I do. Have sympathy I mean. Yes, I'm really an old softy, and not the cynical world weary grumpy old man that I appear.

Some of the people who get yelled at by the angry mob are really quite young people. It's a big ask to expect maturity and a squeaky clean existence from kids. Yes, some of these people are in the 16-25 age group. We all have short memories, how many people lived this 'role model' life at such a young age. They've fallen into this, their interest is in sport or whatever. People forget their age in all this. We need to give them a break.

Having said that, I'm sure the money comes as some compensation. And even though it would be hard to turn down the money that comes with the endorsements and sponsorships, it would be a good exercise to any young person who wants to be their own person, and wants to be a sports person and nothing else.
(If that's even possible these days)

Another thing that might not occur to people, is that sport for one is a full time occupation that doesn't pay all that well. The endorsements are needed, as the alternative is to be washed up at 28 with nothing behind you and few qualifications. In that environment, who wouldn't try to set themselves up.

Then once they sign up, they are stuck into a standard of behaviour far and above others with the same age and level of maturity and even far above your local pastor.

I'm sure when a young kid wants to play sport, you cant seriously say they should have thought of the fact they were signing up to be a saint somewhere down the line.

No runner you have that market cornered

I would love StG and runner to explain how Christians are villified. It seems you can't comment on a pedophile priest without offending Christians. Just by claiming to be an atheist one is apparently villifying Christians.

I felt a bit sorry for Rice over what was a throwaway comment in the heat of excitment about a sporting event. No wonder we have a rise in depression and mental illness - you can't step out of your door without treading in dog doo. Are we becoming that uptight? I have relatives who are Gay and that comment is the least of their problems - the irony is they often use words like 'fag' and 'poof'.

I think we need to look at the intent first and not get to hung up on semantics.

I agree that we expect too much
of our sports stars. As one journalist
commented, "The real issues for the gay
community extend deeper than a throwaway
line from a young, inarticulate swimmer."

One website quoted the following examples:

1) "Issues like same-sex adoption,
still trying to work its way through the NSW
Legislative Assembly. The slowness of this
process is something to be angry about."

2)"No political party tackled the issue of
gay marriage during the recent election.
Tony Abbott feels threatened by homosexuality,
and the openly gay - climate change Minister,
Penny Wong, prefers to follow the party-line
rather than endorse same-sex partnerships
making it to the altar."

"There are bigger fish to fry, than a naive
gibbering superfish."

'The Masters of Outrage' is a classic. The satire of Hungry Beast is most welcome.

Heh, heh, OLO is a small pond, where tinpot masters of outrage vie for attention.