Over the last few weeks we've had a break from seeing footballers plastered all over the papers etc, But now the season is about to begin they are back. What amazes me is their attitudes. We've just witnessed the olympics in our country and witnessed the intense competition and Humbling grace of the winners and losers. The likes of Ennis and Hoy etc all came accross so humble and thankfull of the support etc. None of their 'post event' speeches seemed rehearsed or cliche'd. And it (in my eyes anyway) has highlighted footballers as a real bunch of clowns. I don't remember seeing an olympic team/ competitor surrounding the officials mouthing off, I don't remember seeing the olympians squaring up to their opponents. With the recent cases involving Terry and Rio I wondered how all these different races/religions would cope with each other, But they did, No Racism scandals, or reports of Olympians assaulting women late night in clubs. Now I'm not saying all footballers are big headed, Overpaid, selfish people, And I'm not saying that the olympics was perfect what with the algerian runner and the asian badminton teams. But their is alot the FA and football in general could learn from the olympics. And although I think sport in general in the UK will do well after the olympics I think football may do 'less well'. Anyone else have any views on this subject?
The majority of footballers aren't in the press or glossy mags or tabloids, most are hard working and keep their heads down. None of the Olympians who are being lauded as humble and thankful have spend the last 4 years with the press in their faces constantly. There was a Greek athlete sent home for racism. There was drug taking cheats caught and kicked out. They were here for 2 weeks in a carefully controlled environment, so, hardly surprising they weren't in clubs assaulting anyone, which isn't exactly a weekly occurrence involving footballers. I admire each and everyone of our Olympians, especially the ones like the shooter who basically had to get his own private sponsorship to carry on after Beijing. I admire anyone in fact who does something they love, and reach the pinnacle of that, regardless of it being a sport, and something noteworthy. Comparing Olympians to Footballers is pointless. Like I said, small % of footballers are arse holes, same for any walk of life. In a month most of us wont give the Olympics a second thought, hardly any of us will start participating in or supporting any of the minor sports we enjoyed a couple of weeks ago, and by the time Rio comes around, the majority of us will as previously, not be arsed with them in the same way we were for these ones. So yes, as a sporting spectacle, the 2012 Olympics were fabulous, because we won a few medals there wasn't the usual lack of interest, but using it as a stick to beat football, which by paying to go watch our teams, paying 40 quid plus for a top to support those teams and all the other stuff we do revolving around those teams is to say the least, a waste of time.
I do agree, but I'm sure if I was paid £100,000 a week and had people around me constantly kissing my arse I'd start to believe my own hype. Their just young lad's with far too much money, fame and attention, it's just more than they can handle. I think sprinters are the closest thing to footballers in the Olympics, they have an arrogance and brashness that other athletes don't. It's hard to be arrogant when most people haven't heard of you as is the case of the majority of athletes, if they received the same treatment as footballers I'm sure there'd be a few more big time charlies.
Footballers especially those at top end clubs are now very Aloof and far removed from fans. I blame the clubs and PR morons for this. In the old days players would just be left to there own and could and would speak to whoever. Now the media have to book appointments and only get to talk to the players the clubs allow them access to. At Hull City, when the OSC have there branch nights and a player is booked the said player arrives with the chap who looks like Penfold. You get an hour and then maybe a raffle draw and both are off. If the player is in his own time then the club IMO should butt out. Sadly the sea change has gone too far and what we have is what we get. It maybe a cooler arrangement in the lower leagues but football in general needs to get back to planet earth and join the real world. Thankfully the London 2012 Olympics showed the world that not every sportsStar is Aloof and / or scripted in what they say. imo.
i blame the press and sky tv. there's been far too much hypocritical and misiformed bilge aired on this stupid comparison already.
aloofness is the byproduct of the pressures of life in a goldfish bowl where too many people cannot be trusted and are users. footballers are damned if they do and damned if they don't. olympic athletes are praised if they do and praised if they don't.
I posted a great article on this issue a couple of weeks back. Footballers who do not win for their nation are treated as failures. They are not greeted by moist-eyed presenters reassuring them that they tried their hardest. Footballers who express personality are ritually sacrificed on the media altar; jokes are wilfully ignored or misunderstood; the slightest whiff of controversy is enough to prick the nose of the pack, and the kill is not long in coming. If Olympic sports were on every week, and as popular as football, then there would be the same amount of villains and controversy.
Thats a great article. If Terry or Ferdinand had behaved like Linford Christie the press would have crucified them. 5-6 kids with different women never paid maintenance for em, shagged half the womens team and a proper drug cheat; was only let off cos he was a Brit.
If you take away the comparison with the Olympics, I'm sure many people would still admit that they think footballers are outright twats. They are overpaid, many are arrogant, most cheat & dive, most have dreadful discipline in terms of harassing referees and they are incredibly separated from the average fan in the stands. This is a great opportunity for football to do something about its image in general. It doesn't have to be about comparisons with other sports, but I'm sure it's struck a cord with a few in the game. This has just highlighted a pre-existing issue. We all should all take our opportunities when they arise to better ourselves. As should football now.
I must have imagined that people were thrown out of the Olympics for drugs offences, being racist, attempting to throw matches, and that there were referees having results over turned because the losers appealed afterwards.
