Olympic heroes Vs Football flops

[Southend_Lady]

Now we have all seen it in the papers this week. The disgrace of our national football team compared to the pride of the Team GB in Beijing.

Personally I think the England team should be ashamed of themselves. They came out with the usual blurb about how it was important not to loose and all that business yet you have the likes of Shanaz Reade in the BMX final saying that a silver medal isn't what she wanted. Surely that attitude is spot on, the winning mentality and not wanting to settle for second best.
I don't think it's good enough anymore. You look at the British team in the Olympics, people who dedicate every spare minute of their time to their chosen sport with only a tiny fraction of what the over paid footballers are getting, yet they are bringing far more pride to our nation than our so called football team are.

If you had to choose what would you rather be? An overpaid footballer with more money than sense and an empty medal drawer? Or a national hero, an Olympic gold medalist who will have the whole country feeling proud of them but without the bursting bank account?

 

[loz]

either would do me, I'm not greedy :)

the advantage of being a footballer though (other than the coke and prostitutes) is that you get to play football.

 

[OldBlueLady]

I know what you're saying Sam, but I just don't enjoy the Olympics as much as I do football. Yes, they are overpaid, ego inflated numpties half the time but it's still all about the football isn't it?

 

[Nobby Snide]

i'm happy to be me...a nobody, but if I had to choose...give me the olympic spirit anytime...with the footballers money

 

[MK Shrimper]

Much rather have Olympic glory, though that could be that I'm caught up in the whole Olympic goodtime feeling!

I'm at the same gym as Nathan Robertson and Gail Emms and he drives the crappiest car with his name plastered down the side! No baby Bentleys in Badminton :D

 

[SUFCLiam]

Id much rather have a gold medal and national pride

 

[canveyshrimper]

The Olympic glory for me, I'd just love to be on that podium seeing the flag being raised and hearing the National Anthem being played.

 

[Interpol Shrimper]

Some of the more marketable gold medalists will come back to a considerable fortune, I'm thinking of the likes of Rebecca Adlington, Victoria Pendleton & Chris Hoy. Guys like Bradley Wiggins & (albeit the medal-less) Mark Cavendish also are on decent six-figure contracts as professional riders. Don't forget the vast annual income that somebody like my nemesis Andy Murray is on too.

OK, you probably can't compare this to what the bulk of the Premier$hite are on (had a very interesting discussion in the pub the other night about Chimbonda being on £42k a week at Sunderland) but that's more a symptom of how cash-crazy the managers & board members of PL teams have got in terms of dishing out stupid contracts rather than the fact being a footballer outweighs the talent and commitment of an Olympian!

 

[stoy_redstar]

Personally I think the England team should be ashamed of themselves. They came out with the usual blurb about how it was important not to loose and all that business yet you have the likes of Shanaz Reade in the BMX final saying that a silver medal isn't what she wanted. Surely that attitude is spot on, the winning mentality and not wanting to settle for second best.

all il say is .....how many nations in general invest a hell of a lot of money in football.....in comparison to how many nations actually invest any money whatsoever in proffesional 'BMX-ers'.
Not really a defence of the England footie team ....which is a bit of a shambles, but the competition in football is far greater then in most of the sports britain won medals in at the olympics.....i pretty much dedicate my life to sport, but some of the sports britain won medals in ive not even heard of before. so lets not be to harsh on the footballers eh?