Robert the Bruce wrote: ↑May 14, 2021, 3:08 pm
Act accordingly in your own best interests. but do it with some integrity.
The same could be said about the teams. None of which act in their own interests with any shred of integrity.
I continue to be flummoxed by fans who hold players to a higher standard of ethical behaviour than they hold their clubs to.
Professional sports is a business and it's played dirty by both sides.
Fans are over joyed when there is unscrupulous behaviour by a club that is in their best interest... be that to shop an unwanted player around to rivals, sign a player for the future and agitate for early release, sack a squad player for off field behaviour that the star wouldn't dream of getting sacked for, poaching all the best players from a team like Wigan knowing there is nothing they can do about it, public leaks about players performance or negotiations on going aimed at getting a desired result.
We the fans don't care. We applaud them for doing what needs to be done to be successful. No one is worried about the impact that has on the player. That's just business.
But the moment a player (and to be clear, lets remember its those players who are actually the skilled individuals we pay to see, the ones who put their bodies and future well being on the line for our entertainment) wishes to play a little dirt to get the result he wants, we lose our minds