Let Me Entertain You

There is a common feeling throughout that sport stars are overpaid. How is it justified that some skinny kid from Manchester can earn £150,000 per week, when so many people would aim for that in a decade? I actually have no problem with it. I like to be entertained, and clearly so do millions of other people whether it be on television, in the stadium or the arena. Last week I saw The Killers and Bon Jovi – both of which are totally different performances, but entertained me and the masses thoroughly. Brandon is shy and introvert, but he doesn’t really need to be anything else – the music speaks for itself. Jon is a natural entertainer and gets the crowd going as much as the music does. I love both of them.

Tonight is boxing. David Haye and Vladimir Klitschko will earn over £10m from 36 minutes of scrapping tonight. It may be less than 36 of course. It is not just a conversion - £10m divided by the number of rounds or minutes that the fight lasts though. The training, the PR, the general effort that has gone into building this fight up has been huge, and it is more than just the time in the ring tonight which makes this such a big fight. Plus, anybody who is prepared to be punched in the face by either of these two chaps deserves £10m.

I’ve mentioned this a few times but HJ and I have this ongoing joke about how I get an idea about going to a UFC, football or Boxing event, and I build it up and justify going by saying it is the biggest event ever or in ten years. This one actually is….seriously, I’m telling the truth this time HJ! It’s been years since a great heavyweight fight, and finally we have one. I was happy to pay the 200 Euros to get into the stadium tonight, as are 50,000 other folks, and millions will pay the £15-20 on PPV. Why? Because it will entertain and intrigue us.

Aside from the actual cost of watching or attending, what price or value does entertainment have for us? It is huge for me. I love to be entertained and I love to entertain. It doesn’t have to mean stepping into the ring with a Ukrainian beast to do that though. I enjoy nothing more than seeing my girl, friends or family smile, enjoy a moment or two, playing with my niece and nephew….although I suspect the big bag of sweets has more to do with their smiles and laughter.

I would never risk my boyish looks by fighting (stop laughing over there) so I would always have to find other ways of entertaining. I always fancied myself as a singer in my mid-teens, but when it got even remotely close to being possible that I would sing in a crowd, I bottled it. Singing wasn’t for me, didn’t like the sole focus or attention nor had a good voice. Not positive characteristics to replicate a Bon Jovi or The Killers. Playing football was slightly different. Perhaps it was because I formed part of a team, but for some reason, I always raised my game the more people were watching…especially if there were one or two girls viewing. Bowling or batting in the last over playing cricket was always something I relished and enjoyed. Knee and ankle injuries later didn’t help that, as well as discovering alcohol, so my next form of entertainment was and is to make people smile. Whether that is a joke, having fun, or a gesture that lets somebody know that I am thinking about them. The small things that entertain or make people feel good about themselves.

As I get older and maybe think a bit more than I did when I was a young pup, I realise the small stuff is just as important if not more so, than the grand gestures. My lady has certainly been key in that realisation. She is the most kind, caring and thoughtful person I know (will they make good vows?!). You don’t have to take the punch in the face, score the winning goal in the cup final, or blast out Mr Brightside – the card in the post, the smile, the phone call is just as important. But just accept that the love and smile in return is better than the £10m.