Like countless football fans around the world, the highlight of my Monday was watching the Clasico: Barcelona versus Real Madrid, two of the biggest clubs in world football going head to head. (Or perhaps just the best football club in the world... and Real Madrid.)
Unlike countless fans, I had to wait until 4 a.m. for kick-off ... because I live in Hong Kong.
I am the reason Real Madrid president Florentino Perez signs players like Zidane, Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo: I'm an Asian fan passionate about European football, eager to support a club in a far-off town as if it were my own, and happy to spend my money on all the shirts, shorts, balls and related merchandise that clubs mass-produce.
There's just one problem for Mr. Perez. My heart belongs to the English Premier League's Liverpool. And I'm not alone.
The EPL is the world's most-watched league. And it pulls in the most revenue by some distance. This despite the defection of its brightest star Ronaldo to La Liga in 2009, despite last season's faltering performances by English clubs in Europe and despite England's woeful showing at this year's World Cup – a tournament, you may remember, won by Spain.
There are plenty of other reasons for the Premier League's popularity over La Liga. I've heard arguments as varied as a greater parity of teams in the Premier League to the proliferation of English expatriates in Asia serving as walking advocates for their local clubs. But it's difficult to see past the simple fact that it is harder to watch Spanish football in Asia than its English rival.
English matches generally kick off at either 10 p.m. or 11 p.m. in Hong Kong, which is late but not too troublesome in a society geared towards late nights like this one. There's also at least two fixtures each week that can begin as early as 7:30 p.m. – and last week's early kick-offs were matches involving Arsenal and Chelsea.
Compare that to La Liga, where Real Madrid and Barcelona are almost always assigned to the late matches, and rarely begin before 3 a.m. This is Perez's problem. What's the point in parading the world's best (and most marketable) players when a vast audience cannot watch them live?
There are plans to change that. Atletico Madrid have reportedly become the first Spanish club to request early kick-offs with the intention of grabbing an Asian audience. This would be a remarkable change for a country famous for the afternoon siesta, and an interesting turning point in globalization – the point where the demands of a potentially massive foreign audience trump the tastes of the loyal locals.
Whether that will be enough to wrest Asian eyeballs and dollars away from the English Premier League and to La Liga remains to be seen. But as I face the prospect of another bleary-eyed day at the office tomorrow, it's a change that I would certainly welcome.
An average of 30,000 Japanese people take their own lives every year. Today, News Stream examines the role the internet is playing in this challenging national issue.
While web discussion boards have attracted their share of criticism for 'promoting' suicide online, another phenomenon has emerged that is more shocking still – live suicide streaming. A recent case in Japan has made international headlines, and today's edition of News Stream looks at the webcast that drew an audience of more than 4000.
We also examine the hidden side of the country's suicide epidemic – a remote forest in the shadow of Mount Fuji where up to one hundred people go each year to take their own lives. The sign above is one of a number in the Aokigahara woodlands that ask troubled individuals to consider the effects of their actions.
You can read more about Japan's 'suicide forest' on CNN.com. And click here to see the work of New York company VBS.TV – a sobering examination of the chosen final destination for scores of troubled souls.
This week, we celebrate/bewail the return of The Ashes, the Anglo-Aussie cricket extravaganza that delights and distresses people in apparently equal measure. Within the News Stream Dream Team, cricket is one of a small number of topics that prove particularly divisive. (Nicolas Cage and outer space are among the others.)
It’s not divisive in terms of who we support. It’s divisive in terms of its very existence.
Let me count myself out of the debate. Why? I’ll give you two reasons:
I should note that Scotland has had at least one cricketing ‘success’, a man named Mike Denness who captained England on 19 occasions. I use the word ‘success’ hesitantly, if only because ‘Friend-of-the-Show’ Jimmy Wales features the following anecdote on the mighty Wikipedia:
Once while in Australia, Denness received an envelope that had been sent with the address "Mike Denness, cricketer". The letter inside read, "Should this reach you, the post office clearly thinks more of your ability than I do."
Ouch.
The Good
Let’s start with cricket’s positives, provided by show scribe Jonathan Stayton and producer Ally Barnard.
Jonathan told us he likes cricket because of its simplicity. Unfortunately, he went on to offer a 180-word report on its simplicity, which even by my own flowery standards is excessive.
Therefore, in News Stream style, we decided to put Jonathan’s epic explanation in a word cloud. (For those who are unfamiliar, this shows us which words were used most often and attempts to make sense of them visually). Here is the (not-in-any-way-manipulated) result:
They are the actual words. Honest.
Jonathan also offered the following plus points:
Gentlemanly indeed.
Ally’s passion for the bat-and-ball behemoth has rather grander origins. She was introduced to the sport by a chap called Angus Fraser, who played in 46 Test matches for England (even though he too sounds like a Scot). Here is her case for the defense:
The Bad
This 'sense of urgency' is sadly lost on some of us. We will every cricket match to end – even though we know deep down there’s probably about a month and a half left to go.
If there is one group less inclined to give cricket the benefit of the doubt than the Scots, it’s the Americans. We have two such individuals in our midst and the contributor to this blog will remain nameless. Here are the comments that preceded that request:
Sadly, for those of us who want to tell cricket to, er, stick it, we’re out of luck. There are still four tests – and, oh yes, one and a half months – of the Ashes still to go. We’ll bring you all the details – from the ever-enthusiastic World Sport team – as the series progresses.
The USS George Washington is America’s massive nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. And it’s on its way to the Yellow Sea, not far from the site of Tuesday’s deadly clash between North and South Korea.
The carrier is heading toward the south of Yeonpyeong Island for long-planned U.S.-South Korea joint exercises that are set to start in the coming days.
The North Koreans have already denounced the upcoming drill, saying that the North will launch an additional attack on South Korea if it continues “reckless military provocation.” North Korea indirectly referred to the planned U.S.-South Korea military drill as an example of provocation.
Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, told CNN that the drills are “meant to send a very strong signal of deterrence and also work with our very close allies in South Korea.”
“We’re very focused on restraint – not letting this thing get out of control,” Mullen said.
But the Chinese don’t see it that way.
The North Korean ally expressed “concern” over the exercises. The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced, "We oppose any act that undermines peace and stability on the peninsula.”
So will the military exercises deter or provoke? The world awaits Pyongyang’s response… as the USS George Washington makes its way to South Korea.
Our top story tonight... South Korea says two soldiers were killed after the North attacked Yeonpyeong Island.
Seoul's international allies quickly condemned the North's actions. Beijing appealed for calm. But how did Pyongyang respond?
The North Korean news agency, KCNA, warned of "merciless military counteractions" if South Korea intrudes "even 0.001 mm" into its waters.
Here's the full statement on the KCNA website. Prepare for a colorful read.
An enjoyable aspect of working on News Stream (among many!) is the daily challenge of finding a quirky story to round off the show. “Over and Out There” is our attempt to have a laugh or to look at a key news item in a different light.
At each show meeting, the team comes armed with story suggestions – and inspired ideas as to how we should tell each tale. But what makes a good “Over and Out There”? Obviously, there are no strict rules, but looking at the two weeks of News Stream to date, there are definitely some recurring themes.
But we’d like to know what tickles your fancy. What – apart from beasts and big shots – makes you laugh when you read the day’s news? Please leave you comments below – or you can drop the team a line via Twitter.
@klustout
@RaviCNN
@AllyCNN
@Melissa_CNN
@NicolCNN
We aim to entertain, as well as inform!