There Is Only One Sinnacle

Let me start off by saying if you look around over the next week or so you’ll find several great articles relating to the career, both good and bad of Luis Figo. This article is mostly a personal reflection looking back on the greatest Portuguese player of my generation.

In a lot of ways you people have Luis Figo to thank (or blame) for this web site. Let’s rewind nine years ago to Euro 2000 where Portugal took on England to open up the tournament.

Up to that point all I ever knew from Portuguese football was some flashes of brilliance but in the end it would all fall apart and end in disappointment. Down 2-0 against England 20 minutes in I was already preparing myself to a long 90 minutes. Figo’s wonder goal changed everything for me in a lot of ways when it comes to football. Something changed at that moment. Finally I was seeing a team whose sheer will to win match their skill level. Growing up in Canada, hockey players are celebrated for their grit and toughness something I have never seen watching Portuguese football. Here I was watching someone who couldn’t care about being golden as part of the golden generation of Portuguese. Instead I was watching someone who was tough as nails doing everything possible to will his team to victory.

I’ve always wonder why people, myself included identify with a sporting figure who could be thousands of miles away. You know what? I really don’t ever wish to find an answer as to the reasons why. Part of me would feel it would spoil some of the connection to the game if I just use rational thinking instead of letting emotions take over. Back to Canada, being Canadian everyone knows Wayne Gretzky. The great one might as well be our representative to the world. Is this because of his jaw dropping career within in the game of hockey? Partly, but it’s a much bigger picture. Wayne Gretzky to Canadians represented everything we like seeing in ourselves. Gretzky was humble, yet the very best player on the planet. Polite yet no push over, calm on the exterior yet you knew there was this inner fire within him that drove him to success. Everything said previously achieved with a lot of hard work. All these staples many Canadians wish to strive towards. Luis Figo in comparison would be the same when it comes to being Portuguese. Talented yet rugged, stubborn to a fault but always trying to better himself no matter the cost, majestic and madding all wrapped up in a number seven jersey.

Whatever happens at this point will just be a footnote in his career. Few fondly look back on George Best time playing for the San Jose Earthquakes towards the end of his career as an example. Come this weekend once his final game for Inter Milan has been played the main story of Luis Figo’s football career will be written. One of the hardest parts of growing old is realizing the people who you looked up to growing up are growing old right along with you. In your youth, it’s all about the 90 minutes being played between the white lines and enjoying the players who make the game beautiful. Living and dying with every weekend result. Things like money, contacts, transfer rumours didn’t come into play.

Ask someone who is 50 years old his favorite player. I’ll bet good money most will go back into their childhood for this player. Like the saying goes you never forget your first love, well to a lesser extent you never forget the first player(s) who made you discover the love of any sport. Once those players move on, sure other players replace them. For every Luis Figo will come a Cristiano Ronaldo but it’s never quite the same to the first person you connected yourself too. Come the weekend a certain innocent ends for me. Bittersweet to a point knowing the end is near but would I trade all the memories of the last 15 years watching Luis Figo play football if it meant not having this connection to someone who kicks a soccer ball 5000 miles away? Never.

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 28th, 2009 at 5:58 am and is filed under Articles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.