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11/25/2005 01:51:37 PM · #1 |
One of the greatest player of his generation, he was the first superstar footballer.
What ever his failing later in life he was a great sporting tallent.. |
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11/26/2005 03:46:33 AM · #2 |
YES I agree he was certainly an inspiration to many of us, I do not care what ever mistakes he made in his life, we all ,make mistakes but I respect George as one of the greatest footballers to ever grace the planet, Im an Arsenal supporter but Georgie Best was named perfectly, just ask PELE who the greatest player was he will tell you it was Georgie Best, same if you ask George who was the best he would say PELE.. A great man IMO and one that will be missed.. R.I.P Georgie Best.
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11/26/2005 03:50:20 AM · #3 |
And here I was trying to figure out which team he quarterbacked to the NFL championship, based on the thread title. When I opened it up, I went "Oh, DUH!" and remembered who he was. He was one hell of a player. RIP.
R. |
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11/26/2005 03:58:12 AM · #4 |
I read in today's news paper . It was really sad. Players of that era were really different. Personally i liked Holland's John Cyruff.Their total footbal was amazing. Is it true George Best never played world cup.
Message edited by author 2005-11-26 04:05:12. |
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11/26/2005 05:55:32 AM · #5 |
One of the greatest football talents ever. Hard to describe the feeling watching him when he had the ball - amazing player.
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11/26/2005 05:56:24 AM · #6 |
Now here's something interesting. He was a class footballer, and I agree he would be more than competitive in that imaginary "best ever" contest. So yes, I'd call him a great footballer.
But to call him a great man...this is where I think we might explore the idea a bit more.
He was a womanizer. He was addicted to gambling. He couldn't handle his booze, and even though he knew it would one day kill him, he kept drinking. He drove drunk. He assaulted police officers. He got a second chance at life in 2002 (with the liver transplant), and a chance that most other people never got, and he squandered it away by continuing to drink.
Some of his most memorable quotes:
"I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars - the rest I just squandered."
"I used to go missing a lot...Miss Canada, Miss United Kingdom, Miss World..."
"In 1969 I gave up women and alcohol. It was the worst 20 minutes of my life."
Does this sound like a great man to you? If you were to meet a regular Joe who turns out to be a womanizing, selfish, masochistic drunk who has a tendency of assaulting other people and recklessly driving while under the influence, then would you continue hanging out with him? Or would you judge him and stay away from him? Would you respect him, and call him a great man?
Should great, and probably unrivalled, footballing skills excuse that man for his behavior off the pitch? I'm not ranting against George Best, per say. But his death is providing a good trigger for this kind of a discussion. (I can think of many other sports stars who might serve as a trigger as well). I think we live in a culture that idolizes sports stars to the extent that we perhaps would illogically excuse them of "misbehaviors." And I want to know what you might think are the reasons for this, and whether or not you think this is something that we might want to change.
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11/26/2005 06:06:20 AM · #7 |
rgo. you expressed my sentiments exactly. How must the family of the person whose liver he recieved felt seeing him continue to drink his way to his death.. Some 18 year old who had never had a drink could of had that and lived everyday to the full, instea of going and p*ssing it up the wall.
However I do feel for his family.
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11/26/2005 06:17:47 AM · #8 |
| Well, I've never really followed football (soccer in this country) but such is life! But well done to West Indian Brian Lara for becoming the highest run scorer ever in test cricket today! A true legend! |
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11/26/2005 09:50:18 AM · #9 |
I think there are two ways to look at George Best and his life.
Firstly he was no doubt one of the finest and most talented footballers ever seen. He had a grace and beauty on the field that was a true joy to watch. He also brought more women into football as spectators than any other player before or since. This has enabled the game of women's football to expand and become recognised. It was unfortunate that Northern Ireland never qualified for the World Cup finals so the world could have seen his skills in that arena.
Secondly there was Geotge Best the man. I didn't meet him so can only go on reports. He was an alcoholic pure and simple. He didn't want to stop drinking and he carried on regardless of his family or friends. However he never blamed anyone else nor complained. He took a liver transplant that should have gone to someone else who would have respected the donor and the donor's family. This is perhaps the one area I can not sympathise with in any way yet how many of us would have turned it down?
Rgo remarked on his womanising. I can't see this as something in this day and age to criticise him for! He was married twice, had numerous woman and made no secret of this but then how many men with his looks, money and adulation at such a young age would have not succumbed.
As far as I know there has not be accusations of him being a gambler beyond an average person.
Yes he got into trouble through drink driving once recently and once when drink driving was not the accepted horror it is today. Yes he assaulted a police officer once when drunk - again indefensible but hardly unheard of. Many of the "stars" of today have been accused of much worse and much more often.
So the man was not perfect and had an addiction to drink that was uncontrollable. This illness got him into trouble, noticed by the media because of his stardom.
Let's remember this man by the pleasure he gave to millions, the skills he demonstrated on the football pitch and the fact that everyone remarks on his kindness, generosity and his down to earth personality.
As a footballer he had no equal and it is this that many people are paying tribute to today, not a man who was also human.
Pauline
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