[DavetheScot]

Originally Posted by Sweet FA

Not implying it's their only option but people seriously seem to expect them to turn offers which come their way down. Don't mean to be rude, but Rebecca Adlington would be very limited in terms of being offered TV work and the like so of course she is having to cut her coat according to her size...

I assume you mean by that that only conventially good-looking people will get TV work. I don't agree; Rebecca Adlington is a big name and would certainly be able to get work on TV, at least for a while. Of course, not all athletes do well on TV; the Australian Kathy Freeman tried it, was rubbish at it and vanished. Sue Barker by contrast proved a natural for it.

[scintilla]

Originally Posted by DavetheScot

I assume you mean by that that only conventially good-looking people will get TV work. I don't agree; Rebecca Adlington is a big name and would certainly be able to get work on TV, at least for a while. Of course, not all athletes do well on TV; the Australian Kathy Freeman tried it, was rubbish at it and vanished. Sue Barker by contrast proved a natural for it.

I agree with you. Becky Adlington isn't going to get invites to sit front row at London Fashion week like Victoria Pendleton or Jessica Ennis, just as she didn't do their glam photoshoots or nab as lucrative endorsements but she'll have various tv offers. SCD, I'm a celebrity, Dancing on Ice would all happily have her.

Punditry at swimming championships would also be an obvious option. Vicky Pendleton is doing the Track Cycling Championships on BBC2 at the moment with Jonathan Edwards and has made a very promising start. Rebecca may not have Vicky or Jess's looks but if she is engaging and informative and has the right presence on camera it won't matter.

[DavetheScot]

Originally Posted by scintilla

I agree with you. Becky Adlington isn't going to get invites to sit front row at London Fashion week like Victoria Pendleton or Jessica Ennis, just as she didn't do their glam photoshoots or nab as lucrative endorsements but she'll have various tv offers. SCD, I'm a celebrity, Dancing on Ice would all happily have her.

Punditry at swimming championships would also be an obvious option. Vicky Pendleton is doing the Track Cycling Championships on BBC2 at the moment with Jonathan Edwards and has made a very promising start. Rebecca may not have Vicky or Jess's looks but if she is engaging and informative and has the right presence on camera it won't matter.

Rona Martin, who was part of the 2002 Winter Olympics UK gold-medal- winning curling team, was a really excellent commentator at the 2010 Winter Olympics. She's no looker, but she knows her sport and is good at explaining it.

[PunksNotDead]

I blame Tom Daley

[AdelaideGirl]

They are all less embarrassing than the Aussie men's relay swim team who apparently had the maturity of 12 year olds before they got in the pool.

[wallster]

Originally Posted by popmusicman

Luke Campbell is doing Dancing on Ice alongside Beth

Being an amataur boxer he is not earning much money at the moment so I don't blame for him for trying to make some money from his Olympic success through shows like Dancing on Ice to support his family (he has two young children one of which is just a couple of months old)

Yes, good on him and the others. They deserve to try and make some money from their success. They trained hard, brought distinction to our country, and good luck to them.

[hugene141]

Originally Posted by milliejo

In this country we revere football players, regardless of their success, they are hugely over paid, whether they win or lose.
Yet when we have real success either from the Olympians or Andy Murray they get slated for making money from their fame.

In the US, China, Russia and Romania their gymnasts are treated like superstars when they win medals. In this country we resent anyone's success if they make money and appear on tv to try something new...

Not slating or resenting anyone because I am not about to pay their bills
I am just a little concerned at the speed at which they are diving into the celebrity thing like there is really nothing else - pretty sad if that is the case. Now I must confess that I am not a fan of reality TV and never will be (if a want reality, i only have to turn off the TV and look around me) so I can safely be ignored because I am probably biased.

[milliejo]

Originally Posted by hugene141

Not slating or resenting anyone because I am not about to pay their bills
I am just a little concerned at the speed at which they are diving into the celebrity thing like there is really nothing else - pretty sad if that is the case. Now I must confess that I am not a fan of reality TV and never will be (if a want reality, i only have to turn off the TV and look around me) so I can safely be ignored because I am probably biased.

They have worked hard for years for a moment to make some money, if they wait they will be forgotten or they will run out of time because they need to concentrate on training again.
I am no fan of reality tv, I don't see Strictly or DOI as reality TV, they are competitions where people can transfer their skills and people can see the person away from the sport.
Many athletes take time out after an Olympics, it is a time when the women might have a child, because they can recover in time to train again. Or they know they have had enough and quit.
Sometimes if someone has something special that shows up on TV, they can get a career from it. John McEnroe, Jim Courier, Tracy Austin have all become excellent commentators of tennis. One thing they have over the British commentators is they know what it is like to win grand slams.
Louis Smith and Beth Tweddle could also make a career out of coaching abroad and make good money too.
Others get endorsements and make money that way...At least they are famous for high achievement and they are also getting funding for their sports.

[Sweet FA]

Originally Posted by DavetheScot

I assume you mean by that that only conventially good-looking people will get TV work. I don't agree; Rebecca Adlington is a big name and would certainly be able to get work on TV, at least for a while. Of course, not all athletes do well on TV; the Australian Kathy Freeman tried it, was rubbish at it and vanished. Sue Barker by contrast proved a natural for it.

OMG, you choose to misrepresent what I posted yet again! Where did I say she absolutely couldn't get any TV work? Please re-read: what I actually said was she'd be limited. Wow.

[Tiger Rose]

Originally Posted by hugene141

Not slating or resenting anyone because I am not about to pay their bills
I am just a little concerned at the speed at which they are diving into the celebrity thing like there is really nothing else - pretty sad if that is the case. Now I must confess that I am not a fan of reality TV and never will be (if a want reality, i only have to turn off the TV and look around me) so I can safely be ignored because I am probably biased.

I think it's called striking whilst the iron's hot. Also it's not like they are ONLY doing reality TV it's just one option.

[Rip the TV Eye]

After London 2012, I think they've earned it.

[DavetheScot]

Originally Posted by Sweet FA

OMG, you choose to misrepresent what I posted yet again! Where did I say she absolutely couldn't get any TV work? Please re-read: what I actually said was she'd be limited. Wow.

But it's not really that much of a limitation, is it? The only type that she couldn't get that, say, Jessica Ennis could would be that relating to conventional good looks. And most of the work on offer to former athletes - even Jessica Ennis - won't be of that nature.

[*Sparkle*]

Originally Posted by milliejo

I am no fan of reality tv, I don't see Strictly or DOI as reality TV, they are competitions where people can transfer their skills and people can see the person away from the sport.

I agree with this. At least, I don't see all reality tv as equal. Sitting around in the CBB house for a couple of weeks for a cheap buck is totally different from entering a skill-based competition like Strictly or Dancing on Ice.

I recall Beth Tweddle's dad being asked during the Olympics about her plans afterwards. It was well flagged that she'd be retiring, and no-one was complaining about that. He said that she'd be looking forward to trying out some new things and taking on challenges she wasn't able to do while she was caught up in her years of very demanding training. He also said that she'd be taking on some new challenges to avoid entering into some kind of cold turkey state. For her, learning to skate and going on DOI seems an incredibly natural move. She got a bit of a break, but is able to keep on training, using her existing talents, but also trying something new, moving out of the gymnastics bubble, as well as (I presume) earning some decent money to give her some well earned financial security.

The fact it increases her level of celebrity is almost irrelevant, but I'm with others who say I'd rather see people like Beth and other Olympians getting attention as well as the usual actors and singers, and ideally instead of page 3 girls and footballers' girlfriends.

Originally Posted by milliejo

Sometimes if someone has something special that shows up on TV, they can get a career from it. John McEnroe, Jim Courier, Tracy Austin have all become excellent commentators of tennis.

This is also a good point, and a retired sports stars will eventually move into being a pundit or commentating, but it's not enough to be good at a sport, or even know a lot about a sport. Appearing on these shows is a good way to find out about and get used to the tv world.

Even if some of them are just "cashing in", I don't mind. Not all sports get good funding, and so long as they don't over-do it, and are able to re-focus on their sport when the time is right - fair play. The less well funded sports tend to also be the ones where there are gaps in the sporting calendar anyway, so why not fill that time earning money in their own right?

[big dan]

Originally Posted by Scarlett O Hara

Going the reality TV/z-lister route will never be anything but tacky and desperate in my eyes, sorry. People had to do real work for a living once. Better times...

Agreed.

Originally Posted by DavetheScot

There's any number of ways they can earn a crust - coaching would almost certainly be an option for some (it looks like that is Rebecca Adlington's plan). I have no problem with them going on reality TV, but it's far from their only option.

Indeed, I'm sure professional Olympic athletes could gain some lucrative work through their actual profession. It says a lot about society these days when being a media whore is excused as 'needing to make a living somehow'.

[milliejo]

Originally Posted by *Sparkle*

I agree with this. At least, I don't see all reality tv as equal. Sitting around in the CBB house for a couple of weeks for a cheap buck is totally different from entering a skill-based competition like Strictly or Dancing on Ice.

I recall Beth Tweddle's dad being asked during the Olympics about her plans afterwards. It was well flagged that she'd be retiring, and no-one was complaining about that. He said that she'd be looking forward to trying out some new things and taking on challenges she wasn't able to do while she was caught up in her years of very demanding training. He also said that she'd be taking on some new challenges to avoid entering into some kind of cold turkey state. For her, learning to skate and going on DOI seems an incredibly natural move. She got a bit of a break, but is able to keep on training, using her existing talents, but also trying something new, moving out of the gymnastics bubble, as well as (I presume) earning some decent money to give her some well earned financial security.

The fact it increases her level of celebrity is almost irrelevant, but I'm with others who say I'd rather see people like Beth and other Olympians getting attention as well as the usual actors and singers, and ideally instead of page 3 girls and footballers' girlfriends.


This is also a good point, and a retired sports stars will eventually move into being a pundit or commentating, but it's not enough to be good at a sport, or even know a lot about a sport. Appearing on these shows is a good way to find out about and get used to the tv world.

Even if some of them are just "cashing in", I don't mind. Not all sports get good funding, and so long as they don't over-do it, and are able to re-focus on their sport when the time is right - fair play. The less well funded sports tend to also be the ones where there are gaps in the sporting calendar anyway, so why not fill that time earning money in their own right?

McEnroe earns a huge amount of money at Wimbledon because he also commentates for NBC.
Those that are "cashing in" may also be paying back their families for all their support and financial hardships.

[Tiger Rose]

Originally Posted by big dan

Agreed.



Indeed, I'm sure professional Olympic athletes could gain some lucrative work through their actual profession. It says a lot about society these days when being a media whore is excused as 'needing to make a living somehow'.

Wishful thinking for the most part. Coaching is an option for some but you're deluded if you think this would be lucrative for Olympic Sports. Also it won't suit everyone. Those who are successful in sports very often don't make good coaches & the most successful coaches often had very little success when they competed.

There is also motivational and/or after dinner speaking but again that won't suit all - formal public speaking isn't for everyone.

The only other alternative is doing commentary but then you would probably deride them for being a media whore. And again for Olympic sports it won't be that lucrative as even post 2012 there is still only limited coverage of most Olympic sports - a few days here & there.

[Sweet FA]

Originally Posted by DavetheScot

There's any number of ways they can earn a crust - coaching would almost certainly be an option for some (it looks like that is Rebecca Adlington's plan). I have no problem with them going on reality TV, but it's far from their only option.

Originally Posted by big dan

...I'm sure professional Olympic athletes could gain some lucrative work through their actual profession. It says a lot about society these days when being a media whore is excused as 'needing to make a living somehow'.

That's a bit like assuming anyone who's been to Uni should consider teaching in the subject offered: a particular skill doesn't automatically extrapolate to a particular profession and why should it? I did French and I neither teach nor use French professionally...

[DavetheScot]

Originally Posted by Sweet FA

That's a bit like assuming anyone who's been to Uni should consider teaching in the subject offered: a particular skill doesn't automatically extrapolate to a particular profession and why should it? I did French and I neither teach nor use French professionally...

I did say that it would be an option for some, not all. But I think most would find it possible to get work, even if not related to their sport.

As I've said, though, I have no problem with them doing reality TV and see nothing reprehensible in it. It's all very well criticising "media whores" but people enjoy these programmes and they wouldn't exist without those willing to appear on them.

[milliejo]

The trouble with the idea of coaching is that many of the top coaches are Russian, Romanian, Chinese people who have found a job that can give them money and away out of the country they are in...Especially in swimming, gymnastics ( The British head coach is Romanian.), track and field, tennis (Andy Murray is now coached by Ivan Lendl.), football etc...

Is John McEnroe considered to be whoring himself working for two tv networks at Wimbledon? or is he that good that he is in huge demand because he gets paid a ton of money.