The now-scuttled set of EPL reforms dubbed Project Big Picture was "not a set of concrete proposals made by Liverpool and Manchester United to alter the balance of power in English soccer," but rather a "set of thoughts generated and contemplated and compiled" by Liverpool Owner John Henry and ManU Dir Joel Glazerover three years, according to Rory Smith of the N.Y. TIMES. The plan leaked while still a work in progress, "before anyone involved was ready to present it" to the EPL for a vote. Project Big Picture was "not an exercise in altruism; that self-interest soaked some of its thinking is beyond doubt." It did "promise to bridge the yawning gap between the top tier and the rest, but at the cost of driving a canyon between the top six and everyone else." It was that last point that "made it so unpalatable." That has been presented as a "great victory of collectivism." However, the teams "who shouted it down were also acting out of self-interest," as the parts of the plan they objected to "were the ones that cost them money." Smith: "Make no mistake: If Project Big Picture had made provision for those 14 teams to make more money, the debate would, at least, have lasted a little longer." It was "certainly not a perfect idea," but it was at least "an idea, and that is more than anyone else has managed" (N.Y. TIMES, 10/16).
