John Barnes and "Hurricane" Higgins amongst sport's great entertainers

Other / Alsy / 11 April 2008 / Leave a Comment

Morgan in the driving seat - Allsy looks at sportsmen from the past and present who proved that playing with flair and style makes you just as popular as winning. Ronnie O'Sullivan, Tiger Woods and Andre Agassi are others on his list...

In 1987 I saw John Barnes play in Liverpool shirt for the first time. I watched highlights of his first game at Anfield on MOTD and will never forget the first goal he scored against QPR. Receiving the ball in the opposition half he raced towards two centre-backs, jinxed left past the first before tuning right past the other. Bisecting the pair in one fluid movement he arrowed the ball right-footed past a hapless David Seaman... get in!

A ten-year obsession with the most entertaining player I ever watched had begun. Digger could do all: back-heel flicks, mazy runs, overhead kicks, delicate chips and winning goals against Everton. We all love champions but the ones you truly remember are those who entertain you along the way. Nastase and Agassi, Best and Marsh, Higgins and O'Sullivan... every one feted for their talent but admired for their ability to inspire and entertain people.

Steve Davis and Stephen Hendry won a multitude of titles between them but they never connected with fans like 'Hurricane' Higgins, 'Whirlwind' White or 'Rocket' Ronnie. The combustible nicknames say it all (even though Steve 'interesting' Davis generated true affection in later years) - they competed with hearts-on-sleeves producing moments of maverick genius along the way.

Great entertainers in sport aren't afraid to take risks. They sometimes fail but when they do succeed they can lift the game to another level: Warne to Gatting, Pele rounding the keeper (and missing), Ballesteros sinking a monster putt, Lara's 400 not-out and everything Daniel Carter does with a rugby ball.

Athletes like these are creative and also win trophies along the way but are we only interested in winners? Success is a great way to achieve lasting fame but often we'll trade success to watch dazzling virtuosity instead.

Would we love George Best any less if he never won trophies with Manchester United? Possibly, but it's clear that 'success' is not the main criteria... just ask Eddie 'The Eagle' Edwards.

Brian McClair won many more honours that Rodney Marsh and Matt Le Tissier combined but the latter pair will be remembered more fondly because they did things we couldn't predict. These players, and others like them, will be remembered because they delivered something special.

It's a shame that many will only know John Barnes as a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing. Luckily for today's youth there's plenty of contemporary sporting geniuses to follow. Chief among them is Cristiano Ronaldo who is blossoming into the rarest of football legends. Fernando Torres has scored 21 Premiership goals this season and will still play second fiddle to a midfielder in the scoring charts. There's little value in backing United to win the Premiership at [1.37] but I'd happily back Ronaldo to lead Portugal to Euro 2008 victory at [8.8].

Rugby Union fans can look to a new boy-wonder for inspiration. Danny Cipriani is so arresting that he can leave a nightclub at midnight, alone and still make headlines. What odds that he might steer London Wasps to an outright win in the Guinness Premiership? At [4.7] it's a rather speculative bet but with Cipriani at the helm there's likely to be plenty of entertainment along the way.

If you're looking for a golfing genius then there's really only one choice. Woods has made a sluggish start to his attempt to win the US Masters but if his price to win slips further than the current [2.9] I'd get on it. I figure Woods plays badly sometimes to make his comebacks more entertaining but if Justin Rose looks likely to win his first US Masters I'd put the kitchen sink on him as 2008 Sports Personality of the Year at [17.5]... that's how sporting legends are made. On live television!