Usain Bolt is the current fastest man on the planet as the world record holder over 100m - and when he ran to the crowd to hug supporters, was I the only one to expect him getting a red card and being sent down the tunnel?
Olympics Puts Football In The Shade!
But as fans celebrated with the hero of the day ... it shows how pathetic football has developed ... where a player could have been sent packing.
We see diving, cheating, con men and over inflated egos every Premiership/European fixture ... and we could learn so much from the heroes of Beijing.
The dedication and determination required to collect a medal seems to be at odds with the devil-may-care attitude of some of those who ply their trade in the Barclays Premier League.
Cole feels the comparison is unjust. But he does acknowledge improvement from within is required to help change that perception.
Cole: "The public do have less patience with footballers because of the amount of money that can be earned.
"But when you step out onto the pitch it is not about money. It is about pride in your performance just like any other sport.
"However, the fact we get a hard time is partly our own fault.
"When someone makes a mistake people just say 'ah, the footballers again'.
"It is hard because footballers get thrown into the spotlight at a young age with not much life experience. But we could do more."