To: John Terry
Posted by popculturememo on February 4, 2010
Re: Tiger Woods Version 2.0
Football fans (the round ball kind) and much of the Queen’s realm are currently debating John Terry’s fate. If soccer is not your thing, here’s a quick re-cap of events. John Terry plays for English Premiere League team Chelsea and is the England captain. He cheated on his wife with the fiancee of his former Chelsea teammate Wayne Bridge, who is also on the national team. Allegedly, Terry asked for time off to assist Bridge’s fiancee with terminating a pregnancy. As a result, Bridge is now saying he might not play for the national team. For fans of England and the World Cup, this is a crisis of epic proportions. For fans of popular culture, this is a chance to witness the sporting world’s version of As The World Turns. More importantly, it’s an opportunity to continue the interesting debate on sports stars as role models–with a twist.
Like Tiger Woods, Terry is being judged on his suspect morality. Calls for his termination as England captain are growing louder each day. However, unlike Tiger Woods, Terry is part of a national team and as captain of that team represents an entire country. As a role model, Terry is a disgrace. As a footballer, Terry is a star. Herein lies the problem.
If Terry’s behavior has dishonored all of England does this mean that his winning football skills should be disregarded in favor of his not so winning way with the ladies? On the one hand, a winner is a winner. On the other, England doesn’t want to be cast in a starring role on The Bold and The Beautiful–Football Edition.
In Terry’s case (unlike Tiger’s), the nation actually deserves a voice in his future. While the betrayal felt by Woods’ fans was misplaced, the disappointment felt by Terry’s fans is not. The World Cup is an exercise in nation building and Terry’s behavior has cast a dark shadow over his countrymen. He has caused a distraction that could potentially stop his team from successfully focusing on football. Whether this means that England won’t perform well at the World Cup depends upon how easily the team can forget that their captain has betrayed one of their own. Whether England supporters can accept Terry as the face of their country depends upon how much they value winning.
