Astonishing isn't it?
Fortunately my mood was lifted when Sky Sports kindly invited me to a British Lions dinner where the difference between rugby players and their football playing counterparts could not have been more pronounced.
Scott Quinnell and Will Greenwood were fine hosts and drank away with the rest of us and the only roasting going on was in the restaurant kitchen.
Some might think it's a shame that Sky has a monopoly on virtually all rugby (other than the Six Nations) as it excludes people who aren't willing or able to buy pay-TV and to an extent I have some sympathy.
But there's no doubt that Sky does an amazing job with its coverage of all games whether they be the current Lions tour or mid-ranking Guinness Premiership Games where I'm sure that the audience that it attracts is barely enough to attract much advertising revenue. Its innovation on HD also shows how Sky has been a profound force for good in driving TV innovation.
For these reason I think Sky Sports is as vital a part of UK broadcasting as is the necessity to have watched Ferris Bueller's Day Off by the time you've reached 25, Alex.
