Proffesional Sportsman could give up career for his wedding day

[Hooligan Harry]

Adam Voges has shown his fiancée he will stick with her in good times and bad after pulling out of Australia's limited-overs series against South Africa to get married. Voges, who played the Twenty20 against New Zealand last month, had asked to fly back to the wedding in Perth during the series and miss up to two matches, but the selectors decided not having any batting cover for the squad was too great a risk.

Voges has only played three limited-overs matches for Australia, and conceded the decision to remain in Perth could spell the end of his international career. "There's every possibility that that could be the case," Voges told AAP. "There's certainly no guarantees that I'm going to get selected again and I fully understand that and realise that.

I found the media and public response to this absolutely astounding.

In Australia, a lot of radio stations have been inundated with calls from women and men who think that what he has done is not only a good idea but better for the sake of his marriage. (Gotta keep the lady happy at all costs buddy!) This is proof of his commitment and its a special day that people need to respect.

Now, this is a professional sportsman. He makes his living playing the game. The opportunity to represent your country, honor aside, its a MASSIVE paycheck. Not just the immediate wage but the endorsements and career opportunities that follow when he retires. He has spent most of his life building up to the moment where he could reach the pinnacle of his chosen sport.

He gambles the entire thing because he does not want to move his wedding.

So his commitment to a ONE DAY CELEBRATION at the expense of his long term financial well being is being championed by everyone. The fact that this affects his income and future career prospects and as a result his ability to provide for his wife and future family is being ignored. The fact that he has spent years battling to break into the side is being ignored. The fact that he has a short window to cement his spot is being ignored. The whole concept of making a responsible decision for the good of the marriage is being thrown out the window just for the wedding. Its romantic and people are lapping it up.

I am shocked that his future wife has not stepped in and said "**** this, you are going." I am shocked that his friends and family are not telling him to get his head read. I am shocked that people throughout Australia have seen this as the ultimate romantic gesture and an act of extreme commitment to his girlfriend.

Or maybe I am not shocked. Maybe it does not come as that big a surprise. People cant see past their noses these days.

/rant

 

[Jitterbug]

I live in Australia as well & yeah I thought the BS in the media is just unbelievable.

To make a comparison with another culture, in the Asian soccer championship 2007, one of the Viet players (the playmaker) had his wedding scheduled on the same date of the quarter-final as he thought Vietnam would never make it to the QF. They ended up surprising everyone and made it through to the QF. The guy decided to fly home for his wedding. In the Viet media, everyone called him a pvssy-whipped coward for putting his country and team behind himself and a wedding that could be easily rescheduled. I think he was consequently dropped from the national team.

 

[WaterTiger]

Two matches? He only had TWO matches left and she couldn't wait???

What a beeyoch! Why didn't she try to schedule the wedding in the OFF season, so it wouldn't interupt his schedule and he could have his team mates at the wedding???

 

[Andy_Dufresne]

The matrix at work......

What a moron. Mark my words, they will be divorced within five years.

 

[princelydeeds]

If you have to give up your career to get her, what will you have to do to keep her?

 

[mrRuckus]

He should dump her for the fact that she'd even let him do this.

 

[Yce]

He let down his team mates, his country and the supporters, yet people praise this. I understand his wedding day should be celebrated but it could easily have been moved to a different day. I like the Vietnamese example a couple of posts above...this is an example of how selfish Western individualism can be.

If "to be selfish" means to do what's in one's best interest, I don't see how throwing his career down the toilet, jeopardizing his financial future, and forever compromising his SELF-respect and dignity in the eyes of everyone (including his wife-to-be), could possibly be in his interest. He acted as he did precisely because he has no sense of self.

 

[backbreaker]

you want to know the really, fvcked up part about all this? she is putting her financial future in jeopardy. it's so grand now, a year from now, she is going to look at him and tell him he's not the same person he was when she met him (you know, when he was respected and getting paid), and end up fvcking someone else on the team, becuase he's a professional football player.