John Terry and family men

Don't those talks of "shaming the country" ring a bit hollow?

The John Terry saga seems to have finally come to an end. Yesterday's meeting with England coach Fabio Capello resulted in the captaincy being taken away from the 29-year-old Chelsea defender.

The Daily Mail, who sweated with excitement throughout the scandal, are saluting the event with this epic headline: "Grazie Signor Capello: After days of dithering by the FA, it takes an Italian family man just ten minutes to sack captain who shamed England".

And yet, as the Gospels would tell you if they'd been re-written in the 21st century, let the Premier League player who is without sin kick the first ball.

Because John Terry may have been involved in one too many a shady thing, but a quick look at his colleagues is hardly an example of Daily Mail-sponsored righteousness and family life.

The football world has an astonishing capacity to instantly sweep sordid crap under the carpet, but together Premier League stars have crashed more cars than a whole series of Crash Bang Wallop, joined more orgies than the whole porn industry and gambled more money than the whole of Las Vegas.

Not many for instance remember the mega "party" that Man Utd players organised two years ago. The Mail themselves noted that Terry's potential successor as captain, Rio Ferdinand, "once participated in a homemade video of an orgy while on holiday in Cyprus". Some may even remember his eight-month ban in 2003-4 for failing to attend a drug test.

So who's going to "set a good example for the kids" then? Wayne Rooney? Frank Lampard? Steven Gerrard? Ashley Cole? Any suggestions? Until the next one gets caught?

Perhaps it would be just better (and easier) if the papers simply ditched those hollow talks of football players "setting examples for the kids" or "being role models". Just knock the sanctimony on the head, stop fooling yourselves and treat it for what it is. An entertaining game played by superoverpaid young men on a massive power trip.