?

If I was depending on other peoples money or help? That would mean I've reached the bottom.

I don't think the people who get Özils or anyone's money care. They're living another life.

How is winning the world cup and taking part in a show about your professional future the same? The World Cup is there, it happens every four years and nations take part in it to win it. There's nothing wrong with taking part in this competition. On the other hand, James took part in an ego feeding show to announce the world his decision about where he wanted to play... How are these two related? I'm not saying donating money is wrong. That's nice. That though, does not make what you did to make that money right. Unless what you did was something like win the WC. Because there's nothing wrong with that in the first place! If I make money selling drugs or weapons and then donate that money to a charity does that make my business right? No, I'm not saying James did anything as bad as that, I'm just making a point. Look, James himself has apologized a number of times for the way he handled that situation as recently as in his piece for SI a few days ago. You can keep supporting what he himself regrets doing and I will keep thinking it was wrong partly because well, after all, James does too.

Merkel didn't win the World Cup. She announced about giving the money to a charitable cause, for her ego. In your eyes, that's what LeBron did, gave money to charity but it was about his ego, apparently.

Of course he apoogised, he's sick of being asked about it and this shoots it dead. I've apologised for things I'm not sorry for so someone might STFU about it.

Why do you insist on the giving money to charity part? I never said that's wrong or that was about anyone's ego, I'm saying 'The Decision' was a thoughtless, completely unnecessary, self-promoting non-sense. It's a very nice thing that he donated the money afterwards, that doesn't make 'The Decision' itself any less an egomaniacal mistake.

I know what you're saying, I'm pretty sure I've done that too. But I did not base my opinion on James's apology, I obviously had an opinion before that and I always though it was wrong. I do however not think this is a case of James apologizing so that people will get off his back about it, I do believe he actually thinks it was a parody, because I can't see anything that's not wrong about it.

To sum up, 'The Decision'=wrong, donating money=right. The right part does not make the wrong part any less wrong.

But, like with Merkel, the good far outweighs the bad. Who gives a F if someone does something for their ego? It's not hurting anybody. If every sports man came out with egotistical adverts and whatnot, and gave the money to good causes I'd be all for it.

It seems like people dwell far too much on the, irrelevant, negative stuff rather than focus on the meaningful positive.

+1

I'm not arguing that, I'm just commenting on what's wrong. You did that too in your sentence, you said "egotistical adverts". That's all I'm saying and apart from it, of course the good far outweighs the bad. There's not even anything bad about it actually.


Of course, this works the opposite way too. Donating money=right, making it public="wrong" and the latter does not make the former any less right.

and I agree with that, but the fact still remains that people will focus on the negative, despite it being quite irrelevant.

An act of kindness can only be respected if it is truly selfless like what Ronaldo does and what Totti does. Otherwise, while you can be happy for the recipient, the donator just looks crass.

The end result doesn't make that any less true, but like you both rightly say, it doesn't make the donation itself any less useful.

Just wish it was for altruism and selfless helping of others rather than self-promotion, ego, vanity and praise.

And who are you or the media to judge if act is selfless or not?

That's like saying no one is allowed to judge anyone for anything, anywhere.

Yep - pretty much. Judgment never brings any good from my experience. When you know 5% of the whole story, you rather keep it for yourself. That's my opinion anyway.