George Best

Is anyone else sick of the hour by hour coverage of the state of George Best?

Yes, he is a footballing legend, but surely he should be allowed to have a private, dignified death - without the media relaying every nugget of information directly to viewers around the clock.

The continous coverage of the state of his health may be understood if he was a prominent politician or a member of the Royal Family - but this isn't an issue of national importance and regardless his history, I've never seen any other celebrity covered in this way as they fight for their life.

I completely agree. The nature and extent of coverage of his illness is only matched by that of the last Pope.

I seriously think the news organisations have over estimated the level of public interest in George Best. Whilst he was a footballing hero of his day, for much of the population, especially anyone under 35, he's now more associated with being an alcoholic.

I'm not saying his illness doesn't deserve any coverage, just not the amount that it's been receiving over the past few weeks.

I'm sure it's bad for his family, but his illness is of no more importance to me (or most other people) than the impending death of next door's cat (unless I had run it over ).

I guess it's a really slow news week.......AGAIN

As I stated in the Sky News thread, I totally agree.

He's really not that famous to deserve such wall-to-wall coverage, which frankly has bordered on a 3 day bedside vigil (for the second time in the last few months).

He's going to die, so why not just announce it when it happens and play out the by now very well prepared obit reports?

Yes, but apart from an imminent "Tsunami/Nuclear Disaster" they aren't going to find anything else to talk about. After all, the "David v David" Conservative Leadership contest is less interesting than watching my paint dry .

I'm all for Magnolia myself for the rest of the house...................shall I start a thread about bland colour choices for my walls.......it might get a better response!

Wouldnt it be ironic if he dies today? On the day that new licencing laws come into force and doctors are predicting more alcoholics, that Britain's biggest alcoholic dies?

I agree in some respects with the amount of coverage, I think that's due partly to the situation of him being apparently on death's door about once a week for the last eight weeks.
I think if he'd died fairly quickly you wouldn't have found there'd be weeks of coverage of his death.

Having said that, some of you do under-estimate just what a big name Best is. He's not 'just another footballer', he's perhaps Britain's finest ever footballer, good enough for Pele to describe him as the best ever.

In the 60s he was a cultural icon too (think David Beckham with more charisma and more fame), and he was one of the few players that fans of all clubs had great respect for and loved to see play.

Yes, he's made more headlines for going off the rails in the last 20 years, but I can assure you that many times more people in this country will look back on his talent than any flaws he had.

Sky News have already tried that angle by interviewing BEST's Consultant on LIVE AT FIVE about the new licencing laws.

The only thing that is really sick here is the contant media coverage of a confirmed alcoholic's death.



Get real !!!!!!!! (and it's more like 30/40 years!)

Sportsmen are sportsmen - most can't do anything else.

Many prove they excel in a competitiion - that doesn't make them a hero, any more then my local roadsweeper picking up the most litter last week is seen as a hero for getting the most trash!

This apparent "beatification" of BEST because he has decided to kill himself through drink is disgusting!

Certainly not "too much" coverage for people in Northern Ireland. The updates from Professor Williams have been incredibly open and honestly given to the media. I don't doubt that George Best wanted people to know what is going on with his health as a warning to others of the dangers of alcohol and those updates are a result of his instructions to the Professor and his medical team.

Stuart - remind us what you're good at.

I'm not so sure. There are as many people in Northern Ireland who think Best is just another alcoholic who squandered his career as they are anywhere else.

7 o'Clock News taking the mick tonight?! I like the way they've included various other news outlets in their report about Best but they showed one from Kay Burley completely fumbling her sentence about wanting comments from people who "will then be passed on to the right people"