You’re arguing about something different.
Like it or not, Boro going up this season would be the least interesting thing to come out of the playoffs. To an outside observer. We were tipped to go up and spent a big chunk of cash - again.
The others: Sunderland have been in the third division and have got into the playoffs in their first season back, Coventry have been down to the fourth tier and the edge of bankruptcy, and been homeless for two seasons, and Luton have been down to the fifth tier(!) and the edge of bankruptcy, slowly grinding their way back and finishing 3rd with one of the smallest budgets in the league. Boro finished 7th last season.
That’s not to say there isn’t anything interesting about Boro’s story because there clearly is - Carrick has done a fantastic job and we, for the most part, play really entertaining, progressive football that is a pleasure to watch. But in comparison to the other three clubs and their recent histories, stories, narratives - which is the important thing here, let’s face it, when discussing TV companies and pundits - the Boro moving from 7th to 4th just doesn’t have the same sense of intrigue to it.
Luton were there last year but they’re still an amazing story because they’ve repeated it, with a tiny budget. Coventry are a similar story to Luton but a bigger club. Sunderland are in their first season back. Boro are the favourites for the tie tomorrow.
Acknowledging that there is slightly more intrigue about the other three clubs involved this season, or saying there’s less pressure on them because of what they’ve spent, where they’ve come from, etc - is just not the same thing as being biased.
You read this board and its amazing how determined people are to find an anti-Boro agenda when there just isn’t one. Pundits and journos may get their facts wrong at times but they get them wrong about all clubs outside the top six or seven, and even then it’s touch and go. I used to think everyone had a grudge against Boro when I was a teenager but I realised that actually most people just don’t care enough about us. We’re just another football team from just another town.
Commentators, pundits, officials… they are not biased against us.