Ben Aitkenhead

“the plural of anecdote is not data”

[Ben Aitkenhead @AitkenheadBen]

@HamiltonRory It IS the technology. It can’t do subjective decisions (80% or more of all decisions). And it cannot be instant (so destroys atmosphere INEVITABLY). Once you lose the beauty of “the referee’s decision shall be final” you’ll never be able to draw the line on what to check.

[Ben Aitkenhead @AitkenheadBen]

@BBCSport Bin it. It has failed. Spectacularly. And it cannot work.

[Ben Aitkenhead @AitkenheadBen]

@Carra23 Get rid. It cannot work ever.

[Ben Aitkenhead @AitkenheadBen]

@henrywinter It is only here to stay if people surrender to tech with “we have to live with it” platitudes. It has failed. Spectacularly. The game was much better without it. Ange is 100% right . Stop accepting tech like it’s the weather. It is in our power to dump it.

[Ben Aitkenhead @AitkenheadBen]

@maxrushden Get Rid of VAR Max. Use your platform. Don’t moan about individual decisions. Look at the big picture. It has failed. Spectacularly. Ange is right.

[Ben Aitkenhead @AitkenheadBen]

@FansAgainstVAR_ This is where you will always end up with VAR. Pedantic decisions because VAR can only do objective decisions. Destroyed atmosphere. Ruined match day experience. Once you decide “we must get it right” tech will take you here. It’s inevitable. Bin it.

[Ben Aitkenhead @AitkenheadBen]

@GaryLineker @maxrushden @GNev2 @alanshearer @IanWright0 @henrywinter @jonathanliew So that’s Ange and Gareth saying scrap VAR. Who is brave enough to be next? The VAR emperor has no clothes. Get rid.

[Ben Aitkenhead @AitkenheadBen]

‘That’s 365 a year’: Ange Postecoglou cautions against replays after mistakes. EXACTLY THIS. Scrap VAR. He is so right. ⁦@GaryLineker⁩ ⁦@maxrushden⁩ ⁦@henrywinter⁩ ⁦@jonathanliew⁩ ⁦@jonawils⁩ https://t.co/zcm18UsHm5

[Ben Aitkenhead @AitkenheadBen]

The replay idea is a joke….or is it? It’s just another step on the slippery slope between sanity (“the referee’s decision shall be final”) and VAR (“tech means we can and must get it right”) #VAR was billed as “instant replay” remember? @maxrushden @GaryLineker

[Ben Aitkenhead @AitkenheadBen]

@henrywinter Dear Henry. I agree. But you do appreciate that using tech to review decisions is a mini-version of replaying the event? Yes, it’s not an exact parallel. But, the spirit is on the same spectrum of “we must get it right” that gave us this VAR cluster**** to start with. Bin it.

[Ben Aitkenhead @AitkenheadBen]

@RestIsFootball @GaryLineker @alanshearer @MicahRichards Scrap it Gary. For the good of the game. Please.

[Ben Aitkenhead @AitkenheadBen]

@MiguelDelaney BAR’s main issue is it is a terrible idea. Tech only works for objective decisions (eg, GLT). But 99% of controversial decisions are subjective. All we are doing is ruining atmosphere in the pursuit of an impossible technological solution. Bin it.

[Ben Aitkenhead @AitkenheadBen]

@matshummels Go back to the old one “intentional hand ball”. And stop rewriting the rules to suit VAR. Problem solved.

[Ben Aitkenhead @AitkenheadBen]

@DaleJohnsonESPN Here’s an idea - scrap it. Has it made the game better? That’s a “No”. So it should be scrapped before it does more harm.

[Ben Aitkenhead @AitkenheadBen]

@MiguelDelaney “Let’s scrap this awful thing and life will be better”

[Ben Aitkenhead @AitkenheadBen]

@cehzett @maxrushden @jonawils @GaryLineker Mate, the handball rule has been rewritten at least twice since VAR came in. Cause and effect. Get rid of VAR. Go back to “intentional use of the hand in the opinion of the on field officials”. Sorted.

[Ben Aitkenhead @AitkenheadBen]

I don’t like #RealMadrid but that is a JOKE penalty. All you #VAR lovers, honestly, is that what you thought VAR was for? @maxrushden @jonawils @GaryLineker

[Ben Aitkenhead @AitkenheadBen]

@maxrushden Why has that happened? VAR! It can only do objective. So forget intent or jusdgement. If it hits an arm, penalty!! And voila….the greatest sport on earth reduced to atmosphere destroying pedantry. Bin it.

[Ben Aitkenhead @AitkenheadBen]

@FootballRamble @Vitu_E Wrong. So fundamentally wrong you want to weep. Question - has VAR made the game better? Answer - no. Blaming humans is comical, life is human and it is impossible to divorce humans from life.

[Ben Aitkenhead @AitkenheadBen]

@maxrushden @guardian_sport @archiert1 @larssivertsen @jonawils Why is anyone even vaguely supportive of VAR anymore? It a) delays the game and thus destroys emotional immediacy and atmosphere b) does not eliminate controversy c) has required laws be rewritten to suit an objective-decisions only technology.

[Ben Aitkenhead @AitkenheadBen]

@henrywinter Henry, dear Henry. There is only one point: GET RID OF IT. It can never work and all you get is loss of atmosphere and emotional immediacy in the pursuit of unattainable perfection.