Photo: Facebook capture
It's not the first such comparison, and it will surely not be the last time football/soccer players who fake injuries become the laughing stock of the Internet. Far from having anything against the sport, it's watching some of the cheap and lousy dramas these athletes play that makes us laugh at them.
And when these chaps are being compared to women who also play football/soccer and who don't complain even after sustaining more serious injuries, things look even more ridiculous.
Now, the big thing when it comes to comparing Dakar riders to soccer players is that the former are fighting an immense and tough battle against the clock and cannot afford to lose seconds, let alone dozens of them.
Unlike motorcycle riders, the way these players act during a game is often overlooked by the referee, and it would take either a very strict one or a terrible actor to attract a yellow or even red card.
One of our buddies smiled adding that the paychecks the top Dakar riders get at the end of the month are nowhere near what a soccer player above average earns from a first league team in Europe or the Middle East.
We know it looks unfair, especially when considering the dangers the riders are facing during the Dakar Rally, and the fact that deaths are not exactly uncommon in rally raids only makes things worse.
On the other hand, we must also distinguish between the popularity of the two sports and how easy the access to a soccer event is compared to what attending a motorcycle race means. Even more, soccer can be played with a handful of people, a ball, two improvised goals, and if you're on the beach, even without shoes.
Motorcycling and motorcycle races are an entirely different thing, and honestly, we are glad it's like this. By the way, this is Honda rider Paulo Goncalves crashing terribly, then picking up the bike and heading for the finish line, in the 2016 edition of the Dakar.
Now, the big thing when it comes to comparing Dakar riders to soccer players is that the former are fighting an immense and tough battle against the clock and cannot afford to lose seconds, let alone dozens of them.
Unlike motorcycle riders, the way these players act during a game is often overlooked by the referee, and it would take either a very strict one or a terrible actor to attract a yellow or even red card.
One of our buddies smiled adding that the paychecks the top Dakar riders get at the end of the month are nowhere near what a soccer player above average earns from a first league team in Europe or the Middle East.
We know it looks unfair, especially when considering the dangers the riders are facing during the Dakar Rally, and the fact that deaths are not exactly uncommon in rally raids only makes things worse.
On the other hand, we must also distinguish between the popularity of the two sports and how easy the access to a soccer event is compared to what attending a motorcycle race means. Even more, soccer can be played with a handful of people, a ball, two improvised goals, and if you're on the beach, even without shoes.
Motorcycling and motorcycle races are an entirely different thing, and honestly, we are glad it's like this. By the way, this is Honda rider Paulo Goncalves crashing terribly, then picking up the bike and heading for the finish line, in the 2016 edition of the Dakar.
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