Off all the wrongs Sky have done to traditional football, the overhyping of this particular fixture is the one I find most galling.
The build-up receives the sort of coverage that was once reserved for the FA Cup Fnal. Presumably, Sky's marketing people picked it out as the league game that (like the Cup Final, the Grand National or the 100mtrs Olympic Final) has the potential to transcend the sport itself and permeate the broader consciousness. Fair enough, we can all see why they'd do that. They want to maximise return on their investment, don't they?.
Trouble is, it hasn't permeated the brosder consciousness. Nobody bt a fan stops what they're doing for thos game like they do the great sporting institutions mentioned above). That's because tthat sort of public reaction cannot be manufactured - particularly not if the actual product is substandard (and the games themselves are invariably shite) or there is no glittering prize at stake (they've hardly ever gone head-to-head for any trophy).
So it comes down to selling the concept through the media of overexcited presenters, yet another montage of sepia-tinged photos interspersed with faux-sepia-tinged clips from the PremierLeague era followed by misty-eyed pundits gaslighting the viewer about 'respect' and 'history' and all done with an unwarranted headache-inducing overuse of the word 'rivalry' (in case the viewer might possibly forget).
It's such cringeworthy bollicks - and your right. It's never going to change. We're fucking stuck with it. They have created a monster of a myth that none of the interested parties (Sky and the two clubs) can afford to stop feeding now.
