World cup final observations:
- Prince William, the president of the football association didn't go because of the distance, apparently. If it was a mens final he'd travel to the fucking moon
- I didn't hear a peep from my neighbour who shouts loudly at any and all sport, all weekend
- I don't really like football because of the constant play-acting and feigned severe injury. Unfortunately this was prevalent from the Spanish team throughout, especially when they were keen to waste time
- Highlight: a saved penalty, made all the better for it being obvious that Mary Earps was shouting 'Fuck Off' immediately after
So, that's that for my football viewership for another couple of years. It should go without saying that the women deserve a lot more recognition for making the final and being actually world class. It's not a huge shock though; this level of women's football is pretty new, and fanatical fans who watch men's league games are just far more familiar with the players who then go on to play international games.
It's all about exposure. Tennis, athletics, and track cycling all put the men's and women's events side-by-side which removes the divide of ticket sales and viewership which is the reason for pay disparity; if you bring in cash, you get more cash. Who knows how that gets solved for a game whose matches are singular events.