It did the trick with the television audience for last week's show up from a pathetic three million and a bit to a still poor four million and a bit. But all that football fans learned from the show was that Man United have a much better team than Everton while the secret of Bolton Wanderers' success will have to remain a mystery until someone at ITV decides that football fans and advertisers might just be interested in someone other than United, Liverpool and Arsenal. IT might have been a mickey take or a piece of naive bulletin writing but at least Wanderers got one piece of memorable recognition for their efforts at Elland Road. And then, oh yes, by the way, Bolton are still top of the Premiership after drawing at Leeds. Then, at six o'clock, Independent Radio News took over the reporting of sport on many stations and we finally got the real story as the bulletin began - 'Bolton stay top of the Premiership after being held by Leeds'.
Sport is about physical exertion combined with mental strength and technical ability.
I'm lucky enough to get five hours free to indulge in walking, talking and swinging a stick as ego-massagingly stylishly as possible. While reading Ernie Els talking about the European Open in Switzerland last week I was reminded of commentator Peter Alliss's description of golf as the toughest sport in the world. Els, one of the greatest players in the world, recalled one Swiss tournament years ago in which several players packed up and went home or just went through the motions because it was cold and raining. Any activity in which players pack in or go through the motions because they don't like the weather is neither tough nor sport. WILL somebody tell ITV that Bolton are top of the Premiership.