h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

sorry to anyone who doesn't agree with me, but I find the idea of football players as heros very wrong. Getting paid millions for a playground game isn't heroic. The money should be given to charities from all games.

I'll second that one! It'll be TV chefs next!

I think it's all that arms aloft to the crowd, shirt over the head, hugging and kissing nonsense that gets to me (I'm talking about football players, not chefs btw!) And what about all that hype with Beckham's foot? honestly....
*muses* i'll be writing angry letters to The Times next....

Cheers by the way, what are you having? ?

Hmmmm....
There was someone on the BBC the other week complaining that our national perspective (ie that of Brits) was all wrong when we could panic about Beckham's foot in the same week that we buried the Queen Mother.
Maybe, but then again the last time that a leading member of the Royal Family lead their country in the World Cup was 1415 at Agincourt.
Yeah, I know that remark is childish, but I sort of see it that way. 5-1 against Germany, and Beckham's free-kick against Greece (in spite of a flaky overall team performance on that occasion) put a spring in my step for days and left me in euphoria on those nights themselves.
You should be a football fan. It's a great way to ride an emotional rollercoaster, to make instant friends the world over, to forget whatever's getting you down among the most exhilirating group experience on earth.
Perhaps they're not real heroes, but they'll do for me.
P.

see the trouble is though-and I know not everyone is the same-and I know people will get pleasure from football-but it does (from my experience) encourage a lot of violence-because although players can be any nat/religion whatever, people still use football as a way to see differences in others-and thats a real shame. I know this isnt the players fault-but I think game should be called off as soon as there is a hint of violence-then MAYBE hooligans would see that they are having a privilge removed. I just feel as if there is a slightly, I dont know, bullying nature about football. And sorry-no offence intended

And what about the millions of peaceful football fans who don't condone violence? Should they suffer because of a small minority? Bear in mind that "Football match ends peacefully" doesn't exactly make headlines.

I'm not a particular football fan, but I don't believe you should spoil things for the many because of the few. Should we ban driving because some people drink and drive? After all, drunk driving can cause death.

Sorry, this is completely off the subject. I agree footballers and other sportsmen shouldn't be technically classed as heroes, but if I had a son I'd rather he worshipped David Beckham than Osama Bin Laden! (Extreme, but you know what I mean!).

Charlie

I know what you mean---but I think if they cancelled games because of violence maybe everyone would be more prepared to do something about the violence (did you see the programme last night on channel 4?) I think we need "whistle-blowers",people prepared to "grass" as they would call it. But-OK-for the innocent fans-cant there be a sort of security pass, that has the fans photo on it, etc?

either that or have pay per view tv-with no spectators at the games???

iam with this guy a hero is a role modol and a footballer (evan a rich one) does a better job then the thug down the road

Hi all, yeah, it's me again...
I'm not a hooligan. I've never fought on the terraces or outside the ground, and I've never gone out of my way to personally threaten anyone at a match.
But if you ask whether I've ever been a member of a baying and (to some) menacing crowd, thousands strong, pumped full of adrenalin and testosterone, then you bet I have.
The difference between sprawling on a sofa in front of live TV football and the real thing is immense, and it's mostly about the feel of the crowd.
You cannot take the suppressed menace out of football (not out of the spectator, "fan" experience of it anyway) without spoiling it. I'm sorry if others find it upsetting, but it's one of the thrills of my life.
And when you feel like that about something, hero worship comes naturally.
Pinniped

I rest my case.

Hi Primord
Something I should confess.
The Weddell looked over my shoulder just before I sent my last post. She shook her head sadly and said "You're proving her point for her..."
I yield!
P.

hehehehehehehehehehe!
no hard feelings!

hello
I don;t think footballer just because the can earn a lot of money should not be include as heros. some people might think of people who do earn a lot of money as heros depending on the reasions for earning that money.

but it's not just because of the money!

it's because of the other reason-the encouragement of all the negative things I have said above-

last night my neighbours car was vandalised-because of drunk football supporters.
and all day yesterday there were fights and violence-and this was down to football.
I know not all supporters=hooligans...but there is still too much trouble caused by football+alcohol.

I don't know if football has anything to do with it in that case. It's like some deep-seated tribal aggression thing that some individuals have in their heads (maybe everyone...). A football match just provides the setting/excuse/catalyst/whatever as an outlet.
I find mindless, unreasoning violence one of the scariest things ever, because there's no reasoning with it. Makes me want to go back to the oceans sometimes
Not that i'm defending football, I still can't be doing with it

The most horific thing I ever saw in a football ground was the taliban haning a woman from the posts for adultery.

That act had about as much to do with football as Wolves and Albion Fans trashing WestBroms shops and pubs. Lets face it the smae men fighting each other for being "dirty dogheads" or "sparrows" on Saturday are the same men starting fights on Fridays for "looking at my bird" or pushing in the kebab queue.

Dont be fooled into thinking sports and adrenaline equal violence, look at rugby, that could equally be hijacked by racist thugs who want to see their "acheievments" on the evening news now that its profile has been raised.

Sports is not "mindless, unreasoning violence," nor is it the result of a "deep-seated tribal agression." The common sports fan watches the game because he has built a psychological link between the success of his team and his success as an individual. In a more anthropological light you can say this success has something to do with sex, or social dominance, or whatever you like, but really, it's harmless. Blaming a football game for riots is like blaming competition in the workplace on the depression or euphoria it may cause. Sure, a guy may go home and beat his wife because he lost his job and got drunk. Is this the fault of the company that fired him? Post-game rioting is the result of the fans, not the sport. Whenever a mob gets a reason for excitement, be it sports game or a concert or whatever, there will be violence. Does that make sports and music bad? The instrument that provokes the excitement is no more responsible for the actions of the fans than beer is for making people drunk.

So sports is not an "excuse/catalyst/whatever." A sports game is a unique stimulus, separate from whatever pent-up emotions someone may have. The only direct cause of riots a sports game may have is the gathering of people of a similar mentality. This is not the fault of the sport, but the corporations that run them and build stadiums to gather the masses.

Really, the true sports hero is a player who leads his team to success, preferably against great odds and with great humility. The link between the fan and the hero is stronger than the link between the fan and the team. Even if the team loses, the fan can still be excited if his/her hero has a great game. This is why some people get enjoyment from watching tennis, badminton, and other individual sports.

My hero is Shaquille O'neal of the Los Angeles Lakers. He said, twice, "My game is like the pythagorean theorem. It has no solution" (or something like that). Shaq isn't known for his intellectual strengths. He's also fairly racist, egotistical, childish, immature, etc. He is not a nice person, nor would I like him as a friend. However, when Shaq and the Lakers win, it's like I win.