The governance (FIFA, UEFA, 'ship) doesn't want to drive passion and originality out of football. They want to drive the community roots out of it, and make it about being the most efficient cash cow for internationally owned and highly remunerative brands (and feeding in to partners who benefit from the wanking chimpification of ever more, ever more meaningless, gambling and marketing opportunities), and leveraging your stupid loyalty to the game you originally connected to in order to do it. They are relying on you being dim, and not noticing that it's not really about community, or even football, any more.
They have precedent for this. You are buying the other crap foisted upon you in other aspects of your life, so they are confident that you will chow down on this latest pile of shit. Enthusiastically. At inflated cost.
But equally Coldplay are social activitists, committed to keeping ticket prices low and affordable, with an ambition to have carbon neutral tours.
Which does not fit with FIFA's "greed is good" and fcuk climate change, let's have football teams (and fans) flying across the world every few weeks policies.
Once you are taking big coin, and causing global disruption for personal enrichment, then any talk of environmental responsibility is somewhat moot. Are they policing the behaviours of every fan that follows them, planting trees for every car journey, on demand ticket outlet server farm, hotel laundry detergent catastrophe, etc.? I don't know. I strongly suspect not.
So it's virtue signaling.
I'm not against that. Particularly if it's from people who actually believe in it, even if they are misguided and it's used exploitatively by others. But better an honest fool, than knowing corrupt cynicism. In my book. Although you'd have to wonder how dim you would actually have to be to believe your own press, and climb into bed with this sort of endeavour.
No judgement implied. I'd sell out for very much less. In a heartbeat. Almost every realist would. Which is why Putin's petrostates play is so powerful - all you have to do is take the cash, there is no association with honour, or treachery, just business.
So the real responsibility lies with those of us not on the payroll to apply our critical thinking to demand better of all concerned. To use our democratic and financial power to fight the attack on all that we pretend to hold dear. To actually stand up for what we believe in, and holding these people and organisations to account is the start of that.
The world is turning the way it is, and coldplay are organising half time shows in ridiculous global football competitions, because of the failures of me, and you.
It's on us. If you are a pathetic, supine, appeaser, you will get run over. You will get what you deserve and all you stuff will be taken.
They were making considerable efforts - and 7m trees planted (so it's claimed) does sound good.
You can read more here, if you want to click on to Coldplay's website... www.coldplay.com/emissions-update/
I'm more in this for the kicking in the head chat than the vapid phenotype chat. I'm not sure what it is, sounds like somat trump would want to chuck a tariff out about.