Fitness.
Longevity.
Equality.
History.
Corruption.
These words could mean absolutely anything today - and mean nothing tomorrow. It's the world we live in. Not that anyone would need telling. Except those steering the ship.
I'm hinting about two developments over the past two weeks:
1.
The very disappointing review of a certain sporting body's watershed legislation, and
2.
A closer sporting body's conformation of a recent decision. Many have their own views on one, or both and I'm no different in that respect, for sure. But instead of transporting the toxic dialogue from social media to here, I hope there are many wider issues that FFP and athlete burn-out merely hint at and can be discussed in far broader depth.
For example, the decision to install a glass ceiling upon reckless spending clubs getting completely out of control by linking allotted spending so closely with sponsorship revenue and streamlined income has achieved something. Listening to Lampard's latest interview at Finch Farm, forward-thinking is clearly something he wants, in recognition of the sport's ever-increasing workload demands.
But these physical demands are far from the only issues athletes themselves face more than any previous generation of sporting participants would ever have encountered. As well as the demands on the human body on the pitch, the ever-increasing global audience requires ever-increasing off-season travel for friendlies/preseason fixtures, the public relations responsibilities of athletes in media communication, social media usage and many other behaviour responsibilities, the demands on acquiring and investing more-and-more obscene amounts of wages wisely, short-term and long-term and keeping a lid on all the above in the best security interests of athletes and their families/relatives, not to forget the mental/psychological juggling act of all the above poses more than ever before.
And that's just for the athletes involved.
Sponsors, lawyers, directors, coaches, medical professionals, journalists; in some form or many - everyone's involved in the share of the spoils when clubs are successful. So it has to be that way when things go wrong too. And very wrong - the stakes only grow higher and higher.
The UEFA review of FFP - in real terms - was part of a massive opportunity for many involved in international sport, not just football, to embrace the potential positives and the ever-snowballing problems at all levels of participation (grass roots upwards).
The mistrust of certain sporting bodies, who(m) appear infatuated by a constant stream of financial quick-fixes as a means of self-reliance, are key figures in what is spiralling out of control; a toxic atmosphere in core sporting fan groups - far from exclusive to association football fans.
We've every right to be concerned about wasted opportunities, among these many concerns.
But there also needs to be unilateral SOLUTIONS to go with these concerns. And that's where moral virtue has to be aligned with forward-thinking - whilst time still (just about) exists.
Any sports fan would surely want their game to improve in quality to the max. Breaking records. Achieving new heights never before believed possible. It's what childhood dreams are about, making the future better than the past - wherever possible.
In many sports, pushing the boundaries equals greater health risks (among many higher stakes, some detailed above).
So in order to preserve that principle of pushing for higher everything, respect of the past has to go hand-in-hand with respect of the future.
It's perfectly understandable that, for example: making the goalposts wider may bring more goals over time, but would devalue the past in an instant. Treading very carefully, therefore - a must.
There have been some terrible law changes in sport, regarding a chronic lack of foresight.
RugbyToffee may well agree with me that the sean bean (i.e. the Sin Bin) hasn't improved either code of rugby, but simply CHANGED the sports completely - and has allowed both codes' games to spiral out of control.
The lesson I hope the Marco van Bastens of this world will have learned from what was introduced to the Union code in that wonderful(?!?) year 2000 is that sometimes it's not the laws themselves that are at fault, but a culture of practice that requires fundamental, proactive change.
Steering clear of issues such as simplifying sanctions 'so that everyone, from lawyers, sponsors to coaches and players all then knowing exactly where they stand'; it's a duty of leadership through example that's in order for UEFA.
The mention of Michel Platini's quote a few decades ago (that "if football wants to survive [as a meaningful sport for all humans], it needs to become a rarity") may seem very unfortunate in the state of today's game.
Streamlining all top domestic club leagues down to a maximum of 18 parties - a key policy of Platini's governing legacy - is certainly one way of abolishing dead rubbers. How to abolish dead rubbers, rather than why, in principle, should be the debate's opening for plans.
The nature of debates like these are seldom broadcasted in mainstream media. Why do more other forms of serious, pragmatic broadcast medium take hold of the batten and encourage the greater detail?
Technology increases in performance and lowers in cost by the second.
Opportunities for all of us are out there. So what are we waiting for..?
