Sporting Gamblers and John Daly
Golfer John Daly is back in the headlines thanks to an autobiography where he outlines, in addition to all his other faults, a gambling addiction that he estimates has cost him US$50-$60 million dollars.
What is it with sportspeople and gambling? In recent times, Charles Barkley and Wayne Rooney have joined the list of sporting icons revealing massive losses. Not that I'm getting on their case - hell, anyone who makes a living on the punt knows you need people who are quite happy losing money so you can make yours. I just find it intriguing sporting people, who should know better than anyone that predicting the outcome of a sporting contest (or horse race) is an almost impossible science, are quite happy chucking their money away in this manner. Perhaps they think that because they can play sport better than anyone, they can predict what is going to happen in a sporting contest as well - God bless them.
Back to Daly. This latest revelation has certainly got the do-gooders crawling out of the woodwork - I found the following comment particularly insightful:
"what a f-ing idiot. No respect for you Daly. Go have another beer too you fat ass! You are a black mark on the game. No child should look at you as a role model."
Ahh those words, "role model". Does every sportsperson have to be a "role model"? Do they all have to live super-clean, boring lives so we can show our children the wholesome life we want them to aspire to?
What a load of bollox. Daly is - like a lot of us - fat, smokes like a chimney, drinks like a fish, gambles like a solo mother, and trashes hotel rooms like a rock star (OK, maybe the last one is not a good example). He is also talented at hitting a little white ball, incredibly generous with his time and money (and I don't mean to casinos), and a great source of entertainment - his latest quote on drinking water I found amusing:
"My body just doesn't … it doesn't want that. It's fighting it. 'Hey what's going on, you're putting something healthy in here?' " he says. "I am to a point not very superstitious about things, but every time I drink a bottle of water I make a bogey."
While sportspeople do have to be mindful of their behaviour at times (in public), criticising Daly because he is not a "role model" is off the mark. In an imperfect world, seeing someone with obvious flaws in their character still able to achieve something in life (not just on the golf course, but his charity work as well) is in some respects a better example to show future generations than a squeaky-clean sporting pro who has had a single purpose in life since he was 4 months old (yes, I am referring to Tiger).
I might have to go and buy his book. zc3
What is it with sportspeople and gambling? In recent times, Charles Barkley and Wayne Rooney have joined the list of sporting icons revealing massive losses. Not that I'm getting on their case - hell, anyone who makes a living on the punt knows you need people who are quite happy losing money so you can make yours. I just find it intriguing sporting people, who should know better than anyone that predicting the outcome of a sporting contest (or horse race) is an almost impossible science, are quite happy chucking their money away in this manner. Perhaps they think that because they can play sport better than anyone, they can predict what is going to happen in a sporting contest as well - God bless them.
Back to Daly. This latest revelation has certainly got the do-gooders crawling out of the woodwork - I found the following comment particularly insightful:
"what a f-ing idiot. No respect for you Daly. Go have another beer too you fat ass! You are a black mark on the game. No child should look at you as a role model."
Ahh those words, "role model". Does every sportsperson have to be a "role model"? Do they all have to live super-clean, boring lives so we can show our children the wholesome life we want them to aspire to?
What a load of bollox. Daly is - like a lot of us - fat, smokes like a chimney, drinks like a fish, gambles like a solo mother, and trashes hotel rooms like a rock star (OK, maybe the last one is not a good example). He is also talented at hitting a little white ball, incredibly generous with his time and money (and I don't mean to casinos), and a great source of entertainment - his latest quote on drinking water I found amusing:
"My body just doesn't … it doesn't want that. It's fighting it. 'Hey what's going on, you're putting something healthy in here?' " he says. "I am to a point not very superstitious about things, but every time I drink a bottle of water I make a bogey."
While sportspeople do have to be mindful of their behaviour at times (in public), criticising Daly because he is not a "role model" is off the mark. In an imperfect world, seeing someone with obvious flaws in their character still able to achieve something in life (not just on the golf course, but his charity work as well) is in some respects a better example to show future generations than a squeaky-clean sporting pro who has had a single purpose in life since he was 4 months old (yes, I am referring to Tiger).
I might have to go and buy his book. zc3
Labels: opinion
posted by Rob Crawford at 10:58 AM
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