The barely-disguised delight with which the wider sporting public has seized upon the sexist outrage engulfing Sky Sports double act Andy Gray and Richard Keys is scarcely surprising. It’s a classic case of how the mighty have fallen, and people love nothing more than to see those who put themselves on a pedestal cause it to come crashing down.
Given the pair’s willingness to routinely insult people’s intelligence for the best/worst part of two decades, the opprobrium being heaped upon them over what their bosses have called the “inexcusable” slurs against lineswoman Sian Massey — a stellar referee in women’s football before bravely entering the male (chauvinist?) ranks — is understandable.
In saying that, asking “What do women know about the offside rule?” and other variations on the theme, isn’t exactly down there with Ron Atkinson’s infamous racist tirade in 2004. Indeed, the opinions expressed by these foremost purveyors of pay-per-view wouldn’t be uncommon among the majority of men who get their soccer fix on Sky.
