It takes all types to make the sporting world go round and we have a love-hate relationship with controversial athletes who are prone to causing mayhem off the field. These stars are making headlines and half the time it’s not because of their outrageous abilities as match-winners. Where does the talent start to become a sideshow to the drama they generate away from the game that has turned them into super stars?
Last week I wrote about Kurtley Beale, the wayward Australian union rugby player, who finds himself in hot water again because of his off-field shenanigans. That saga was barely heating up when former England cricketer, Kevin Pietersen, started a new wave of controversy in his chequered career this time though his much awaited biography ‘KP’.
Talented Trouble: Does the Value Outweigh the Drama?
For those not familiar with him, Pietersen has been a polarizing figure since he burst into the England cricket team in 2004—infamously dissing the land of his birth, South Africa, while becoming the biggest draw card in the cricket world because of his incredible talent. KP is a match winner and behaves with a swagger we are accustomed to seeing from players on a football field. However, his career at this point has become more about his off field sagas than what he did on the pitch for England, and his new book doesn’t attempt to shy away from controversy as he highlights why he has been acrimoniously booted from the England team.
Unsurprisingly, Pietersen has many supporters—from Joe Soap to twitter-happy Piers Morgan; for Morgan and co, it’s all about winning and Pietersen is a match winner. Morgan, Shane Warne and former captain, Michael Vaughan resolutely believe that Pietersen has been axed simply because he hasn’t been handled correctly. Apparently, the current England powers that be don’t understand him and, therefore, don’t know how to get the best of him.
Likewise, Beale has great support within the Wallabies’ ranks. His current drama has taken no prisoners, with the latest casualty in this mess being Wallabies coach, Ewen McKenzie, who promptly exited stage left after last weekend’s Bledisloe match against the All Blacks, citing lack of player support for his departure. Remember how vocally supportive captain, Michael Hooper, has been of Beale?
There is no question that both Kevin Pietersen and Kurtley Beale are incredibly talented; they are match winners. Not only is this fact, both athletes know this to be true and have acted accordingly throughout their careers—leaving awe and destruction simultaneously in their wake. I am not suggesting that either Beale or Pietersen blend in to the background—after all their explosive talents don’t lend them to being the quiet, retiring types. There is an argument that they can be managed well. Waratahs coach, Michael Cheika, got the very best out of Beale, leading to him having a stellar Super Rugby season; under Michael Vaughan’s reign, Pietersen became an Ashes victor and well-loved by the English public, who were thrilled to have a genuine match-winner in their team.
Other players haven’t enjoyed the same support. Former All Blacks winger, Zac Guildford, and former Black Caps’ cricketer, Jesse Ryder, have had well-publicised battles with alcohol. Guildford, though popular with his team mates and fans, soon ran out of chances and has headed to France where he will spend his best playing years on foreign fields with not much hope of turning out for the All Blacks again.
Ryder, after his bar hijinks earlier in the year is back to doing what he does best—scoring explosive innings for his province and setting cricket fields alight with his powerful batting displays. He hasn’t convinced everyone that he is ready for international duty yet, but there is a small hope that if Ryder stays on the straight and narrow a recall to the Black Caps will eventuate.
For the record, I am not saying we should discard of those that need a helping hand; what I am asking is where do we draw the line when our stars’ off field behaviour begins to negatively impact on their teams and the sport?
Is it really OK that Beale gets another chance because he is one helluva rugby player? Even if he sends lewd text messages about a female staffer he happens not to like very much? Remember, this is the same guy who has been photographed at 4am outside a fast food outlet just days from a crucial 2nd test against the Lions.The same Beale who was sent to rehab for alcohol-related offences by his club and then got suspended a 2nd time in the same season for the same reason.
What of Kevin Pietersen? His rap sheet is no better than Beale’s. I don’t have a problem with him being cocky or outspoken, but is he really as defendable as Piers Morgan regularly leads us to believe on twitter? Remember, this is the same player who was England captain for little longer than Kim Kardashian’s second marriage and then resigned because he fell out with then coach, Peter Moores. The same Pietersen who was exiled the first time in 2012 for sending offensive texts about former captain, Andrew Strauss, to his friends in the South African cricket team.
In spite of this, I believe both Beale and Pietersen have a 50/50 chance of receiving reprieves. They will continue to generate headlines that have little to do with their scintillating athletic abilities, while their supporters will continue to champion them because winning outweighs the divisions and difficulties that accompany their talents. The rest of us, however, will be left wondering if our winning at any costs mentality has set a dangerous precedent that will see these kinds of off-field issues becoming the norm rather than the exception.
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