Image wasn't everything
I'd like to say I just finished watching Andre Agassi say farewell to competitive pro tennis, but I watched it an hour ago, then couldn't get online to comment on it because my DSL is out. They're checking on it. They say they are. I trust them.
Anyway, as I was listening to the ovation from the U.S. Open crowd in Flushing - it had to go on nonstop for nearly 10 minutes, paused briefly while Benjamin (No Relation To Boris) Becker praised Andre, started up again, paused occasionally while Andre stammered tearfully through his goodbye speech, then re-started again - I thought: I used to hate this guy. Now I'm getting choked up that he's leaving. I've been rooting for him for a number of years just like everybody else. I've grown to admire him and what he stands for. I've marveled at how he's matured publicly.
In short, he's become the opposite of what he once was, or at least what he once was perceived to be. So I wondered this, and please weigh in if you have an answer:
What other athletes have you gone from hating to loving during the course of his or her career? Not after that career ended, or when he joined your team, of after you met him personally and felt guilty about hating because he was nice to you. Someone who, early on, made you sick at the very sight of him, who you loved to ridicule and who was the perfect villain, who made it easy to hate. Yet, something changed, maybe in you but more in him, and you ended up being a huge fan.
Agassi is the only athlete I can think of that did that for me. A lot of the players and athletes for whom I nurtured hatred growing up - you know, various Cowboys and Celtics and Tar Heels and the like - I clung to that hatred even though it was pretty childish. (There's nothing to dislike about Roger Staubach, for instance, but if you're a kid and a Redskins fan, what else are you supposed to do?) Others I did grow to admire mainly because my earlier hatred was childish in itself and because I actually did the maturing (Larry Bird, for one).
But this would be like Barry Bonds or Kobe Bryant, just to name a couple off the top of my head, becoming a beloved figure late in life, because they drastically altered either the way they truly were, or the way they conducted themselves in public, or they corrected some chronic personality or character flaw. Agassi, for one, came off as the biggest phony on the planet in the early years, and it actually made you mad when he won, because it seemed to validate something wrong in the world. But yesterday, it actually hurt to see him lose and to see him bawling into his towel as the applause rang in his ears.
It's more likely that it goes in the other direction: athletes that become more insufferable later in life once the gloss of their image wears off. Mark McGwire might not be the perfect example, but he was a lot more beloved before than he is now. If Brett Favre stays on the path he's on now, selfishly hanging on and keeping the franchise on hold, making veiled accusations about his teammates, sticking his nose into their business and chucking interceptions as if he gets a bonus for each one, he'll be in that territory before long. Same for Roger Clemens if he pulls that overpay-me-for-half-a-season scam one more time - but then again, I can't say I ever was a huge fan of his. And I definitely was more of a fan of Karl Malone early in his career than late. Hard to explain. It's all a very individual thing. Heck, plenty of people never hated Barry or Kobe, so the aforementioned examples don't even apply to them.
Seriously, though, is there another athlete that has played the Agassi role? You hated the mere mention of his name in the beginning but completely changed your mind, and you missed him terribly in the end. Let me know.
Comments
The only one I can think of is Muhammad Ali. To this day I can't really remember when I started rooting for him, or why.
Posted by: Mike A | September 3, 2006 6:50 PM
For me, it would have to be .....drumroll please....John Elway. I hated him for the way he dissed Baltimore after the draft, and held him at least partially responsible for the Colts leaving town. But watching him through his career, I came to admire his fortitude, and was genuinely happy that he won 2 Super Bowls and then retired on top.
Posted by: CADDIEMASTER GREG | September 3, 2006 8:02 PM
Oddly enough, a man from the same sport, Jimmy Connors, who was such a brat when he was young, but who became my favorite player once he matured. His career and Agassi's were similar in a lot of respects.
Posted by: Dave Taylor | September 3, 2006 9:35 PM
Reggie Jackson, believe it or not, is the closest I can think of to what you're talking about for me.
The legend of Reggie needs no explanation, of course, but it seems to be lost to time (or maybe people were already too soured on him), but his last few years with the Angels and his last year with Oakland, he really grew into himself very gracefully. He was no longer a raging egomaniac and seemed to understand his role in the history of the game and served as an elder statesman very nicely. He's continued this for almost 20 years in retirement as well - he's rarely seen publicly and when he is, he always seems thoughtful and mature.
Who on earth could've anticipated that in the 70s?
Posted by: jdbuko | September 3, 2006 11:40 PM
Your comments reminded me of how I used to fill about the 2004 Detroit Pistons. They solidly defeated my beautiful Dream Team Lakers -- essentially sending the team into the abyss. No more Karl Malone (he really did deserve a ring); no more Shaq (hooray for him and The Heat); No more Gary Payton (at least he got his ring); No more Phil (okay for a year there was no more Phil - and perhaps it should have stayed that way); leaving the team adrift with a spoiled narcissiist to constantly remind all the fans (those few faithful who remain) why there's not an "I" in team.
Oh wait, I was talking about Detroit, not Kobe. Sorry, mental lapse. So I hated those Wallace boys. I wanted to see them humbled. I wanted to see them pay big time. And then to add insult to injury, they beat Shaq's Miami Heat in the easter conference finals (2005). They had now reached evil proportions in my heartbroken state, they seemed destined to rule the world for at least a couple more years.
And then came the 2005 finals against San Antonio. Something strange happened to me. I suddenly no longer saw them as the evil empire. They had become....human. Fallible. And I finally saw their individual talents and humanism. God, I actually liked Ben Wallace. Rick Hamilton, (still can't stand the mask but hey, the man did shut down Kobe in the 2004 finals) I've grown to appreciate his ball handling, shooting and defensive skills. And Rasheed? Even Rasheed became lkeable. Chauncy Billups? Mr. Big? He really does have the heart of a champion. It still hurts when I see old film of that 2004 championship--but I see things more clearly now.
They deserved to win then. Just like everyone said. They played as a team. Which is more than I can say for the feuding Lakers of 2004. The only one on that team who still has my highest regard is Karl Malone: say what you want about the man, but he was the glue that held that team together. Once he was injured, they lost their soul.) And of course I still love Shaq (what's not to love?)
I have learned to admire the Piston's of 2004 and their grit and determination to prove everyone else wrong. Including me.
Posted by: Terri Estey | September 4, 2006 4:19 PM
I don’t know about missing any athletes (unless you consider Dale Earnhart and Ayrton Senna athletes) but I sure did miss your boy Roch Kubatko today.
Perhaps you remember this from Roch’s “Late Lead Lost and Assigning Blame” blog.
“Please, the next time you’re at the Yard, please come to the front of the press box and introduce yourself to me.”
Roch Kubatko – September 3rd, 2006 at 4:02 p.m.
“Just to show you there are no hard feelings, why wait until you get back to Baltimore? It’s a little late for me to get to Oakland by game time today but I can meet you tomorrow in Anaheim if you like… Just have a press pass waiting for me and I’ll watch the game with you and break it down for you as it is happening.”
The Ghost of Earl – September 3rd, 2006 at 4:33 p.m.
“You got it. See you tomorrow.”
Roch Kubatko – September 3rd, 2006 at 6:53 p.m.
So, I charter a Citation down from Tahoe to John Wayne (that’s the airport in Orange County for those who don’t get around much) and my little entourage and I roll into Anaheim at about 5:30 p.m. today.
We were fortunate ticket-wise and picked up field box seats just a few rows right behind the visitor’s dugout. (For Lefty, that would be the Orioles’ dugout today in Anaheim.)
We watched batting practice (Tatis and Miggy looked good) and I went up to the press box about 15 minutes before game time. Talked with Roger up there. He was very courteous and helpful. Friendly old Roger checked with everybody anywhere near the press box and reported that Roch hadn’t yet arrived.
“No problem, Roger. I’ll check back latter.”
So we watch a few innings, long enough for Crazy Sammy to make his near nightly small ball (and scouting) gaff as he sends Newhan and promptly losses both a base runner and an out (and the hole on the right side of the infield for Hernandez – who then stuck out - but whose counting?)
So I go back up to the press box. Roger is very courteous again and again goes everywhere trying to find Roch.
This time he comes back with a report from “the guy who works with Roch” who says, “Roch isn’t coming in tonight.”
Clairvoyant student of human nature that I am, I am prepared for this scenario.
“No problem, Roger. Would you please give this envelope to Roch’s friend or co-worker just so he will know that I dropped by like I said I would?”
And I left an envelope addressed to Roch Kubatko (Baltimore Sun) with a note: “The Ghost of Earl was here.”
Roger promised that Roch would get it.
So, basically it comes down to The Ghost took Roch at his word and was ghosted.
Hey, if you had a problem, Roch, you could have sent me an email, no?
Naïve you say? Didn’t more than a few bloggers here talk about Roch being a stand up guy and having class and so on?
So was it the Roch-worshiping blogging corps or Roch himself that I was naïve to believe? I’ll let all these standup bloggers sort that one out.
In any event, Kudos to the Angels management for having Grey Poupon on hand for their Farmer John hot dogs (sorry, no crab cakes) and for giving Play of the Game honors to the visiting Brandon Fahey for his diving catch in left.
And Kudos also to the Angel fans for giving the big screen replay of Fahey’s catch a good, hearty round of applause.
That really showed some class.
Posted by: The Ghost of Earl | September 5, 2006 2:16 AM
I'd have to nominate Byron "Whizzer" White. I remember he and I were both rookies around the same time, and I hated him back then. I thought all U. of Colorado graduates were sissies. And I hated him when he supported JFK in 1960. But over the years I really grew to admre the guy, especially after his dissent in Roe v. Wade in '73.
Posted by: "Julio Franco" | September 6, 2006 5:50 PM
the fact that you still "hate" any human being is pretty immature. you're supposed to be a journalist...grow up. and oh yeah, kobe is awesome.
Posted by: winstoner | September 8, 2006 5:51 AM