That's true, and many of them do. I don't think too many sit on yachts for the rest of their lives. But many more were born with one particular outstanding talent which they have to use their "best years" to exploit at the expense of other career development, and lack business or leadership brains. We tend to judge the world of football by the antics of the Beckhams and Rooneys, which isn't entirely fair. You could also judge cinema by the few top-paid megastars, the world of classical music by the very few conductors or soloists who command huge sums for a single concert, or the whole of the Beeb by the salaries of just a few spoiled brats who infest our screens with their shallow contests and chat shows on Saturday evenings ("Strictly" excepted, as I love it). The whole picture is far more enlightening than the scandalous headlines.

And you still have several days in which to redeem yourself by removing that Man U strip from under the Christmas tree. Bin it now, say three Hail Marys and vow to never repeat this scurrilous act!