Each year brings yet another revealing-must-have-warts and all autobiography from a sporting icon either retired, soon to pack it all in or in the cases of Messers Beckham and Owen, still safely in mid-career (cashing in whilst their celebrity stock is high). Last year it was football’s ‘Sir Alex’ and this year it is cricket’s ‘KP’, two men united by their almost unparalleled success, forthright opinions, unshakable self-belief in their ability, and confidence bordering on (and sometimes crossing into) the arrogant. So it comes as no surprise that both has upset, and continues to rile, former colleagues, friends and team-mates as they re-count past glories, victories and defeats.
What is surprising and slightly saddening is that the mud-slinging is from two men who both played instrumental roles in periods of uncharted success for Manchester United and the England cricket team respectively. Nobody is naive enough to believe that in every team, everyone is best friends, whistling in the shower, holding hands and singing ABBA songs to one another. Like any successful organisation – in fact, ANY organisation – not everyone will see eye to eye. But whether it’s the pursuit of silverware and trophies, or promotion and pay-rises, human beings have long ago realised the best teams / workforces are ones that pull in the same direction.
However true or accurate their accounts actually are, they only serve to cheapen and tarnish the all-conquering sides they were both integral to. Sports men and women involved in elite sport are incredibly driven souls and the pursuit of success requires that few prisoners be taken and that quarters are not often given, but it shouldn’t mean we then attack and even humiliate those who’ve sweated blood to help us achieve success. Because then we are effectively saying it’s okay to use, manipulate and exploit anyone as long as they help us achieve our goals. A scary prospect if we all applied that kind of thinking.
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