Football or soccer is oft chastised for the more seedy, salacious and hedonistic lifestyles of its' players with their bulging wallets and their celebrity lifestyles.
Indeed footballers are more often on the front pages of the newspapers as often as they are on the back.
Tales of crashed super cars, scuffles outside nightclubs, extra marital affairs - even doing the dirty on your brother - are the norm with a new phrase 'roasting' even being born. Everyone looked on and muttered under their breath.
The beautiful game however is capable of many renaissance periods and lately, it appears that a wonderful movement of new found spirituality has found its way in to the game.
The wonderful Brazilian Kaka was the first to embrace this. Everyone was aware of the importance of God in Kaka's life, he wore t-shirts under his jersey to that effect even. He has always been a model professional in every respect.
It was therefore no surprise when he routinely looked upwards to the heavens and held both hands up with his index fingers pointed skywards in thanks to God for the goal that he had just scored.
What has been surprising however is just how profound an effect that Kaka's beliefs have had.
It would now appear that nearly all professional footballers have adopted his celebration in giving thanks, index fingers to the sky, the back arched and the head held back, sweat glistening in the floodlights.
In an average Premiership game, footballers can be seen all over the pitch saluting the heavens in exactly the same way as Kaka does. Whether entering or exiting the pitch or even for being awarded a simple throw in on occasion.
It is truly inspirational to see how quickly this new found morality and spirituality has swept the game.
Suggestions that players are simply imagining a mirror image of themselves is I'm sure entirely unfounded and untrue.
In time one must hope that the media grasps this paradigm shift that has overtaken global football and that the newspapers spend less time harrassing these most noble of gladiators.
It is time to turn a blind eye to the perceived excesses of their downtime, they are of course under extreme pressure and need their release valve.
Football is of course a global game now and surely the Mosques, Churches, Temples and Synagogues must be bursting at the seams with new attendees.
Extra car parking will be required, maybe even a valet for all the Bentleys and Range Rovers, the donation jars will surely be stuffed to the brim.
Bearing this in mind we may see a shift away from so many different kick off times over the weekends as TV has to come in line with players' needs to attend their various places of worship.
I for one feel invigorated by this new movement across football and see those I once saw as a majority of overpaid lager louts in a completely new light. They should be commended for mending their ways.
Three cheers for Kaka - No Nonsense.
No comments:
Post a Comment