To be annoyed with the idolisation of Olympic athletes?

[Floogal]

Sick of this every 4 years. I am not against the Olympics per se. I like watching the judo, boxing, handball and volleyball. But these points explain why I find hero worship of athletes annoying.

1. People are very quick to moan about how footballers are overpaid for simply playing football. Or Connor McGregor being on benefits while training to be in the UFC. They are fair points, however Olympic atheltes paid a healthy income and have a lot of their expenses paid for.
2. Similar to the previous point, I hate the way they are lauded by the media and given honours for doing something that pays quite well and that they enjoy.
3. I remember last week we were watching ITV news. There was a feature about private sector carers being overworked and underpaid and how it impacts their personal lives. Later there was a documentary about Olympic athletes, many going on about sacrificing their leisure and family lives. Bit hard to feel sorry for them.
4. The government and media (as well as professional athletes) like to go on about how obese and unhealthy most people are. Well most people would love to only worry about excercise and nutrition, but SOME OF US HAVE TO WORK FOR A LIVING!
5. This point has been touched upon by the media and few recent MN threads. Many of the athletes come from affluent backgrounds!
6. The athletes featured on the Purple Bricks adverts come across as really unpleasant. Bit of a backfire.

What does everyone else think?

@Cam77

I don’t even get the argument about footballers being overpaid to be honest. Take the richest footballer Cristiano Ronaldo - net worth half a billion dollars. One of the most recognized, watched and idolized people on the planet....wouldn’t even make the list of the top 200 richest people in Britain.

Fun fact: between 2020-2021 Britain’s billionaires collectively grew their wealth by $61 billion dollars. That’s $61,000,000,000.
www.forbes.com/sites/daviddawkins/2021/04/07/uk-billionaires-are-collectively-61-billion-richer-than-a-year-ago/?sh=3d70fc712c54

Talk of footballers is a distraction from a super elite that is growing ever richer and more powerful and influential, while living standards for the masses stagnant and even fall.

I with you on this. Footballers generate huge revenue for business, give pleasure to millions and millions of people and are the focus of discussion and entertainment for over a billion people everyday. Hedge fund managers on the other hand....

I don't get the idolisation of any athlete, Olympic or otherwise. So you manage to run a bit faster or kick more balls into a net than other people. So what? I mean it's very impressive and all, but not really something to look up to. This hasn't helped humanity in any way.

@lifesgoodwithlg

I am with you a 100% , I am from his neck of the woods and despise him as a rapist gimp. On the other hand I am in awe of the training and stamina of Olympic athletes .

You need to delete this. Whatever you think about him he is not a convicted rapist.

And I absolutely know why you have posted this but you have to let due process and you can not prejudice anything or publish this on a forum prior to any conviction.
The last thing any of us want is any collapse due to technicalities.

Sick of this every 4 years.

Just don’t watch it then. You clearly know nothing about it, you’re not the target audience.

Very few are paid, and to be able to train have to chase sponsors. Most have to have a full time job, along with training and comps, so I think your point is highly unreasonable- footballers only have to turn up to training and matches and get paid a butt load. Most of the Olympic team don't and should be applauded for their and their families dedication

Wow OP what a ridiculous and completely ignorant post!!!!

Olympians (outside some big superstar exceptions) are paid next to nothing and live incredibly difficult restricting lives that no normal person would even remotely be able to live. Their sacrifices and unbelievable talents are hugely impressive and unique. Pretty much anyone can do care work if they wanted to. Almost no one would be able to win an Olympic medal

Man alive. I want to tell you to Fuck The Fuck Off sooo badly … but I can't cos it'll get me deleted.

I think their amazing! A lot of them have day jobs and train on top of that, some of them just starting out won’t be paid may even get sacked from their jobs to be out in Japan atm

I’m not a massive sport fan but I admire the years of hard work and dedication these ppl have been through.

You're totally wrong of course. I have an ex-Team GB relative, you have no idea how it works. There is very little money, most also work and leave due to financial commitments. But yeh, see also all the other responses! I think you got a bit of a trouncing here pal!

I had to fund myself when I was with team GB! Worked three jobs and trained every hour available. Then the precious little funding we got (paid for a tiny percentage of our equipment) was cut and that was the end of that. Now I'm fat.

One person in my team is currently competing. She has a full time job (intellectually demanding, with long hours) and trains in her spare time. Competitions are usually annual leave (olympics are special paid leave though, but that is the absolute exception).
I do admire her, she basically does 2 very intense jobs at the same time and has to do very well in both.

They are paid FAR less than footballers.

They are great role models, unlike many footballers who are aggressive, racist, spoilt (not all obviously).

The "idolisation" happens for a few weeks every 4 years, its hardly constant, I couldn't get worked up about it.

You are being very unreasonable.

Sounds like you’ve got a MASSIVE chip on your shoulder, YABU

A friend has a DS who is in the Olympic swim team. The family has made huge sacrifices for his dream, they even moved the entire family so he could be near his training facility. There is very little money available for him - he works and is studying as well. Comparing these dedicated kids to over-paid footballers is ridiculous and insulting to them.

God your post has made me so cross, educate yourself

Honestly OP, you obviously don't have a clue about the Olympics - so why write such a stupid post?

I agree with pps - I would far rather young people looked up to athletes than the vacuous people many of them do idolise.

@Floogal

To a lesser extent yes. More the hypocrisy- generally disabled people are treated very badly (hate crimes, unemployment, etc). It's like Paralympics are the acceptable face of disability. My dad's got a nervous system disorder and uses a wheelchair before anyone accuses me of being ableist

I've worked with and taught Paralympians. Get off that high horse. What they do in their sport drives all sorts of technology that benefits everyone.

That they are now seen on tv is recent and a much needed window into the world of disability. Same.as disabled actors.

If you think making them visible, normalising them, is any kind of tokenism you are part of the problem they are fighting against.

How the fuck else is that going to happen? Keep them all hidden away? Pshaw!

From what I remember Olympic athletes are paid nothing like what footballers get! It's often not high wages and quite often they have to supplement this with other jobs.

They are working very hard training to get to such a high level in their sport. Training for many years, and of course making sacrifices.

Athletes aren't the only people to enjoy their work.

My dsis won a place at the Beijing Paralympics (didn’t go in the end - she went on a transplant list instead). It was bloody hard work, but the day she knew she’d been selected was… well, an amazing memory.

Not all top athletes are nice, or even particularly admirable people. But all top athletes have worked incredibly hard to get there. And that level of work is indisputably admirable.

6. The athletes featured on the Purple Bricks adverts come across as really unpleasant. Bit of a backfire.

They're just doing a bit of totally non-serious acting, playing a part for an advert. Hardly a backfire unless you think the adverts are real life

What is ‘having to work for a living ‘ go to do with being obese? Working full time doesn’t stop most people from maintaining a healthy weight and looking after themselves. Are you obese yourself OP? I guessing you are going from that comment.

I’d also rather kids looked up to Olympians than the blow up sex dolls you see on Love Island etc.

I have zero interest in the Olympics. I'm 50 and have probably watched less than 30 mins of it in my life. And even I think YABVU.