One of the most surprising, and satisfying media events of this week was the spectacle of LBC radio's loudmouthed talk show host James O'Brien being forced to eat his words by England footballer Frank Lampard. For those not familiar with James O'Brien, imagine a lovechild of Richard Littlejohn and James Whale, with more opinions and less charm.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bob4cmNSfvE
On this occasion, O'Brien insinuated that the footballer was a bad parent and 'scum'; his sole source being a tabloid newspaper, and the criticism coming on the first anniversary of Lampard's mother's death. An emotional Lampard, alerted by his sister, phoned in to defend himself, and rebuke the host.
O'Brien did himself no favours in the ensuing interview, remaining defensive throughout, and apologising only for the timing of the criticism, further clarifying 'Its not an anniversary I have in my desk diary'.
The public reaction to the incident was almost unanimously in Lampards favour. Nearly all the hundreds of of comments on the YouTube tape of the interview either condemn O'Brien or applaud Lampard, most beginning 'I hate Chelsea, but...' or 'I've never been Lampard's biggest fan...'.
In the ever expanding world of Premiership football, reaching the pinnacle requires almost as much training off the pitch as on it. For the top players, an evening outside the home can become a minefield of temptation and bad PR, and the media anxiously await any comment that can be twisted into a scandal (see Wayne Rooney 'hating' Liverpool FC). Those held up as the exemplary professionals and role models in the game, by the the media and football insiders alike (Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs etc), are those who avoid not only nightclubs, but any media contact whatsoever.
As a result, interviews with top flight superstars are overtly cautious, cliched and insipid affairs, lacking any insight into the humanity of these players. When Frank Lampard rang into LBC, it was a rare glimpse of vulnerability and emotion in a species so often characterised as arrogant and aloof. Even rarer was the sight of a Premiership footballer coming out of off-pitch media spectacle with an increased public appeal.
In an amusing postscript, see Sky News' mischievous Kay Burley give O'Brien an amusing slap on the wrists for his journalistic ability here...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpQX_ZWinas
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