Athletes Batting for Fast Food :(

Have you heard? Ricky Ponting is retiring as captain of the Aussie cricket team.

To mark the occasion the 7PM Project are running a poll asking "What will Ponting's captaincy be most remembered for?". I thought it was amusing that "a new world record for commercial endorsements" was out in front in the poll. Tbh, there's not a lot Ponting hasn't endorsed: milk, deoderant, oil, vitamins, banks, beer, sunglasses, breakfast cereal... In fact, I heard that he tried to drop the 'y' from his name to make himself more marketable!

But what really bugs me is the fact that the Australian Cricket team's official sponsor is KFC!

Even setting aside the fact they are promoting a company that confines millions of birds in factory farms, how can a team of elite atheletes sell food that is only going to add to the problems of childhood obesity, heart disease, etc? If you ask me that's just not cricket!

A few weeks ago it was reported that another cricketing great, Stuart McGill refused to promote KFC when he was on the Aussie cricket team. He said: "I don't think you can have any of us [cricketers] advertising junk food to be honest. ... It's just wrong in so many ways." What a top bloke!

Wouldn't it be nice if a few more cricketers took a leaf out of Stuart McGill's book and refused to promote unhealthy food; or better yet, followed Greg Chappell's lead and cut out cruelty by going vegan!

What do you think of athletes promoting junk food?

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