Local is good.

Formula 1?  I used to be really interested in it.  The tactics, technical intricacies, the sheer speed, split second reactions, the crashes (of course), but most of all the desire to see my 'favourite' win, in much the same way as I always glow a little when Grimsby Town win, I do when, say, Jenson Button wins. Well, he's English isn't he?  It's a local thing.  If Europe were playing in the SuperDooperChampions League of Continents, most Brits would support Europe.  Wouldn't they?  I know you always get the oddball supporting Australasia due to some 'but they're technically better' reason, as in F1 where you seem to get quite a number of Lewis detractors, and think e.g. Alonso is better.  Now, I'm not going to get into a Lewis v.v Alonso argument, but isn't one of them English and therefore 'local'?  Surely that trumps 'better'?  Well, it does in my book, although I can see why others differ. it's just that they don't add the 'local' weight to the argument.  Take the Champions League, I even end up supporting Chelsea for heavens sake!  If it ends up Manchester V Chelsea, the it's Manchester all the way.  I'm trying to think of an occasion where I broke this 'supporting local' rule, but can't.  Anyway, back to F1 and how my interest has waned.  It's all to do with selling the rights to Sky and how Bernie Ecclestone and his beancounters must have rubbed their hands on getting an increased fee, whilst at the same time saying ti was 'for the fans'.  My ar$e, it was for themselves.  Where it used to get 5 million viewers on a Sunday afternoon, it now gets 1 million, and BBC are left with a shoddy, late highlights program with rubbish commentators and poor presenters.  Not that presenters are that important (although the BBC probably think they are), it's the commentating team of boring David Coulthard and the know nothing other chappie who I can't remember.  Bring back Martin Brundle.  At least he knew what he was taking about.  The only bloke worth listening to is Gary Anderson who used to be technical director for one of the teams, although I'm not sure which one - I guess he got sacked because he was too old.  I mean, he's only just older than me.  Over on the radio, they've hired Jamie Alguesari (probably spelt incorrectly) who continues with the annoying driver habit of stating the bleeding obvious, predicting both obvious outcomes of a race, followed by 'to be sure'.  That 'to be sure' seems to be a standard F1 phrase used by everyone in F1.  I never hear it in any other sport, to be sure.