acmilan89
16-11-2004, 00:45
I don't know if this is something worth discussing but today's football has been bugging me for sometimes. Either I'm ageing quickly or mentally impaired, but I have begun losing the passion wathching a football game on TV these days. Of course, unless our good 'ol all-conquering Milan is playing. The number of televised EPL on TV isn't helping either.
What's been bugging me lately is not really the standard of football in general but rather the players. Mind you, I'm making generalizations here and not based on in-depth analysis of the players. Anyway, I used to remember in the late 70s and 1980s whereby we have distinct great players such as Maradona, Platini, Beckenbauer, Best, Cryuff, Eusebio, and a certain Pele. And these players did not pop up right on the scene at the simultaneously. Not all of them, at least. As I reflect those years today, I can see how I appreciate the space that it gave me to respect these players as the games are played. They played as legendary footballers and deserved to be considered as such. And in my opinion, they were respected as having the "star" status on and off (well, except for the particular two...) the field.
Forward to the late 1990s and today's football. Suddenly almost every player that gets mentioned too many times in the media can already be considered legends. I don't have to mention names here because I'm sure we all can recognize them. But I consider these players as media icons as opposed to the traditional football icons. And more to the point, I have the feeling that although some of these players usually dislike their privacy being trespassed, they can't seem to detach themselves from these media, from the creator of icons. I don't think I'm being too extreme to say that a handful of these "legendary modern day footballers" depend on the media to mould their off field icons. And probably enjoy it as well. As a result, football players, like Hollywood blockbuster actors, become celebrities. Whether they are good on the field isn't THAT important anymore. What they do off the field is almost equally as important what they do on the field. Perhaps, Best and Maradona are two football icons that are exceptional to this situation. The reason why I'm saying exceptional is because their greatness on the field -- at least for me, that is -- eclipses what they've done off the field. Today, if we have certain players who does such thing (maybe less ability on the field compared to Maradona) on and off the field, how do we view such players?
With exception to few certain players in today's modern football, there are not many footballers whom I can see as a role model in football. Both on and off the field. Yes, we can point to the media but at the same time, it's also that same media that brings us these games, these players. But should we treat footballers today as celebrities? Personally, I can't see why. Almost all my friends are football-mad people and what's interesting is that most of them do not even play football. Not to say that's anything wrong with them but I am bugged by the fact that I know less about these footballers they're talking about than they do. They watch each game intently, scrutinizing every moves their celebrity make, criticizing the tactics of the team, and in the end place their bets without much ado. Despite playing the game myself, I can't bring myself to that level of discussion, I feel helpless not knowing the football that I used to know. I know football has changed and will always continue to change but for me, at times, it's way too fast.
Alright, I think I've raved enough. I apologize for the non-organization of thoughts in this thread but like I said this is just based on generalizations and contemporary football that has been bugging me. The comments are not meant to be negative and should not be perceived as such. On my part, it's just my own concern about the game we all love so much. Alrighty. I stop.
What's been bugging me lately is not really the standard of football in general but rather the players. Mind you, I'm making generalizations here and not based on in-depth analysis of the players. Anyway, I used to remember in the late 70s and 1980s whereby we have distinct great players such as Maradona, Platini, Beckenbauer, Best, Cryuff, Eusebio, and a certain Pele. And these players did not pop up right on the scene at the simultaneously. Not all of them, at least. As I reflect those years today, I can see how I appreciate the space that it gave me to respect these players as the games are played. They played as legendary footballers and deserved to be considered as such. And in my opinion, they were respected as having the "star" status on and off (well, except for the particular two...) the field.
Forward to the late 1990s and today's football. Suddenly almost every player that gets mentioned too many times in the media can already be considered legends. I don't have to mention names here because I'm sure we all can recognize them. But I consider these players as media icons as opposed to the traditional football icons. And more to the point, I have the feeling that although some of these players usually dislike their privacy being trespassed, they can't seem to detach themselves from these media, from the creator of icons. I don't think I'm being too extreme to say that a handful of these "legendary modern day footballers" depend on the media to mould their off field icons. And probably enjoy it as well. As a result, football players, like Hollywood blockbuster actors, become celebrities. Whether they are good on the field isn't THAT important anymore. What they do off the field is almost equally as important what they do on the field. Perhaps, Best and Maradona are two football icons that are exceptional to this situation. The reason why I'm saying exceptional is because their greatness on the field -- at least for me, that is -- eclipses what they've done off the field. Today, if we have certain players who does such thing (maybe less ability on the field compared to Maradona) on and off the field, how do we view such players?
With exception to few certain players in today's modern football, there are not many footballers whom I can see as a role model in football. Both on and off the field. Yes, we can point to the media but at the same time, it's also that same media that brings us these games, these players. But should we treat footballers today as celebrities? Personally, I can't see why. Almost all my friends are football-mad people and what's interesting is that most of them do not even play football. Not to say that's anything wrong with them but I am bugged by the fact that I know less about these footballers they're talking about than they do. They watch each game intently, scrutinizing every moves their celebrity make, criticizing the tactics of the team, and in the end place their bets without much ado. Despite playing the game myself, I can't bring myself to that level of discussion, I feel helpless not knowing the football that I used to know. I know football has changed and will always continue to change but for me, at times, it's way too fast.
Alright, I think I've raved enough. I apologize for the non-organization of thoughts in this thread but like I said this is just based on generalizations and contemporary football that has been bugging me. The comments are not meant to be negative and should not be perceived as such. On my part, it's just my own concern about the game we all love so much. Alrighty. I stop.