Sport, Money and the Olympic Spirit

I've been blown away over the last 10 days by the London Olympics. I love sport. I love the excitement, the dedication, the joy, the pain. But fundamentally, I love seeing people get their just rewards for so much dedication. Listening to Geraint Thomas speak after he and his team mates smashed the Team pursuit world record and won Gold, he said how the team management had stopped them going out to a Rhiannon concert ( no - not on taste grounds), as it could interrupt their training. Now if that had been 2 weeks ago, then I wouldn't have flinched, but this was in November. People question why our cyclists are so good - well there is part of it - a commitment, to making small gains, wherever they can, because they believe that the end product is worth their blood, sweat and tears. There have been a couple of other things, other that the success though, which have got me thinking about the differences in attitudes with some other sports people.

 Exhibit 1 - Gareth Bale. Bale pulled out of the GB Olympic football team, because he was "injured", but miraculously became fit in time for Spurs' pre-season tour. Now, its his prerogative, but the idea that his club is more important than an Olympics is an interesting viewpoint, and cements my long held view, that Football should not be an Olympic sport. In fact, I've generally thought that a basic test for Olympic sports should be - is it the most important thing in the sport? So, on that basis, good bye to Tennis, Football, and they can also stop building the Golf course in Rio.

 Exhibit 2 - Kevin Pietersen. Now, this isn't really about the Olympics, but it struck home to me far more, having watched so many athletes that care so much about performing for the nation, for the medal, and not just for the money. For all the posturing, 3 lions tattoos, and proclamations of love of playing for England. One can't help but feel that England Cricket is simply a means to end for KP. With the rise of the IPL, and other big money Twenty20 leagues, there are other means, now available to him, and these are easier paths. Without a nationalistic commitment, to believe in, and to feel that representing your country is the pinnacle of your career, it is easy to see why his mind is driven to other options.

 But it does beg the question of motivation. You can clearly see, in these minority sports that we watch at the Olympics, people doing what they love. They are completely immersed in it - yes, it is also a job, thanks to lottery funding etc, but its not a glamorous lifestyle for most of them. You don't choose to be a triathlete, or a track cyclist, an open water swimmer or a sailor because of the riches to be made - you do it because you love it, and as the talent is there, and with the hard work, you become great, and possibly famous enough to make enough money out of endorsements to have a decent lifestyle. But what happens to the footballers, and the cricketers. They obviously got into it for the same reasons, but now, looking at some of them, it seems that the driver as they get more successful, is money, rather than sporting success, and that to me, is a massive shame.

to blog or not to blog, that is the question

I've been wondering whether to re-invent this blog... I used to write it when I was away with work, but that is not happening much anymore. However, I'm off to finland next week, so I came back to it. I've noticed the reading list, and given how much I am still reading, I think I might use this again, but as a review site for the stuff I am reading, watching and listening... will see how it goes.