PROFESSIONAL sport may provide many with a spectator hobby, but too often the tales of greed, colossal salaries, inflated egos and corruption overshadow the playing.

Take for instance that "Welcome to Manchester" Tevez poster that the Blues are congratulating themselves on - pure, bitchy childishness - and a fiercely expensive one at that. But, hey, who cares about the cost when it serves its purpose by infuriating the Reds. Let's hope Tevez doesn't live to regret such an unnecessary display of two- finger arrogance.

So in this arena of double-standards, it's great to hear stories of true sporting heroes. You know, the noble talents who are in it for the love of the sport and not the petty point scoring, adulation or pay cheque.

Swimmer Rebecca Adlington is refusing to wear a high buoyancy swimsuit, made legal last month by her sport's governing body, even if it damages her chances of retaining her titles at this week's World Championships in Rome.

The double Olympic champion, Britain's most successful swimmer for 100 years, says she would rather lose the race than win with one of the performance- enhancing suits, even though all her rivals will be wearing them. And it's not as if she doesn't have the choice because her contract with Speedo allows her to wear whatever swimsuit she chooses.

"I didn't get into swimming for this," she says. " I got into the sport because of my ability. I want to improve all the time but off my own back, not because I'm wearing a suit. We now have a situation where if someone wins a race in a fast time the only thing people want to know is what suit he or she was wearing and that's awful for the person and the sport." Well said, that girl and if she wins, she'll spark a swimming revolution.

In the same week golfer Ross Fisher promised that he would be by his wife's side for the birth of their first baby even if it meant walking away from £750,000 and the opportunity to become a sporting legend by winning the Open.

The baby was due yesterday, the same day as the final, but Ross had already pledged to be with his wife and had a private jet on stand-by.

"It would never occur to me that people would think I'm some kind of hero if I left the course with The Open at my mercy. I certainly don't. I'm just determined to do the right thing - and that means being at the birth of our first child."

What a guy, although veteran golf commentator Peter Alliss clearly considered him to be a wuss. "Women have been having babies for thousands of years. The perfect scenario is for him to win the championship and then go home to his wife." Yes, and maybe she should have had his dinner on the table, too. As it happened, it wasn't an issue as Fisher lost yesterday but what a dinosaur Alliss is.

When are these blokes going to realise that some things are more important than sport? What's money and a title compared to seeing your child take its first breath? There's no competition.

Compare that behaviour with that of City and their latest signing. The Tevez posturing is a far cry from true sportsmanship and I'm surprised that Tevez himself - a great sportsman - allowed himself to be dragged into such a farce.

As I said, some things are more important than sport - one's pride, principles and dignity are three of them.

A tale of true grit from backpacker Brit

BRITISH backpacker Jamie Neale cheated death in the Australian wilderness after getting lost, having left his mobile phone at home.

He survived by drinking water from creeks and living on native berries, although doctors fear he may have been poisoned by some of the things he ate.

He survived 12 days in freezing cold conditions by covering himself with tree bark.

It's a fantastic story of triumph over adversity, that has now been described by Jamie. Yet there are many snipers - undoubtedly Crocodile Dundee wannabes, who couldn't last five minutes in the outback - who are pouring scorn on his story.

They say he faked it to get up to £100,000 for the exclusive rights to his story. That would have meant deliberately poisoning himself. I don't think so.

Those Aussies need to learn that we Poms are tougher than we look and we don't have to wear daft hats with dancing wine corks to prove it.