Arsenal win the Premier League, why did it take so long?
About this episode
Mark and Pete discuss Arsenal's long-awaited Premier League triumph and the emotional significance of football in men's lives.
After twenty-two long years, Arsenal are champions again. The jokes about “bottling it” can finally be retired, at least temporarily, and somewhere in North London a generation of supporters are still wandering around in a state of emotional confusion, unsure whether to sing, cry or simply phone relatives they have not spoken to since the Wenger era. In this episode of Mark and Pete, we look at Arsenal’s long-awaited Premier League triumph and the surprisingly serious question hidden underneath all the celebrations. Why does football matter so much to people, especially men who otherwise communicate most emotions through grunting softly at the television while making tea? The discussion follows a recent study suggesting many men display stronger visible emotion during football than in almost any other part of life. Victories bring joy, relief and hugging strangers. Defeats produce silence so profound entire households can feel it settling over the furniture. A missed penalty can apparently alter the emotional climate of a semi-detached house for forty-eight hours. Along the way Mark and Pete talk about loyalty, tribalism, fathers and sons watching football together, the strange…
People in this episode
Hosts: Mark, Pete
Topics covered
- Arsenal
- Premier League
- football emotions
- male communication
- loyalty
- tribalism
- modern society
Keywords
- Arsenal
- Premier League
- football
- emotions
- male passion
- tribalism
- loyalty
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Arsenal
Places: North London
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