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Separate your sporting heroes from their personalities.
Don& #39;t play down the careers of guys like Smith and AB because they turned out to be dicks (something that& #39;s been known for a while).
Even better - don& #39;t assume they& #39;re good people in the first place.
Don& #39;t play down the careers of guys like Smith and AB because they turned out to be dicks (something that& #39;s been known for a while).
Even better - don& #39;t assume they& #39;re good people in the first place.
It& #39;s not just that there& #39;s no correlation between having sick hand-eye coordination and having a reliable moral compass.
In many cases those things are almost incompatible, due to circumstance.
Star athletes are groomed from a young age to be excellent, selfish and ruthless.
In many cases those things are almost incompatible, due to circumstance.
Star athletes are groomed from a young age to be excellent, selfish and ruthless.
They& #39;re expected to win at all costs, and are used to being able to do it. Remember, these aren& #39;t your average first team jocks - they& #39;re the BEST in their age groups, NATIONALLY. That doesn& #39;t come without a little bit of ego and arrogance sprinkled in.
More than that though - they& #39;re never really expected to grow out of it. They& #39;re not even given the chance to. Smith debuted for Proteas at age 21. Most 21yos are still figuring out how to live in the real world - but superstars never have to.
They can go on being kids forever.
They can go on being kids forever.
And kids are stupid. They believe what their parents, teachers, coaches, friends say about the world. And when you transition straight into your dream job of hitting a ball all day, you don& #39;t get the wake up calls that the rest of us do. You get to go about your way being a dick.
Is this true for everyone? Obviously not. South Africans of all people don& #39;t need to be told that.
We have one of the most humble, down to earth, accessible and relatable rugby captains the world has ever seen.
But Kolisis and Amlas are in the minority (in every sense).
We have one of the most humble, down to earth, accessible and relatable rugby captains the world has ever seen.
But Kolisis and Amlas are in the minority (in every sense).
Don& #39;t place unfair and unnecessary expectations on your sporting heroes. Don& #39;t build them up in your minds to be more than they really are.
That way, when all the stories inevitably come out, you won& #39;t be disappointed.
Appreciate them for what they are. Flawed humans.
That way, when all the stories inevitably come out, you won& #39;t be disappointed.
Appreciate them for what they are. Flawed humans.
