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Friday, November 25, 2005

BEST LEFT TO REST 

Oh well, rest in peace (or several pieces it seems - he is donating a number of pickled parts of his body to science) George Best, brilliant footballer and the source of absolutely millions of tabloid stories for around almost forty years.

When I was a school kid, George Best and Muhammad Ali were the most talked about sports personalities in our class in the early 1970's. Even then, George was a talking point for his clubbing, boozing and womanising rather than for his football career which had basically gone belly up. Muhammad Ali was a talking point for his outspoken disposition outside the boxing ring. Now one of them is dead and the other has ailing health. Sporting heroes from your childhood dying: now there's a sign that you are older than you like to think you are.

Anyway, three things that you can guarantee will be on the news tonight, and have been on the news without fail whenever George has fallen out of a pub, gone on a seemingly neverending binge, had an affair with a beauty queen, split up with a leggy blonde or been at death's door (each has happened frequently over the years):

1. The news report will feature that song "Georgie, Georgie, they call him the Belfast boy" which you never hear anywhere else, ever.

2. They will show that footage of him in a nightclub pouring champagne over a tower of glasses.

3. Someone is dutybound to tell the anecdote about the hotel waiter turning up at George's room with a bottle of bubbly, seeing him in bed with a Miss Universe (or was it two Miss Worlds? Or Miss Trinidad and Togabo, Miss Cleethorpes and Fiona Richmond?) and saying "George, where did it all go wrong?"

If none of them turn up on the news, I will eat my cream, crocheted, slightly out of fashion, baker's hat.

Comments:
The champagne pouring is happening right now on Sky News. Don't worry if you missed it, you'll probably be able to catch it later.
 
Just about to watch the BBC 1 news. They'd better not let me down ...
 
Hope you got to see what you were looking for!
I was pondering your comment about sports heroes dying and making one feel older than they are. It's also true of music icons. Sometimes I'll watch videos or go to concerts and I'll think, damn, these guys are one day older than dirt, aren't they?
Fortunately, since I am too, I have presbyopia so I still think they look hot!
Your blog is fun and I like your writing style!
Peace,
Cie the Cheesemeister
From the Boulder, Colorado area
 
Thank you for the compliments Cheesemeister.

I'm not sure about ageing rockstars: their tendency to dress as if they are 25 at 55 (except that they always wear sunglasses all the time because they think it'll fool everyone into thinking they're still young)depresses me and makes me feel guilty, as if I should make an effort to grow up myself.


Meanwhile, all the George Best stuff I expected turned up on telly and in the papers, but it was good to see his wonderful footballing skills on show in the television tributes. Very entertaining.
 
Can I be the disenting voice?

Why do people find it necessary to glorify the life of a drunk, violent, womaniser? So what he could kick around an inflated pigs bladder wrapped in leather, big deal. How has he improved the world I live in?
 
Nowt wrong with voices of dissent.

I don't think George Best's alcoholism has been glorified as far as I can tell. Unfortunately some people seem to be genetically pre-disposed to it and all sorts of things can trigger it off. By all accounts he seems to have been a nice enough bloke when he wasn't under the influence, although I'm sure his family, friends and partners had a lot to put up with
when he was drunk.

As for the womanising, I guess being young, rich, great looking and famous in the 1960's meant that he wasn't likely to lead a monastic lifestyle.

Anyway, there's a good post about George on Tunnocks Teacakes For Ever (see the link bar)

I quite enjoy football (sorry to let down Tha Sistahood there) and he was an outstandingly good player. Fair enough, not everyone likes football, but we've all got other interests - I dunno, travel, cars, music, cinema, which are life enhancing*, even if they don't improve the world we live in.

One thing I know - if I was to throw out every CD, book or film which was the product of anyone who wasn't either drug addled, alcoholic, promiscuous, megalomaniac, violent, moody or narcissistic, there would be a lot more room in the house and it would be extraordinarily tidy.

*note: "life enhancing" may not be the best choice of phrase for fans of any other football team than Chelsea.
 
F**k me ... didn't I go on a bit there?
 
a good point well made (for some reason i nearly typed "paint" there..). altho the sanctimonious coverage IS annoying....

fuck me, wasn't i boring there?
 
The sanctimonious coverage in the tabloids particularly is down to the fact that he provided plenty of column inches for them over the years (as in Diana, Princess Of Wails).

Fuck me, I've got things which need doing ... see yer ...
 
Barry and Tabitha Onions. Mmmm. Call me a cynic.

I'm may have to check the electoral roll at some point. Lucky for you I'm a bit busy today.
 
Ha! You think you can wrongfoot me by putting comments under a different post, but everything is above board. Barry and Tabitha are definitely on the electoral roll and I am as honest as the day is long.
 
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