When The Pot Replaced The Kettle As England Captain

Over the past month, the British public has been subjected to none stop conjecture over the future of John George Terry and the England football team captaincy. Well, fortunately for those debating his capacity for the job and moral conviction, a decision has been made. After arriving back in England after knee surgery recuperation, Fabio Capello pulled the trigger on Terry’s captaincy.

It’s important to state the details of Terry’s proposed indiscretions with a teammate’s wife are still purely allegations at this point. However, many feel that Terry’s attempts to place an injunction on the media is proof enough to warrant his dismissal from his England captain duties. This goes against the very foundation of our legal system, innocent until proven guilty. It is clear that this is no legal case, but that only furthers the counter argument to taking action against Terry. He hasn’t actually done anything illegal; morally dubious, but legal nonetheless.

This highlights the major issue in British society’s outrage to this whole affair; their expectations. Just like celebrities, the British public enjoy building up hero sportspeople, just to knock them down again. However, sportspeople aren’t programmed to enjoy publicity, both good and bad. Professional footballers should not be the moral compass that guide our nation’s youth, or we are heading for disaster. I love football as much as anyone, but it’s clear from headline after headline that there’s no one member of the England team less morally bankrupt than Terry or any other star player.

So who does Capello chose as a replacement? Rio Ferdinand. The same Rio Ferdinand that was banned for 8 months for failing to take a mandatory drugs test (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/3333091.stm) and has also been banned from driving four times in 8 years, with a judge stating “"He is a role model and should be a positive role model for young people in society and this does not give out the right message." (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/2360175/Ferdinand-handed-driving-ban.html). This isn’t meant to demonstrate anything about Rio Ferdinand but to show the hypocrisy of replacing the pot with the kettle. Britain shouldn’t expect young, overpaid athletes with beautiful women throwing themselves at them to be a shining light of morality for the youth today. It should be the parents, siblings and teachers who show the adults of tomorrow how to behave.

TO