Not even 3 or 4 teams, probably 3 or 4 players.

It is excellent value, but shows that the wages footballers get is the business of the clubs and the players. It affects us not a jot. The number of athletes in there also shows there are a lot of losers, (just to clarify, I have the utmost respect for all of them, but the poster who argued that the footballers were losers compared to the Olympians is wrong. He would not dare to consider the 450+ Olympians who did not secure a medal as chavvy scum, etc, basically because they are not footballers).

Basically, each argument seems to fall down. The only argument with merit is the one about diving, and I agreed that the authorities could stamp down on that very, very easily, and I doubt there is a football fan out there who would disagree, or want the status quo. However, cheating and unfair advantages go on in all sports, and football is no different. Football of course gets far more coverage year round than most other sports, so each incident is replayed, and talked about much more.

I can't wait until all this sports day nonsense is over with and we can get back to proper sport on tv

I'm a season ticket holder at Leicester (so not much football on view) I can agree with a lot of what people are saying on here.

as far as the respect angle goes, the FA and FIFA need to punish those who blatantly swear at the ref (Rooney for example I'm looking at you effing and blinding right in people's faces) but they wont... so it carries on. Of course players should be more respectful, but you need the stick sometimes to bring them in line.

Sir Alec? Th bloke who publicly berated his own player for diving?

And if you think Man Utd are the worst offenders, try watching a Chelsea game or Barcelona.

it isn't jealousy with me - genuinely........I totally believe people should get paid for the ideas/revenue they can bring in.

Football clearly makes a lot of money, and the players should get their share. In the same way that F1 teams should get their share.

I live in the same building as a number of pro footballers. I guess they've kept themselves to themselves when i've seen them. Having said that, if i was mid 20s and earning a load of money - i'm not sure how I would behave.

I think your earlier point could be right - that its the few spoiling it for the many. I guess just every time I watch a match with mates I see many examples of diving, faking injury etc.

I really hate it.

I guess for me, the difference might well be the difference between being paid to do something, and the love of the sport which it appears to drive the Olympians.

I would also argue its a lot lot harder to excel at something like Heptathalon etc than football. Not being funny, but there are loads and loads of footballers. There aren't many people representing their country in the Olympic sports.

Finally - I went to see a match live last year - and the amount of mistakes each and every player made on both sides.......I actually can't believe they were getting paid to do it!

If that was a motor race, they'd have all been in the barrier or last...or both

Week in week out these Olympians will compete in competition, either for their club in team events or as individuals in other events, there would be annual national, and biannual/quadrennial Continental and World competitions related to their specific sports, not forgetting smaller versions of the Olympics such as the Pan-American or Commonwealth Games. In all of these competitions the behaviour of individuals and officials is of the highest order. It doesn't just happen at the Olympics every four years. There are exceptions, drugs cheats, trips, falling off your bike, trying to affect the draw, boxing results that are obviously wrong. Hell I think water polo is just as bad as football but it has such little exposure in terms of providing role models in daily life and it doesn't even have an impact although that is no justification for it.

In contrast in Football it is more the rule even than the exception and when it does happen, nothing happens to a degree or sanction level to combat it effectively.In fact it is glorified and rewarded. At the recent Euro's fkwit Townsend was singing the praises of an Irish forward who managed to win a freekick by diving which related in a goal. At the pinnacle event the World Cup it is so obvious that cheating is rife and not dealt with appropriately.

I give you exhibit A.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVksdN4QnvA

Exactly he should have been banned for years, the sanction meant nothing.

For what it's worth, I think it's wrong to generalise to say "all this are that" etc. Instead we can talk sensibly about an average behaviour, which is itself still distinct from reported behaviour.

TheHeretic: "How about you go and become a footballer?"
This is a weak argument. We're not comparing "me with a footballer" we're comparing "a footballer with an olympian". So comparisons which include me or you as bench marks are not relevant.


TheHeretic (on crying wolf): "Of course that is bad, but is by no means the majority that do that. Coverage will be given to the ones that do. Simply a case of the minority ruining it for the majority."
I agree with you on this, that maybe it is the minority of players ruining it, but that really does matter. All the major international football competions I've watched (since I can remember) have included multiple "cry wolf" incidents per game. It would be rare that a game went by WITHOUT such play acting. It may well be the same protagonists time after time, but since it happens in every game it is not positive sporting behaviour and not a good role model for kids or adult fans.

TheHeretic (on abuse of officials): "They do. Again, nothing to do with motivation."
I recognise that it's nothing to do with motiviation. (I've personally not said that "all footballers are unmotivated".) However, like the crying wolf, it shows a total lack of respect, and I don't think we should hold people in high esteem who carry on with such behaviour. (That goes for any sport, but the one with most coverage of such behaviour is football)


TheHeretic: "Why does the wages have to do with anything? Jealousy?"
Footballers abuse their opponents more than in any other sport I know. Another example of lack of respect. We also know that a minority of them abuse women, other people, cars, laws etc. By no means the majority, but it does strike me that if you've got thousands of people chanting your name on a weekly basis, and you're paid millions per year, it may well go to your head and you start behaving like a knob. I can see the circumstances which lead to this behaviour, but it's still appalling really. I imagine we don't hear of olympians carring on with this behaviour for the same reasons: they aren't paid the same so the money won't go to their head, they don't have the same kind of following to go to their head, they have more respect for each other and the officials (on average). There is undoubtedly also an element of under reporting compared with footballers, but I think the other factors mentioned would also decrease their propensity to succum to this behaviour in the first place.

Hackney: "Week in week out footballers do a job. They get paid for it. This "Olympian" effort happens once every four years and proves you the best in the world - or one of the billions who isn't as good."
I think it's unfair to claim that olympians only make an effort once every four years. These athletes are competing in national and international competitions ALL THE TIME. And when not competing, they are training. It's true that they will attempt to work to a "peak" for a major competition but their work is no less 365 than that of a footballer.

(Pablo, you can award yourself a couple of points, since I mentioned some of your topics.)

They do in Middlesbrough... what do you think all the dole money is spent on? going to the Boro games! to see them lose! again!