Olympians or Footballers

The Olympics this year have been a revelation to much of the country; people have found a new or rekindled love for sport, they have discovered a new patriotism and hundreds of thousands have been inspired by the athletes that have been performing on sport's grandest stage.  Quite rightly, many have hailed the Olympians as role models in the wake of the instant-fame culture we find ourselves in today.

Jessica Ennis wins heptathlon gold. (guardian.co.uk)

A group who have closely been compared with the athletes of this summer's Olympics is professional footballers.  In the workplace, on television and throughout society, the comparison between 'hard-working, passionate, humble Olympians' and 'lazy, over-paid, arrogant footballers' has been made in the aftermath of the Olympics and football has once again become a scape goat throughout Britain.