Sunday, March 22, 2009

Pelé and his drug problem

Pelé was a great footballer. Besides this, he was uncontroversial, nice, friendly and in control, all great qualities in a person.
Just now, in an interview in Brazil, Pelé has critiziced players such as Robinho, Ronaldo and Maradona for being bad role models for youngsters, due to apparent associations with drugs.
Pelé has a problem, just as everyone who keeps going about sportsmen as "examples". Firstly, Mr. Maradona has suffered his things, and to keep getting back at him for his mistakes is basically just petty gossip; Maradona is now Argentine national coach and has moved beyond his addiction; he does not hide his mistakes, and should instead be admired for being a man that got himself together.
As to Msrs. Robinho and Ronaldo I cannot understand that this is not slander: has anything been proven? But not withstanding this, what is Pelé expecting? Everyone is different, and these young lads want to live their life, make the mistakes we all make, and learn from it. The examples for youngsters should lie with the parents, and not with some footballer! If kids take drugs "because Maradona did it", not only the kids have a problem, but more so the parents and even society at large. I loved Maradona when I was a kid, even when all his drug-problems came out - but it never made me want to try drugs!
I don't understand where Pelé wants to go with this, but it is nonsensical slander and takes attention away from the real drug-problems in the world.

1 comment:

El Erik said...

I just saw that Robinho is (understandably) hugely disappointed of Pelé's gossip, and on his webpage (http://www.robinhoofficial.com/) (btw, it is a really nice webpage!), wants Pelé to withdraw his comment or face charges of libel.
This underlines my viewpoint that Pelé is a gossipy old guy who spreads unsustained gossip.