwide through its BBC World Service. The BBC is a significant cultural institution in the UK, and its programming has had a significant impact on the country's social and political landscape.
The Controversy
Lineker was suspended by the BBC following controversy surrounding a tweet he wrote criticizing the UK government's new asylum-seeker policy.
The latest news is that the BBC 'climbdown' over the Lineker row has Tory MPs not happy with the U-turn.
Is this the death of the BBC & Lineker?
Politicians are playing a dangerous game. They are coming after two cherished institutions of Great Britain - football and the BBC.
Both football and the BBC represent two key economic and culturally significant pillars to the UK. They are soft power that generates billions of pounds.
Whether this is individuals or groups seeking to undermine the western world or individuals who aren't too clued up, we may never know.
Should it transpire that both the BBC & Lineker come to an end, and I don't mean actual physical death, but the disassembling of the BBC by removing the licensing fee, it does cut the UK down at the knees.
Also, Lineker's success and continued glory is intertwined with the BBC's.
The bigger picture is that there is noise by politicians, much more media murmurings about scraping the license fee and a growing dislike of the current government who continue to be perceived as out of touch with the people.
The trajectory seems to be the BBC & Lineker's time is running out.
Other media outlets may have an interest in seeing the BBC brought down, but ultimately it will affect advertising revenue to have a diminished Great Britain.
At the end of the day, making money is what matters and when strategists realise this, perhaps when it's too late, then they will be poorer. They already have their bottom lines eroded from socia media, so it's more downhill for them.
All this makes a hot mess which shows Great Britain as less great and more broken.
The controversial tweet may soon be old news, but will this be the pivotal moment when we look back, that led to the BBC & Lineker's death?
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