The Olympics Thread, London 2012, Games of the XXX Olympiad, 27th July - 12th August

[Muggins]

The difference seems to be that Athletes, rowers, cyclists etc love their sport and will do anything to be the very best at that chosen sport. Footballers on the other hand seem to do the minimum required on the pitch in order to keep receiving their pay cheques.

It's a question of values, material wealth or the respect and adoration of the nation plus just as important self-respect - all of those athletes can look in the mirror in the morning and say I gave my best - how many footballers can do the same?

Good point, not many. I wonder if the media will pick up on this after the Olympics. I think this is why football and footballers can be so easily hated. Money.

 

[The Esk]

People will want to be footballers for what they receive.

People will want to be Olympians for what they achieve.

Great point - so footballers behave and perform as they do because they are intrinsically selfish and have chosen football as a means to meet their own ends. Similarly Olympians chose their sports to receive what is important to them, however their motivation is not financial.

 

[Cena]

Good point, not many. I wonder if the media will pick up on this after the Olympics. I think this is why football and footballers can be so easily hated. Money.

I'm not against anyone earning money, just don't be bellends with it.

Eden Harzard building himself up, by teasing on twitter which club he was gonna join and all this garbage, do me a favour

 

[Allezfan]

People will want to be footballers for what they receive.

People will want to be Olympians for what they achieve.

I have three things to say to that: Bollocks. Bollocks. Bollocks.

Okay so technically that's only one thing but I thought it beared repeating.

 

[Walken]

I have three things to say to that: Bollocks. Bollocks. Bollocks.

Okay so technically that's only one thing but I thought it beared repeating.

agreed, you cant generalise about an entire chosen profession, no matter how much romance you have found with the olympics

 

[RFUS]

Great point - so footballers behave and perform as they do because they are intrinsically selfish and have chosen football as a means to meet their own ends. Similarly Olympians chose their sports to receive what is important to them, however their motivation is not financial.

I don't blame footballers. Don't hate the player hate the game, quite literally.

And plenty of footballers have the same kind of determination, it's just that without the same level of money, fame or recognition, Olympic events like the ones we've seen tonight will naturally attract a more admirable kind of person. On the whole, I mean.

I have three things to say to that: Bollocks. Bollocks. Bollocks.

Okay so technically that's only one thing but I thought it beared repeating.

It sounded poignant though, didn't it?

 

[Walken]

I don't blame footballers. Don't hate the player hate the game, quite literally.

And plenty of footballers have the same kind of determination, it's just that without the same level of money, fame or recognition, Olympic events like the ones we've seen tonight will naturally attract a more admirable kind of person. On the whole, I mean.



thats a statement i can get onboard with though

 

[tsubaki]

Have we mentioned this quite astonishing fail from the NBC coverage yet (or rather their latest bit of idiocy)?

[video=youtube;OFBHjgpIq7I]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=OFBHjgpIq7I[/video]

 

[bluebottle]

Can't really argue with the disparity though. The financial situation in football is ludicrous comparatively.

 

[RFUS]

Have we mentioned this quite astonishing fail from the NBC coverage yet (or rather their latest bit of idiocy)?

[video=youtube;OFBHjgpIq7I]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=OFBHjgpIq7I[/video]

Oh my.

I can't believe that our coverage has been 100000000000000000000x times better than theirs. I'm used to us being comparatively gash in the televisual department.

 

[The Esk]

I don't blame footballers. Don't hate the player hate the game, quite literally.

And plenty of footballers have the same kind of determination, it's just that without the same level of money, fame or recognition, Olympic events like the ones we've seen tonight will naturally attract a more admirable kind of person. On the whole, I mean.

I think this is a fair point, however undeniably footballers in the UK have generally under-performed, yet athletes over-performed.......

 

[bluebottle]

I think this is a fair point, however undeniably footballers in the UK have generally under-performed, yet athletes over-performed.......

Where is the incentive for footballers to perform at all internationally? Other teams manage to though and I don't know what point I'm making.

 

[Allezfan]

Is there anything more revealing about british football then the fact our response to a defeat isn't about tactics or coaching or ability but 'the lads just didn't try hard enough, they don't have the right character, just out for the cash'?

Which incidently has been the repsonse to every single loss the british football teams have ever suffered going right back to the 20s and 30s when europe first started winning games against the home nations. Make's me despair, if I'm honest.

IF WE JUST TRIED HARD ENOUGH, WE'D WIN. TACTICS AND ABILITY DON'T MATTER.

 

[Cena]

Is there anything more revealing about british football then the fact our response to a defeat isn't about tactics or coaching or ability but 'the lads just didn't try hard enough, they don't have the right character, just out for the cash'?

Which incidently has been the repsonse to every single loss the british football teams have ever suffered going right back to the 20s and 30s when europe first started winning games against the home nations. Make's me despair, if I'm honest.

IF WE JUST TRIED HARD ENOUGH, WE'D WIN. TACTICS AND ABILITY DON'T MATTER.

No we're not saying that mate, we're just saying that compared to these amazin Olympic athletes, footballers are bells and could learn a lot from Olympians

 

[The Esk]

Where is the incentive for footballers to perform at all internationally? Other teams manage to though and I don't know what point I'm making.

I'd have thought that the motivation comes from the comparison with how we all currently feel about our Olympians versus how we feel about the England football team when we fail in the Euro's or World Cup.

How great do Farrah, Ennis and Rutherford, cyclist and rowers feel tonight? What greater motivation can there be?