Far, far too much ink has been spilt over the various allegations surrounding John Terry. However it was interesting to see the differences between the situation of the former England captain and an American sporting idol of comparable stature: Tim Tebow, American football quarterback and Heismann Trophy winner (apparently that's a big deal).
Terry took the easy way out - for him at least - and paid for a woman to have an abortion. Tebow's mother was advised to have an abortion because of an illness she contracted while pregnant – she refused, and her son has gone on to achieve greatness in his field.
There is also a difference in the publicity. Terry took newspapers to court in an attempt to keep the revelations about his behaviour quiet. Tebow and his mother referred to his story in an advert during the Super Bowl – watched by up to 100 million Americans. The advert is here and the full story is here.
The advert was controversial to say the least, and the National Organisation for Women called it “extraordinarily offensive and demeaning,” (without having seen it). However Jamelle Hill, an analyst for ESPN.com, hit the nail on the head when she wrote that "You've got to admire Tebow for standing with conviction, even as he's opening himself and his family up to criticism."
Maybe I'm being too optimistic, but it could be that the general revulsion at this sad affair marks a change in public expectations of the behaviour of highly paid sportsmen. We're a long way away as things stand, but perhaps our sporting heroes will in future behave more like Tebow than Terry.