Football, why do we bother?

Why do we enjoy watching it at all in the first place? Personally there are 2 reasons for me. One is that it is part of my identity and has been since i was very young. Brought up as a Motherwell fan, although the identity part is more defined by what that doesn't make me than what it does. In the context of Scottish football it means i'm not a supporter of Rangers and Celtic and involved in all the religious baggage tied up with those to clubs. I'm a football fan and follow my team because they are my local professional club.

Secondly i enjoy playing football, i have done since i was small and although i'm not very good at it i persist and enjoy playing it still. So i appreciate watching people that can really play, so that rules out Motherwell players then(joke, kinda) but i certainly look forward to big events like the World Cup.

So why am i currently disillusioned with the sport. I'm aware that my love of my club is a slightly obsessive love and that it doesn't really stand up to close scrutiny. Especially when you are at a big game and the adrenaline and emotions are hyper, some of the abuse given out to opposition players and fans doesn't bear repeating and the sheer emotional high that winning a big game can bring is almost obscene when compared to how relavent the game is compared to events outside football.

I've been well aware of that for quite sometime though and that doesn't quite explain it away, maturity and new found perspective on how trivial sport is can go play chicken with a train.

I guess the two things that get to me at times are the lack of a level playing field and the money in the game. They are kind of related, but there is a distinction in my eyes in context of Scottish football at least.

It only takes a cursory glance at the history of Scottish football to see that it is dominated by two teams and given ther size of them and their current relative financial clout it does not look like changing anytime ever. I was fortunate or unfortunate enough depending how you look at it to have been brought up in an era where the likes of Aberdeen, Dundee Utd and Hearts gave Rangers and Celtic a proper challenge. Even my own team Motherwell had a moment in the sun from 93-95, finishing 3rd and 2nd. But even as we finished 2nd the writing was on the wall that at that time Rangers in particular were just cantering off into the distance and Celtic also were getting their act together again after years of mismanagement almost killed their club.

So basicaly you can't help wondering just what is the point when only 2 teams have a realisitc chance of winning the league and everyone else is fighting over best of the rest and the occasional cup upset?

The other thing is the money and this is less relavent in Scotland where we don't have the population base that encourages Sky TV and advertisers to plough money into the game. However even here players can earn rediculous amounts that make them little more than merceneries. Fans like to think that players play for the jersey and that the club means something to them as it means a lot to us. But theres plenty that seem just happy to pick up a wage and at the end of the day it's their job, but it's a job you assume they got into because they loved the game, were good at it and wanted to win. Not just collect the fattest wage they can pocket even if it means sitting in Rangers or Celtics reserve team most weeks.

Then you see the silly money of Chelsea, Real Madrid and Barcelona's alleged contract offer to Ronaldinho of £300k a week basic and surely the world has gone mad. How can you justify people earning over a £1m pounds a month just for kicking a ball about no matter how good they are. I don't think you can justify even a fraction of it. Ok they give enjoyment and entertainment to a lot of people, they have a short career and they have to be dedicated to it. I'm not saying i wouldn't begrudge them a good wage for what they do, but currently we are making millionaires of some very average football talents and making super rich those at the very top.