Tom Daley and Splash..

I caught a little bit of the program 'Splash'. Typical celebrity trash i guess, and i noticed as i went online there was a lot of feedback about this, how many felt that he had sold out, by going to TV, and was accused of not focussing on his diving.

My own feeling is, that he is a young lad, who was probably offerred a shit load of money, to do something, which might, yes, be trashy, but he is probably milking it, for what its worth, and fame i am sure is a drug, so why not roll in it. I am sure when the time comes, he will deliver the goods, but four years is a long way away, and as a runner, i know that even when you are focussed and doing great, injury, can only be a short step away. I was sad to learn he is giving up University though, but with the money he is making from this, at least he wont have a student debt when he does decide to go Uni.

If he were my son I'd be really pleased for him, I'd be glad he didn't have to the shit jobs I did at that age and was able to secure his finacial future.

Who's business is it anyway? You watch it or you don't of your own free will.

i don't blame him. there's no money in professional sport (in 98% of cases).

He's entitled to a bit of fun and down-time from hard training, isn't he? He's still very young, and all too soon it'll be time for him to buckle down to more hours and hours of tough training, so what if he wants to do something different and earn a few bob for once? Everyone needs a break now and then.

It's a disgrace, he's dead to me.   No I don't care either - he has to make a living and I can't see that it's really a big deal - he's been doing plenty of other media stuff which probably wasn't as well paid anyway - didn't he get some stick for it off one of the British Olympic head honchos ?  

There are quite a few athletes that have a year off after the Olympics, some of them use the break to start families - Sarah Storey for example. If Tom Daley wants to spend his making trash TV and earning a bit of cash then that's entirely up to him. Let's face it, he competed in Beijing at the age of 14, lost a parent and must have spent most of his life in training. He could also potentially compete in another 3 or even 4 Olympics - if anyone deserves a break it's him.

I feel for the parents of wannabe Daleys.

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/368900/Diver-Tom-Daley-s-stolen-our-pool-

I am sure there is more to it than the angry Express conveys.

the one sad thing is that, despite getting fantastic exam results and having the pick of university places, he sees more of a future presenting tv shows than being, say, a doctor.

i'm not judging his personal choice. but it says a lot.

In one sense I absolutely agree but once you have become a "celebrity" it can be difficult to put that into reverse, however noble your intentions. It's a genie that can't be put back in the box. Look at Neil Armstrong who struggled with his fame all his life despite never asking for it.

Dara O'Briain and Brian May (for example) are both fiercely intelligent, May has a PhD in astrophysics and O'Briain studied theoretical physics, but I don't imagine either of them would give up their day jobs to go off and study the workings of the universe full time. 

David Schwimmer always expressed his intention to give up acting to become an elementary school teacher but obviously realised how difficult that would be, given the success of "Friends" and turned to directing instead.  

Besides it's pretty much unworkable if you think about it. If Daly does retire from competion at, say, 30, all he will ever really have known is diving. He's hardly likely to go off and spend 7 years studying in medicine or in some some other "noble" field only start out on the bottom rung of a (by comparison to presenting) badly paid secondary career at 37. I wouldn't.

the dude abides wrote (see)

the one sad thing is that, despite getting fantastic exam results and having the pick of university places, he sees more of a future presenting tv shows than being, say, a doctor.

i'm not judging his personal choice. but it says a lot.

Not really - most people who choose to become doctors do it at least in large part for the money and the degree of autonomy most doctors have in their work.   Tom Daley is probably doing this for similar reasons.    

Isn't it a good thing anyway - helps put his sport in the public eye - it's no different to the Olympics in that regard except this doesn't cost millions of public money.    

It was David Sparkes (head of British Swimming) who said that he was concerned Tom was spending too much time on media commitments and not enough training. But his coach said that they are doing Splash in his quiet time and that he wouldn't be jeopardising his diving career for TV work.

I'd much rather watch this kind of show (even if it is trashy) than X-Factor, Big Brother or I'm A Celebrity ... and if they bring more interest to less mainstream sports that's surely a good thing?

I've not seen the programme and he got criticised by the CEO of British Swiming about taking part (EDIT - x-post with xine)

here's Daley's mum's response - sadly on the Daily Rant but it's an interesting read.  it also puts into context his involvement with Splash.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/othersports/article-2259777/Tom-Daleys-mum-Debbie-hits-David-Sparkes-Splash-criticism--EXCLUSIVE.html

Thanks for posting that FB, very interesting reading.

I do feel that Sparkes was in the wrong to issue a statement to the media instead of speaking to Tom privately, reminds me of the comments Van Commenee made about Philips Idowu during the Olympics. Even if they both have a point, wouldn't they be better off dealing with it in private than splashing it all over the papers? Athletes are often criticised for using social media to make inadvised comments, perhaps its time someone told the execs off too!

Can't understand why this fella gets so much stick.  Surely prime-time trash TV is the best way of raising the profile of a minority sport?  And it's not much time out of his schedule.

Anyway, I was too busy drinking beer to watch this on Saturday.  I hear Jenni Falconer's out already?  FFS! 

I'd stick to beer if I were you PP.  It was truly awful.  Even Jenni Falconer in a pink & black fetish swimsuit and a sugarbabe in a bikini couldn't rescue it from the depths to which it, literally, plunged.

It was crap - but I used the remote to change channels and then to watch a the christmas Mrs Brown's Boys which I had recorded. If Daley wants to earn a pot load of money for doing little but standing around, then good for him. Not sure why Jo Brand was on although I know she does like swimming.

She's probably on it thanks to her series on Dave called Jo Brand's Big Splash, not sure if diving was one of the things she did but there was surfing and lifeboat rescue. 

That must make her an expert on diving now  

I don't need to watch the prog to know it is utter shite .

No matter. But I have some admiration for Tom Daly. Olympic and national standard sportsman. Given a hard time at school by envious thickos. Lost a parent. Clutch of A's in his A levels. And all this before he's out of his teens.

He can do this kind of crap to earn some money (and why not?) and take up a new career at a later date. He's certainly bright enough. And he seems pleasant enough.

Give the kid a break!