Do Footballers Need To Be Role Models?

Well I was wondering what people thought about this, whith such things as Rooney, and Terry tarnishing their reputation is it important to be role models?

in my opinion they dont need to be role models

Not so much for the kids watching or playing football for fun, but mainly for their young teammates they should at least be an example to follow on the field.

Obviously their personal lives should remain personal and none needs to know what each one of them is doing on his bed, but as long as they are doing a healthy life that does not really affect their performance it should be alright I guess.

Charles Barkley answered this question years ago:

Well In my opinion sports people do need to be role models well the top tier, I mean the ones that kids buy merchandise with and praise. As they are an icon of that football club, and If they get caught doing drugs the kids are looking at that person doing drugs without consequence, and the football club looks bad.

Joannes I think that Charles Barkley is wrong, as he said that after he accidently spat in the face of a kid, and saying stuff like that is taking the pressure off him, because he believe himself not to be judged on something like that, although people will stil judge him on that.

I agree that athletes need to be held at the same, if not higher, level of ethical standards than the rest of us because of their visibility. Being an athlete should never give someone a free pass. That said, however, we as fans need to draw a line as well. Idolize the talent on the court, the field, the pitch, but not the personal life beyond that.

Yes I agree with you there, but I think some individuals at a certain level in sport need to I dunno not go into extremes, it really just depends on peoples opinions of the personal life. E.g. I see sleeping with prositutes worse than being drunk, which is probably most people. But like at the extreme end I have to say is drugs taking for sports icon's but thats just my view.

Former UEFA President Lennart Johansson believes goal-line technology has no place in football, saying the game is for "humans and not for robots".
In an interview with The Associated Press, Johansson also backed England's bid for the 2018 World Cup and criticized the standard of play at this year's World Cup.

The 80-year-old Swede, who held European football's top job for 17 years, added that Wayne Rooney had failed as a role model by becoming caught up in a sex scandal.

i dont think people get affected about whats going on off the pitch. and parents should do a better job raising their kids.

girls look like they are more affected by the media and such things.

but from what im seeing most of the young players now a days are starting to be dicks on the pitch. diving, swearing having a bad attitude.

and those are the things we need to remove from football.
but its upto parents to do their jobs.

"humans and not for robots" ... lol, almost all other "worldwide" sports uses technology to keep up, especially since millions of people can watch the replays seconds after the situation takes place... ofcourse there will be misstakes, with the pace att top level athletics and footballplayers in particular, who cheats more then any other athletes i've seen the last couple of years, it's only human for the ref not to see everything... but it seems so stupid, when even the fans, inside the stadium can see such things as lampards goal and tevez 5 feet offside goal, just after it takes place, before the ref makes up his mind, and STILL, the only people in the world who cant see what happend, are the 3 who are about to decide.... it just doesn't make any sence...

btw i'm with red army about roony, there job is to deliver on the pitch, not being saints next to it

i think the penalty area refs are a good idea. i don't want football to become so into technology that the game stops when they clear off the line.

but most things can be picked up by the penalty area ref. i mean considering how much money goes to the players. they can probably get 2 more refs every match with all the money around.

ok just being devil's advocate here, but what about Marlon King, done for sexual assault (although he still denies it). And has gone back to football at second teir in english league, I mean role models don't have to be perfect but they could be I dunno normal, or average standard of human being rather than a person who sexualy assaults people. And if people say marlon king isn't a role model, well try telling that to the kids who buy shirts with his name on the back, and stick by him.